TECHNOS

November 20, 2008

Teaching Jobs in 2006 More Plentiful, Depending on What and Where

If you’re a pre-service teacher looking for your first job, or an in-service teacher looking to make a change—or maybe you’re not an educator but are looking to make a career change into teaching—the job market is looking up, sort of. It all depends on your area of expertise, your ability to learn new things, your willingness to possibly move to another part of the country, and your passion to teach.

With many Baby Boomer-aged teachers set to retire during the coming decade, a shortage of qualified teachers to replace them is projected, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, student enrollments should rise more slowly than in past years, which will cause teacher employment in K–12 schools to grow only modestly (from 9 to 17 percent). In addition, more bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the education fields were granted in recent years than in previous years—meaning, it pays to have a competitive mindset when pursuing employment as a teacher!

What is your area of expertise? If you obtain licensure in more than one subject, you’ll increase your chances of being hired, too. Most demand will be experienced for teachers of math, science (especially chemistry and physics), bilingual education, and foreign languages. Increasing enrollments of minorities, many of whom don’t speak English or use English as a second language upon entry into school, will create demand for bilingual and minority teachers. Qualified vocational teachers also are currently in demand in a variety of fields at both the middle school and secondary school levels. Early childhood education is another area that will open up for employment, as preschool and kindergarten teaching jobs are expected to grow much faster than the average—projected at 27 percent or more growth—for all occupations.
Can you learn new things? How current are you with instructional technologies, for instance? Can you use word processing and database software for recordkeeping? How about email? Real-time teleconferencing technologies? All of these “high-tech” devices are increasingly low-tech, as far as learning situations and learners of all ages are concerned. If you can’t program your VCR yet, it’s time to brush up on your techie skills! And remember to keep your professional skills, including certifications, up to date.
Where do you want to live? If you’re willing to relocate to where the need is greatest, your chances of being hired as a teacher are of course greater. Enrollments in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, New Mexico, and Utah are expected to increase the most; thus, the need for new teachers in those states will be greatest. Also, if you are willing to teach in the inner city or in rural districts or low-income areas—as opposed to suburban schools—you’ll be more employable.
How much are you willing to sacrifice to be a teacher? The school districts in greatest need (inner city, rural, low-income areas) are more often poor in resources and therefore pay less than suburban districts do. But according to the American Federation of Teachers latest salary survey, the average teacher salary in 2004 failed to keep up with inflation for the first time since the 1999-2000 school year. At the same time, many states strapped for cash are attempting to drastically reduce or eliminate educators’ pension and healthcare benefits, which were negotiated as part of their compensation. Private schools, by the way, which often boast fewer discipline problems and higher test scores, also tend to pay teachers less. If teaching is your passion, however, what you earn in job satisfaction can outweigh your monetary earnings.

Check out this month’s Featured Interview with Dawn Scheffner Jones, Ed.D., President-Elect of the American Association of Employment in Education (AAEE) and co-author of AAEE’s Educator Supply and Demand Research Study. She outlines some important ways to go about job hunting in the field of education. Dr. Jones works as a career counselor at a university, so she is in touch with the issues that pre-service and in-service teachers meet up with in their job searches.

In addition, you can find more information about jobs in education at the following Web sites:

American Federation of Teachers

K–12 Teaching Jobs—A Future in K–12 Education, Teaching and Administrative Jobs at Public and Private Institutions

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

National Education Association

Phi Delta Kappa International

Recruiting New Teachers (including an online Job Bank)

Teachers-Teachers—Education’s Premier Recruitment Service. Sells the ABCs of Job Hunting for Teachers: An A–Z Guide for Landing the Perfect Job, published by Kappa Delta Pi (2003), for $10.95

U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics—Occupational Outlook Handbook (for Teachers)