Is there still a teaching shortage…

[Anonymous]

And how do I get started? Ideally, I’d like to be resource teacher or ESL teacher… my only experience is homeschooling, tutoring, and subbing. I have bachelor’s degree.

Ugh- I’m so overwhelmed. I keep looking at the FCPS website and VA DOE and there are all these “pathways”…but I’m unsure which and what to take? Can these courses be taken online?

Help!

[Anonymous]

There is still a national shortage but fcps is basically fully staffed (around 99%).

Here’s fcps’s page - https://www.fcps.edu/teacher-initiative

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply and link!

So in layman terms:
If I were to call or email a school in which there is a vacancy, provide my “resume” and interest, interview, and should there be an opening in which I am a good fit, would they offer me a provisional license? Is that how it works?

[Anonymous]

The shortage areas are special education, ESL, and IA’s at all levels. Everything else gets filled pretty quickly.

[Anonymous]

The easiest/smartest way if you know you want to do it more than a few years is to get a masters in education.

You’ll jump up several thousand a year on the pay scale, and have a true student teaching/internship experience. It will pay for itself in a relatively short period of time.

The career switcher models all have you take a bunch of classes anyway, but you have to do it while teaching and you won’t get a salary bump since it’s not a full masters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the reply and link!

So in layman terms:
If I were to call or email a school in which there is a vacancy, provide my “resume” and interest, interview, and should there be an opening in which I am a good fit, would they offer me a provisional license? Is that how it works?

There will still be some courses and testing for you to complete

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The easiest/smartest way if you know you want to do it more than a few years is to get a masters in education.

You’ll jump up several thousand a year on the pay scale, and have a true student teaching/internship experience. It will pay for itself in a relatively short period of time.

The career switcher models all have you take a bunch of classes anyway, but you have to do it while teaching and you won’t get a salary bump since it’s not a full masters.

Would you recommend getting a MAT degree?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the reply and link!

So in layman terms:
If I were to call or email a school in which there is a vacancy, provide my “resume” and interest, interview, and should there be an opening in which I am a good fit, would they offer me a provisional license? Is that how it works?

There will still be some courses and testing for you to complete

Online?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The easiest/smartest way if you know you want to do it more than a few years is to get a masters in education.

You’ll jump up several thousand a year on the pay scale, and have a true student teaching/internship experience. It will pay for itself in a relatively short period of time.

The career switcher models all have you take a bunch of classes anyway, but you have to do it while teaching and you won’t get a salary bump since it’s not a full masters.

Would you recommend getting a MAT degree?

Get any type of masters that you want, something that you’re interested in. The masters pay rate isn’t determined by the type of masters.

[Anonymous]

No. They are importing teachers from overseas now (Phillipines, Zambia, etc.) so you're competing with the developing world.

None of us cared when it was textiles and furniture, but now it's teaching, engineering, medicine, etc.

[Anonymous]

The FCPS run teacher trainee program is over. They gave the remaining people the opportunity to apply for the VDOE 1 year provisional license meaning they have until the end of this year to complete all requirements or the are done.

If you were hired you’d likely be in the same situation and there are a lot of requirements to get license. Or go get your masters in education and go about it that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The easiest/smartest way if you know you want to do it more than a few years is to get a masters in education.

You’ll jump up several thousand a year on the pay scale, and have a true student teaching/internship experience. It will pay for itself in a relatively short period of time.

The career switcher models all have you take a bunch of classes anyway, but you have to do it while teaching and you won’t get a salary bump since it’s not a full masters.

Would you recommend getting a MAT degree?

Get any type of masters that you want, something that you’re interested in. The masters pay rate isn’t determined by the type of masters.

Which demonstrates the uselessness of the exercise.

[Anonymous]

Ha!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the reply and link!

So in layman terms:
If I were to call or email a school in which there is a vacancy, provide my “resume” and interest, interview, and should there be an opening in which I am a good fit, would they offer me a provisional license? Is that how it works?

No. They can’t offer you a provisional license. You take the trainings online under the VALO tab within VDOE. Then you wait about three months to hear from them. You also need to upload your transcripts. This is for the provisional license only which lasts three years.

[Anonymous]

OP what do you mean by resource teacher? Also OP do you want to teach elementary or secondary? Also, what was your major when you got your bachelor's degree?