more on teacher shortages

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend looking for a teaching job in MA and she’s disheartened by all the rejection emails. I was there a few years ago and ended up in VA. There still isn’t a dramatic shortage of applicants in the Boston area. There are more vacancies than usual but some people wait years to teach here and either sub, work as a para, or relocate until they get the chance. I feel like other states should take a look and model off how things work for teachers in MA. I hear the pension is bad but in most districts they get a lot of resources, tenure after third year, decent pay raises every year. I just don’t understand why the states that always have dramatic shortages don’t just model off the states where it can be competitive to land a teaching job like MA, NY, PA, NJ. You’ll hear them all complain about a shortage but usually it’s actually a sub and para shortage unless it’s a really rough and low paying district where people just go for experience.

Schools aren’t perfect here by any means. But the profession itself is more attractive here than most other states. Some teachers are making six figures by year 15 for 180 days of work. If you start at 22, 15 years to six figures isn’t that bad despite the high COL.

Massachusetts model cannot be copied without Massachusetts demographics and ses level

There are virtually no black people in mass

And the poor whites, while drunk Tom Brady simps, aren’t nearly as dysfunctional as other states poor whites.

And Massachusetts Hispanics aren’t as dysfunctional as Hispanics in other states.

Aren’t there shortages in pa and ny?

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Massachusetts are White (Non-Hispanic) (70.3%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (7.1%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (6.82%), White (Hispanic) (6.66%), and Other (Hispanic) (3.51%). 24.7% of the households in Massachusetts speak a non-English language at home as their primary language.

Massachusetts - Data USA

[Anonymous]

After two difficult years, I am not surprised that teachers want to take a summer break.

[Anonymous]

PA and NY are competitive as well. When I taught in VA most teachers I met were from PA and NY. Also quite a few from NJ and a few more from MA. All in one school plus people at PDs. Most weren’t from VA. They struggled to find a job in their home state and relocated. It gets less competitive once you hit DC and heading south.

There are some subjects that may have less competition such as special Ed, math and science but even those can be competitive. It’s mostly just private schools that don’t pay much and the worst of the worst public schools that have a shortage. I know people who studied to teach math and special Ed and they had to sub or work at a private school before landing a public school job.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think the model has to do with race that much…. My point was stated that offer tenure, pension, and fairly nice raises every year don’t seem to struggle to find applicants as much as the states without tenure, that do away with pension, and that hardly have step increases or just freezes them for years. They also don’t hate textbooks and like to give teachers resources. There’s plenty of old crumbling buildings staffed with good teachers and good resources up here. Down in the south there’s so many nice, shiny, new looking buildings not from the 1920’s or 1950’s or even 1970’s but they’re not full of resources or staff that feel they’re compensated fairly enough to stay there for over 30 years.

Nice buildings shouldn’t be the top priority. We have plenty of old eyesore buildings up here full of teachers in their 20th year and beyond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think the model has to do with race that much…. My point was stated that offer tenure, pension, and fairly nice raises every year don’t seem to struggle to find applicants as much as the states without tenure, that do away with pension, and that hardly have step increases or just freezes them for years. They also don’t hate textbooks and like to give teachers resources. There’s plenty of old crumbling buildings staffed with good teachers and good resources up here. Down in the south there’s so many nice, shiny, new looking buildings not from the 1920’s or 1950’s or even 1970’s but they’re not full of resources or staff that feel they’re compensated fairly enough to stay there for over 30 years.

Nice buildings shouldn’t be the top priority. We have plenty of old eyesore buildings up here full of teachers in their 20th year and beyond.

School boards are run by realtors. Of course they are going to be pretty and shiny. Real estate values.

[Anonymous]

I’m in Colorado this summer, and teachers can’t find jobs. Much different. Of course, I am urging them all to come to Virginia!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend looking for a teaching job in MA and she’s disheartened by all the rejection emails. I was there a few years ago and ended up in VA. There still isn’t a dramatic shortage of applicants in the Boston area. There are more vacancies than usual but some people wait years to teach here and either sub, work as a para, or relocate until they get the chance. I feel like other states should take a look and model off how things work for teachers in MA. I hear the pension is bad but in most districts they get a lot of resources, tenure after third year, decent pay raises every year. I just don’t understand why the states that always have dramatic shortages don’t just model off the states where it can be competitive to land a teaching job like MA, NY, PA, NJ. You’ll hear them all complain about a shortage but usually it’s actually a sub and para shortage unless it’s a really rough and low paying district where people just go for experience.

