NanciIt depends on the district. Some of the low performing schools are starting earlier than the rest of the schools. I know Littleton has done this. I hope this helps.
On 7/02/13, JenScience wrote: > Hello. Can anyone tell me when the school year start in the > Phoenix area?
RLThe attached website has some public and charter school postings. Unfortunately, Maricopa Co. Is huge and has dozens of districts. Good luck to you both
I know some schools have that title and get paid the same as a teacher.
Starting teachers in Arizona make about 34K and end up making a little more teaching summer school and tutoring.
I am not sure it is best to sway you on my bias on best school districts.
Here goes:
Most in the West Valley are title one or minority filled schools that deal with English language issues.
Verado in the West Valley is the exception.
Littleton is one of the least desirable schools and has problems retaining good or what I call fairly educated teachers and administrators. (West side)
Any other schools in the more affluent school districts will be quite competitive: Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale area.
There you will find more desirable schools and probably a better quality of students, teachers, and administrators.
Beware that Arizona is a 'Right to Work' state.
This means that the district can fire you without reason and unions are virtually non-existent. - Republican !!
What's odd about this state is that they seem to change the rules frequently to their advantage.
There is a good pension system here although the employee contribution rate just went up slightly.
Raises are appearing now in some districts.
Liitleton added more days to their academic calendar without adequately compensating their teachers.
The result was that most of the good teachers left to find better working conditions. a good union possibly could of helped the teachers and school with teacher retention which is key to student progress.
My personal opinion or advice would be to ask about the school label or grade each school has before applying. After working in Arizona for over 13 years, schools with C and D labels are schools to stay away from. Lots of oversight, stress, and possibly teachers who are not qualified or won't buy into the system.
I wish you luck and will read you reply!!
On 7/12/13, Lit4Life wrote: > Hello, My husband plan to relocate to Phoenix. I am looking > for a Reading "Specialist" type of position. I have a BA in > Elementary Education (Language Arts emphasis), an MA in > Educational Leadership (Administrative License), and an MA > in Curriculum & Instruction (Reading emphasis). My husband > plans to go back to school, so I plan to take on the load > regarding our finances. Some Reading Specialist positions > vary regarding salary. Can someone tell me the best > district for the position I am looking for? Or would you > recommend just trying for an Assistant Principal position? > I am looking for a position that pays, at least, $60,000. > > Thank you in advance
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Here is my background with Pima: 1) I had one good teacher in a face to face class; he said he wouldn't stay at Pima if it's online and now it is. Most teachers just slap 100s on everything and ignore you... I guess that's good if you just want to get the class done, but you won't learn anything. I happen to think education theory is largely bogus--and thus it really hardly matters what the teachers do/don't do in their classes-- BUT when you student teach you'll find out you didn't learn to "play the game" correctly in terms of writing lesson plans and so on.
2) There are numerous problems: 1) Required assignments are undoable..we had to make a make a list of websites where there was information on assessments; fine so far. But we had to "find copies of formal assessments (i.e. tests like the AIMS) and include the assessment" in the list.
2) One professor gave everyone Cs to Fs on all work, encouraged you to re-do it but then usually dropped the grade when you did. She did have a few students "who are doing fine" because (according to her) "they have knowledge of the standards based curricula". But I told her "I want to meet your standards..and the first time" she was hostile. She had her own way of writing objectives and she wouldn't accept "the students will classify foods in Spanish by food group" as valid because "that is an ACTIVITY".
3) A teacher requested a student for observation hours but then flat out told me she didn't want a student-- not "you" but any student.
Expect no help!! In #2 they refused to help me until I had a final grade for the class and in #3 I asked to be moved--because this was a 7 am start time school a full hour from my house--and I got an irate response.
But the fun starts once you student teach... Principals complain we aren't prepared and should not be there.
I got a multi-page note calling me an f--king b--ch and the principal did nothing..neither did Pima. (The principal forbid me to tell anyone.)
A teacher who taught special education students threatened to file a grievance against me for writing up a student with NO IEP (i.e. no plan to help him read) for reading a test out loud with a peer; my teacher supported her. Pima did nothing.
I had a placement with 5 unrelated preps, no textbooks and a teacher who flat out refused to tell me what content to teach. I'm in Spanish and this was Spanish for natives; I'm not a native and there is no reason I'd know what to teach natives. The teacher admitted she couldn't help me because behavior was so out of control but refused to either let me write up kids or talk to the principal..and you guessed it :) Pima did nothing.
I was removed from secondary because I failed student teaching. 5 years later I decided to try K-8. I had 3 years experience as a K-8 aide. I was re-admitted and directly told it was fine that I'd been removed from secondary--and I could even student teach in secondary and be 1-12 certified. That was wrong. Now you have to pass algebra--you didn't when I was in secondary--and the 1-8 NES (formerly AEPA) tests; so I did. Prepping told several months and of course between test fees and algebra tutoring I spent $500. ONE DAY before my file said I was scheduled to start classes an administrator noticed this letter in my file..so I can't re-enroll. Sorry. You shouldn't have been told you could..I agree. But you were. Sorry. These people had seen me in the office dropping off paperwork to get admitted and I'd asked them how long a teacher had to have been teaching to have me "because a teacher at my job will take me as a student teacher-- but she hasn't been a teacher long". (Plus my file had a start date in it!) So THEY should have noticed I was planning to start classes. I appealed twice and lost.. so that's it and there is nothing I could do but get a lawyer. But honestly I said THANK GOD at this point!!
