Relocating to Delaware to teach high school (Dover, Milford: live, shop)

[DelawareLiz]

Hmmm....most likely. I need to update the dates on my letters of recommendation as well since I'm applying for other teaching jobs, now that I think about it....

[toobusytoday]

I'm really surprised that everyone is being so positive about the job outlook. Here in my neck of the woods in Lehigh County, PA, teaching jobs are extremely scarce. Districts are even laying off and we have a very strong teachers union. If jobs are posted, they often go to people that have been subbing or working as aides for years. In fact, I think all of the aides in my district that I know are certified teachers and it would be uncommon not to have a masters degree after teaching for four or five years. I wonder if that's because we have so many colleges that churn out hundreds of certified teachers every Spring, and Delaware only has a few colleges. Anyway, disom, sounds like you and your wife are making sure everyone is employed before making the big move anyway. I wish you the best of luck.

[Bac0s]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

I'm really surprised that everyone is being so positive about the job outlook. Here in my neck of the woods in Lehigh County, PA, teaching jobs are extremely scarce. Districts are even laying off and we have a very strong teachers union. If jobs are posted, they often go to people that have been subbing or working as aides for years. In fact, I think all of the aides in my district that I know are certified teachers and it would be uncommon not to have a masters degree after teaching for four or five years. I wonder if that's because we have so many colleges that churn out hundreds of certified teachers every Spring, and Delaware only has a few colleges. Anyway, disom, sounds like you and your wife are making sure everyone is employed before making the big move anyway. I wish you the best of luck.

Can't speak for the other parts of Delaware, but Appo school district is growing. It's in much better shape than the school district from which we moved (in VA), which was facing budget cuts in the range of 60 million over 2-3 years.

Appo is building a new early childhood center (for pre-k and k) and a new elementary. Both are slated to open fall of 2012. They are also planning to build/open a new middle school and high school (I think fall of 2014? 2015?). This is after they opened a new middle school in 2007, another new early ed center and a new high school in 2008, another new elementary school in 2009, and spent 12-13million renovating an existing school in the summer of 2010.

[disom]

TooBusyToday, There are quite a few jobs posted in Delaware for English teachers. We were surprised because there are only 17 districts in the state and a handful of charter schools. My wife and I researched districts and she actually didn't apply to all of the posting districts. We decided if we're going to uproot ourselves from our family and friends, that she would teach in a "good" district. That's not to take anything away from any of the districts that need work.

Here in Syracuse, NY where we live, there are 47 school districts within a 1 hour drive. 47! You would think there would be somebody posting...but there isn't. We've dealt with this for the past 2 years and it doesn't look like it is going to get any better. She has gotten to the final interview group in every district she's applied to, meaning out of over 1000+ applicants for each job she's in the top 10 - 15. However, with the amount of laid off teachers out there, they get the jobs because they have the experience. Kids with just a bachelor's degree don't stand a chance. Thankfully my wife has a master's and has done some long term sub positions so we were hoping somebody around here would give her the chance to prove herself but it just isn't happening. That is why we're looking in Delaware and if Delaware doesn't work out, we'll move on to another state and look but Delaware is our number 1 choice and we need to get out of NY.

[DelawareLiz]

Disom and TooBusy--I heard that about the states up north. Makes me that much more grateful to live here!! Delaware is most definitely hiring teachers, that's for sure. They do give preference to people who have worked for the district (para, sub, student teacher, etc.), but anyone with a masters degree and upstanding credentials has an excellent chance here.

Like your wife, I will only work for certain districts. I don't blame her one bit. I like where I work now, but I'd prefer to work at the beach. I was contacted by a particular district last year regarding an ag science job, but I refused to apply. No way was I dealing with all those "issues" within that district.

[toobusytoday]

We have postings too, but they are often ghost postings, like beachliz is describing, where they already have candidates in mind but lawfully must post them. The downside to a masters without experience is that the district must pay more without knowing that the teacher is any better teaching-wise. I know in PA, there is no leeway with that, i.e. if a candidate has a bachelors, they will start off with X amount and if they have a masters it's another number. There is no bonus money for experience. If your wife is not hired, that would be my guess for the reason. Have you considered securing your job first disom and then your wife subbing until she gets hired? My daughter did a year as a long-term sub and afterwards they wanted to hire her.

[rdlr]

Here's a site to fish around in.

Jobs Promotion & Career Management @ Jobxpreso.com Teach Delaware

[disom]

Unless our house sells quickly, we can't afford to move unless my wife gets a job. She'd be making more than me if she can land a teaching job so we need that income to afford rent and our mortgage. As much as we'd like to move now, its a no go without her teaching job.

As for the "ghost" jobs, that happens everywhere. In fact twice my wife has gone into an interview where the job had already been given away but they needed to go through the motions.

[DelawareLiz]

I hate when that happens; I've had those ghost job interviews as well. But, if it's any reassurance, I never worked for the district I'm at now until the day they hired me. Obviously they contacted IRSD and checked my references as well, but they never met me until I walked in for the interview. Here's to hoping your wife will have good luck and not have to deal with anymore ghost job interviews.

[disom]

Anyone know about teaching in Milford?