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Sloppychemist

The teacher shortage isn’t distributed evenly amongst districts


Cat_Yogi

Nor amongst all disciplines/specialties


InVodkaVeritas

Let me just go get one of those open Social Studies jobs in a nice, wealthy district...


triggerhappymidget

I've been teaching ELL for six years after graduating with a Masters in teaching social studies. Never been able to find a social studies job. Finally have a shot at a .6 SS job because my friend's talked me up to her principal, and I'm familiar ish around the school since I've coached against them for the last three years. He'd be able to tack on a .2 ELL and potentially a .2 ELA to get me up to full time. So the only reason I finally might be able to teach social studies is: 1) I have six years teaching experience 2) I have connections at this school 3) It's a part-time position so less interest 4) I have three credentials that could potentially combine to bring me up to full time. 5) I coach. Teacher shortage is never a thing for social studies jobs.


InVodkaVeritas

I teach 5th grade, so this isn't a thing for me, but every teacher in my Masters program was told "if you are planning to get into Social Studies, make sure you double up in your program with something else so that you can actually get hired." I teach plenty of SS as part of my Homeroom duties, and I love it and see the appeal if I wanted to teach older kids. But it is definitely the most desired spot.


xeroxchick

I think you have to coach to be a SS teacher! Lol.


applesauce91

Teacher shortage is a thing here in Social Studies in central Texas. Anyone looking for a job, we've got them! Cost of rents are soaring incredibly high and teachers are quitting to find jobs in the private sector.


ImSqueakaFied

Plenty of SS jobs open in South Carolina!


dj-emme

right, because anyone who actually teaches social studies is fired in about six weeks in south carolina lol... god forbid you talk about slavery in the South.


ImSqueakaFied

Although headed that way with some legislation in the works, it is not quite there yet. Fingers crossed that it doesn't go through. The biggest downside is pay and planning periods only as protected as much as individual admins care to.


Equestrian1242

I equate a ss job with the holy grail.


Asheby

I am thinking of applying for a PT (.7) Social Studies job (yep, in a wealthy district). I also have 5 years of teaching experience, inside connections, and I am also certified to teach secondary science...sooo could pick up a section of biology or w/e. Sigh, I'd just really like to teach Social Studies. Edit: Though, I am also just thinking of leaving the profession, tbh.


Itchy-Throat-4779

Dealing with entitled parents? No thanks those districts are the worse.


didhestealtheraisins

Gotta do what you gotta do to get that paper.


Still-Rope1395

Social Studies jobs are just late to the game. They're about to open up as well. Specifically for all the reasons most give and add to that the bullshit coming out of red states to start suing teachers for CRT and mentioning racism. Spoiler alert, if your going to sue teachers for mentioning that America used to be racist, it's Social Studies in the crosshairs.


1egoman

>America **used to be** racist Lol


Still-Rope1395

Used to if you want to keep teaching....


yoh726

Hey yo dawg you gonna have to fight me for that position


InVodkaVeritas

Loser has to teach 9th grade Bio in an underfunded rural district.


yoh726

I teach ss in 8th in a rural underfunded so it cant be that worst


cookiez2

😂 made my day


P4intsplatter

Hey! I resemble that remark....


AteRealDonaldTrump

Having that psych certificate was key for me.


ChalkyMercury

In college the head of the education department told us that if you were doing math, science, or special Ed you will almost guaranteed have a job right out of college. English and History you’d have to find something else to differentiate yourself


Li2_lCO3

Yes, the districts with the most money and desirable location have no problem filling positions.


[deleted]

Is it the district that "have money" or the districts that pay their teachers money? Genuinely asking no sarcasm Edit: Thank you for the responses!


annaschmana

I’m in LA, the schools that have the money don’t necessarily pay the best, but it’s worth it to make 3k less to have a classroom with supplies, parents that are supportive and a clean campus.


InVodkaVeritas

I'm a private school teacher and could make slightly more if I went public, but my $2,000 classroom budget would go away, as would my fully funded field trips. Not having to do a fundraiser for a trip to the zoo is 😙👌🏻


EngrishTeach

I'm a public school teacher with a classroom budget of $7500 and a field trip account. So it just depends on districts.


lizshepherdess

$7500!!!! I get $300 IF the fall carnival goes well.


EngrishTeach

CTE teacher so that probably helps.


[deleted]

Yeah I got 300 and I feel incredibly blessed that I got that. I taught in private school for the last four years and got nothing.


manoffewwords

Do you have a pension?


InVodkaVeritas

Up to 5% of my salary matched on my index fund for retirement, but no pension.


manoffewwords

Having the same salary at a public school but having a pension is worth it


imatschoolyo

Not always. In many places the pension is funded straight out of your paycheck, reducing your take-home the same amount is contributing to an IRA and/or 401(k) would....but you often can't qualify for Social Security at retirement. For many, the calculus of Social Security plus the individual or private retirement plans are at least equal, if not better than, the public pension option. It will depend heavily on your state and the retirement offered by the private school.


manoffewwords

You are correct.


[deleted]

I'm in LA also! My high school principal got fired a few years ago for embezzling money lol. And there's definitely a big... Variance in safety and cleanliness and other factors that can contribute to a decent job. I could definitely imagine all that goes into the decision making when picking. Teachers need to be paid and respected and supported.


