Gauging local demand for Special Ed/ESL teachers (Austin, Richardson: daycare, how much)

[Selena777]

I graduated from SMU in 2008 and am currently working towards a teaching certificate. I'm preparing to do the THEA/ATC and wondered - what would be the most desirable sub-certification to have - Sped or ESL? Also, where's the area of most dire need within the DFW metroplex? For any teachers that may be listening, is relocation to find that first job a common occurrence? Ideally, I'd like to stay within the metroplex. I've been here all of my life, and I don't know if I could survive anywhere else in the state besides here and Austin. I know DISD isn't hiring, :/ but perhaps the other districts are.

[loves2read]

have you read a newspaper or listened to the news recently--the past 4 months have been about the educational shortfall in the state's budget for the next two years--
districts across the state are going to face drastic reduction in the money the state gives them to run their schools
there might be some federal money coming but that has not been settled yet
currently districts are NOT looking for teachers--they are taking teachers they anticipate having to RIF/layoff and putting them into a pool--any jobs that need to be replaced with happen with those teachers first--
it is very unlikely that someone w/o experience and with an AltCert degree (if that is what yours will be) will be hired over people with experience who have been laid off by their districts

just run a search on ANY Texas forum for teaching jobs and see what threads come up

What do you talk about in your education classes?
Many people saw this problem coming--Perry managed to avert it at the last budget session by stealing millions of federal dollars and spreading that money around in the state's budget
so anyone who was encouraged to go into teaching because it was a field with stability/growth was being fed a fairy tale--
I know that some people have a calling to teach but the next years in TX are going to be some of the worst in the past 25 for getting a job in education

[FarNorthDallas]

I read in the newspaper Richardson ISD is only hiring about 100 people for next year - far fewer than usual.

[loves2read]

and I bet they don't really hire that many
everyone is still waiting to get the final budget out of the legislature--it was derailed again yesterday apparently
and to know about Federal funds to offset the state's reduction

[Selena777]

So are there opportunities available in private/charter/alternative schools?

[loves2read]

how are you getting certified?
who is there to give you some advice vs this forum? Anyone?

your chances of being hired as special needs teacher is less likely in those schools because many of them don't take special needs students--they don't have the means to offer them the special services they might require
their salaries are generally lower than public schools
private schools are not required to have teachers with educational degrees and many of them don't--they take people with degrees in their subject matter normally w/o the certification

they are usually smaller schools with fewer students and thus need fewer teachers so the odds of getting hired by one of them are statistically probably smaller just because openings would be fewer

[5stones]

Some of ISD's will some openings, but alot of those are going to internal employees only. So, they are giving the teachers/aides that have been laid off the option of staying with the district. These jobs are even the non-teaching postions. Keller is one I know that any job openings right now are only open for interal applications. Keller is seeing alot of 20+ year teacher retiring right now, and I am sure that is happening in many districts as well.

SpED is one of the hard hit areas, every Special Ed teacher & Aide I know are all getting ESL qualified to try retain thier jobs.

So yes being ESL will help, but you need something else as well...esp if you are brand new teacher with no expirence.

Bi-lingual teachers are the only ones I that would say have a chance of finding a job for 2011-2012.

[Selena777]

"how are you getting certified?
who is there to give you some advice vs this forum? Anyone?"

I'm getting certified through Mountain View's Alt Cert program. I'm doing the research prior to any classes, because I'm... extremely gunshy due to past experience. I went to school, graduated and found myself literally, intractably unemployable - I don't want to make the same mistake again. In the interim, I've investigated different career paths based on a combination of factors, including but not limited to level of market demand, but I keep being told that "they're not hiring for that, and if they are, they're certainly not hiring inexperienced people." Apparently, this is no different.

My cousin-in-law recently graduated and procured a teaching position in Ft. Worth, but she's bilingual. I can communicate adequately in Spanish, (that being said, I'm by no means fluent at this point) which is why I was under the belief that ESL would be a viable option for me.

[loves2read]

ESL and truly bilingual are two differen types of certification
ESL certified teachers can work with any students who does not have English language proficiency--
like Russian immigrants or kids from Somalia and yet not really speak any foreign language
many districts require that all teachers have at least the minimum certification in ESL training because it is supposed to help with struggling students
vs having the certification to teach an ESL-only class

probably because special needs students are really being redirected INTO the classroom situatuion vs having classes of only special needs students the ESL certification would be more beneficial--since our immigrant population is not going away

But overall I think you did indeed get some bad advice--
there has always been difficulty getting a job in a "good" district in the DFW area--that means suburban, well-paying, considered to have fewer discipline problems and be safer environment
the idea that teaching was a field with openings for any and all applicants is just hogwash
I don't know why newspapers print those stories or why TX worksforce commission continues to maintain that teaching is a growing field--what is growing is the need for DAYCARE workers--and those aren't teachers
even colleges are not using the number of graduates with MA/PhDs who want to go into university teaching that graduate--my son is proof of that

and remember that under the terms of most -- not all but most--alt cert programs you MUST work a year as a teacher in order to actually BECOME certified--
so just because you complete the program unless it is the longer one involving student teaching in classroom--I don't think you are considered certified--you are in limbo until you teach a year and get your full certification

districts frankly don't like to hire teachers in your position--the last two years I have seen job fairs that specifically said Alt Cert candidates were not wanted and would not receive an interview spot
having UNcertified teachers goes against them with TAKS grading

the Alt Cert movement was done for two reasons--to try to get more hard-to-fill spots filled--at that time several years ago when the legislation was passed that meant jobs like special needs teachers--or maybe people with math/business degrees who could teach math because those teachers are always hard to find
and as a money maker for the people who set up the programs--especially the private programs not affiliated with colleges--big lobby with the legislature for that law to be passed

You might be the exception to the rule--might be easier to get job in smaller towns vs larger metro districts
but many districts anticipate reducing teaching spots because of budget shortfalls
just depends on how many and what district--and how much federal money they get
FTWISD is supposedly going to be hit hard by funding reduction even with federal money---has your cousin heard if she will keep her job

[getmeoutofhere]

Alt-cert programs are, by and large, worthless. There are tons of grads with traditional certifications looking for work, and traditionally-certified people are more desirable.