Give me the honest truth about teaching in Orlando!

[bellebookworm9]

Here's the deal: I am currently going to college in New York State to earn my bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology. I would eventually like to move to Florida, for various reasons. I am receiving a grant for $4000/year with the understanding that with 8 years of graduating I will teach in a "low income" school for four years in a state with a shortage of speech paths. New York is not one of those states, and to be certified here might possibly prevent me from meeting the terms of my grant. Florida is one of those states and most schools there qualify as "low income"-including Celebration High School(!). Here is my dilemma:

NEW YORK-(Stay at school I'm at for Masters)
-Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring to complete my masters degree
-3 years paid teaching experience to be certified
-1 year of mentored experience
-Minimum of three tests to become certified
-Additional fees because I'm going to be a licensed speech path
-I've checked many districts in my county, and speech paths are not in demand, so I'm not having much luck finding a starting salary

FLORIDA (University of Central Florida)
-Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, and possibly another spring if I want an extension in child language disorders
-Pass 1 test to be certified
-With 0 years experience, and my Certificate of Clinical Competence, I can start at $41,000+ in Osceola County (similar starting point in Polk county)

I know New York generally seems to have a better school system, but I know Florida can't be all bad. So please, teachers (and speech paths) in Florida (or other southern states-specifically the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, or Delaware)let me know some good/bad districts, and the pros & cons of working in Florida!

Thanks!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My sister-in-law's best friend is a speech path in Alachua County. She did her practicum (or whatever the intern portion is called) in Brevard. I think she enjoyed that stint and seemed to not have a problem getting hired.

My son took speech in Brevard just before we moved and his speech path was wonderful. The only con we noticed from the student POV...it seems that space is at a premium and the speech path seems to get stuck in a closet. We noticed that problem in VA as well...so maybe it is just what happens. They both have to be creative in organizing their environment for the student.

My SIL's friend doesn't seem to have any complaints in Alachua (Gainesville area).

Since that is a specialist position and must be available due to all sorts of laws--my next comment may not mean much for you...

But my brother was an art teacher in Duval Co. Didn't seem to have an issue getting hired. Moved to Orlando and could not get hired. But it seemed tough for teachers to get hired in general. Very competitive. Even in Brevard (I knew several teachers and they would speak often about it. Brevard even had 'layoffs' at one point...not renewing teachers contracts who did not have tenure yet or were just year to year. I am not too familiar with the official way it works.). Additionally in Brevard, with the Space Program going into hypersleep...there is am exodus going on, especially in Titusville and Merritt Island/Cocoa areas. Student Population is declining and thus less teachers/staff will be needed. So that would impact even services...say if a school once needed 3 speech paths, but now may only need two. The last shuttle launch is soon (or maybe hasn't happened---it keeps getting scrubbed). So there will be another decline in numbers as the final people who will move finally do so.

In any case--im not sure how the competition is right now in all of Florida, but it is certainly something you will want to consider.

My sil's friend graduated from UF and planned to stay there permanently, so it did work out for her. This was back around 2005/06...not sure which year. But it has been a while and the state has changed a bit with the economy in the past five years.

Job availability is definitely something to look into. My brother just gave up and left for SC. He isn't teaching there either...but I think too much time has elapsed and he now has to get some education credits before he can teach. He has an art degree and was able to have a temporary teaching certificate while taking course work. Be just opted to not continue with the dismal prospects he was experiencing in Orlando.

Good luck!

 

[bellebookworm9]

My sister-in-law's best friend is a speech path in Alachua County. She did her practicum (or whatever the intern portion is called) in Brevard. I think she enjoyed that stint and seemed to not have a problem getting hired.

My son took speech in Brevard just before we moved and his speech path was wonderful. The only con we noticed from the student POV...it seems that space is at a premium and the speech path seems to get stuck in a closet. We noticed that problem in VA as well...so maybe it is just what happens. They both have to be creative in organizing their environment for the student.

My SIL's friend doesn't seem to have any complaints in Alachua (Gainesville area).