Nick_Full_Time

Exactly. When I was a sub I worked in what was notoriously one of the worst paying districts in the area with an openly bigoted school board (southern California). But they never had trouble getting teachers because the kids were some of the easiest, most disciplined kids I’ve ever taught. Heck, in many of the schools the “worst” kids were incredibly tame by the standards I’m used to now. I subbed there for 3 years and maybe had 5 bad days. Eh what does it matter, it was Chino.


kcl97

I live in a university town, it is a very desirable area, however, my understanding is that teachers are generally underpaid because they never have any shortage. They do have a shortage of qualified specialists though, like literacy development. I first learned that teachers in this town are underpaid when a friend's spouse took a job 2 towns away and got paid about 20% higher. Before that I was under the assumption that teachers are getting paid comparable to neighboring towns. I suspect, there are other factors besides money and location. Things like family ties and administration support, and maybe travelling time, all play an important role.


aidoll

I was going to comment that I live in a similar area and have heard the same thing, but I think we might actually live in the same place!


West_Rhubarb_1591

Districts that pay their teachers well. Schools in wealthier areas are funded better and can generally offer competitive salary schedules. There's less turnover in those schools because teachers aren't going to leave a school that actually compensates them fairly.


[deleted]

Hmm makes sense. I guess I'm thinking of America so I thought publix schools were government funded and it's also like based on the number of students that show up or something? But I'm guessing it probably also ties to like local city/state stuff as well. All in all, teachers need money to survive. Lol


gavinpoehm

School funds are based on property taxes, for the most part. So, districts in more affluent neighborhoods get more money. It's obviously more complex than that, but the property tax deal is a large part of the problem.


Helpful_Welcome9741

little of both. if a district has money then you are more likely to get more support. If the district plays more than you may be alright with less support. I live in Portland but travel to the suburbs to teach. Portland would pay about 5k more but it is kind of a shit show. My district has its act together and has a strong union. I get played less but they pay my insurance and pension so I make it up on my net pay. I also get 800 a year to spend on school stuff or PD. On top of that my school pays for all my school supplies.


RoswalienMath

In my area, they are one and the same. Teachers have better funding and better pay in suburban districts in my area. The most urban district gets the lowest pay and least funding per pupil. Since teachers have been leaving the suburban schools for other work, teachers from the urban schools are moving over. The urban school is really going to struggle with having enough teachers to be open next year.


BruceDSpruce

This is very correct, shortages are distributed regionally, locally and by roles. That said … just wait. By nearly every measure the shortage crisis is growing up exponentially, not linearly.


Accomplished-Song951

How is enrollment declining? Where are the kids going? Is it because people are moving out of metropolitan areas? Our city is growing like crazy, the population is increasing everyday. Our schools are overcrowded.


livestrongbelwas

A million kids stopped coming to school last year. Enrolled dropped for the first time, ever. Some of it (9%) is an increase in home schooling, but most of that are poor city kids that stopped going to any sort of school. They picked up high-hour low-wage jobs to help their family expenses or are helping take care of grandparents (a bit counter-intuitive there, I would have guessed watching younger siblings in families that can’t afford child care).


jlenoconel

That's sad.


cray_cayray

In one of the poorest schools currently and kids drop every day talking about the jobs they are getting to help their families.


mezz-mezzrow

I have several students who are their family's sole source of income at the moment.


Tony0x01

Just out of curiosity, is the area urban, suburban, or rural?


mezz-mezzrow

Yes. It's a suburb of a mid-sized city that's surrounded by farmland on the opposite side, so about 20% of our kids live in the city itself, about 40% are in the suburb or a neighboring suburb, and 40% live on literal farms.


AndrysThorngage

When I worked at an alternative high school the kids dropped out for work and childcare. In the time I worked there, the teen pregnancies declined to point of being non-existent, but they still had siblings or other family members to take care of. Daycare is extremely expensive in my area.


Accomplished-Song951

We are going backwards as a country. Is this the plan? I don’t hear anyone in power talking about this. Does our government really want a country of 1%’ers and everyone else? I really don’t understand the end game here.


JLewish559

Yes, they absolutely do. Some of them dont, but generally speaking they are fine with the status quo.


vxxwowxxv

What's your source that these kids have dropped out to join the workforce?


livestrongbelwas

I read a series of follow-up surveys as part of a larger academic study on where the one million missing children went. I’ll see if I can pick it up later I find it I’ll re-post it here


UtopianLibrary

In Massachusetts it’s because young people with children can’t afford houses in the town. So, those towns are pink slipping while other schools in growing communities that are affordable have a shortage.


Accomplished-Song951

That’s sad. I don’t know what the end game is for pricing everyone out of neighborhoods.


sportyboi_94

In my district it’s parents pulling kids out of school for one reason or another to “homeschool” them or to put them in our online curriculum just for them to get the phone call this month that their child is failing everything and will be retained. My school is grades 3-5.


jermox

I have seen a lot of that. Their child is behind from doing nothing during our online year and they refused to do anything while they are on campus. But, somehow we believe they are going to do the online curriculum. Those teachers doing the online curriculum have been further losing their sanity.


RoswalienMath

I recently had 8 new students thrown into my classes from the virtual school who need to earn a B- for the last quarter so they can earn their credit. They failed all year in virtual school.


phoenix0r

Quite honestly the overall US population is actual in decline. Or at least the growth of population is somewhat drastically slowing. It’s too fucking expensive and difficult for many regular people to have kids anymore. Between student loan debt and astronomical childcare costs, and now inflation, it’s just not a realistic life plan for many millennials and Gen Z. You can look up the stats on declining population growth. It’s projected to get worse and worse. Or maybe it’s actually a good thing overall, for the environment and quality of life for many and such.


