teacher salery question, and scholarships?

[Cindy B]

In my state the teacher loan forgiveness programs is a five year program. If you are hired at a specific low income district (the schools/districts are listed) and STAY there in that district for 5 years, you will get a certain amount of money back. Currently it is $17,600 for special eduation teachers and $5,000 for any other teacher.

The low income districts are primarily in a very rough urban area that well, isn't safe.I've student taught in those districts-- and it was not pretty.

Special Ed certs require additional certs in my state. You can have a Special Ed cert however, every district requires the candidate to be HQ in a subject area or areas as well. My state is moving towards a Special Ed teacher having more than just that cert if that makes sense.. My school is hiring Special Ed teachers-- however in additon to your Special Ed cert, they are requiring Social Studies and Science certs for this same position. This is three certs for one job. Another class they are hiring for is requiring a Special Ed cert as well as HQ status in Language and Math.

 

[emma'smom]

Not True- In Ohio, music education teaching candidates earn a P-12 teaching license in music. This is a full major at most schools. Adding a different license would require a completely different set of content course requirements (usually 8-12 courses in content) plus all of the pedagogy for each content area. Then there is the 12 week student teaching requirement for each content area.

Music is not considered an extra-curricular activity. It is fully part of the required state standards.

Music jobs are harder to find than, say, 7-12 integrated science or math. However, they can be found if he is willing to relocate and starts his search early.

Well for starters, you can't just teach an extra curricular activity. While that might be her strong point, she'll still need to get a secondary degree in one of the basics, math, science, english, history. Kari want's to be a school teacher for theater, but would have to double major in something else to actually get a job.

Here in Florida, we've found that you have to work for particular schools for the minimum of 5 years for them to pay off the school loan or you pay back the money they gave you. I don't know what starting salary is, but here it's some where in the 35,000 range. Of course she might end up substituting for a while before finding a permanent position.

 

[mjantz]

It is very fierce-- you almost have to be a mercenary to find a teaching job. Even the charter schools in the less desirable urban areas are getting full. Plus with charters you are working 6:45-5 pm Monday-Friday with 2 Saturdays a month as well as starting August 17th and going until June 28th. and the pay is low, like mid 30's. -- (I interviewed for a charter school yesterday.. )

I was going to suggest looking into charters. Here in TX they don't require the Saturdays & the one I work for actually gets out a few days earlier than the public schools. The pay is lower but its a great way to get your foot in the teaching door & get a year or two under your belt before you move on to a 'regular' public school.

 

[zumbergc]

ok, i like all this info, any more teachers have more info to share?

 

[Nie0214]

I'm curious as to why you're doing all this research for your cousin? I'm sure your cousin (if going to school for a Bachelor's in music) is well aware of the job prospects and the salary of a teacher.

I guess I could understand if you were a mom trying to educate your kids, but if a cousin came to me lecturing about my school choices, I'd probably not talk to that cousin much anymore.

 

[Alice1386]

I think there are probably at least 50 different answers to your questions. I feel like teaching is a job area where if you know the right people and at the right time, you will definitely have a higher chance of getting a job. Thankfully, I met the right people at the right time to get the job I did. I have just a B.A. in Theatre (no education minor) and have been hired to be a theatre teacher here in Georgia. They are giving me a temp license where I will have three years to go back to school and get my Master's in Teaching to obtain my license. Now I am sure that there are plenty of people around Georgia who can teach theatre and already have their license, BUT I was at the right place and knew the right people who wanted me to take their job. The position never even appeared on the county hire site. Something that did help me was that I was already an approved sub. As an approved sub, you can meet lots of different teachers and administrators who really can help you get that job if they decide that they want you at their school.

One program for college loan payback that sounds like you were referring to is Teach for America.

By the way, the High School that I will be teaching at has two full time theatre teachers, two orchestra teachers, two band teachers, one art teacher, and one chorus teacher. We are not a performing arts school or a charter school. We are just your typical public high school and most of the other schools in our county have about the same numbers of fine art teachers.

 

[tonilea]

I am not a teacher, I substitute. Our school has teacher salaries listed on the school website. It is public information. So, you might check out local school websites.

Our school had quite a few openings this year. I think it goes back to that old real estate quote, "Location. Location. Location."

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

You can teach just music at school, many teachers do. However, it can be a more difficult field to find a job.

