Information on Teaching (Indianapolis, Carmel, Marion: how much, job market, school district)

[Jasper17]

Looking for some information about teaching in or around (less than 45 minutes drive) Indianapolis.

My girlfriend and I are wanting to relocate maybe as soon as after next school year and are feeling out some cities. What is the job market for educators in the area right now? Are there a lot of jobs? Is it hard to get into a job there. We are both well-experienced teachers, will that have any pull in getting a job there. Any information would be appreciated.

[rrah]

Unless you teach Math, Science or are Spec. Ed certified your experience could hurt you. Schools are looking at budget cuts and trying to figure out how to deal with less money. Generally teachers with more experience are paid more. Why hire you when they can hire someone else for less money? IU, Purdue, Ball State, etc. graduate hundreds of potential teachers yearly. Teaching jobs are not easy to come by in the Indianapolis area unless you want to work at IPS. My much younger SIL had to sub for a year before she was offered a position in a great school district. She ended up not taking the job because of a relocation.

[Jasper17]

Thanks for the reply rrah. While I understand the economics behind it, I still can't wrap my head around the idea of people in the education field being willing to sacrifice quality* for quantity (*not to assume that new graduates from the aforementioned schools are not quality but that tends to come attached with folks who have been in the trenches already).

We are hoping that over the course of the next year, and if need be two years, the economic climate swings back around and schools aren't in the positions they are now. Just hope that the housing markets don't come around too much in that time, or if they do that salary can at least be proportional.

[bluebelt1234]

Originally Posted by rrah

Unless you teach Math, Science or are Spec. Ed certified your experience could hurt you. Schools are looking at budget cuts and trying to figure out how to deal with less money. Generally teachers with more experience are paid more. Why hire you when they can hire someone else for less money? IU, Purdue, Ball State, etc. graduate hundreds of potential teachers yearly. Teaching jobs are not easy to come by in the Indianapolis area unless you want to work at IPS. My much younger SIL had to sub for a year before she was offered a position in a great school district. She ended up not taking the job because of a relocation.

This is true. If you are an elementary teacher, the job market is tough everywhere. I have five years experience and public schools won't interview me. I can get interviews at charter schools. I still do not have a job. At least my unemployment pays some of the bills. I was let go from a school in Arizona.

When I graduated from IU, I had to move to Arizona to find a job. Bottom line, if your area is elementary teaching, try to suck up to an administrator so you can get hired. You could go for an endorsement in special education. If you have an elementary teaching job and you have achieved tenure in this economy, I would be very hesitant to move anywhere.

[Jasper17]

Originally Posted by bluebelt1234

This is true. If you are an elementary teacher, the job market is tough everywhere. I have five years experience and public schools won't interview me. I can get interviews at charter schools. I still do not have a job. At least my unemployment pays some of the bills. I was let go from a school in Arizona.

When I graduated from IU, I had to move to Arizona to find a job. Bottom line, if your area is elementary teaching, try to suck up to an administrator so you can get hired. You could go for an endorsement in special education. If you have an elementary teaching job and you have achieved tenure in this economy, I would be very hesitant to move anywhere.

We are both Middle School teachers. I will have a Science endorsement by the time I'm applying and my girlfriend is certified in Reading/LA and Social Studies. I also have coaching experience and would aspire to do that wherever I end up. I hope that might help me as well.

[domergurl]

I'd blanket your resume all over Indy and every collar county. Then I'd get on a list for subs in areas you'd really like to work. I've met several newly minted and experienced/newly laid off teachers join the sub ranks in order to get a foot in the door in a school system.

Best of luck ...

[Jasper17]

Bump....
I know not everyone is in the know on education but I have been doing some more research and I was wondering if any locals could fill us in on what the climate is like there for the schools right now. I know that Carmel Clay is having some issues with budgets as I imagine many corporations are. What kind of things are being said out there? I heard third or fourth hand about Hamilton Southeast and Noblesville being in the need for teachers. With where we are financially these days I almost don't see how that could be possible. I did read about how much Hamilton SE is growing (804 new students this school year). Just trying to get another feel for the situation. Thanks in advance.

[bluebelt1234]

Originally Posted by Jasper17

Bump....
I know not everyone is in the know on education but I have been doing some more research and I was wondering if any locals could fill us in on what the climate is like there for the schools right now. I know that Carmel Clay is having some issues with budgets as I imagine many corporations are. What kind of things are being said out there? I heard third or fourth hand about Hamilton Southeast and Noblesville being in the need for teachers. With where we are financially these days I almost don't see how that could be possible. I did read about how much Hamilton SE is growing (804 new students this school year). Just trying to get another feel for the situation. Thanks in advance.

I would suggest subbing if you want to work there. I applied in that area and just one school told me that they recieved 4,000 applications.

[Jasper17]

Originally Posted by bluebelt1234

I would suggest subbing if you want to work there. I applied in that area and just one school told me that they recieved 4,000 applications.

Not to call you a liar or anything, and I appreciate the information but 4,000????? Really???? How could that be???? 4,000 sheets of paper makes up two boxes. Two boxes of applications!?!?!?!?

I see what you're saying about the subbing but I don't think I can justify making a move a quarter of the way across the country hanging my hat on the possibility of bouncing from sub-gig to sub-gig. Like I said, I do appreciate the the information.

[bluebelt1234]

Originally Posted by Jasper17

Not to call you a liar or anything, and I appreciate the information but 4,000????? Really???? How could that be???? 4,000 sheets of paper makes up two boxes. Two boxes of applications!?!?!?!?

I see what you're saying about the subbing but I don't think I can justify making a move a quarter of the way across the country hanging my hat on the possibility of bouncing from sub-gig to sub-gig. Like I said, I do appreciate the the information.

I applied with the Westfield Washington School Corporation which is near Carmel. I got a letter saying that they would not interview me because they had received 4,000 applications. I also interviewed with the Avon School corporation at a Teacher Interview Day through Indiana University and was told that they only hire from their sub or student teacher pool because they get so many applications. It is even difficult to get a job in a rural area in Indiana. I was interviewed by Brown County Schools and was told that had 300 applications. A charter school I interviewed with in Marion, which is a crappy area, said that they had 42 applications for 2 positions. You also have to keep in mind that we have IU, Purdue, Ball State, Oakland City, ISU producing new teachers every semester whom schools can hire cheap. I honestly wish IU would cut their elementary education program because Indiana has enough unemployed teachers.