Thinking about Alt-Certification for Elementary Education

[getmeoutofhere]

If it is something you want to do, by all means pursue it.

Just know the chances of actually landing a job are very slim, though not non-existent.

Once the economy begins the slow turnaround, you will have much better luck.

[loves2read]

his chances are not zero--there are alt-cert people who get jobs--but because of the timing of hiring and the timing of the alt-cert classes there is narrow window of opportunity --maybe none--to get in line for being hired this spring...
and he needs to be realistic about where he is willing to work--he is going to have to take districts that might be more distant or not pay as well in search for a job

and the blythe assertion that I might consider school administration at some point makes it seem like the control is all on his side--which it is not--school districts are pretty picky about whom they choose for their admin spots --more so than whom they hire for teaching spots...
it is not what YOU want but what THEY want---and again being an alt-cert swing would only help in this case if he were going into the counseling/special needs admin side--not general admin--and those special vacancies are even more limited than generic admin posts...

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

A better way to obtain a teaching certificate is to take the required courses at night at a college. It will take much longer but then your chances improve drastically. You would need to take a leave of absence from your job to do the student teaching.

[jimday]

JS1, are you speculating or do you have supporting stats? For example, Texas Teachers told me that 90% of their interns get teaching jobs.

[JS1]

Originally Posted by jimday

JS1, are you speculating or do you have supporting stats? For example, Texas Teachers told me that 90% of their interns get teaching jobs.

LOL

I took the Texas Teachers course, for a math certificate. I was told that schools are desperate for math and science teachers. Of all the junior high and high schools around, and I didn't care if the district was rich or poor or anything, I got one interview and no job offer. They couldn't even be bothered to send me a rejection letter, and they only had one other candidate.

90% success is a load of B.S.

I bet what they meant by that is that 90% of people who get an intern job are invited back the next year.

The other 10% are those that quit, stink at teaching, or don't finish the certificate program (exchanging a probationary teaching certificate for a standard certificate).

If half the alt-cert math applicants get intern jobs (half is just a guess on my part; it's certainly not 99% like I was told), just imagine what the chances are for elementary, or English, History, etc., where you have far more applicants coming out of the universities with full teaching certificates and people moving here from other states with a full teaching certificate AND experience.

That reminds me, I need to send them an e-note lambasting them for their crooked ways and lies.

[getmeoutofhere]

Originally Posted by jimday

Texas Teachers told me that 90% of their interns get teaching jobs.

Then they are flat-out lying.

[fratermus]

Originally Posted by jimday

JS1, are you speculating or do you have supporting stats? For example, Texas Teachers told me that 90% of their interns get teaching jobs.

Before I joined the Army my recruiter told me there was a good chance I'd be driving dune buggies on a beach. <-- not making this up.

When I was shopping altcert programs the fine young salesdroid at Brookhaven indicated that "all fields were in demand". I asked about the relative saturation of Social Studies compared to, say, Special Ed, Math, and Science. "Oh, no. They are all in demand."

Yeah. The teaching market for altcert folks is just deadly right now. Here is how I've handled it so far:

* passed TExES content and PPR exams
* printed and background checked
* substitute teaching
* handed out about 500 business cards, ordered more
* applied to everything in my field within a 1.5 hour commute
* attended job fairs
* personally emailed every jr/high school P in my district and contiguous districts
* use Firefox tab groups to load and review 40+ ISD and private/charter webpages every morning.

I got one interview, and it wasn't even in response to my apps. It was from a new HS that needed someone with a M.A. so they could teach dual credit. They had googled my resume. It was a 3 hour interview, so at least they were interested.

I know of two people in my altcert cohort that got their internship; both knew someone in the school where they were hired and both indicated that's how they got the job.

One of Ps recently told me that the subset of young female teachers that normally quit when they get pregnant the first time has stayed on and taken maternity leave instead. Their husbands have been laid off and they need the bennies.

[JS1]

wow, that is worse than I thought

[loves2read]

it is not just younger teachers who are staying--people who get burnt out and leave after 7 or so years because it is difficult to support a family are staying because there is no where else to go...older teachers are not retiring as early because they want to get their retirment pension up as much as it will go and in some districts teachers are getting raises (small but still a raise) which helps boost their pensions...

subbing can be a way to get a foot in the door but there are many prinicipals that won't hire a sub for a full time job--in their minds, if that person was a "good" teacher, s/he would have had a job offer by now...
totally ignoring lots of contributing factors--but that is how they think...
so subbing can hurt you--it is damned if you do and damned if you don't reality...

the way the economy is and the fact that next year might be as bad because of the tax situation means that some districts may hold off opening new schools...that is where most new hires happen--when a district opens a new school...
then again--my friend who still teaching in local district told me at start of school this year, her school had probably 15 new teachers--more than they anticipated...so some people were transfers but some were new to the district...

[jimday]

Wow. Thanks for the honest feedback, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the alt-cert programs are stretching the facts to keep the profit pipeline going.

I'm still going to shadow a couple of elementary school teachers to see if this is the right path for me.

In the meantime, I'll continue applying for jobs in my current profession as well as at community colleges/universities. No reason to put all my eggs in one basket, especially this early on.