I am in a similar position. I studied art education and graduated with a degree/certification to teach art at all levels. I was lucky and did find a job teaching art full time for nine years but after my position was cut last year I did have to take a part time position this year. After the economy went down there are not many schools looking to expand and have full time art teachers for next year and I haven't had a ton of interviews.

I would recommend her to get special education as an additional certification or just see what she feels like. To teach math or science she would really have to know her stuff at the high school level and maybe she isn't comfortable in all of those subjects.

I would NOT recommend English or social studies because those are overcrowded fields as well. Special ed is the most in demand field.

I agree but our sped staff got cut this year too! However and I do not know if this is been mentioned since I did not read the whole thread, if you take student loans, get a sped cert, and teach in a low income area for 5 years your loans are forgiven up to 17,000 per year if I am not mistaken. Sounds like a deal to me! This is a federal program so one needs to look into it. It also applies to science and math.

 

[Cindy B]

I was going to suggest looking into charters. Here in TX they don't require the Saturdays & the one I work for actually gets out a few days earlier than the public schools. The pay is lower but its a great way to get your foot in the teaching door & get a year or two under your belt before you move on to a 'regular' public school.

The charters here start earlier and end later than the 180 day public school as well as 2 Saturdays a month.

 

[MM27]

As sad as it is, I know many areas of NJ where teaching jobs are given to people because of who they know. With the alternate route program, you don't have to even be an education major to get a job. There was a student teacher in my school that was excellent and she wasn't given a full time position that she applied for, but someone who knew someone in the board of ed office that wasn't even an education major was. I've seen some horrible "teachers" that only had their position for this reason, while recent grads are being overlooked. It's a shame.

Back to the OP's questions, salaries vary greatly, even within our state. Urban districts tend to pay a bit more (there are exceptions of course as the highest paying district in my state is not in this category) and usually have more openings each year as turnover is higher.

Music teachers in my district only teach music. We have an instrumental teacher for each school and a regular music teacher for each.

 

[Galahad]

Another thing to know about Music Education - it is a VERY rigorous and (paticularly) time consuming major all by itself (as many education majors are). It would be virtually impossible to become certified in another subject area at the same time you are doing a MusEd program unless you planned to go more than 4 years.

 

[lajones81]

ok, i like all this info, any more teachers have more info to share?

I recommend that your cousin talk to someone who is both certified and employed in the state where she will eventually work. A great deal of interesting information has been posted, but does not apply in my state. Best of luck!

 

[princesspiglet]

From Kari's mouth... who went to college for teaching in Florida (I guess different states, different rules): In order to get a teaching certificate for theater education, I had to get a second major in one of the four major subjects (math, science, english, history), and a minor in secondary education.

Of course she could never pick a second major and spent five years changing it.

I think it must be a Florida rule then. I went to college in PA and I graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a BA in Communications. I went back 2 year later and got my teacher certification in Theatre. All I had to do was take a few basic classes and take a test. I am now certified to teach Musical Theatre in the state of Pennsylvania. However, I work in the corporate world now in my another degree of Communications.

 

[mrs_hower726]

Well for starters, you can't just teach an extra curricular activity.

100% not true.

Another thing to know about Music Education - it is a VERY rigorous and (paticularly) time consuming major all by itself (as many education majors are). It would be virtually impossible to become certified in another subject area at the same time you are doing a MusEd program unless you planned to go more than 4 years.

100% accurate


OP, I don't know what state your cousin would be going to school/possibly teaching in, but research needs to be done to see the chances of finding a job in that state once they graduate.

I have both a bachelor's and a master's in music education and in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, jobs in music are VERY scarce. I have put in very few resumes out thusfar because there are very few openings and the current openings are getting inundated with resumes. For example, in central PA, one opening got 600 resumes and 60 were interviewed (I have a friend who did her student teaching there and keeps in touch with her co-op so that is accurate). I'm also not in a position to move with DH's job and the mortgage.

Right now I'm doing the research to go back to school to get my cert. in Special Ed since there are lots of jobs out there but I'm wondering if doing so with all my education but lack of experience will drive schools further away.

From the research I've been doing, there are lots of jobs in special ed, math, science. There are very few jobs in social studies and english.

Hope this helps. Best of luck to your cousin.

 

[zumbergc]

my cousin is in Ohio. So anyone know about ohio.