CT Teacher Job Shortage

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Connecticut Teachers Chatboard

CT Teacher Job Shortage

by flutetoot

Apr 7, 2010

No, it is not your fault - there is an actual shortage of jobs for teachers. Read the following article:

Courant.com STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REPORT Teacher Openings Shrink Dramatically In Connecticut By GRACE E. MERRITT

April 7, 2010

In another sign of the recession and tighter school budgets, the number of teacher openings in Connecticut shrank dramatically this year as school boards try to get by with fewer, a trend that has led to larger class sizes and fewer course offerings in some schools.

The number of teacher openings dropped by nearly 35 percent from fall 2008, when there were 4,533, to fall 2009, when there were 2,957, according to a new state Department of Education report released today.

"The economy is hard and it has hit school districts hard," said Tom Murphy, the department's spokesman. "Districts knew last year that this was going to be a difficult year, so they have peeled back."

In many cases, school boards have ...See More

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Math Teach Oh poor Hartford. Once again they scream "Teacher shortage". But when their rep at the job fair was intervied on TV, she said that they would like cross-certified teacher. I guess I don't qualify for a math job, having been a math major, and having three actuarial exams behind me.

Other inner city districts prefer teachers from inner citi...See MoreOh poor Hartford. Once again they scream "Teacher shortage". But when their rep at the job fair was intervied on TV, she said that they would like cross-certified teacher. I guess I don't qualify for a math job, having been a math major, and having three actuarial exams behind me.

Other inner city districts prefer teachers from inner cities. I was raised in Manhattan, so I guess that can't compare to world-famous Hartford. Oh well..

On 4/07/10, flutetoot wrote: > No, it is not your fault - there is an actual shortage of > jobs for teachers. Read the following article: > > Courant.com > STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REPORT > Teacher Openings Shrink Dramatically In Connecticut > By GRACE E. MERRITT > > April 7, 2010 > > In another sign of the recession and tighter school > budgets, the number of teacher openings in Connecticut > shrank dramatically this year as school boards try to get > by with fewer, a trend that has led to larger class sizes > and fewer course offerings in some schools. > > The number of teacher openings dropped by nearly 35 percent > from fall 2008, when there were 4,533, to fall 2009, when > there were 2,957, according to a new state Department of > Education report released today. > > "The economy is hard and it has hit school districts hard," > said Tom Murphy, the department's spokesman. "Districts > knew last year that this was going to be a difficult year, > so they have peeled back." > > In many cases, school boards have cut positions through > attrition by not replacing retiring teachers and shifting > others around to fill the vacancies, Murphy said. > > "They have been cutting to the bone by not filling > positions," said Kathy Frega, spokeswoman for the > Connecticut Education Association, the largest statewide > teachers union. > > She predicted that the situation will get worse next year > as school boards struggle with even deeper cuts. > > As teacher openings declined, the student population also > dropped, but by slightly less than 1 percent. > > Some experts say having fewer teachers has already led to > larger class sizes in some schools. > > "We're hearing that some classes in Bridgeport have 30 or > more kids in their class," Murphy said. "You can be a great > teacher, but if you can't get to every student in your > class with individual instruction every day, it becomes > difficult." > > In addition, some schools have dropped courses such as > world languages, science and history, generally targeting > classes outside the required curriculum, Murphy said. > > The teacher hiring report also noted that the state's > largest cities continue to struggle to attract qualified > teachers. Taken together, cities such as Hartford, New > Britain, Bridgeport and New Haven have a 15.9 percent > vacancy rate, compared with 8.6 percent statewide, the > report said. > > Some segments of the teaching profession are suffering from > a glut. For instance, there is such an abundance of > elementary school teachers in Connecticut that many > applicants have to leave the state to find jobs. > > Connecticut has a shortage of teachers in remedial reading, > special education, English, mathematics, bilingual > education, speech and language pathology, music and world > languages. > > To attract more teachers, the report recommends expanding > mentoring programs for beginning teachers, expanding the > alternate route to a teacher certification program and > promoting incentives, such as the teacher mortgage > assistance program. > > Copyright © 2010, The Hartford Courant > > I do disagree with the shortage areas of English and music - > I am certified in both, and I am seeing music programs > actually being dropped completely due to budgetary cuts. I > also am seeing dozens of applicants for English teaching > jobs. > > It doesn't look pretty.....

