Advice for potential new teachers in the Portland area (teaching jobs, school districts)

[Truglesmith]

I have two friends - a couple - who are both teachers, and are planning to move to the Portland/Vancouver area this summer. I'm a bit sceptical about their plans and their optimism, and would like some honest feedback as to the job prospects in the area.

A few basics are: they are in their mid-twenties, both have been teaching several years, both have their bachelor's degrees (no masters), and both will likely not have any advance employment set up as they arrive. They also are from Texas, gasp :-), but are very open-minded, culture-friendly, and environmentally-conscious. Thanks.

[Nell Plotts]

The support the State provides to school districts has been significantly reduced, many districts will be reducing their teaching staff. Unfortunately I am not optimistic about their chances of finding a position unless, maybe, they have a hard to fill skill set.

[roneb]

Please note that Oregon has (in the past, at least) had a reputation as a difficult state in which to get a teaching license. They don't have reciprocity with most other states. Have your friends applied for their Oregon Teaching Licenses yet? Also, the subjects they are endorsed in will play a large role in their marketability as a teacher.

Lastly, I agree with Nell. It is not a good location to look for teaching jobs right now.

[Minervah]

I think your friends should do an Internet search througout the US to determine which states have the best job opportunities for teachers. It makes sense to go where the jobs are. Unfortunately, teaching jobs are not very plentiful in Oregon. right now.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

The support the State provides to school districts has been significantly reduced, many districts will be reducing their teaching staff. Unfortunately I am not optimistic about their chances of finding a position unless, maybe, they have a hard to fill skill set.

And to reiterate, only going to get worse for the next two years at least as schools continue to have budget shortfalls. A lot of the rural districts were able to keep from laying off teachers last year, but this year they're not going to have a choice.

[StarbellySlim]

We have two daughters in school here; both of their teachers said that the situation is not good. They keep adding unpaid furlough days, and they're pretty much all expecting layoffs.

On the other hand, both teachers mentioned that the district tries to encourage veteran (i.e. higher paid) teachers to retire, so there may indeed be a need for recent grads. Still, the situation is so unstable that I would tell your friends to make sure to have a backup plan.

Unfortunately, I doubt the situation is much better anywhere in the US.

[EnricoV]

My nephew, who's about to graduate and wants to teach says that the word on the ground is a lot of teachers who were scheduled to retire about the time the economy tanked, but stayed on, should be retiring around 2012. So things might be looking up.

[Truglesmith]

Thanks for the feedback and information. All of it is appreciated.

As a sidenote, they are geography/history teachers, currently teaching high school, I believe. I'd imagine that they are flexible as to teaching different grades and subjects.

[Nell Plotts]

If they currently have a position they should stay put until they have an offer in hand.

[Truglesmith]

They currently work as teachers, but have put in their resignations, and seem bent on moving to the Portland area. I'm trying to gather some tangible information to give to them to open their eyes to the possibility that they could be making a mistake. The generic statements don't really offer anything of substance, but the postings here that give specific details do help.