Wow - interesting - no, here they don't pay you to get your Master's. I Never knew some areas did that - NOR did I know that some states required a Master's.
But wasn't it NY that had all the teachers fired? Or was that some other east coast state? Just wondering.
No way to not go into debt - school loans & house are the only debt we have - so I justify it that way.
I've never been a teacher so it'll be hard to get a job period. Here they don't even have the sub application out there - they aren't accepting any subs - only those already with their card. (which is okay 'cause I couldn't sub anyway - I have a 4yo @ home )
My dd's kinder teacher has been looking for a job for 7yrs now. She's had several sub jobs - in fact the last 2 yrs have been sub jobs from about 2wks into school til the end. They give her sub pay - no benefits or anything. She has an ed degree & was working on her master's.
THEN I look @ my sil who's never been a teacher - but is in the right place @ the right time - been subbing for a while @ her kids school (SMALL city of about 5,000 folks) & she's walked into an interim teaching job - starts teaching from day1 & will teach all year for a preg teach that won't be back. (SIL has a temporary certificate - she has a degree in interior design).
It's just so frustrating to know I may not get a job regardless - of course that's the same as anyone coming out of college - but teachers used to be a safe bet in getting a job somewhere - ya know?
The other hiccup here - which IDK if is the same everywhere or not - if you changes counties you lose your time towards tenure. (I thought it'd be as long as you were in same state - not county) so even though I'd be willing to take a year or so in an inner city school -they are in another county & I'd be shooting myself in the foot (not really since its still experience - but still...)
Being at the right place at the right times does help sometimes. My DD did her practicum (SpEd Major) in a district not too far from our house. She HATED the placement. This was a semester long program/placement. She was in the classroom 4 days a week at went to a university class 1 day a week. Her professor from the university was a real pain. The projects that were assigned through the university were very difficult for DD to do based on the way that the classroom she was assigned to was structured. We kept trying to cheer her up and tell her that there's a reason for everything.
The following semester she did her student teaching and then graduated in Dec. Before she graduated, she had a call from one of the districts that she student taught in. They were looking for a long term sub. She went and interviewed the week after graduation and was hired on the spot. All because her co-op teacher from another school in the district knows the principal that was looking for the sub.
Before that position ended, she got a call from the SpEd director at the school that she did her practicum. She was looking for a long term sub until the end of the year. Again, they hired DD on the spot. That job lasted until June.
DD applied at close to 200 district in the surrounding Chicago area. She had several interviews and was hired last May for a position that she started this week. The principal said that he chose to interview her because of the school that she graduated from as well as because although she was a "first year teacher", she had 1 semester of long term subbing under her belt. At a meeting DD was at this week for new hires, the Super told them that they had 27 openings in the district (teachers, nurses, social work, psyc...) and had over 5,000 applications!
The district that she's working at pays tuition for a Masters program. They also give raises for every 3 credit hours earned (most other districts here are at 10 credit hours).
Here, your tenure is with the district not the county or state. If you leave a district, the new district may give you some credit but it's generally not more than 5 years on the pay scale. The pension is through the state so you don't loose that if you go from district to district.
I wish you the best!