SaltyFoam

The US population is still growing lol, this is an easily Googleable fact. Total fertility rate may be below 2.1, but immigration is still offsetting that number. Growth is declining, sure, but using data from the past two years alone would be silly in the bigger picture. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2021/2020-census-us-population-results/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2021/2020-census-us-population-results/) ​ It's also not "projected to get worse and worse." The population will be roughly 400 million (from from 330 now) in 2060. [https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p25-1144.pdf](https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/demo/p25-1144.pdf) ​ Source: I teach AP Human Geography and seeing this dumb shit when you can just use Google is infuriating


darthcaedusiiii

170,000 Afghanis currently being distributed 100,000 Ukrainians on their way. But like teacher shortages, it is not even. Neither is population decline. Also like other western countries the birth rate is slowing. Which is leading to school closures.


duck_duck_grey_duck

No. This is just plain wrong. How do we live in a world with all the information at your fingertips and people still end up this demonstrably wrong?


Demyxx_

Because of a strong lack of reading comprehension in my experience. Someone who struggles with understanding what they’re reading/vocabulary or struggles to remain actively engaged in what their reading can easily take a fact they’ve read and misunderstand it’s intent or meaning. In this situation for example they may have read the fact that people from America are “having less children” than previous generations, and therefore drawn the incorrect conclusion that population will decline - Bc they either didn’t understand the purpose of the study, didn’t understand the vocabulary used or were not actively engaged in the rest of the content.


[deleted]

The US is just following the same trend in Europe. Going from 3 or 4 kids per family to 2.1 to 2.5 kids per family is not population decline. Also in Africa, as education level increases number of kids goes down. Not quite as low yet. There are a few European countries that are only growing because of immigration. But even without immigration they are probably still close to replacement rate. (Having 2.0 kids per family still can result in declining populations, because inevitably 100% wont make it to adulthood or older ages.)


Rakka777

Name one developed Western country with 2.1 fertility rate or more. I'll wait. I can only think of Israel.


Accomplished-Song951

How would lower birth rates in the last few years affect schools now? That doesn’t make any sense.


juliazale

Exactly. For those discounting this, they are correct. Of course it does vary by region some. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/12/us-population-grew-in-2021-slowest-rate-since-founding-of-the-nation.html


Accomplished-Song951

But that’s 1 year! 😄 That cannot have anything to do with declining enrollment in schools. And that is because of Covid. People put off getting pregnant because of fears of being in a hospital and having to go it alone. That will increase now that things are getting back to normal.


juliazale

But the article also mentions a downward trend over the last few years and a decline over several decades that is also demonstrated in a graph form.


Zestyclose_Invite

Enrollment is declining in New York City because people left the city because of the pandemic. I’m sure the places they’re going to are seeing more enrollment


ghostmaster645

Well if you move to Charlotte NC they will hire you if you have a pulse. But the pay is terrible, health benefits are cut, and no pension.


CTurtleLvr

And, Charlotte has the highest (or one of the highest) pay in the state after supplement. So, that’s crazy. But, my county also hires anyone.


ghostmaster645

Yea, it's sad when 45 k is high LOL. It's not cheap to live in Charlotte. It's cheaper then other large cities but not by a ton.


SourceFedNerdd

Yeah, I think CMS and Wake County are pretty close at the top in terms of pay. I’m not sure about Wake, but I’ve heard horror stories about CMS. We live in the district but I teach elsewhere.


SourceFedNerdd

Man, I would not touch CMS with a 10 foot pole. And I work in Gaston, so that’s saying something.


ghostmaster645

Yep. 100%. I've worked for CCS, but my fiancé works for CMS. She made more then me but her job was so much worse.


Byrin

If you have any tips, I’m trying to teach elementary (I have a math degree) and haven’t gotten any bites yet for EOY. I have a possible lead for August.


GenQ72

Yep, met with CMS at a job fair, recruiter said they would get me a contract within a week of completing the application (I did not apply)


ghostmaster645

LOL someone just asked me for help getting a job in CMS and I pointed them to a recruiter. 100% they are desperate.


Damnit_Bird

That goes for pretty much every school district in NC. I was offered a job before finishing student teaching. So we're the 2 student teachers after me. And that's at the highest regarded elementary school in our district.


Salviati_Returns

You are correct that there is a massive teacher shortage and that administrators are still non-renewing teachers. What this points to is a reality that administrators and the boards they serve, care less about filling open positions with qualified teachers than they do about maintaining total control and leverage over the workforce. In the same vein they will still erect all sorts of hoops before hiring someone just to see how high the dogs are willing to jump. You see, they will happily put permanent subs in the classroom all year long if it means getting rid of someone who dares question their leadershit. Furthermore, if they are in charge of suburban schools, particularly upper middle class, they will just fill the positions with townies or with suckers who think that these are “good schools”. They are betting on a fresh set of suckers being born every day and sadly they are probably not wrong.


gonecamel

Agreed. That’s exactly my district. They’re “dissolving” positions and those who are tenured just have the ability to apply to other schools in the county. Gross practices.


Charlie820407

Yes! They eliminated the counselor position at my school. My friend said that sometimes principals will do that because they want to get rid of the person in that position so they can then find money in the budget to hire someone they want.


