Same situation here.
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LAT: California faces a looming teacher shortage, and the problem is getting worse
- Thread starter Tripon
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Same situation here.
LegendofLex
Member
From observing my wife go through her first two years, I've learned the following things:
- You will work more hours during the school year than you will have off during all your breaks.
- New teachers should find the most rigorous teacher education program you can. My wife was in a classroom 100% of the school year while student teaching, and it was a really big help in giving her the experience and confidence she needed to survive her first year in the profession. She still has to work really hard all the time, but she says at least it's less work than her master's program.
- Good union representation is really important. My wife works in a district where every school is Title I, but her union has done a really fantastic job at negotiating good salaries and having her back when there are administrative issues that impact her ability to do her job. The pay scale is reeeeeal nice, too.
- If you're a first-year teacher, it sucks getting hired to take over a newly formed class after the year starts. Your colleagues don't know or care about you yet and will be happy to donate all their behavior problems to your class.
- You have to be 100% on all the time. Don't get into this profession if you can't handle that.
- Testing takes up a lot of time that you could have spent teaching instead.
- Don't work for a charter school or parochial school unless you want to be criminally underpaid for the amount of work you'll have to do.
- Everyone has an opinion about how you should do your job, and most of them have no fucking clue what they're talking about.
Worth pointing out: Common Core is not a federal program (or a curriculum or testing regime, even--just a set of standards), and the federal government doesn't really have anything to do with it at all.
- You will work more hours during the school year than you will have off during all your breaks.
- New teachers should find the most rigorous teacher education program you can. My wife was in a classroom 100% of the school year while student teaching, and it was a really big help in giving her the experience and confidence she needed to survive her first year in the profession. She still has to work really hard all the time, but she says at least it's less work than her master's program.
- Good union representation is really important. My wife works in a district where every school is Title I, but her union has done a really fantastic job at negotiating good salaries and having her back when there are administrative issues that impact her ability to do her job. The pay scale is reeeeeal nice, too.
- If you're a first-year teacher, it sucks getting hired to take over a newly formed class after the year starts. Your colleagues don't know or care about you yet and will be happy to donate all their behavior problems to your class.
- You have to be 100% on all the time. Don't get into this profession if you can't handle that.
- Testing takes up a lot of time that you could have spent teaching instead.
- Don't work for a charter school or parochial school unless you want to be criminally underpaid for the amount of work you'll have to do.
- Everyone has an opinion about how you should do your job, and most of them have no fucking clue what they're talking about.
Worth pointing out: Common Core is not a federal program (or a curriculum or testing regime, even--just a set of standards), and the federal government doesn't really have anything to do with it at all.
Teachers have to put up with a ton of shit, many people openly disrespect their profession and the pay is garbage. It's no surprise that fewer and fewer people want to teach as time goes on.
Watching my mom be a teacher has made me never want to get anywhere near that field of work.
Watching my mom be a teacher has made me never want to get anywhere near that field of work.
LegendofLex
Member
My wife's in her second year at a public school and making just shy of $60k with an MA. One of our friends was making less than $35k at a religious school after teaching there for three years.
It definitely varies.
The Albatross
Member
Ah my bad I was thinking of Race to the Top, but, regardless, the initiative is similar to No Child Left Behind. Many states adopted Common Core as part of their methodology for applying for Race to the Top funding, rather than develop their own standards.
Average salary in California is $69,300, starting is just over $40,000. But it varies by state:
http://www.teacherportal.com/teacher-salaries-by-state/
We're fortunate that where my wife teaches, the average salary is $72,000, and despite starting just a couple of years ago, she'll eclipse that early in her career because of different programs.
Varies based on the school district. In San Diego, starting can be as low as $35k. I have no idea how they can afford to live here without having roommates.
superdeluxe
Member
In many districts teachers are responsible for the majority of classroom supplies, As well as many students come to class with little or no supplies. Guess who has to pay for that? The Teachers.
teruterubozu
Member
Fuck kids, they destroy the environment. Or something edgy like that.
The Faceless Master
Member
pay athletes more and teachers more.
athletes in many sports are criminally underpaid because of all sorts of rules to keep teams relatively balanced.
Music teacher here (first year teaching as well). Of course my situation is different but I can't imagine myself doing anything else in life.
Both of my parents are teachers as well.
It's a tough job but I love it. Honestly you couldn't pay me enough to deal with some of the awful attitudes and behaviors I have to deal with on a daily basis. And my school isn't even that bad. The sad part a lot of the time is that you can see how terrible some of these students are going to eventually turn out and you try your best to put them on the right track.
Sexuality at a super young age, confrontational and always ready to fight, cursing, lying, stealing, drug abuse. And this is just 11-13 year olds man. It fucking socks going to bed at night knowing that a child you see every day could be another statistic in a few years if they keep living their life the way they do now. And it's like the support staff at the school can't get through to them, the parents can't doing anything about them and you're just sitting there worried about their future. We try to be that force of reason for them to be successful in life and when you fail in that aspect it hurts you to your core.
It's not a profession for the weak minded that can't handle stress. I'm stressed everyday hoping, praying, wishing that there will be a breakthrough. That it would all make sense. That what your doing actually made a difference in someone's life.
Both of my parents are teachers as well.
It's a tough job but I love it. Honestly you couldn't pay me enough to deal with some of the awful attitudes and behaviors I have to deal with on a daily basis. And my school isn't even that bad. The sad part a lot of the time is that you can see how terrible some of these students are going to eventually turn out and you try your best to put them on the right track.
Sexuality at a super young age, confrontational and always ready to fight, cursing, lying, stealing, drug abuse. And this is just 11-13 year olds man. It fucking socks going to bed at night knowing that a child you see every day could be another statistic in a few years if they keep living their life the way they do now. And it's like the support staff at the school can't get through to them, the parents can't doing anything about them and you're just sitting there worried about their future. We try to be that force of reason for them to be successful in life and when you fail in that aspect it hurts you to your core.
