Education Majors - Please tell me your recent success stories

[Anonymous]

I know, I know. Getting a college degree in the education area is a terrible idea. The low pay, system is broken, etc., etc. I got it.
Anyway DD is still adamant that this is the route she wants to go. Still not narrowed down but likely something in either elementary or secondary education.
We are in MD so looking at in-state options, but open to other OOS options.

Please give me some success stories you or DC have had recently with this path. Please share school and specific programs.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s a terrible path necessarily, you just need to know what it entails. My DD graduated with a degree in elementary ed in 2016 and is a happy 2nd grade teacher at a public school in Hanover County (suburban Richmond). She loves it. Pay isn’t amazing (she’s a second-year and makes $46K) but I don’t think anyone becomes a teacher for the money. She graduated from VT and speaks very highly of their ed program.

Just go to a school that allows you not to graduate with debt is the main thing, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here, but undergraduate degree was in science. I highly recommend that she get a second major in a content area. I can easily move up and down the K-12. It opens up so many more doors. There are education fields that pay well: speech therapy, psychology, OT, but they will all require study at a masters level. Good math, science, and ESOL teachers are hard to find.

[Anonymous]

I strongly recommend getting an undergraduate degree in an interesting field and then a masters in education. Some schools do a combined program (JMU is one example). An education undergrad really limits you.

-a teacher who likes having my options open

[Anonymous]

Get a degree in a content field, apply to penn’s Boarding&independent school fellowship (ma. Ed paid for) while working at a top school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a degree in a content field, apply to penn’s Boarding&independent school fellowship (ma. Ed paid for) while working at a top school.

Any subject fields that are better than others?

Since we are in MD, how would you rank the schools for teaching degrees?

[Anonymous]

I've been a teacher for 25 years (yikes). I love teaching and I think the key to a happy career is to find good administrators. I've worked in high poverty FCPS schools, I've worked in wealthy FCPS schools and seriously the biggest driver of quality of life is the principal and AP.

[Anonymous]

Towson is good for education. All of our interns come from Towson and usually get hired here one they graduate. Just make sure she doesn't take on any debt if possible. The ROI is not good and she doesn't need to be paying off her loans when she will make so little. I'm an ESL teacher and I really enjoy my job (the teaching part which is less than half of what I do). They are in need of ESL teachers in MD and probably elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Education along with communications would be the easiest majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Education along with communications would be the easiest majors.

Ok - what's your point? Other than to be an ass.

[Anonymous]

Many successful teachers I know got a subject degree in undergrad and a master's in education. The master's gives you a salary bump right off the bat. UMCP has a good program for that.

[Anonymous]

St. Mary's College of Maryland has a program where you major in a subject area (math, English, etc.) and minor in education. Then you graduate with a degree in 4 years and spend a 5th year getting your master's in education.

UMBC is also a good choice.

[Anonymous]

+1. UMBC has a very strong education dept, and yes, you effectively double major in your subject area and education if you want to be a secondary ed teacher.