Hi I am currently a special education teacher in NJ however I have been thinking about a career change to speech pathology . Before I make the big leap to such a drastic change I wanted some advice on what else I could do with the special education degree. I really want to work in NYC so I'm trying to find some other options for myself instead of being forced to stay in a classroom for the rest of my life . Any other options I may be missing? Thank you !
Aside from admin/resource/coach positions in your district, you could do ABA/behavior therapy in a clinical setting. We also have multiple mental health agencies here that hire for case management positions and spec ed is helpful to have in those positions.
You didn't say what grade level you teach but I've often thought that if I get out of teaching high school sped, I'd get into the transition end of things, like the agencies that help them get extra training--voc rehab, job corps, etc.
As someone who used to teach in NYC, I would be very careful about going in. NYC often doesn't take experience from outside of the city, so check to make sure they will take your experience. I had subbing and teaching experience from outside the city that they did not take, so I was back at square one when I started. The city is a completely different place than the rest of New York, so look up the laws before you go in. How many years of teaching do you have in New Jersey? Are you willing to start from the ground up?
Have you considered doing some kind of work for private families? There are plenty of people who will pay to have a personal one-on-one tutor for their child with a disability, for example.
Both of my best friend's parents have SPED degrees/certificates and have worked in non-school settings. Before they had kids, they were live-ins at a residential program. Three kids later, one is an ASL interpreter and one works for a job placement transitional service center. You could also try to get on with a regional office of something like Easter Seals. Working for a college/university's accessibility/disability services office might be a good fit as well. That's what I do because I haven't been able to get a classroom job. It doesn't have benefits, but I do get a great hourly pay rate and good hours.
