Just another "teaching" lie?

DON"T get your doctorate! Be careful about going for a masters!!!

You might just price yourself out of EVER getting a starting job!!

 

I disagree with this. I have 2 masters degrees and I begin my PhD on Monday. I had my first masters before I began teaching. In 4 years, and in 3 different states (TN, OH, and NM), I have not had trouble finding a job.

 

In Virginia, a lot of districts specifically state on their websites or applications that they give preference to candidates with a masters (I remember Albemarle and Charlottesville both saying this; I think Williamsburg did also). All the state school report cards have to list the % of faculty with masters degrees, so they like having this number higher rather than lower. The schools I subbed at were mostly well over 60% and my current school is almost 60%.

This is probably an issue that varies by state, but I think in many VA districts, a masters is only going to work to your advantage.

 

Agreed--not a typical year. I tried all over the western suburbs of Chicago this year with no luck, and I've been teaching for 20 years, am certified K-9 classroom and K-12 music, have grad work and experience in gifted, and qualified for MS lang as well. Schools in IL had to let a lot of their first-year staff go, so they were rehired to fill any openings. I even had a board member pulling for me and schools interested in my resume, but they couldn't even interview me. Many of our districts aren't even hiring subs--the lists are already full! I'm hearing that it should pick up next year or the year after, though, as many teachers are nearing retirement. Good luck!

 

Many of the suburban Chicago schools---at least from what I've been told by their department heads---prefer/require 3 years of teaching experience and/or a Master's degree. I was subbing and teaching summer school and found myself panicking over what to do this fall, so I asked my department head for advice. He said, "I think that the best thing for you to do is go ahead with plans to enroll in a Master's program. I have heard that advice before -- that you should wait. But, the current market for English teachers is a buyer's market, and you may not get a full-time job right away. Therefore, it seems more appropriate, for you to start a Master's program so that you can say to future potential employers that you wanted to "keep momentum." (Also, look at it this way -- tuition is never coming down it is only going up!)"

So, until I get a bite from a future employer I'll be working on my Master's degree. Hopefully things get better with time and we all get out of this slump. Good luck to all those searching and waiting!

 

I know in my district, funding is low, so even if they need a teacher, they aren't filling all positions. For example, we lost 18 teachers at the end of the year, and we only replaced 15. So, history and math are over full. The biggest thing I can tell you is look everywhere, not just in Vegas. Now may be the time to move. If your parents are willing to give you free rent, they may be willing to spring for a month or two in a new apartment 1000 miles away until you get your first paychecks.