Job Need Advice (Budget Related)

[Luvchefmic]

I mentioned it as did a few others but then the conversation here went all over the place as to subbing and pay etc....so I ask again, you are offered a job, it pays more than your unemployment check, don't you HAVE to take it or lose your unemployment check?....and wouldn't you rather work regardless of which school?

 

[bethy]

I would absolutely take the job. From my point of view you aren't really in a position to be turning down job offers, let alone job offers in your field of choice.

 

[sookie]

id take it.

 

[Alexander]

How much teachers are paid definately does not correlate to how good of a teacher they are! We have teachers in our public school system that make upwards of $75,000 and do absolutely nothing. Can you say "tenure" and a vicious teacher's union.

$47,000 is a large sum of money for a first year teachers, I don't care what kind of college degree you have. Teachers need to have an innate ability to teach. I have seen my share of teachers who have all kinds of degrees, but cannot teach.

I started at a private school 15 years ago. I was a full time teacher and made $11,250 for a 10 month contract (Sept-June). I didn't plan on staying at the school, but needed to attain a classroom of my own for 2 years to secure permanent certification. In September, I will be starting my 16th year at the same school. I have had opportunities to go elsewhere, even take a principal's job, but I absolutely love the school I am at. It has become my second family. Both of my children attended school there and were not only taught, but loved unconditionally by their teachers.

Obviously, I have come a long way from my mere $11k beginnings, but at a private school, teaching is not about money. You have to love what you do with all of your heart. Teaching is so much more than a job, it is who you are.

 

[Queenofthecastle]

How much teachers are paid definately does not correlate to how good of a teacher they are! We have teachers in our public school system that make upwards of $75,000 and do absolutely nothing. Can you say "tenure" and a vicious teacher's union.

$47,000 is a large sum of money for a first year teachers, I don't care what kind of college degree you have. Teachers need to have an innate ability to teach. I have seen my share of teachers who have all kinds of degrees, but cannot teach.

I started at a private school 15 years ago. I was a full time teacher and made $11,250 for a 10 month contract (Sept-June). I didn't plan on staying at the school, but needed to attain a classroom of my own for 2 years to secure permanent certification. In September, I will be starting my 16th year at the same school. I have had opportunities to go elsewhere, even take a principal's job, but I absolutely love the school I am at. It has become my second family. Both of my children attended school there and were not only taught, but loved unconditionally by their teachers.

Obviously, I have come a long way from my mere $11k beginnings, but at a private school, teaching is not about money. You have to love what you do with all of your heart. Teaching is so much more than a job, it is who you are.

Well said, Alexander!

 

[Hannathy]

I would take the job. You said 700 teachers were cut, don't you think they will be subbing? I would be willing to bet a lot that when the principal goes to request a sub or the teacher does they will be requesting people they worked with or used to work in their building, don't you? I would be afraid you will get very little subbing. Before you turn down the other have you even checked to see if they are taking new subs? with all those teachers being left go the subbing lists may be full and then what will you do?

I would also think that actually teaching your own room for a year would look a lot better than doing in essence teaching babysitting.

 

[KKB]

I would take the job. You said 700 teachers were cut, don't you think they will be subbing? I would be willing to bet a lot that when the principal goes to request a sub or the teacher does they will be requesting people they worked with or used to work in their building, don't you? I would be afraid you will get very little subbing. Before you turn down the other have you even checked to see if they are taking new subs? with all those teachers being left go the subbing lists may be full and then what will you do?

I would also think that actually teaching your own room for a year would look a lot better than doing in essence teaching babysitting.

Sub lists are NEVER full...
And I am insulted that you call subbing babysitting...

 

[Hannathy]

Sub lists are NEVER full...
And I am insulted that you call subbing babysitting...

I am not being insulting. When you sub you are given a lesson plan, you do not write it yourself so you are taking care of and doing someone elses lesson plan, you are not originating it big difference in the eye of someone hiring. You don't have the experience of designing and writing and managing a classroom.
(and like it or not we all know subs who really do "babysit")

I do beg to differ I do know at least where I live that they do close sub lists when they have more than they can possibly use.

 

[KKB]

I still must TEACH the lessons.
Poor subs babysit.
I stand corrected...tho I would say that closing sub lists is the exception as opposed to the rule. Foolish--why would you shut out potentially excellent subs just becasue others got there first?

 

[Hannathy]

I still must TEACH the lessons.
Poor subs babysit.
I stand corrected...tho I would say that closing sub lists is the exception as opposed to the rule. Foolish--why would you shut out potentially excellent subs just becasue others got there first?

They don't want to handle the paper work and keep the records of more than they will use. And unless it is a flu epidemic you aren't going to get called unless you are well known by the teachers because they get to pick their own subs if they want to and if they don't pick the principals do and they only call the teachers they like. So if you are well liked you can sub 3 days a week every week and if you are new and unknown only get 3 days all year.
Do your subs have to join the union? ours do.

 

[MickeyMLE]

She TRIED to get out of her contract, but that district's school board said NO (a typical response when a teacher is trying to leave one contract to secure one in another district). She would have had to go to litigation to fight it, and her chances of winning are slim.
BTW, subbing at the beginning of one's career is VERY appropriate to have on one's resume. Subs are in demand, especially if you prove yourself to be a good one.

Just to clarify, I didn't say that subbing would look bad on a resume. I simply said that it wouldn't look as good as teaching full time for a year. I think that is a fair statement. The experience you gain managing your own classroom, developing your own lessons and assessing your own students far exceeds the experience you would gain subbing one day a week and following somebody else's lessons.