In any case--im not sure how the competition is right now in all of Florida, but it is certainly something you will want to consider.

My sil's friend graduated from UF and planned to stay there permanently, so it did work out for her. This was back around 2005/06...not sure which year. But it has been a while and the state has changed a bit with the economy in the past five years.


Good luck!

Thanks for the info. It seems as if there is definitely a need for speech paths in Florida; it's listed as a "teacher shortage" position for the state, and there are openings in Polk and Osceola Counties, as well as some other ones. I'd consider the Tampa Area and possibly Northern Florida, but not Miami (I saw availability for those counties as well).

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Let's see. The snow shovel stays with the house you move from. The Resident Annual Pass can be bought on the Monthly Payment Plan. Osceola County includes part of WDW. What's the problem?

 

[Feralpeg]

I don't know about speech paths, but teacher salaries are pretty low in Florida.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Thanks for the info. It seems as if there is definitely a need for speech paths in Florida; it's listed as a "teacher shortage" position for the state, and there are openings in Polk and Osceola Counties, as well as some other ones. I'd consider the Tampa Area and possibly Northern Florida, but not Miami (I saw availability for those counties as well).

I wouldn't recommend Tampa. Just my personal preference for the area. I think it is about as terrible as Miami...but at least the folks do drive a little bit better.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I would stay at Geneseo and finish your degree. It has one of the best teacher/speech pathology programs in the country.

You will be limiting yourself if you are only certified in Florida. New York has more reciprocal agreements. I would also talk to your adviser and the people giving you the grant. I think you may be misinformed. There is a major shortage of speech pathologists in NY. Maybe not in your immediate vicinity due to the graduates from Geneseo wanting to stay nearby, but there is a shortage throughout the state. There are plenty of low income schools in the Syracuse, Schenectady, Albany, Troy, New York metro areas.

 

[bellebookworm9]

I don't know about speech paths, but teacher salaries are pretty low in Florida.

I have looked up the information on the Osceola and Polk County district websites, and I would start around $41,000. I honestly don't know what a "good" teacher salary is, but I think that's pretty good.

I would stay at Geneseo and finish your degree. It has one of the best teacher/speech pathology programs in the country.

You will be limiting yourself if you are only certified in Florida. New York has more reciprocal agreements. I would also talk to your adviser and the people giving you the grant. I think you may be misinformed. There is a major shortage of speech pathologists in NY. Maybe not in your immediate vicinity due to the graduates from Geneseo wanting to stay nearby, but there is a shortage throughout the state. There are plenty of low income schools in the Syracuse, Schenectady, Albany, Troy, New York metro areas.

New York is not listed on the "Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listing 1990-91 thru 2010-11" as needing Speech Paths, and that is the list that I am required to go off of. They needed them for a short period of time between 2002-2005, but that's it. So unless there is a major loss of speech paths in NY in the next couple years, I have to move. My advisor recently asked me my plans for grad school, and I told her I was considering Geneseo and UCF. She said another student is currently applying to UCF, and will be interested to see if she ends up going there. I agree that I would have more reciprocity being certified by New York, and that is why I am asking how the schools are in Florida, to see if I should bother getting certified there only.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I would again encourage you to actually speak to someone in the federal office that handles your grant. Lists of those sort are notoriously out of date and even though Geneseo is a fantastic school, in my experience the advisers don't always have their fingers on the pulse of what is happening in the real world (I graduated from there in '92).

I'm now a stay at home mom but volunteer extensively as a special education advocate. I think you'll want to talk to someone in the grant office about future years projected need. Even if there isn't a great need (one that would fulfill your grant requirements), I would still consider getting certified in NY (teaching for 3 years) and then move to fulfill your obligation.

 

[bellebookworm9]

Thanks to everybody who posted, but Geneseo just made my decision for me. We just received an e-mail saying that, effective immediately, there will be no more incoming students accepted to my major because it's being cut due to the budgetary disaster that's occurring right now. It will remain open until the class of 2014 graduates, and then it won't exist anymore. I'm heartbroken, but I guess this means I'm definitely moving to Florida.