It's not a profession for the weak minded that can't handle stress. I'm stressed everyday hoping, praying, wishing that there will be a breakthrough. That it would all make sense. That what your doing actually made a difference in someone's life.
UnObtainium17
Member
Never intended to be a teacher.. but seeing all the bullshit my wonderful teachers went through with her students I really feel bad for them. If they say teaching is the noblest profession I believe it. You definitely do that shit for the sake of the community and not money. Can't pay me enough to look after these little shits in school lol.
Also Parents need to emphasize treating teachers with respect. Some of them even blame the teachers for their own shortcomings. A teacher can only do so much if a student is not dedicated to studying
Also Parents need to emphasize treating teachers with respect. Some of them even blame the teachers for their own shortcomings. A teacher can only do so much if a student is not dedicated to studying
The Awesomest
Member
I remember my first year. Crying myself to sleep, fantasizing about getting into a car accident so I wouldn't have to go to work, fun stuff. People need to feel what it's like before it can possibly get any better. Maybe some mandatory service time as a teacher, like some countries have mandatory military service. That'd fix the problem real quick.
SoRuffShoNuff
Member
45K a year is not super star money, that's the average salary for a teacher in Japan.
People do care about the education of their children, its that the supply of people who are capable of being teachers is exponentially higher than the supply of people who are capable of being NBA players. 50% of the population is eliminated simply due to their sex.
Risible
Member
I have worked many shit jobs in my life. Dug ditches, mopped floors, worked as a night watchman, washed dishes in a restaurant, you name it. In each case I never hated my job so much that I didn't want to go in.
Teaching high school was the first job where I would wake up in the morning and think "I don't know if I can do this."
It can be like prison in a lot of ways. You can't leave the kids unattended, so from 7:15am to noon you are stuck in one room usually. There's no down time - you are dealing with kids every second of those 4 or 5 hours, non-stop. Need to take a shit? Sorry, you gotta wait until your free period/lunch, whichever hits first.
You have to be "on" every second...the principal can walk into your room at any time for an observation, and heaven help you if you aren't organized and in control. No browsing GAF, no chatting with colleagues - it's nonstop all day. It's also lonely. You deal with kids, not adults, and are basically isolated (except for your twenty minutes of lunch) from adults from 7:15 to 2:30pm.
HarryHengst
Member
You cant teach a class of 47, or even 35. At that number of children all you are doing is class management.
SciencePilot
Member
I feel pretty passionate about teaching and education. Did it for a little bit and seriously considered making it my life's career.
But then I took a job as a software engineer. The benefits were just so overwhelmingly better. I really wish teaching were a decent career because I'd totally do it if so. Young people really need to be taught computer science and engineering.
But then I took a job as a software engineer. The benefits were just so overwhelmingly better. I really wish teaching were a decent career because I'd totally do it if so. Young people really need to be taught computer science and engineering.
Lord of Ostia
Member
As someone from Memphis, don't ever do it. You will regret it. Memphis public schools are notoriously horrible. Teaching is a noble profession, but don't do that to yourself.
SomeRandomWeirdGuy
Member
I'm almost done with my BA in English, getting ready to apply for the credential program here in Cali. I live in the valley so cost of living isn't too bad I think
Reading this thread has got me scared though. I hope I have it in me to do this.
Reading this thread has got me scared though. I hope I have it in me to do this.
TheSchwab_7
Member
That's terrible. I got 40k my first year in Nebraska where the cost of living so much lower than Cali.
The Awesomest
Member
You're gonna find out what kind of person you are in your first year. Student teaching is not the same. Just know that your first year will be the worst, and you will learn and grow and get better.
I'm not gonna argue whether or not California teachers need to be paid more or not but the state itself has a huge problem with construction processes for new homes. The state's development pattern isn't conducive for the next level of incremental development making harder than it has to be for additional housing.
Hari Seldon
Member
I thought CA was a pretty liberal state, why are the horsing around with this charter shit? That sounds like something that would go down in Texas or something.
peteykirch
Member
I thought in NJ having classes of 28 kids was way too much. 35 on the small end is utterly insane.
Gentleman Jack
Member
Just like Texas, there are extremely conservative suburbs that surround the ultra-liberal city centers, and segregation has had the expected effect on school quality and the appeal of teaching as a career.
Hari Seldon
Member
That entire idea of a charter school is foreign to me as an east coaster. I think my state, PA, has like an official state-wide online one, but it is kind of a home school replacement thing. Of course we fund our schools via local property tax, not state property tax.
Pejo
Member
I used to work for a Charter school in PA, they're all over the place. A lot of them get set up by struggling school districts as a way to kick back the money leaving the district. For instance, "donating" "old" computers back to the districts funding the students.
I think they're a problem, but the entire K-12 Educational system is beyond fucked these days. No way would I ever look to be a teacher, and I worked within a district and a charter school for years.
Outside of altruism, why would the best and the brightest want to be teachers? They can make considerably more in the private sector and they don't have to deal with the headaches that come with the job. I say this as someone who has considered becoming a teacher when I am ready to retire.
quackamole
Member
I am more talking about this guy and ones like him: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324635904578639780253571520
If I recall correctly they have the same afterschool/cramschool system for places like Hong Kong where teacher are paid a lotta money. Public school is a different matter, but it shouldn't.
MrOogieBoogie
BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
My girlfriend, a teacher, agrees with everything here.
28-35 is normal in Santa Ana, CA area. For the most part, the size of the class is not what dictates the behavior of the class, though it introduces more potential for disruptions. 40 is the max I have seen in a classroom and >40 in PE is expected.
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