The only time I have ever heard of a teacher having a difficult time leaving a contract was when she tried to quit in August. This puts the district in a difficult position and our contract actually states that we are not allowed to quit in August, but we can quit at any other time. As I said before, if the OP received a job offer next Spring for a higher paying district she would have plenty of time to give notice to the district. Teachers do this all the time! That is why there are so many openings every year. If it was so hard to leave a district nobody would ever switch schools.

 

[DawnM]

That may be, and I love teaching, but I also have to feed my kids and pay the bills.



Dawn

How much teachers are paid definately does not correlate to how good of a teacher they are! We have teachers in our public school system that make upwards of $75,000 and do absolutely nothing. Can you say "tenure" and a vicious teacher's union.

$47,000 is a large sum of money for a first year teachers, I don't care what kind of college degree you have. Teachers need to have an innate ability to teach. I have seen my share of teachers who have all kinds of degrees, but cannot teach.

I started at a private school 15 years ago. I was a full time teacher and made $11,250 for a 10 month contract (Sept-June). I didn't plan on staying at the school, but needed to attain a classroom of my own for 2 years to secure permanent certification. In September, I will be starting my 16th year at the same school. I have had opportunities to go elsewhere, even take a principal's job, but I absolutely love the school I am at. It has become my second family. Both of my children attended school there and were not only taught, but loved unconditionally by their teachers.

Obviously, I have come a long way from my mere $11k beginnings, but at a private school, teaching is not about money. You have to love what you do with all of your heart. Teaching is so much more than a job, it is who you are.

 

[Alexander]

I still must TEACH the lessons.
Poor subs babysit.
I stand corrected...tho I would say that closing sub lists is the exception as opposed to the rule. Foolish--why would you shut out potentially excellent subs just becasue others got there first?

In my public school district---politics. If you don't know someone, no matter how great you are, you don't get in. They won't even hire the good subs for permanent positions because they want them to stay on the sub list. Politics......

 

[ajk912]

OP, especially with $400 a month in childcare, you are only making $1300 or so. You said unemployment was about $800? I don't think I would take a job you don't want for $500. My math may be off a bit, I didn't take notes when I was reading this thread. I would try to get in by subbing, talk to the principals and make yourself to be sub that all the teachers request, you might get a job that way!

As for the person who thought that she HAD to take the job or lose unemployment, I don't believe you have to take your first job offered. I think you can hold out till the right fit comes along. You don't expect a salaried manager to take an hourly job at McDonalds, work there for two weeks and then quit when the right job comes along, you know? It's better in the long run if you hold out ofr something reasonably close. With childcare expenses, I would not be able to take a job at half of the pay I need. (47,000 vs. 21000)

Also..don't forget about the loans. Isn't it easier to defer the student loans if you haven't gotten a job yet? I can't imagine trying to pay student loans as WELL when she is only coming home with $500 a month!!!!

 

[KKB]

They don't want to handle the paper work and keep the records of more than they will use. And unless it is a flu epidemic you aren't going to get called unless you are well known by the teachers because they get to pick their own subs if they want to and if they don't pick the principals do and they only call the teachers they like. So if you are well liked you can sub 3 days a week every week and if you are new and unknown only get 3 days all year.
Do your subs have to join the union? ours do.

As a teacher, of course I call who I know. And if you are in a district that is "closing" to subs, then you may very well not ever get called.
In our district we don't have that luxury. It is a very popular district to work in, but we still have days where there aren't enough subs in buildings sometimes!
I don't know if our subs can or do join our union...
After our friend's contract issue, I am VERY worried about this situation...many public school districts are hiring into August...I just hate to see someone have to pass up a far better paying position...
Certainly many issues to consider.
GOOD LUCK OP!!

 

[robsmom]

I mentioned it as did a few others but then the conversation here went all over the place as to subbing and pay etc....so I ask again, you are offered a job, it pays more than your unemployment check, don't you HAVE to take it or lose your unemployment check?....and wouldn't you rather work regardless of which school?

I agree. OP, Have you talked to the state unemployment office? You are required to report all job offers. You are comparing this offer as being negative to the 47K job. You never had the 47K job and just because you have a degree and worked as a clerk in the district, there is absolutely no guarantee that you will ever be offered or have the 47k job. If i was the state, I would say that you had a 1500 month job and have been offerred a 1800 a month job. The job that you have been offerred is better paying than what you are collecting the unemployment insurance for. You should not be eligible for unemployment if you turn the job down. It is not perfect for you, but it is a start. I would take it.

 

[KKB]

Contact the school that offered you the position and find out what would happen if you have to break the contract early...I don't know how to ask without it being obvious you are considering if you get a public school job, but you NEED to know. You must not take the job without knowing...

 

[Hannathy]

I agree. OP, Have you talked to the state unemployment office? You are required to report all job offers. You are comparing this offer as being negative to the 47K job. You never had the 47K job and just because you have a degree and worked as a clerk in the district, there is absolutely no guarantee that you will ever be offered or have the 47k job. If i was the state, I would say that you had a 1500 month job and have been offerred a 1800 a month job. The job that you have been offerred is better paying than what you are collecting the unemployment insurance for. You should not be eligible for unemployment if you turn the job down. It is not perfect for you, but it is a start. I would take it.

I agree, What I don't understand is if they cut 700 what in the world makes you think you will get a job with them next year? don't you think the first people hired back will be the 700 cut minus a couple who will move/retire etc. With a layoff of that many it could years if ever that you get offered a job in that district!

 

[Alexander]

Ask for a day to read through the contract. Ours state how much notice we need to give if we intend to leave (2 weeks for us). Any information about breaking the contract would have to be written in the contract to begin with. Ask if you can have the contract to read through before you sign it.

 

[penn19]

You took the words right out of my mouth.......