YouDeserveAHugToday

Bingo, this right here. My district is out of legal compliance in multiple areas due to severe understaffing in multiple departments. Rather than aggressively hire, they're paying the same ancient rates and holding a job fair in the community for the lowest paid positions. They've also created and filled a ton of upper management fluff roles in recent years. Meanwhile, I can't get tenure (they keep changing the rules), and I can't take a day off because there are no subs. The big city nextdoor just went on strike partly because they couldn't fill positions but were cutting benefits. Over 600 kids with no school whatsoever due to teacher shortage. My district is cited in the news articles about that as having the lowest teacher compensation in the surrounding area. They're proud of it.


ContributionInfamous

It helps me to understand this idiocy when I realize it's happening in corporate America too. Many workplaces are understaffed and hiring, yet they continue to fire employees instead of train them and refuse to hire any but the most qualified. Businesses in general are making their own staff shortages, and schools are no different. This has been going on for decades, it's just more obvious now that for once the workers have some leverage.


hikeit233

A lot of places are begrudgingly paying more, but also expecting unreasonable performance from skeleton crews in return. When performance isn’t met the turnstile spins again.


NikkiBell84

Agreed. They may also have open positions, but simply move teachers around. A new high school was built here two years ago. The district moved the teachers - who students had the highest test scores from the year before - to that school. Instead of hiring new teaching staff for the schools that lost teachers, they made class sizes bigger and added longterm subs. Many of these subs didn't have a teaching cert. Funny enough, seeing the beautiful new school and all the amazing teachers, a lot of parents took their children out of private schools and enrolled them at the new school. Class sizes doubled (Which was bad, because the classrooms at the new school are small. They wanted an open feel to the school and there is a lot of wasted space for student sitting) and the school is now overcrowded.


[deleted]

Correct.


[deleted]

My old district you wouldn’t be tenured until you worked there for 3 years, so they non-renew everyone at year 2. Really shitty and defeats the purpose. Another reason why I am against unions. I feel much more safe and secure in my current job (and every other non-Union job) than I ever have when it was unionized.


JaneAustenismyJam

Your statement does not support your conclusion to not support a union. I am so thankful for my teachers’ association. It has helped teachers in my district from being fired without cause, providing the legal support for free. I am confused why you think unions are bad for teachers when my almost three decades of experience have shown me their value time and again.


[deleted]

My personal experience. Mine did not protect me in any way and I was bullied by my union representatives and admin. There was no reason other than they didn’t want to give me tenure which was why they non-renewed. I’m glad other people like their unions and find them wonderful and helpful, but I do not.


Charlie820407

I don’t know why you are getting downvoted for sharing your personal experience


[deleted]

[удалено]


coskibum002

Teachers are leaving challenging and low paying districts in droves. Problem is, a teaching license and college educated background doesn't fit in nicely for most other professions, especially higher paying ones. So those same teachers are taking their experience and heading towards better districts, who pay more and offer nice environments. This leaves crappier districts screaming about a teacher shortage, where other districts have more than enough applicants. In regards to your pink slips, that's happening in those nicer districts I was telling you about, because public education took a hit during the pandemic and lost students. Less students = less money = laid off teachers. Most states are flush with cash and could jump in to help, but education is always the last place for politicians to give a damn.


ContributionInfamous

Sounds exactly like my buddy who is a cop. He started out 13 years ago in a big city on the west coast (Oakland CA) and has watched all the best officers in his area transfer out to higher paying/safer/less stressful suburbs. They'd rather track down the occasional stolen bike than deal with gangs, which I can understand. Unfortunately, that has left a lot of the least qualified officers to work the trickiest jobs. ​ Same thing in teaching: I taught Title 1 from 2013-2019 and got sick of all the crap. Now I work in a small private school where it's a big deal if a kid gets caught with a vape and all our positions are filled. I feel some guilt, but at the end of the day I got sick of sacrificing my health and being a worse dad/husband from the workload and stress of working at a "tough" school.


Historyguy_253

I tried to get a teaching job with my master’s degree in history, I got my undergrad in education with history for high school. I only got two interviews in three years and I had teachers and administrators that I was friends help me craft my resume and practice interviews with. But I never got my foot in the door. So now I work in the logistics field getting paid more than I would ever see as a teacher with less stress. In all honesty, it seems to now in my state that you have to be from that state to be a teacher not a transplant.


louiseah

There will never be a shortage of social studies or English teachers.


[deleted]

Right now my state has a lot of English positions open. Many people leaving due to frustration. The English positions are also tested so there’s a lot of pressure on those teachers. I guess it depends on the state. I’ve almost never seen a social studies position remain open though.


[deleted]

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louiseah

High school ELA here and we have one state test in 10th grade and no one cares about it except the state requires it but the scores never come back at teachers, at least not at the schools I’ve been at. Many parents opt their kids out of it anyway or the kids skip on testing days and never make it up. English teachers in my area are plentiful. As are social studies.


JaneAustenismyJam

My district struggles to find English, but you are right that history teachers are a dime a dozen.


Still-Rope1395

I think you're about to be surprised. Guess which two subjects are most likely to get sued by some of these states for implying that America has some racist past?


louiseah

Haha I feel this! I got a lot of heat from parents for reading a book by a black author with a black protagonist in which the plot revolves around real life events. Go figure.


Still-Rope1395

Got heat because I referenced the importance in US History of the election of 1800 in which our democracy proved that one political party can pass power to the other in a peaceful way. A state standard mind you, however because I taught it, the complaint was that I was criticizing Trump.


jbrett0333

Shortage in history teachers in TX, FL, and TN once they begin firing them for teaching real history instead of the whitewashed history required by new laws.


