What are Your Job Options in Education? Chapter 13 Dr. Paul A. Rodriguez

Rising student enrollment—when more students are enrolled in schools, more teachers are needed Stable class sizes—because of the current budget crisis in California, classroom sizes will increase Many teachers elect not to teach—30 to 40 percent leave teaching within the first five years Jobs available in Sunbelt and Midwest states—are increasing in the western and southern parts of the U. S. and declining in the northeastern states Fields with teacher shortage—science, mathematics and special education Shortage of minority and male teachers—80% of all teachers are female, schools want to increase the number of males in the teaching force, especially in the elementary school level, where only 9% of the nation’s 1.7 million public school teachers are men Aging teacher work force—more than one-quarter of teachers are at least fifty years old, and nearly half will retire over the next decade

--Ann Richards, Former Governor of Texas Teaching was the hardest work I had ever done, and it remains the hardest work I have done to date --Ann Richards, Former Governor of Texas Federal legislation requiring “qualified” teachers Department of Defense schools—it operated 222 elementary and secondary schools in seven states, Puerto Rico, Guam and twelve countries around the world Private schools a significant employer—more than 28,000 private schools in the U. S. have an enrollment of more than 5 million elementary and secondary school students and employ approximately 441,000 teachers. About 10% of all U. S. children in elementary or secondary schools attend a private school. Salaries less in private schools Average teacher salaries—estimated to be about $50,816 Performance pay (pay-for-performance plans)—to reward teachers for exceptional teaching, acquiring new skills needed by the school, achieving national board certification, raising student test scores, or assuming more professional responsibilities

--Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States Fringe benefits—most states and school districts provide public school teachers with a number of fringe benefits, including sick leave, health and life insurance programs, and retirement benefits I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it --Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States Prepare a good resume—it allows you to present yourself the way you want to be presented to prospective employers Establish your credential file—what should go into it, check with the career planning and placement office Buckley amendment—be familiar with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as the Buckley amendment Save money on transcript copies—most school districts will accept unofficial transcripts. Once you are offered a job, you will then have to provide the school district with an official copy Cover letters—when you send your resume, transcripts and other materials to prospective school districts, the package should include a cover letter Prepare for interviews—role play with a friend

Empathy for children important—the major factor considered by school districts is whether the candidate has empathy for children Use your college placement center for help and direction A good resource is: http://www.teachers-teachers.com Personal contacts important—are effective in securing a position as well Advantages of substitute teaching—you become familiar and known by the school district State license required to teach—licensure is the official recognition by a state governmental agency that an individual meets state requirements Certification—is the process by which the profession grants special recognition to an individual who has met certain qualifications specified by the profession State exams for teachers—majority of states have increased the requirements for licensure, adding test requirements such as the PRAXIS examination Pursue more than one licensure area—make you more attractive to prospective employers

--Jonathan Kozol, American Educational Author Keeping young teachers in our schools is of immense importance, but keeping them there with spirits strong and souls intact is more important still. If we lose this, we lose everything --Jonathan Kozol, American Educational Author Alternative licensure—programs have been developed as a response to , teacher shortage and the perception on the part of some lawmakers that courses in education contribute little to a teacher’s effectiveness Teach for America—recruits motivated undergraduate students with arts and science majors from selected colleges and universities to teach for two years in rural or urban areas that have had difficulty recruiting teachers Teaching skills transferable to other jobs: Planning and decision making Working under pressure Conducting performance evaluations Keeping records and organizing materials Using technology Establishing and maintaining good interpersonal relations Communicating effectively in oral and written form Managing groups of people

Key Terms Alternative licensure licensure Certification teaching portfolio Credential file performance pay (pay-for-performance) plans Also, look at the following: http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/teachfolio.html http://www.teachers-teachers.com http://www.aaee.org http://www.edweek.org http://www.dodea.edu/home/index.cfm