Wanted to share this information with those who live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. If you're trying to look for a teaching job for next year, you might have a slim chance at best. Mesquite ISD (the school district I went to which is a very big district) had their job fair this past saturday. Although they expect to only have 200-250 positions for next year, around 2,200 people showed up at the job fair looking for a teaching job. But it gets worse, all the school districts around the Dallas/Fort Worth area are going to be like that at there job fairs. If this is any indication down here in Texas where the economy is better than most other places, then it's going to be another rough year for a lot of you. Felt like sharing this info. Good luck to you all. *I think it's funny because 5-10 years ago, no way you would have crowds like this trying to get a teaching job*
I think that whoever projected attendance at 200-250 in the first place had his head in the sand. Anyone who has picked up a newspaper in the past year knows how bad things are in all sectors of employment. Was it DFW or Houston (sorry, it's early and I forget) that laid off hundreds of teachers about a year ago?? Did they think that these teachers somehow didn't still need to work?
I think what ryhoyarbie said was projected at 200 to 250 wasn't attendance but rather jobs. One has seen better odds of getting hired, but one has also seen worse.
The op doesn't say they expected 200-250 people. That's the number of positions available. Alice, remember how I said in my school that this year was the first time in 5 years I have seen them hire a new teacher in my department (ie, not a transfer). They hired 4. Technically I was a transfer from an aide job to a teacher job but the fact is they had 4 new positions open. I had to get a probational certificate rather than wait until I was completely finished with my credentials because I didn't want to risk not having a job at the end of it. Well, we are predicting (though it is still too early) that we will be letting 2 teachers go. Because of the budget, for the first time in a very long time or maybe ever, they are raising the teacher/student ratio. I think I am more protected but it is a good thing I didn't wait to get a job. Seriously, the market is brutal.
You're right, of course. My apologies; it's early and I didn't sleep well last night. I don't think it's going to be an easy season for jobs in just about any sector, in spite of reports that the economy is improving. Until the state governments find some money they can funnel back to the districts, there simply won't be money for jobs. We didn't get into this mess overnight, and I think it's going to take a while to dig us out.
Yes I am a bit nervous being in the DFW area as well. I was looking at the job fair I am going to this Saturday and noticed on the flyer last night it said something about the first 750 people who register are invited to a lunch. This is for Irving ISD -- 750 PEOPLE?!?! That is outrageous and they are obviously expecting more but that's no surprise considering that Irving ISD is a large district and pay (I think) best in the Metroplex (0 years of experience starts you in the upper $49k range). Anyway, yes a tough, intimidating season but I hope to at the very least make some connections and be considered some how! Good luck to all!!
The job market is brutal everywhere, with some locations being worse than others. After 6 months of fruitless searching, I finally expanded my search nationwide, and was willing to take a position outside of education. Well, that's what I got. I'm reasonably happy, and if I ever do start searching for a teaching position again (I'm planning on finishing my Ph.D, and letting my current employer pay for it, before I start searching again...a number of years at best), I have complete confidence that I'll be able to use my current position to my advantage in interviews. Sometimes, you have to look outside the box. For all those currently looking: Good Luck! Keep plugging away, but don't discount the valuable skills you have as a teacher. Many of those skills are transferable outside of the education sector and the experiences you stand to gain in "other" employment can benefit you in the long run. Like Alice said, we didn't get into this mess overnight, and we won't get out of it overnight. Keep your options open and life might have some pleasant suprises in store for you.
It was Dallas that laid off a bunch of teachers, only to realize they actually needed a few more and had to interview those who they just laid off as well as interview new people.
GOOD Morning! This is (an example of) why i stopped reading the job seekers board last year. I can depress MYSELF.
I am thinking I may need to step away from the job board as well since this just makes me weep. I just lost my job this week and already feel crummy enough about myself without seeing this kind of post.
I went through an alternative certification program in November 2008 and still haven't been able to find a full time teaching job! I have had a grand total of 1 interview after putting in applications at almost every district in San Antonio. I am hopeful that I will get a job this year, but am not counting on it! I will be making appointments with the unemployment office to find full time work outside teaching because I can't afford to keep looking anymore. Good luck to everyone who is still looking!
I'm not going to be looking for a job until this time next year, but seeing posts like this scare me! If teachers with experience are having trouble finding jobs, how am I supposed to get one as a first-year? Eep.
Well hopefully to shed some hope...its life and it just depends. I have a great friend I work with who just put in her notice because she got a job in plano isd...dfw area. Just interview your butt off and have faith. Oh and she was an alt cert with out exp. Totally just depends.
It has been tough to find a teaching positons for years. I graduated May 2008 and was offered a teaching position a week after graduation. I thought I was one of the last ones to find a position, but after reading archives from the news that year, it was hard for many to find teaching positions. I didn't know this because I didn't really read any news related to the education field. I think that was for the best. I'm sure if I had read the news and knew how tough the job market was, I would be worrying. This is why I sometimes avoid the Job Seekers forum. I don't want to worry myself anymore than I already am. Yes, it's a reality that it's hard to find a teaching position, but reading article after article and having discussions after discussions can drive one mad.
yes ryhoyarbie, You know the district I work in and I worked the job fair last Saturday. It was CRAZY busy. I literally never got a chance to even look up from screening applicants.... My school has interview dozens upon dozens of applicant for 1 know position....... because they can be extra choosy....
no he didn't mean 200-250 in attendance. He means 200-250 being hired (open or projected open positions). 2200 were at the job fair. It was like this last year too. What he is referring to - A/C are not allowed to be hired (unless they are bilingual or sped). That is district policy.
sorry - that does not make an sense at all - unless your friend in bil. or sped. There are just tons of qualified teachers with tons of experiences out there right now in DFW - trust me I met them while screening at a job fairs this last weekend.