Schools aren’t perfect here by any means. But the profession itself is more attractive here than most other states. Some teachers are making six figures by year 15 for 180 days of work. If you start at 22, 15 years to six figures isn’t that bad despite the high COL. [/quote]

Here in VA? I’m with FCPS. I have my MA +30 and just finished my 29th year. I hit $100k just a couple of years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend looking for a teaching job in MA and she’s disheartened by all the rejection emails. I was there a few years ago and ended up in VA. There still isn’t a dramatic shortage of applicants in the Boston area. There are more vacancies than usual but some people wait years to teach here and either sub, work as a para, or relocate until they get the chance. I feel like other states should take a look and model off how things work for teachers in MA. I hear the pension is bad but in most districts they get a lot of resources, tenure after third year, decent pay raises every year. I just don’t understand why the states that always have dramatic shortages don’t just model off the states where it can be competitive to land a teaching job like MA, NY, PA, NJ. You’ll hear them all complain about a shortage but usually it’s actually a sub and para shortage unless it’s a really rough and low paying district where people just go for experience.

Schools aren’t perfect here by any means. But the profession itself is more attractive here than most other states. Some teachers are making six figures by year 15 for 180 days of work. If you start at 22, 15 years to six figures isn’t that bad despite the high COL.

Here in VA? I’m with FCPS. I have my MA +30 and just finished my 29th year. I hit $100k just a couple of years ago.

[Anonymous]

To the poster who said her friend is getting lots of rejections:
My district is getting resumes. Unfortunately, they don't have the appropriate endorsements and aren't qualified to teach in our schools. The other thing we see are people who can't spell, who give terrible interview answers, who have bad references, and more. Are you sure your friend is qualified for the jobs she is seeking? And are you sure she is giving decent enough answers to questions? What does her resume look like? I saw some of the resumes my principal is getting. Some of these have emojis on them. I am not kidding.
Though for us the biggest issue is that we need all our candidates to have an ESL endorsement and people don't have that. I am very surprised the state isn't allowing us to hire people on the condition that they get this endorsement within a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend looking for a teaching job in MA and she’s disheartened by all the rejection emails. I was there a few years ago and ended up in VA. There still isn’t a dramatic shortage of applicants in the Boston area. There are more vacancies than usual but some people wait years to teach here and either sub, work as a para, or relocate until they get the chance. I feel like other states should take a look and model off how things work for teachers in MA. I hear the pension is bad but in most districts they get a lot of resources, tenure after third year, decent pay raises every year. I just don’t understand why the states that always have dramatic shortages don’t just model off the states where it can be competitive to land a teaching job like MA, NY, PA, NJ. You’ll hear them all complain about a shortage but usually it’s actually a sub and para shortage unless it’s a really rough and low paying district where people just go for experience.

Schools aren’t perfect here by any means. But the profession itself is more attractive here than most other states. Some teachers are making six figures by year 15 for 180 days of work. If you start at 22, 15 years to six figures isn’t that bad despite the high COL.

Here in VA? I’m with FCPS. I have my MA +30 and just finished my 29th year. I hit $100k just a couple of years ago.

So you are saying that the salary needs to be more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend looking for a teaching job in MA and she’s disheartened by all the rejection emails. I was there a few years ago and ended up in VA. There still isn’t a dramatic shortage of applicants in the Boston area. There are more vacancies than usual but some people wait years to teach here and either sub, work as a para, or relocate until they get the chance. I feel like other states should take a look and model off how things work for teachers in MA. I hear the pension is bad but in most districts they get a lot of resources, tenure after third year, decent pay raises every year. I just don’t understand why the states that always have dramatic shortages don’t just model off the states where it can be competitive to land a teaching job like MA, NY, PA, NJ. You’ll hear them all complain about a shortage but usually it’s actually a sub and para shortage unless it’s a really rough and low paying district where people just go for experience.