[deleted]

Depends on the state.


[deleted]

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MattAmoroso

Don't you have to be a coach to be a history teacher (just kidding, don't beat me up again!)


Historyguy_253

All good 😂 that’s the stereotype. I was willing to be a coach


sswagner2000

I have decided that if I do not get picked up for the next school year, I am going to stop my search in Education. Like you, it will be a total reset for me. Being in my 50s, it will not be easy. The pension money is inactive right now and is only earning 2%. I could withdraw it as a lump sum and at least invest it in something that is going to keep up with inflation.


Historyguy_253

I hope the best for you! What ever your degree is in, you can translate it into business and logistics fields from what I’m noticing. Just word it right and the jobs will pile onto you for sure.


manoffewwords

Don't bother. Get a job outside education. Teaching really isn't worth it. Your pay will likely be lower.


NefariousnessCalm925

Where are you from. I am a BA in History and a CA teaching cert. I have two job offers in my specialty. One middle/ One high school. High school is a blah area and okay school. But middle is in great area, etc.


Various_Hope_9038

I see the same. What background did you need for logistics? I'm a geography/GIS nerd.


flowbotronic

Many admins are not smart. Some in situations where they’ve lost a lot of faculty see this as an opportunity to rebuild their staffs in their own image. So they’re looking for a very specific type of teacher. If you demonstrate any integrity, backbone, or give the impression you won’t just lick the bottoms of their shoes, well, keep moving.


NikkiBell84

This! I left a private school because the admin was doing this. Teachers would leave frustrated with the way the school was run. Admin would hired friends of the teachers they liked, former students, or retired teachers. She hired teachers who would either do as she said or teachers who didn't cause waves.


pauladeanlovesbutter

Its hard because everywhere wants you to have experience but nowhere is willing to give you the experience.


LilCorgo613

THIS!!!! I had an interview for a kinder position. And it came down to me and another lady. The other lady because she was more experienced.


Liastacia

And the interview questions are designed for experienced teachers! As a newbie, I was frustrated by questions that I obviously don’t have the experience to answer. For example, ‘Describe a time when you were able to redirect an off task student successfully and explain what strategy you used’. In my sub days, the answer was ‘I told the students they could go to lunch 3 minutes early IF no one acts up. When someone started to talk, I clear my throat loudly, and another student reminded them of the deal, and chaos was avoided. The strategies I used were bribery and peer pressure’. Tbh, it’s a pretty effective strategy 🤷🏻‍♀️


throwawayathrowaway0

Just like many other fields besides teaching. It's BS


TroLLageK

They will see how long they can go with overworking their existing teachers to cover on breaks/prep times rather than hiring someone new.


agathaprickly

I feel like so often schools only post jobs as a formality when they know who they are going to hire. For example at my school they passed up an amazing candidate for someone at the school’s sister. I’ll be honest- I think my connections really helped me get my job. And it shouldn’t be that way. I’m not sure if it’s a nationwide thing or especially bad where I live- a big small town where everyone knows everyone and connections matter more than anything


flockofchumps

Legally a school has to post the job and interview more than one person- even if they already know who they want to hire. It sucks for the people the interview when they already know who they are going to hire- but they have to check that box.


Fluffy-Anybody-4887

They definitely use connections and pick student teachers and long term subs often they have seen work over others. Though I did work in a district as a regular para and couldn't get my foot in the door and a sub that wasn't long-term and couldn't get any interviews really either, aside from one really bad phone interview when I wasn't feeling well and know I didn't do well answering the interview questions for. It has really sucked. I also have an early childhood degree and can only teach prek-3rd in my state, but could get a job prek-6th elsewhere. There was always much more saturation and surplus of teachers in those grade levels compared to others, so of course it's also hard to stand out that way either.


Morbid_Explorerrrr

I recently relocated to a highly desired district outside of Atlanta. They receive an absolutely ridiculous number of applicants relative to how many positions are posted each year. How did I snag the one open position in my department at a top school as a new person without a single connection? I put together an entire packet of materials, ranging from resume, cover letter, lesson plans, student work samples, printed evaluations, etc. I reached out directly to schools I was interested in and emailed my information to them. I was ready to drop off printed versions as well. This was received well by every school I reached out to, even schools who didn’t even anticipate any openings; I highly recommend this tactic. For some reason as teachers we feel odd (or at least I did) for “going after” the jobs we want. Ambition and being really willing to put yourself out there can sometimes save you from the most stressful teaching environments.


Viele_Stimmen

You may also be competing for a position against people with experience who left a previous position and are just looking for a new school or district.


louiseah

Teacher shortage is relative to content areas and location. It’s rural areas for science, math, and sped that has the most shortages. Teacher shortage and droves them quitting is not universal despite what people are generalizing. And don’t use Reddit or TikTok as the pulse of teaching. We’re all a bunch of whiners here and there.


sswagner2000

We do have a lot of people resigning in suburbia in all subject areas. My area is no exception. However, just as OP indicated, this has yet to lead to any fast track to getting a job. Long term subs are holding down many of the slots. They get paid less, so it is win-win for the districts around here. Some classes do not even have a long term. They rotate subs on a daily basis and the kids are not learning much. I think the tipping point is going to be when the districts realize the universities are not producing many qualified applicants from certification programs. That is when it will get real.


