Anonymous
04/17/2026 06:03
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
I haven’t seen a new grad teacher in years. Most of our new teachers are in alternative certification programs.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 19:09
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:High school ELA is very competitive right now. Not many jobs at all.
This hasn’t been my experience. While we get more applications than other fields, it’s not what it used to be.
I applied four years ago and received offers from three districts and two private schools.
Four years ago in ... 2022? We were still experiencing the after effect of COVID and distance teaching. Many teachers had left and we had a lot of vacancies.
We still have vacancies in some areas, but not high school English.
We regularly have vacancies in our English department, usually 2-4 a year. There are more English teachers, that’s true. But it has a higher turnover because of the grading load.
So if someone is looking for an English position, they can find one.
Maybe you have vacancies, but how many applicants do you get for each vacancy? FCPS's website this year only showed short-term postings due to people leaving and the jobs were quickly snapped up. Even now there are only 8 or 9 ELA positions showing as open for the entire county.
And how many of those vacancies will go to new teachers?
Principals can hire whoever they think is best for the job. They don't have salary caps, they are allotted positions they can fill. I have not experienced hiring discrimination as an experienced teacher.
If you were implying that new baby teachers don't have a chance at getting hired this year, they still will. Title 1 schools are filled with new grads year after year because experienced teachers are burnt out and have been able to transfer to easier schools.
Anonymous
04/16/2026 18:53
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
&Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:High school ELA is very competitive right now. Not many jobs at all.
This hasn’t been my experience. While we get more applications than other fields, it’s not what it used to be.
I applied four years ago and received offers from three districts and two private schools.
Four years ago in ... 2022? We were still experiencing the after effect of COVID and distance teaching. Many teachers had left and we had a lot of vacancies.
We still have vacancies in some areas, but not high school English.
+1. The market has dramatically changed in the last three years. Apart from SPED, elem
entary and ESOL, the few vacancies get snapped up quickly.
The ESOL numbers in FCPS are way down. Teachers are being destaffed at many schools. It is not a good time to consider becoming an ESOL in this area.
What explains this change in the market?
Anonymous
04/13/2026 16:23
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
I’m the teacher PP. I’m well aware of that. I traded about $30K of earning potential annually (max) for respect, professionalism, and a WAY more pleasant atmosphere. Totally worth it. I’ve never looked back.
And I’m not alone. There are many of us.
Does your husband make $$$? Otherwise, private school seems hard to pull off. Or perhaps you have a good inheritance?
What a gross (or maybe DCUM) thing to say - you know a lot of people don't make 6 figures, right?
GMAFB! Take your misogyny elsewhere. The average salary for someone in this area with 20 years of experience and a Masters+ is well over $100k. Go figure people think teachers shouldn’t be paid a fair wage, otoh if it was a field dominated by white men, teachers would not be needing to defend their salaries.
Pp is correct though, private schools pay squat so unless there’s another higher paying income in the house, it’s not a livable wage.
+100. It is shameful how little private schools pay teachers
Anonymous
04/13/2026 09:48
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:High school ELA is very competitive right now. Not many jobs at all.
This hasn’t been my experience. While we get more applications than other fields, it’s not what it used to be.
I applied four years ago and received offers from three districts and two private schools.
Four years ago in ... 2022? We were still experiencing the after effect of COVID and distance teaching. Many teachers had left and we had a lot of vacancies.
We still have vacancies in some areas, but not high school English.
We regularly have vacancies in our English department, usually 2-4 a year. There are more English teachers, that’s true. But it has a higher turnover because of the grading load.
So if someone is looking for an English position, they can find one.
Maybe you have vacancies, but how many applicants do you get for each vacancy? FCPS's website this year only showed short-term postings due to people leaving and the jobs were quickly snapped up. Even now there are only 8 or 9 ELA positions showing as open for the entire county.
And how many of those vacancies will go to new teachers?
Anonymous
04/13/2026 09:30
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:High school ELA is very competitive right now. Not many jobs at all.
This hasn’t been my experience. While we get more applications than other fields, it’s not what it used to be.
I applied four years ago and received offers from three districts and two private schools.
Four years ago in ... 2022? We were still experiencing the after effect of COVID and distance teaching. Many teachers had left and we had a lot of vacancies.
We still have vacancies in some areas, but not high school English.
+1. The market has dramatically changed in the last three years. Apart from SPED, elem
entary and ESOL, the few vacancies get snapped up quickly.
The ESOL numbers in FCPS are way down. Teachers are being destaffed at many schools. It is not a good time to consider becoming an ESOL in this area.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 09:22
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
I’m the teacher PP. I’m well aware of that. I traded about $30K of earning potential annually (max) for respect, professionalism, and a WAY more pleasant atmosphere. Totally worth it. I’ve never looked back.
And I’m not alone. There are many of us.
Does your husband make $$$? Otherwise, private school seems hard to pull off. Or perhaps you have a good inheritance?
What a gross (or maybe DCUM) thing to say - you know a lot of people don't make 6 figures, right?
GMAFB! Take your misogyny elsewhere. The average salary for someone in this area with 20 years of experience and a Masters+ is well over $100k. Go figure people think teachers shouldn’t be paid a fair wage, otoh if it was a field dominated by white men, teachers would not be needing to defend their salaries.
Pp is correct though, private schools pay squat so unless there’s another higher paying income in the house, it’s not a livable wage.
I think we were actually agreeing - I know teachers can and should make 6 figures. I think it's gross to assume that someone's husband is supporting them becuase they don't. And I agree with the others - private school teachers lose out on pensions and benefits more than salary.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 09:18
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
Incorrect. I'm in a Midwestern "top" private (excuse me while I gag) and I am making 100K+. But I was making 12
Meant to say 120K in public. And yeah I miss that higher pay. But here's the thing, it isn't so much the yearly salary where private school teachers lose out. It's the pension. Where I'm at, teachers get 74% of their highest yearly salary for the rest of their life if they put in 34 years. In private now, I get a 4% match in my retirement account from the school. But that's truly nothing compared to a pension.