Schools aren’t perfect here by any means. But the profession itself is more attractive here than most other states. Some teachers are making six figures by year 15 for 180 days of work. If you start at 22, 15 years to six figures isn’t that bad despite the high COL.

Here in VA? I’m with FCPS. I have my MA +30 and just finished my 29th year. I hit $100k just a couple of years ago.

So you are saying that the salary needs to be more?

No, not in that post. Just wondering in which district teachers are hitting six figures at 15 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a friend looking for a teaching job in MA and she’s disheartened by all the rejection emails. I was there a few years ago and ended up in VA. There still isn’t a dramatic shortage of applicants in the Boston area. There are more vacancies than usual but some people wait years to teach here and either sub, work as a para, or relocate until they get the chance. I feel like other states should take a look and model off how things work for teachers in MA. I hear the pension is bad but in most districts they get a lot of resources, tenure after third year, decent pay raises every year. I just don’t understand why the states that always have dramatic shortages don’t just model off the states where it can be competitive to land a teaching job like MA, NY, PA, NJ. You’ll hear them all complain about a shortage but usually it’s actually a sub and para shortage unless it’s a really rough and low paying district where people just go for experience.

Schools aren’t perfect here by any means. But the profession itself is more attractive here than most other states. Some teachers are making six figures by year 15 for 180 days of work. If you start at 22, 15 years to six figures isn’t that bad despite the high COL.

Massachusetts model cannot be copied without Massachusetts demographics and ses level

There are virtually no black people in mass

And the poor whites, while drunk Tom Brady simps, aren’t nearly as dysfunctional as other states poor whites.

And Massachusetts Hispanics aren’t as dysfunctional as Hispanics in other states.

Aren’t there shortages in pa and ny?

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Massachusetts are White (Non-Hispanic) (70.3%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (7.1%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (6.82%), White (Hispanic) (6.66%), and Other (Hispanic) (3.51%). 24.7% of the households in Massachusetts speak a non-English language at home as their primary language.

Massachusetts - Data USA

What year, and also please post the actual link for this information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in Colorado this summer, and teachers can’t find jobs. Much different. Of course, I am urging them all to come to Virginia!

To deal with the impossible parents and extra large sized county misspending of public funds. Good move!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think the model has to do with race that much…. My point was stated that offer tenure, pension, and fairly nice raises every year don’t seem to struggle to find applicants as much as the states without tenure, that do away with pension, and that hardly have step increases or just freezes them for years. They also don’t hate textbooks and like to give teachers resources. There’s plenty of old crumbling buildings staffed with good teachers and good resources up here. Down in the south there’s so many nice, shiny, new looking buildings not from the 1920’s or 1950’s or even 1970’s but they’re not full of resources or staff that feel they’re compensated fairly enough to stay there for over 30 years.

Nice buildings shouldn’t be the top priority. We have plenty of old eyesore buildings up here full of teachers in their 20th year and beyond.

School boards are run by realtors. Of course they are going to be pretty and shiny. Real estate values.

x1000000

BINGO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the poster who said her friend is getting lots of rejections:
My district is getting resumes. Unfortunately, they don't have the appropriate endorsements and aren't qualified to teach in our schools. The other thing we see are people who can't spell, who give terrible interview answers, who have bad references, and more. Are you sure your friend is qualified for the jobs she is seeking? And are you sure she is giving decent enough answers to questions? What does her resume look like? I saw some of the resumes my principal is getting. Some of these have emojis on them. I am not kidding.
Though for us the biggest issue is that we need all our candidates to have an ESL endorsement and people don't have that. I am very surprised the state isn't allowing us to hire people on the condition that they get this endorsement within a few years.

DP. I'm sure that's coming. I just hope they're smarter about it this time around. They'll hire any warm body to "teach" SPED even if you have no relevant degree or experience. You just have to have a Bachelor's in any subject, take an intro class and do some professional development. It's been a huge mistake.