Teaching jobs (Keller, Crowley: spring break, how much, find a job)

[ebuch]

Hey all, I was just wondering how much of a need or want there is for teaching jobs in the DFW area? Has the economy really slowed down the hiring for that position? Reason I ask is because I could be taking a job with FWPD, and if my girlfriend decides to make the relocation move as well, she will need to find a teaching job (elementary, middle-school, or science in high school I believe.) Thanks for any information!

[loves2read]

run a search on the fort worth board for
teaching jobs
and plenty of threads will come up
mixed opinions
it all depends on the individual situation-
if she is already certified
if she has a texas certification
if she is in desireable area (science is usually considered one)
if she is willing to teach anywhere she can get a job in FTW area--
then she stands a pretty good shot

but frankly the Crowley ISD had big story in FTW paper this past week--district is financially distressed--has two new schools it could not afford to staff when school opened and is having to lay off about 100 teachers for the next year--nothing about their subject areas/experience are known but it probably won't be just new teachers ...

so there will be 100 teachers right there trying to find jobs for next year

she needs to check the TEA region IX website=
there is information there about schools in FTW area, maps to them, job link

[ebuch]

Originally Posted by loves2read

run a search on the fort worth board for
teaching jobs
and plenty of threads will come up
mixed opinions
it all depends on the individual situation-
if she is already certified
if she has a texas certification
if she is in desireable area (science is usually considered one)
if she is willing to teach anywhere she can get a job in FTW area--
then she stands a pretty good shot

but frankly the Crowley ISD had big story in FTW paper this past week--district is financially distressed--has two new schools it could not afford to staff when school opened and is having to lay off about 100 teachers for the next year--nothing about their subject areas/experience are known but it probably won't be just new teachers ...

so there will be 100 teachers right there trying to find jobs for next year

she needs to check the TEA region IX website=
there is information there about schools in FTW area, maps to them, job link

Thanks for the post! Yeah she is already certified in DE and NJ, but she will have to get her certification in Texas.

[5stones]

while she is working on her certif she can subsitute teach.
HS subs are in great demand. It's a great way to get toknow the district and get your "foot in the door" with the administration etc...

I sub in Keller k-6 and I usually have 3 days a week without a problem.
Keller has positions open and as Loves2 pointed out science is one area it seems they are always hiring for (esp in 6-12).
Also Special ED.

[ebuch]

How is the pay for Sub teachers down there? I will check out the keller district as well. Nevermind saw that it looks like $85 a day with a bachelor's degree..

[hypocore]

The biggest challenge she will find is that if she isn't able to be here in person meeting face to face with principals by April and already be certified in Texas, then her chances for getting hired for the next school year will be slim to none.

Websites will tell her to fill out application and not go to the schools, however, that simply doesn't work. One must have personal contact and a network going in order to get your foot in the door. Subbing is a great way to get started.

There are all kinds of layoffs or cut backs going on, but that doesn't mean there aren't other positions being hired. Good luck!

[ebuch]

Yeah that could be a problem because she probably won't be able to get down there until the summer, ughh so we will see, thanks for the information though! Feel free to add.

[5stones]

aslo taking an Aide position with Special ED etc... (non-certified) is also a good way to get your foot in the door etc... (there are 6 openings in Keller now)

[ebuch]

Originally Posted by 5stones

aslo taking an Aide position with Special ED etc... (non-certified) is also a good way to get your foot in the door etc... (there are 6 openings in Keller now)

Do you know what the salary ranges for that?

[texasdiver]

If she can qualify for an 8-12 composite science certification then she will almost certainly be able to find a job. Composite science means she is qualified to teach biology, chemistry and physics and it basically means having a degree in one science discipline and having taken courses in the other 2 or 3 then passing the composite science certification exam. See the TEA web site for details.

I teach HS science and my school is planning to hire 6 new science teachers next year. Two to replace teachers who are resigning and 4 new teachers to accommodate the new state science requirements.

This is probably the best year ever to apply for science teaching jobs because the state has increased the science graduation requirement from 3 years to 4 years starting next year. Next year's graduating seniors will be the first class that will have had to have 4 years of science to graduate. That typically means freshman biology, sophomore chemistry, junior physics and a senior science elective or AP science class. High schools all over the state are scrambling to come up with senior level elective science classes. My own high school is adding 8 new science classes next year: Aquatic science, astronomy, AP environmental science, earth and space science, environmental science, anatomy and phys, AP Physics C, and a couple others that I forgot. Generally it is veteran teachers who will be taking on these new classes and new hires will be back-filling into biology, physics, and chemistry.

There are various possible science certifications. Once can get certified in just one of the sciences or get a math/physics certification but most schools are only interested in hiring candidates with composite science because they have too many who are just biology certified and they want to be able to move teachers around into all the sciences as needed. So my own high school is unlikely to hire any science teachers who are not composite science certified or perhaps math/physics certified.

I'm willing to bet that high schools all over the metroplex will be scrambling for science teachers this coming year so this is the year to be looking. Best bet is to apply to all the districts but also send resumes to all the principals and if there are science curriculum coordinators then send them resumes as well. My school has an administrator who is the science curriculum coordinator and she coordinates all the hiring and screens all the applicants for the principal. You have to put in an online application through the school district but once that is done you still want to shop your resume to the principals.

In late Feb or early March most schools are getting a handle on which teachers are staying and which are leaving so they start deciding how many positions they'll need to fill and April is a big month for teacher fairs and hiring. But with the current science situation, a lot of schools are starting to line up science teachers right now. Someone who wants to move her would do well to fly out for a week during spring break (if it doesn't occur the same week as Texas schools) and do as much in-person job hunting as possible.

If you are qualified on paper to be composite science certified and only lack the certification exam and TEA paperwork then there is a decent chance a school will hire you, especially if you already have a comparable certification in another state and meet the federal NCLB highly qualified teacher requirements.

For subjects other than science I can't give you any advice except to say that it is going to be tougher.