Apr 9, 2010

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Math Teach I forgot to add that, if there is indeed a "glut" of teachers, then maybe we should raise the pasing Praxis 2 scores for some areas, such as math? The 137 passing score on the Math 7-12 can be attained by anyone with a pulse. Other areas, such as English or Hx could have the passing scores lowered, to get the pass rates in line with those of math. ...See MoreI forgot to add that, if there is indeed a "glut" of teachers, then maybe we should raise the pasing Praxis 2 scores for some areas, such as math? The 137 passing score on the Math 7-12 can be attained by anyone with a pulse. Other areas, such as English or Hx could have the passing scores lowered, to get the pass rates in line with those of math.

On 4/09/10, Math Teach wrote: > > Oh poor Hartford. Once again they scream "Teacher shortage". > But when their rep at the job fair was intervied on TV, she > said that they would like cross-certified teacher. I guess > I don't qualify for a math job, having been a math major, and > having three actuarial exams behind me. > > Other inner city districts prefer teachers from inner cities. > I was raised in Manhattan, so I guess that can't compare to > world-famous Hartford. Oh well.. > > > On 4/07/10, flutetoot wrote: >> No, it is not your fault - there is an actual shortage of >> jobs for teachers. Read the following article: >> >> Courant.com >> STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REPORT >> Teacher Openings Shrink Dramatically In Connecticut >> By GRACE E. MERRITT >> >> April 7, 2010 >> >> In another sign of the recession and tighter school >> budgets, the number of teacher openings in Connecticut >> shrank dramatically this year as school boards try to get >> by with fewer, a trend that has led to larger class sizes >> and fewer course offerings in some schools. >> >> The number of teacher openings dropped by nearly 35 percent >> from fall 2008, when there were 4,533, to fall 2009, when >> there were 2,957, according to a new state Department of >> Education report released today. >> >> "The economy is hard and it has hit school districts hard," >> said Tom Murphy, the department's spokesman. "Districts >> knew last year that this was going to be a difficult year, >> so they have peeled back." >> >> In many cases, school boards have cut positions through >> attrition by not replacing retiring teachers and shifting >> others around to fill the vacancies, Murphy said. >> >> "They have been cutting to the bone by not filling >> positions," said Kathy Frega, spokeswoman for the >> Connecticut Education Association, the largest statewide >> teachers union. >> >> She predicted that the situation will get worse next year >> as school boards struggle with even deeper cuts. >> >> As teacher openings declined, the student population also >> dropped, but by slightly less than 1 percent. >> >> Some experts say having fewer teachers has already led to >> larger class sizes in some schools. >> >> "We're hearing that some classes in Bridgeport have 30 or >> more kids in their class," Murphy said. "You can be a great >> teacher, but if you can't get to every student in your >> class with individual instruction every day, it becomes >> difficult." >> >> In addition, some schools have dropped courses such as >> world languages, science and history, generally targeting >> classes outside the required curriculum, Murphy said. >> >> The teacher hiring report also noted that the state's >> largest cities continue to struggle to attract qualified >> teachers. Taken together, cities such as Hartford, New >> Britain, Bridgeport and New Haven have a 15.9 percent >> vacancy rate, compared with 8.6 percent statewide, the >> report said. >> >> Some segments of the teaching profession are suffering from >> a glut. For instance, there is such an abundance of >> elementary school teachers in Connecticut that many >> applicants have to leave the state to find jobs. >> >> Connecticut has a shortage of teachers in remedial reading, >> special education, English, mathematics, bilingual >> education, speech and language pathology, music and world >> languages. >> >> To attract more teachers, the report recommends expanding >> mentoring programs for beginning teachers, expanding the >> alternate route to a teacher certification program and >> promoting incentives, such as the teacher mortgage >> assistance program. >> >> Copyright © 2010, The Hartford Courant >> >> I do disagree with the shortage areas of English and music - >> I am certified in both, and I am seeing music programs >> actually being dropped completely due to budgetary cuts. I >> also am seeing dozens of applicants for English teaching >> jobs. >> >> It doesn't look pretty.....

Apr 9, 2010

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