I know it shouldn't make sense but no, she is teaching 3rd or 4th grade not SPED and she's not bilingual. She passed the Generalist 4-8 and EC-6 last year and applied as an alt. cert. candidate with Region X (I believe that's it, Region 10 in Dallas?). It's not really a "fair" system or one I understand AT ALL but by judging from the random hirings I've been seeing, I don't know what to say other than just forget the stats and do what you can! That's my plan! Don't make sense of it, just worry about what YOU can do...
Oh wow, I was there for the Mesquite Job Fair as well. It was pretty hectic and parking was crazy but it was exactly what I expected. In Plano though, the lines wrapped around the school and it took about 2 hours to get in the door! I kind of don't want to go anymore cause I'm discouraged. Does anybody get a job from these job fairs?
that is how I got the job I have right now - and I absolutely LOVE it. I think I work for the best district..........
There are three on Saturday that I'm going to try for. I don't know how many will be there, or if I want to work in two of the districts. One interesting thing to note, one of the districts is now requiring a minimum of 3 years teaching experience, masters preferred, etc. I've got 2 masters, but only sub experience. Not sure if I should go ahead and apply for these or not. I went to 2 last Friday, one more promising than the other. It is discouraging, I think I'm in a better position this year but I don't really think I'll find something. I'm an ACP candidate and it closes alot of doors.
I really really really want to hope so:/ I'm going to about four in the next three weeks. Irving's this weekend and I've heard its crazy. Grapevine-Colleyville the 24th but I haven't really heard much about it and it's appointment based (like the Arlington ISD fair 04/24 as well) so maybe its a bit calmer? I don't know but yes, very very scary...
Hey suzerich, are you from DFW as well? If so, which districts are you applying to? I haven't heard of a district that requires a min. of 3 years teaching....I'm worried :/
I'm south. I went to Advantage ISD and Midlothian last week. Advantage was a good experience, Midlothian I waited for 30 minutes to talk to someone for 2-3 minutes. But, I knew that going in. I need to be within 30-45 minutes of my home which is in Ellis County. I'm attending and applying for jobs in Ellis County, southern Dallas County, and northern Navarro and Hill County. I'm going to Waxahachie, Cedar Hill and Duncanville job fairs on Saturday if I can get to all of them.
Yesterday, I was looking around on careerbuilder.com and I found a website called teacherconnection.net and apparently they're staffing agency for teachers. It sounds interesting but they take 10% of your salary for the first year. Has anyone ever tried something like this and did it go well?
I realize this is an old thread, but I wanted to comment anyway. Has anybody ever gotten hired from a job fair? I went to 2 out of the 3 that suzerich talked about (hey, maybe I saw you there!) and had great interviews but absolutely zero contact from the schools after. I was number #14 in line at one of them, so I was the first person to talk to my particular interviewer. Job fairs just seem so demeaning. Sure, I'll stand in line for an hour IN HEELS to talk to you for ten minutes and then I'll go get in another line for another hour...and so on. I ended up getting hired at a district where I'd only applied online. I think it worked out better for me in the long run (can we say desirable district?), and if only I'd had a crystal ball or a really accurate fortune cookie, I could have saved myself all that standing in line on a Saturday morning! Side note: A week or two before I got the interview that got me the job, I got a fortune cookie that said, "Doors will be opening for you in many areas of your life." BAM, got a job!
I'm not in Texas, but I wanted to say that the job I am signing a contract for today came from an initial meeting at a job fair. Being able to see people in person rather than just looking at credentials on a piece of paper can make a huge difference. I know the job fairs are hectic and discouraging, but you never know! I will be a first year teacher w/ a Masters this year, if that is helpful.
My new position came from an initial walk-up conversation at a job fair (and I'm in DFW). The fairs I went to were really full, but I just went into them with a really positive attitude - knowing that the job fair was just the beginning of the process. I used it as an opportunity to showcase my brochure, my enthusiasm, and my smiling face - and gather names, emails, and campus facts so that I could follow up with principals later. At my district's fair, the school that hired me was one of 2 middle schools with a science opening. The line to walk up to their table snaked halfway around the entire fair. There were TONS of people who looked at the line, rolled their eyes, and commented about what a waste of time it was. But I waited, chatted with some people around me, and finally got up to see the principal standing there. We had a short but sweet conversation, and I got an idea of his hiring timeline. I gave him my brochure, then followed up with a nice email wishing his campus well on state testing and reminding him of me by attaching my resume and brochure again. I was called for an interview, and got the position about a week later. So I wouldn't say that I was hired because of the job fair, but it helped me make a good first impression and get my name out there. I would definitely do it again if I had to look for a new position.
Interesting, and good for you guys! None of my friends have ever had anything positive to say about a job fair. I went to three last year and two this year. My experience was definitely better this year since I actually had experience and wasn't having to imagine what I would do in a hypothetical situation, and I could say what I DID do in a real situation.
I went to my first job fair in Houston just yesterday. Standing in line, people took my resumes, talked a lil, and then was next'd. So after doing this bout 3 times, I was getting a little unmotivated but figured I was here already, might as well talk to a few more. Well, one of the people I talked to told me to go talk to another person over on the side for an interview. I didn't really think much of it and just was myself. Well, she said that was the prescreening interview. Again, didn't think much of it. Got a call a few hours later from a school saying I was highly recommended and to come into an interview this wednesday to meet the principal, tour the school and such. That being said, I was totally stoked and couldn't believe I got a call for an interview. I don't know how I should prepare for this interview though.
