Re: thinking of becoming a teacher.. I need your opinion...

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It will be interesting to see if there will be a summer
ARC program next year (I know that there is a fall p/t one
this year, they start in about a month and a half).

They get you the student teaching placements, and I know
they had some trouble with finding placements for everyone
this summer compared to the past due to budget issues at
school districts regarding summer school(but they did find
them in the end). In "normal" years a lot of the student
teaching is in Norwalk (for those who are from Fairfield
County, sometimes Bridgeport as well) and New Britain and
neither distict did any of that this time around (instead
a lot more placements were done at ConnCom (which is in
New Britain but is related to CCSU, not the district
itself), West Hartford, CREC magnet schools in metro
Hartford, and Rocky Hill, for the latter three it is
because certain administrators in the districts have long-
standing ties with ARC and agreed to take in more student
teachers than usual). They used to send a lot of student
teachers to Hartford city as well, but the district has
more of an August focus with summer school now and with
the program setup so you student teach during July (as
you "graduate" the first week in Aug), that wouldn't work
out.

I say this because at another alternate route program, NY
City Teaching Fellows, they severely cut the number of
acceptances this summer (about 1/3 of who they normally
take in) out of concern they won't be able to place a lot
of people for jobs after "graduation" (you actually do the
work for finding a job, though they do have some contact
with principals and superintendents and let you know of
openings, same thing happens with ARC). They also
eliminated the "mid year" program (their equivalent of
ARC's fall/summer program, though I think it has more of a
full-time focus).

