Expert: Bonnie Shimmin - 9/3/2009

Question
My fiance graduated in Dec. of 07'with com laud in high school social studies teaching and was looking for a job in New Jersey for over a year and didn't even hear back from a school acknowledging his resume. He has now been in TX almost three months and while being there has taken their cert test for grades 5-8, a special ed cert test and has only her back from two districts thanking him for his resume. He has changed his resume about 3 times improving it greatly every time. The economy is hard right now but schools still need teachers! Is there something we don't know to do when it comes to finding a teaching job? Should we start harassing the districts about receiving his resume? We are desperate, what can we do?

Answer
Dear Alisha,

You are right, as long as there are children, there will be teachers.  But as you've noticed, this is a difficult time to get jobs in school districts.  Just as in every other aspect of life, there are boom times and bomb times.  

In California (and I'm sure in other states too), often the best way to be hired is to start out as a substitute teacher.  Sometimes one can get a job as a "long term sub" and then work into a school district that way.  I have hired many people who began as subs who could be counted on to do a good job.  I'm afraid that just sending a resume to a district is not the most effective way of getting a job - especially when many local teachers are trying to get jobs.  Principals and districts will always go with someone whom they know to be effective in the classroom rather than someone who looks good on paper but is an unknown quantity in their teaching.  They need to see his face and know what he can do - more than just an interview.

Your fiance had good instincts about getting a special education credential, because there are often more jobs in that area.  High schools may be more difficult places to find jobs, so he might think of teaching in middle or elementary school also.  I received my initial training to teach high school English, but there seemed to be no jobs around at that time.  I started in earlier grades and found that there was a good match.  Sometimes looking beyond what you think you want, is a wonderful and illuminating experience.  I found in teaching grades Kindergarten-12th grade and at the university, that teaching is teaching and the grade level is less important than a connection with students.

Best of luck to both you and your fiance.

Bonnie