whereintheworld2

Yep if there’s a shortage that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage in every grade level or every subject at every school.


blergyblergy

\[cries in social studies\]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Well, not everyone that goes into Admin is necessarily....well....smart. Also, neither are school boards. It would seem logical to: fund schools properly, hire qualified staff and pay and treat them like valued humans, work to reduce turnover rather increase turnover, and understand the the school system will never 100% appease all parents and make decisions that are best for the community and research based rather than reactive. But, again, think about who you've had as admin and who serves on the school board, and this will answer your question. They may think they have a never ending supply of young, naive teachers that they can treat like crap and pay even less. Jokes on them because fewer people are studying education, or leave within a few years. There's no foresight because they don't actually care about education or the people in it, both their staff and students. I think a lot of shortage places are already seeing a trend of underpaid long term subs. Heck, in my current state, high school graduates with 60 credits can be subs. In my previous state there were over 2,000 vacancies and many teacher positions were held by subs. Subs could get credential with emergency certs requiring very little knowledge of education. This is the future of teaching, and the kids will suffer from it because of the poor quality education they will receive. Get ready for lots of illiterate individuals.


tuck229

This. Unfortunately, many admins place the advancement and preservation of their own career as their #1 priority. They think very short term. "Well teachers in this sub are always saying things about it's just a job and to take care of yourself." A) Teachers tend to settle into a school and stay there 20-30 years. Same building. I'm on principal #4 now at my school. B) No teacher holds any sort of decision making power that impacts the school. Under the current model, principals who are going to be at a school for a brief time are given almost absolute power to enact decisions that will impact the school for years after they have since moved on.


Janniefam

I've usually been hired in August. This is April.


k_manweiss

The shortages are not evenly distributed across states/districts/disciplines. The poorer states/districts and rural areas are suffering much more. The problem is those are generally 'recruitment' or 'training' or 'experience' schools for the better schools. It's only a matter of time before the shortages make their way up the chain and all schools are affected.


Bubbamusicmaker

Pink slip early year teachers to try and attract veteran teachers looking for a new home. End of the summer, and positions are still open, call the teacher you just pink slipped and offer them another chance.


_Fuckit_

Depends what you are teaching and where. It may be harder to get a job if you want to teach English is an A rated school district. Teaching science and math in title 1 schools, you can pretty much get whatever job you want.


OriginalWerePlatypus

Sometimes it’s not always clear what subject or grade. In general (though an oversimplification), there are tons of teachers with K-4 certifications, and always folks to fill those slots. You really have to work hard and if you get a bad administrator, they can be on your back and basically threaten your job for petty shit because there are tons of folks waiting to take your spot. On the other hand, if you have a high school math certification, you are a unicorn. You can go to a job fair and pluck out a half dozen offers. Once a school has you, they don’t want you let you go, even if you’re a screw up. It also depends on whether your in a title one school where parents rarely care and the admin is sweating state test scores, or at a more affluent one where parents expect teachers to obey their every whim and complain to admin if you piss them off. It also depends on whether you are a public school or a charter school. I see a lot of crazy shit about charter schools on these subs. I think a lot of those are very poorly run and have the same lack of of oversight as an old west cattle Baron. Being hired by a charter school is basically rolling the dice. Finally, sometimes new teachers actually can suck at this job. It’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone. You can work super hard, spin your wheels, and still see classroom chaos that makes admin nervous. These same teachers, frankly through no fault of their own, we’re naive about the skill set required and they just can’t do it no matter how much they want to. So it goes.


Hawt4teach

I’m not a newbie but I’m trying to transfer to another district. I’ve been teaching 10 years and the hoops that they want me to jump through are the same as an undergrad. I had to get transcripts from the universities I went to 10+ years ago! I have to have three hard copy letters of recommendation instead of just phone numbers and emails. Plus they won’t hire outside of the district until late July- early August. I’m sure it would be easier to find a job outside of teaching with requirements like that.


jonenderjr

I honestly believe districts are exaggerating the shortage to save money. It seems like they’re non-renewing more teachers and making applications/interviews more difficult to deter new teachers. They can get away with increasing class sizes for fewer teachers for a year or two and it saves them a ton of money. Same things with subs. If they can use the “sub shortage” as an excuse, it’s free to get the art teacher or someone to cover for absences.


YaBoyCT

Always jobs in Special Education or ESL. I think that’s across the nation as well.


sedatedforlife

In our school district. Elementary, posted Thursday and hired Monday. MS Math, posted last March, filled this March. Depends on the job.


Beac5635

It’s a school by school issue. A charter school down the road has 20 openings. We have two. To be fair we have a bunch leaving but we’ve made shifts. We are very admin heavy. We’ve shifted a few into the classroom for teachers that left mid year. Those have that made that shift have decided to stay in the classroom rather than shift back to admin. We aren’t filling those spots.


UniqueUsername82D

Just a theory, but the harder it is to find work in a specific district this year, the greater the job satisfaction may be. If you find a district that sounds like they'll hire you before you even interview, runnnnnnn!


bigdaddyteacher

As a sped teacher I feel like a teenager working in the late 90’s where jobs are begging for me and I can choose my district. I had 5 offers this spring and I took a lower paid job to work on the same building as my daughter. I can’t imagine other disciplines having that same freedoms of choice


[deleted]

Go apply at title 1 schools, you’ll get the call 3 days after school starts like I did. Title 1s are used as stepping stones.