On 8/20/09, Math Teach wrote:
> Even the Inner City districts do not hire. I went to
> the Job Fair at New
> Britain last October. They had openings for their HS. I
> was all but told that because I was teaching at a
> respectable suburban school, I would not qualify for
> their district. I get angry at this because it's the
> "Inner City" districts that claim they can't
> get teachers (meanwhile there are 20 applicants/job for
> the suburban ones). This creates a "shortage
> area" such as math, which ends up with passing
> Praxis 2 scores being lowered (One needs a 137 for the
> 7-12 Math- anyone with a pulse can pass this one).
>
> I did get interviewed at New Canaan, and Woodstock
> recently. I'm waiting to hear. I didn't even get an
> interview at a local district where I've subbed for the
> past two years- and lived for the past ten. (loyalty
> pays off, huh?).
>
> Oh, and forget the job fairs such as SHARC. One guy
> asked me if I am comfortable with Calculus! (Um, no. I
> was only a math major, having 15 credits in four calc
> courses, including Analysis), not to mention cources in
> ODE's and PDE's, etc.
>
> I've been accepted and will be getting my M.S. in
> applied (classical) math. I briefly considered a
> master's in math education, but I'm leaning towards
> teaching in college eventually, where math majors are
> welcome. Having a math degree doesn't mean much to the
> public school system. Cheers.
>
>
>
> On 8/19/09, Recent ARC math grad wrote:
>> Hi, sorry for the late reply but I haven't been on
>> the boards in awhile and this thread spoke to me in
>> volumes. Add about 8-10 years to your age and one
>> more kid, have your layoff be about a year ago, and
>> you are me (I was in IT and jaded with the corporate
>> world as well).
>>
>> I just finished the ARC summer program for middle
>> school Math. The summer program has both middle and
>> high school math, the fall just high school math,
>> though a high school certificate will let you teach
>> middle school math as well.
>>
>> Generally, math candidates do get hired somewhere (it
>> will often be an "urban" district), but
>> this year may be the exception as I know of only a
>> couple of people who have jobs so far (there were 20
>> people in the HS group, and 13 in the MS group), but
>> who knows what will happen in the next couple of
>> weeks. The MS group had an "alumni day"
>> where 6 of the 12 people from last year's MS class
>> came to talk about their first year, 5 of the 6 did
>> have jobs by the start of the school year, 2 of which
>> had multiple offers, the other one got a job mid-year
>> (in the spring). I have sent out about 50
>> applications (though only a few were for districts
>> with actual openings, I just wanted to get on their
>> "system" for future openings), have had two
>> actual interviews for jobs I didn't end up getting
>> and also one phone interview for another position, so
>> I'm not one of those lucky ones who have a job.
>>
>> As for layoffs, it can be budgets, or it can be that
>> you do not get your contract renewed for the next
>> year. You can also be laid off in June due to budget
>> but still called back in August if you haven't found
>> employment elsewhere (because a surprise retirement
>> that doesn't get replaced opens budget money). But
>> after 4 years in the same position you get tenure.
>>
>> I hope that helps. Good luck!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 7/23/09, Charlie wrote:
>>> Thanks for the reply! How do teachers end up losing
>>> jobs anyway. Is it through budget cuts that
>>> teachers are laid off? Are teachers jobs evaluated
>>> every year and the under performing ones are let
>>> go? I've always assumed that once you're in, you're
>>> in.
>>>
>>> Regarding the low 30's to mid 40's starting salary
>>> range, what are the annual increases for teachers?
>>> Are the benefits good? any kind of pension plan? do
>>> they usually stay at 40k for the rest of your
>>> career?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Charlie
>>>
>>> On 7/21/09, Math Teach wrote:
>>>> Charlie: The average salary is roughly $40,000.
>>>> That's if you can get a job, with the ritzy towns
>>>> paying in the mid 40's, and some towns paying in
>>>> the low 30's. One does not teach to get rich. I
>>>> was working as an actuarial assistant at a
>>>> Manhattan insurance company over 20 years ago,
>>>> and left with a salary in the 40's!
>>>>
>>>> It's harder this year than last (I have 20
>>>> applications out there, and I've had one
>>>> interview). There is NO shortage of math
>>>> teachers. Sure, there are 35 vacancies posted on
>>>> CT reap and CEA, but I personally know of five
>>>> teachers looking for work (from only two high
>>>> schools).
>>>>
>>>> If you want to consider ARC, you just missed the
>>>> deadline for the FALL program. The deadline for
>>>> the Summer 2010 program is in January, meaning
>>>> you'll graduuate next August, and be working next
>>>> September, at the earliest.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.ctdhe.org/ARC/default.htm
>>>>
>>>> If you want to teach in a "shortage"
>>>> area, such as math and science, you may be able
>>>> to teach under a "Beyond 40 day sub"
>>>> certificate, or a "DSAP" permit.
>>>> However, due to the number of teachers looking
>>>> for work, chances of that happening is slim.You
>>>> might also consider working at a private school
>>>> where NO certification is necessary. I attended a
>>>> private school on Long Island. None of my math
>>>> teachers was certified. However, they were all
>>>> math majors.
>>>>
>>>> Since you missed the deadline for ARC, why not
>>>> give UConn, Central (or other)State U a call, and
>>>> talk to someone in their education departments?
>>>>
>>>> On 7/21/09, Charlie wrote:
>>>>> Thank you for the reply! Where should I start
>>>>> to map out what I need to do to be a tacher?
>>>>> should I contact local colleges to see what
>>>>> path I should take? Also, what is the average
>>>>> begining salary of a Math teacher or teachers
>>>>> in general?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks again for the reply!
>>>>>
>>>>> -Charlie
>>>>>
>>>>> On 7/17/09, Math Teach wrote:
>>>>>> You can look into the ARC program, but many
>>>>>> view ARC graduates as "half baked"
>>>>>> teachers.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What would you like to teach? IT does not
>>>>>> automatically imply math. Being an MCSD or
>>>>>> MCP does not make one an expert at Diffy-Q's
>>>>>> or Linear/Matrix algebras. If you were a math
>>>>>> major (or have 30 credits in math), then you
>>>>>> might want to look into ARC.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I personally would get a Masters in a subject
>>>>>> (Math or Physics) and take ed classes to go
>>>>>> along with that. Or, once you're done with
>>>>>> ARC, you can get a M.S. in Math or physics.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Being 35 is NOT too old to change careers. I
>>>>>> got into teaching 3 years ago, and watched Ed
>>>>>> Sullivan, Ted Mack's Amatueur Hour, and Mr.Ed
>>>>>> on Sunday nights! :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 7/16/09, Charlie C wrote:
>>>>>>> I have just been let go from my job (I'm in
>>>>>>> IT). I've been in the corporate world for
>>>>>>> what feels like forever. Although the pay
>>>>>>> is good, i've always felt a little empty
>>>>>>> working in the corporate world. I am 33
>>>>>>> years old and have a wife and 8 month old
>>>>>>> daughter. I need an honest answer, however
>>>>>>> hard it may be to hear, but is it too late
>>>>>>> for me to become a teacher? I've always
>>>>>>> been good with math/ physics, and obivously
>>>>>>> technology. With an 8 month old daughter to
>>>>>>> support, how hard will the road be? i've
>>>>>>> read somewhere that there is a period of a
>>>>>>> year where you do not collect a paycheck
>>>>>>> while in the process of becoming a teaching
>>>>>>> in CT. Is this true?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks, Charlie
 

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