Teaching jobs in Erie? (Pittsburgh, Media: 2015, school districts, colleges)

[Browserman]

I went to high school in Erie back in the early 1980's. I plan on relocating at the end of summer in 2015. If there is anyone out there that may give me any information about teaching positions in elementary schools, I would appreciate any input.

[bluecarebear]

It will be difficult to get a position unless you know someone. Erie had a major layoff, like most PA school districts, awhile back. The state has a declining population with a surplus of teachers. The pay is high with benefits backed by a strong union. This all has led to tough competition for a few jobs. Good luck.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

It will be difficult to get a position unless you know someone. Erie had a major layoff, like most PA school districts, awhile back. The state has a declining population with a surplus of teachers. The pay is high with benefits backed by a strong union. This all has led to tough competition for a few jobs. Good luck.

PA Population 1950 = 10.51 million
PA Population 2000 = 12.28 million
PA Population 2010 = 12.74 million
PA Population 2012 (Projected) = 12.76 million

The population of Pennsylvania has been growing since about 1948 consecutively.

Source: United States Census Bureau

[trackstar13]

While I don't agree with bluecarebear about the population of Pennsylvania decreasing, it should be noted that most of the growth in PA has been in eastern PA or in the Pittsburgh metro. Erie has been declining for many years now and is projected to have some modest population increase in the coming decades, but I am not sure that will translate into enough teaching jobs to make the market less competitive. Currently, the teaching market in the Erie area is very competitive and it is actually much easier to break into the market by looking at the private schools, since they are non-union and pay significantly less, than it is to get into the public schools. A good friend of ours moved to Erie from Ohio and she has been trying for years to get an elementary teaching job and despite getting all of the necessary PA certifications and meeting the requirements she has only been able to land temporary substitute jobs in the public school setting.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by trackstar13

While I don't agree with bluecarebear about the population of Pennsylvania decreasing, it should be noted that most of the growth in PA has been in eastern PA or in the Pittsburgh metro. Erie has been declining for many years now and is projected to have some modest population increase in the coming decades, but I am not sure that will translate into enough teaching jobs to make the market less competitive. Currently, the teaching market in the Erie area is very competitive and it is actually much easier to break into the market by looking at the private schools, since they are non-union and pay significantly less, than it is to get into the public schools. A good friend of ours moved to Erie from Ohio and she has been trying for years to get an elementary teaching job and despite getting all of the necessary PA certifications and meeting the requirements she has only been able to land temporary substitute jobs in the public school setting.

The population may not have declined, but PA's population has gotten older. In Western PA, there are very few school districts (including the Pgh metro) that have more students today than they did 35-40 years ago.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

The population may not have declined, but PA's population has gotten older. In Western PA, there are very few school districts (including the Pgh metro) that have more students today than they did 35-40 years ago.

I was simply pointing out that bluecarebear was incorrect about PA's population declining. Your statement is mostly correct, but you did forget to mention that while Pittsburgh was getting older for several years it is now getting younger. The main issue here for teaching in western PA is that there is a backlog of people interested in teaching and the population was stagnant or declining, while it was growing in the eastern side of the state. Now that the population is growing again in the Pittsburgh metro and the population is getting younger, it would seem that things will get better for people who want to teach, but there are still several hurdles. First, the backlog of people who want to be teachers. Next, the fact that the growth is slow and steady, and not even close to the levels of a place like Houston where they can't build schools fast enough. Finally, there is the issue of younger people currently having less kids. The aforementioned three factors have a significant influence on the availability of teaching jobs in Pittsburgh.

With all of this being said, Erie may be slightly better positioned for those interested in teaching because of the numbers of refugees and immigrants moving to the area. These groups tend to have more children and this could increase the demand for teachers in the area. Of course, Erie is close enough to Pittsburgh that many of the people who live in the Pittsburgh metro and want to be teachers may also apply to the available Erie county jobs. Overall, western PA is not an ideal area to currently start a career as a teacher. However, PA has a growing population and if Erie and Pittsburgh experience further population growth the demand for teachers may increase in the future.

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by trackstar13

I was simply pointing out that bluecarebear was incorrect about PA's population declining. Your statement is mostly correct, but you did forget to mention that while Pittsburgh was getting older for several years it is now getting younger. The main issue here for teaching in western PA is that there is a backlog of people interested in teaching and the population was stagnant or declining, while it was growing in the eastern side of the state. Now that the population is growing again in the Pittsburgh metro and the population is getting younger, it would seem that things will get better for people who want to teach, but there are still several hurdles. First, the backlog of people who want to be teachers. Next, the fact that the growth is slow and steady, and not even close to the levels of a place like Houston where they can't build schools fast enough. Finally, there is the issue of younger people currently having less kids. The aforementioned three factors have a significant influence on the availability of teaching jobs in Pittsburgh.

With all of this being said, Erie may be slightly better positioned for those interested in teaching because of the numbers of refugees and immigrants moving to the area. These groups tend to have more children and this could increase the demand for teachers in the area. Of course, Erie is close enough to Pittsburgh that many of the people who live in the Pittsburgh metro and want to be teachers may also apply to the available Erie county jobs. Overall, western PA is not an ideal area to currently start a career as a teacher. However, PA has a growing population and if Erie and Pittsburgh experience further population growth the demand for teachers may increase in the future.

Where did you come up with the idea that Pittsburgh is now getting younger? Allegheny County's median age is 40. Pennsylvania's median age is 38. Median age for the U.S. is 36.8.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

Where did you come up with the idea that Pittsburgh is now getting younger? Allegheny County's median age is 40. Pennsylvania's median age is 38. Median age for the U.S. is 36.8.

It is not an idea, but instead a fact that has been demonstrated over the course of at least four years. Here is the information you requested:

"Now a Pitt medical student, she's seen a livelier city than her parents ever did, and she has no intention of leaving. She's among a surge of people in their early 20s living here over the past decade, part of the reason the city's median age (meaning half the residents are older than it and half younger) dropped from 35.5 to 33.2 between 2000 and 2010."

"Allegheny County's elderly population declined from 17.8 percent to 16.8 percent, with 205,059 people in the age group now, or 23,357 less than in 2000."

"The state had a 17.2 percent growth, meanwhile, in people ages 20 to 24, reflecting the large number of children of that age born to baby boomers. In that age group, Pittsburgh had an even bigger surge of 22.1 percent. The city had nearly 8,000 more residents in their early 20s in 2010 than 2000, fueled in part by the growth of local colleges."

Census finds Pittsburgh is growing younger - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The population of the youngest Allegheny County residents is growing, while nationally the number is dropping.Between 2010 and 2012, the number of people five years of age and younger increased county-wide by 0.9 percent, while it decreased nationally by the same percentage."

Census: Pittsburgh Region Is Getting Younger | 90.5 WESA

[bluecarebear]

I doubt young people will be flocking to Pittsburgh now that the COL is outrageous. The trend I am seeing here is people are moving to Ohio or the DC area. Both Columbus and Cleveland have a lot of buzz.