At the same time, quality of life in many privates is so much better. Instead of kids throwing things at me, threatening to kill me, destroying the room (gen Ed room) I actually can teach instead of just trying to keep everyone alive and healthy-ish. A few years ago when I left public, I was diagnosed with CPTSD due to my working conditions. I'll take the lower pay and less in retirement.
Unless you are independently somewhat wealthy, or have a high earning spouse, that is a heavy price to pay.
Old age doesn’t happen to only old people, your living expenses are not going away.
I know of a retired teacher, still getting pension and going strong at 90.
DP and also a private school teacher.
We are not independently wealthy. I’m just not willing to live in misery for a 30-35 year public school career. I feel like I can live again after transferring to a private school. My adult years matter. My ability to raise my own children matters.
Old age? I’m saving aggressively for it. We’ll be fine. And now I may actually make it there.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 07:23
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
Incorrect. I'm in a Midwestern "top" private (excuse me while I gag) and I am making 100K+. But I was making 12
Meant to say 120K in public. And yeah I miss that higher pay. But here's the thing, it isn't so much the yearly salary where private school teachers lose out. It's the pension. Where I'm at, teachers get 74% of their highest yearly salary for the rest of their life if they put in 34 years. In private now, I get a 4% match in my retirement account from the school. But that's truly nothing compared to a pension.
At the same time, quality of life in many privates is so much better. Instead of kids throwing things at me, threatening to kill me, destroying the room (gen Ed room) I actually can teach instead of just trying to keep everyone alive and healthy-ish. A few years ago when I left public, I was diagnosed with CPTSD due to my working conditions. I'll take the lower pay and less in retirement.
Unless you are independently somewhat wealthy, or have a high earning spouse, that is a heavy price to pay.
Old age doesn’t happen to only old people, your living expenses are not going away.
I know of a retired teacher, still getting pension and going strong at 90.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 06:01
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Lots of people are living a non-livable wage then. Welcome to the club.
Anonymous
04/13/2026 04:54
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
I’m the teacher PP. I’m well aware of that. I traded about $30K of earning potential annually (max) for respect, professionalism, and a WAY more pleasant atmosphere. Totally worth it. I’ve never looked back.
And I’m not alone. There are many of us.
Does your husband make $$$? Otherwise, private school seems hard to pull off. Or perhaps you have a good inheritance?
What a gross (or maybe DCUM) thing to say - you know a lot of people don't make 6 figures, right?
GMAFB! Take your misogyny elsewhere. The average salary for someone in this area with 20 years of experience and a Masters+ is well over $100k. Go figure people think teachers shouldn’t be paid a fair wage, otoh if it was a field dominated by white men, teachers would not be needing to defend their salaries.
Pp is correct though, private schools pay squat so unless there’s another higher paying income in the house, it’s not a livable wage.
Anonymous
04/12/2026 23:01
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
I’m the teacher PP. I’m well aware of that. I traded about $30K of earning potential annually (max) for respect, professionalism, and a WAY more pleasant atmosphere. Totally worth it. I’ve never looked back.
And I’m not alone. There are many of us.
Does your husband make $$$? Otherwise, private school seems hard to pull off. Or perhaps you have a good inheritance?
What a gross (or maybe DCUM) thing to say - you know a lot of people don't make 6 figures, right?
Anonymous
04/12/2026 21:36
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
I’m the teacher PP. I’m well aware of that. I traded about $30K of earning potential annually (max) for respect, professionalism, and a WAY more pleasant atmosphere. Totally worth it. I’ve never looked back.
And I’m not alone. There are many of us.
Does your husband make $$$? Otherwise, private school seems hard to pull off. Or perhaps you have a good inheritance?
Anonymous
04/12/2026 19:32
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
Incorrect. I'm in a Midwestern "top" private (excuse me while I gag) and I am making 100K+. But I was making 12
Meant to say 120K in public. And yeah I miss that higher pay. But here's the thing, it isn't so much the yearly salary where private school teachers lose out. It's the pension. Where I'm at, teachers get 74% of their highest yearly salary for the rest of their life if they put in 34 years. In private now, I get a 4% match in my retirement account from the school. But that's truly nothing compared to a pension.
At the same time, quality of life in many privates is so much better. Instead of kids throwing things at me, threatening to kill me, destroying the room (gen Ed room) I actually can teach instead of just trying to keep everyone alive and healthy-ish. A few years ago when I left public, I was diagnosed with CPTSD due to my working conditions. I'll take the lower pay and less in retirement.
Anonymous
04/12/2026 19:19
Subject: Job Market for Teachers?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is the pay at the elite local private schools competitive?
No.
St. Alban’s might be the best. They used to cover your kid’s tuition also.
No others do. Retirement and benefits far below public schools.
This is what I don’t understand - how are private schools a much better education than public if their teachers are getting paid less? Wouldn’t better teachers go public for more money?
It's not a strict calculation of dollars. There are things in private school that can be appealing - smaller classes, more control in lesson planning, fewer discipline problems.
I agree. I transferred to a private school after many years in public. I gave up slightly higher pay, but I gained a better work/life balance and more respect. I don’t feel beat-down and defeated at the end of the day.
Many private school teachers left the public districts for similar reasons.
Teachers at the top privates won’t cross six figures.
I’m the teacher PP. I’m well aware of that. I traded about $30K of earning potential annually (max) for respect, professionalism, and a WAY more pleasant atmosphere. Totally worth it. I’ve never looked back.
And I’m not alone. There are many of us.