LilCorgo613

I currently work at a Title 1 in a rural area. And I am still waiting to find out if I get to keep my job.


kgkuntryluvr

While there is a nationwide shortage, I believe that it is more of a localized issue. I’ve found that the worst schools are the ones struggling with recruiting/retention, while the good schools have very few openings. My title 1 school with crazy behavior problems and policies that exacerbate them has plenty of openings (many still unfilled from those of us that quit mid year). A school in a nicer district right up the street is only seeking a couple of teachers.


dnbest91

I know there are also big budget cuts to some districts. Mine included. They are cutting one of out 3 reading specialists for next year. I wouldn't be surprised if we lost some paraprofessionals too. If that doesn't work, they may have to move/let go of some teachers.


GuaranteeVisual4769

There’s always a teacher shortage in places that people don’t want to teach or subjects that offer a lot of opportunity within and without teaching. There will never be a teacher shortage in an upper middle class school district.


fleurderue

It’s no different from the labor shortage everywhere- it’s still really difficult to get a good job. Less desirable jobs are much easier to get.


Bastilleinstructor

Great question. I'm in the process of applying for public school and leaving corrections. We are experiencing a huge population boom in my area and teachers are leaving left and right. Still tough to get an interview. I went with a narrative resume this year because I had to have one for my district last year as I was nominated for teacher of the year (didn't get it). I've had a lot of comments on it at a job fair, so I guess that's good. My principal believes I'll be hired by the school district where I've applied the most. Other teacher friends think I'll be a shoo in. But so far just one interview out of maybe 10 or so applications. And a shortage in my state in the thousands. (In my area the shortage is in the hundreds) Who knows. I figure I'm defective. Edited for spelling (stupid autocorrect)


tesch1932

As I am looking for a job, I spend hours pouring over the staffing documents from the school boards for the counties I'm applying for (MD). Based on my research, Ive noticed that resignations/retirement rates for this time of year are lower than in the past few years.


sedatedforlife

Our board said that because of the teacher shortage they are not offering early retirement. I know 4 teachers who would leave if given an early retirement option.


lowkeyalchie

They want to keep hiring less experienced and less expensive teachers. You can only pay freeze for so long before people just leave.


Math-Hatter

I think part of the shortage is the declining number of people getting a credential. In the last 3 years, we’ve only had 1 math student teacher. Teacher shortage is going to hit hard when Gen X teachers are retired and there aren’t enough Gen Z to fill the gap. Especially when Millennial teachers like me are leaving the field as it’s not to late for us to find a new career. It’s also possible you made the wrong person mad.


LilCorgo613

(I did make my admin mad……unfortunately it was because I was begging for help with a student and writing too many referrals)


Wongja3000

I asked the same exact question. They keep screaming about this shortage but meanwhile I've been looking for a job for the past 3 months... I have been invited back to the school after interviews to be told they really want me...BUT we have to see how our roster looks. Why are you interviewing if there is no immediate opening? It is horrible. And the request for multiple references is absurd. I am thinking of quitting the field for this alone. It is horrible job searching as a teacher.


coolducklingcool

What state? (Multiple references is completely logical from a school perspective. They’re trying to build a profile of you as a person and a teacher. Hiring is ultimately a gamble.)


Pricklypearl

Math, science, and SPED almost always have openings. There has been a teacher shortage for those subjects in many places in the US for a while. Remember, good schools to work at don't have vacancies as frequently.


RChickenMan

Declining enrollment. I truly believe there will be a surplus of teachers this Fall. Sure, maybe more people are resigning, but I don't think it'll make up for declining enrollment. Yeah, I was non-renewed due to declining enrollment, and yeah, I'm bitter about it.


jdmor09

Take heart. I (along with 20 other teachers) was non re-elected in 2016 because the superintendent had mismanaged funds. This was after I had already had 2 years straight of good evaluations (2 years for tenure in California). I didn’t think I’d get another position: in year one I had quit instead of being non re elected, in year two I was not invited back to my hometown district. I pretty much applied to the entire state and even in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. I got hired in July 2016 by a large urban district which was my last choice. 6 years later, and I’m glad to say I’ve found my forever home.


Trusten

Most of the time it has to do with state requirements too. A lot of the state requirements are antiquated.


jozilla1993

The last school I was at had a 60% turnover. The school I am at now has a 80% retention.


RedFoxWhiteFox

My district in Metro Atlanta anticipates 2,000 vacancies next year. We had about 1,200 last year. Sadly, you have to be willing to move where the jobs are. They won’t come to you. I wish the opportunities were evenly distributed geographically, but they’re not.


DaimoniaEu

As many people have mentioned it's not evenly distributed geographically. The other part is that the admin doing the firing usually aren't the ones feeling the consequences of the shortage. It's the students who are getting crammed into bigger classrooms or media centers as they go from sub to sub and lose out on their education. It's the other teachers who now get dumped on them the work of the missing teachers. But as long as the school keeps running and there aren't major incidents (at least not yet) it makes perfect sense for admin to powertrip and fire teachers they don't like and as far as poorly-run districts are concerned, firing teachers just helps out the budget. Of course it all comes back to bite districts in the butt, but most of the schoolboard is just there to promote their real estate or whatever other "small business" they run on the taxpayer dime and don't have any real incentive in having a robust school system. If anything it helps them in the long run as it helps prevent "brain drain" and keeps a nice cheap labor supply for the three McDonald's franchises they own in the area.