Pima itself is in a MAJOR crisis. The University of Arizona will no longer take Pima credits and it looks very likely their accreditation will be cut. I have no idea what that means, but it could well mean your certification isn't valid.
Stay away. It appears appealing because it's cheaper and likely faster, but it's not worth it.
...See MoreOn 11/18/13, avoid the Pima community college program wrote:
> Pima is currently completely re-vamping their program
> "because of common core and the new requirements placed on
> teachers" and they will have a new program in about 2-3
> years..you can not enroll as a new student in the K-12
> certification program at this time. I happen to think this
> is all a smokescreen..their program has been a miserable
> failure and that--not the common core-- is why they are
> re-vamping it. If they were making an honest attempt to fix
> problems I'd say great..admit their are issues and fix them.
> But I doubt they are.
>
> Here is my background with Pima:
> 1) I had one good teacher in a face to face class; he said
> he wouldn't stay at Pima if it's online and now it is. Most
> teachers just slap 100s on everything and ignore you... I
> guess that's good if you just want to get the class done,
> but you won't learn anything. I happen to think education
> theory is largely bogus--and thus it really hardly matters
> what the teachers do/don't do in their classes-- BUT when
> you student teach you'll find out you didn't learn to "play
> the game" correctly in terms of writing lesson plans and so on.
>
> 2) There are numerous problems:
> 1) Required assignments are undoable..we had to make a make
> a list of websites where there was information on
> assessments; fine so far. But we had to "find copies of
> formal assessments (i.e. tests like the AIMS) and include
> the assessment" in the list.
>
> 2) One professor gave everyone Cs to Fs on all work,
> encouraged you to re-do it but then usually dropped the
> grade when you did. She did have a few students "who are
> doing fine" because (according to her) "they have knowledge
> of the standards based curricula". But I told her "I want to
> meet your standards..and the first time" she was hostile.
> She had her own way of writing objectives and she wouldn't
> accept "the students will classify foods in Spanish by food
> group" as valid because "that is an ACTIVITY".
>
> 3) A teacher requested a student for observation hours but
> then flat out told me she didn't want a student-- not "you"
> but any student.
>
> Expect no help!! In #2 they refused to help me until I had a
> final grade for the class and in #3 I asked to be
> moved--because this was a 7 am start time school a full hour
> from my house--and I got an irate response.
>
> But the fun starts once you student teach...
> Principals complain we aren't prepared and should not be there.
>
> I got a multi-page note calling me an f--king b--ch and the
> principal did nothing..neither did Pima. (The principal
> forbid me to tell anyone.)
>
> A teacher who taught special education students threatened
> to file a grievance against me for writing up a student with
> NO IEP (i.e. no plan to help him read) for reading a test
> out loud with a peer; my teacher supported her. Pima did
> nothing.
>
> I had a placement with 5 unrelated preps, no textbooks and a
> teacher who flat out refused to tell me what content to
> teach. I'm in Spanish and this was Spanish for natives; I'm
> not a native and there is no reason I'd know what to teach
> natives. The teacher admitted she couldn't help me because
> behavior was so out of control but refused to either let me
> write up kids or talk to the principal..and you guessed it
> :) Pima did nothing.
>
> I was removed from secondary because I failed student
> teaching. 5 years later I decided to try K-8. I had 3 years
> experience as a K-8 aide. I was re-admitted and directly
> told it was fine that I'd been removed from secondary--and I
> could even student teach in secondary and be 1-12 certified.
> That was wrong. Now you have to pass algebra--you didn't
> when I was in secondary--and the 1-8 NES (formerly AEPA)
> tests; so I did. Prepping told several months and of course
> between test fees and algebra tutoring I spent $500. ONE DAY
> before my file said I was scheduled to start classes an
> administrator noticed this letter in my file..so I can't
> re-enroll. Sorry. You shouldn't have been told you could..I
> agree. But you were. Sorry. These people had seen me in the
> office dropping off paperwork to get admitted and I'd asked
> them how long a teacher had to have been teaching to have me
> "because a teacher at my job will take me as a student
> teacher-- but she hasn't been a teacher long". (Plus my file
> had a start date in it!) So THEY should have noticed I was
> planning to start classes. I appealed twice and lost.. so
> that's it and there is nothing I could do but get a lawyer.
> But honestly I said THANK GOD at this point!!
>
> Pima itself is in a MAJOR crisis. The University of Arizona
> will no longer take Pima credits and it looks very likely
> their accreditation will be cut. I have no idea what that
> means, but it could well mean your certification isn't valid.
>
> Stay away. It appears appealing because it's cheaper and
> likely faster, but it's not worth it.
Check out Santa Fe Community college on-line teacher certification classes if taking less than six credits per semester it is $150.00 for a three credit class.
Anyone following the news that is coming from this district? Just saw something in Az Republic how parents are talking to the media about Quentin School.
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On 7/02/13, JenScience wrote: > Hello. Can anyone tell me when the school year start in the > Phoenix area?