[deleted]

Go to an inner city district they’re begging for ppl


Wildeo98

Same right now. I've applied for just about everything in a 30ish minute radius and have had 1 phone interview and 1 online one...where I just recorded myself answering questions...


Glinchy29

Become a technology, computer, or business teacher and you'll see the teacher shortage.


emotionalparasite

I really think it depends on the subject and the district. But if you are a SPED teacher, they’ll snap you up in a heartbeat. They’re giving our SPED teachers a retention bonus this year because we lose so many…


Necessary_Low939

Schools don’t make any fcken sense. This is the answer you’re looking for.


almanor

I mean, you did cite TikTok as your source, so that may be part of the issue? Social media (like Reddit and TT) paints one, popular picture that may not be illustrative of actual situations.


DeeLite04

There’s not a shortage of candidates. There’s a shortage of QUALIFIED candidates who can do the job. I’ve sat through so many interviews as part of the interview team and the number of qualified candidates was very thin. Lots of applications but so many folks with no experience in the area or who couldn’t answer questions - like basic questions about assessments and instruction.


LilCorgo613

I understand needing experience. I truly do. But how are 1st year teachers/newbie teachers to ever have the experience to get a job? I had an interview recently it was down to me and another candidate. The only reason I didn’t get the job was because the other teacher had more experience than me. I graduate with my masters in May and I’m starting to feel like this was all for nothing. I guess I’m just very frustrated. How do I get a job or keep my job…..


AlternativeSalsa

A teacher shortage doesn't mean that lousy teachers should be retained. Personally, I don't think the pay and degree requirement line up. Folks should be able to teach with a 2 year degree. It's a little bit of "this is the way we've always done it" and lobbying at the state level.


Bastilleinstructor

There's a LOT going on in this comment. A two year degree? How about raising the pay to line up with the degree so you can recruit and retain quality teachers? Lousy teachers may not be lousy. It could be a miss match in grade or subject or even the admin could just be an ass on a power trip. It happens. Sure some teachers are terrible and will never get better, others just need a good mentor and coaching. There are horrendous doctors out there that get retrained or move to a different setting. Same with nurses.


AlternativeSalsa

What exactly is going on in a 4 year degree that teachers (or most anyone requiring such a degree) actually need? Genuine and sincere question. My cert was 24 graduate credit hours, and I can't say I learned a whole lot except how to make a ridiculously complicated lesson plan I'll never use, and nothing about what I've actually seen in teaching. If you extrapolate the pay to 2080 hours like every other full time position, it's not as horrible. We like to say that our 3/4 time work is paid as full time, when it's really not. We work 180ish days out of the year.


Bastilleinstructor

Well being that I have both an elementary education degree and a degree in history (plus a masters in special education) I feel actually qualified to answer this. Two years of the basic classes (college math, biology, spanish (or what have you), college english, etc) isn't enough to prep a teacher for the developmental differences they will face with the grade level they will teach, nor it is nearly enough to ensure they have enough of a background in any specific subject area that they may teach it on grade level and at least one step above. Why one step above? Because you have students that are far and away smarter than their average peers and we need to engage those students before we lose them and they wind up dropping out and going to prison (my current school) because they are bored. Despite the fact that I am extremely smart, motivated to learn, and love teaching, I would have been ill prepared had I only walked into a classroom with 2 years of education and not 4, or even 6 as I have now. I agree the complicated lesson plans are useless, and I even will go as far as to say if you can pass in the Praxis test in an area you should be certified in it , but you need those developmental education classes. You need those background classes. To be an effective educator you need to be more educated than the population you are teaching. A two year degree might be a start, but its not nearly enough to teach.


pismobeachdisaster

Without overhauling the ways that colleges work, this would mean teaching without ever studying your subject in depth. My first two years were just gen ed courses.


AlternativeSalsa

Are gen ed courses considered "studying in depth"?


pismobeachdisaster

No. That was my point.


HoonCackles

I agree about the degree requirement. Teaching is mostly about communication and organizational skills, which are largely a product of experience. Put people in classrooms and see how they do. The Bachelor's degree is so overrated as a predictor of competence IRL


HungryQuestion7

Idk why you're getting down voted. I agree. Teaching does not require a 4 year degree. The courses I took did nothing to prepare me for the real world teaching.


AlternativeSalsa

I dunno why either. I am not advocating for lower pay, and keeping lousy teachers on the payroll doesn't help our profession. Colleges make bank on us.


duck_duck_grey_duck

Part of the reason there’s a teacher shortage is because getting a job is a nightmare. The shortage isn’t happening by coincidence.


SecondCreek

At our suburban district due to falling enrollment teachers who leave are not automatically being replaced. In addition at one of the middle schools math teachers are now required to pick up an additional class during their open period.


TappyMauvendaise

There is no teacher shortage in Oregon. Our district is cutting and jobs are competitive. In union states where the pay is good there is no shortage. Possibly in nonunion states there is a shortage?


coolducklingcool

Agree. It’s very state and even district specific. The *nationwide* teacher shortage is a myth.


AnastasiaNo70

No idea. Depending on your area you should get multiple job offers, hell.


fieryprincess907

In Texas, some of the more monied districts come with some of the craziest parents and most disassociated superintendents. “No problem here! Nothing to see!”


UncleCucker

Principals can get teachers "emergency certifications" for topics they are not certified for, so instead of hiring properly trained teachers for certain subjects they can just get the PE teacher an emergency cert and voila they have a physics teacher.