Teacher "Bar" Exam Called For

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

IL Teachers

MEMBERS

9 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Illinois Teachers Chatboard

Teacher "Bar" Exam Called For

by sped

Dec 8, 2012

Illinois already basically requires this through the basic skills test (usually taken before admission to an Illinois education program), content area tests, and the APT, but I personally think it is a good idea to adopt state-wide. Illinois, apparently, has increased the difficulty of the Basic Skills test, and it has a high failure rate. I think this is a fairly good thing, since we don't need teachers who can't read or do math AND there aren't that many jobs for those that do get into a teaching program.

I also support reigning in public universities and limiting the number of students accepted into education colleges. This is especially necessary for glutted teaching sub-fields like secondary English, social studies, PE, and general elem ed. How many people have been on this site over the years complaining that they can't find a job, particularly in these fields?! They've spent time and money to become qualified as a teacher, yet there is almost no possibility of employmen...See More

Comment

(32)

report post

view previous comments

newspedcity On 1/01/13, Gloria wrote:

> I may not make a lot of money as a teacher. I made a lot more in my > former corporate career. But my former career was not fulfilling. > Projects I worked on were obsolete a year later.

You'll notice Gloria, that those of us who actually have jobs as educators are rational people, while those...See More

Jan 2, 2013

report post

Merrillv2 On 1/02/13, newspedcity wrote: > On 1/01/13, Gloria wrote: > >> I may not make a lot of money as a teacher. I made a lot more in my >> former corporate career. But my former career was not fulfilling. >> Projects I worked on were obsolete a year later. > > You'll notice Gloria, that those of us who actually have jobs a...See MoreOn 1/02/13, newspedcity wrote: > On 1/01/13, Gloria wrote: > >> I may not make a lot of money as a teacher. I made a lot more in my >> former corporate career. But my former career was not fulfilling. >> Projects I worked on were obsolete a year later. > > You'll notice Gloria, that those of us who actually have jobs as educators > are rational people, while those without jobs name-call and pretty much make > stuff up. I think the teacher hiring system is just fine...

I think we need to understand the reasons for the hiring issues and massive unemployment among teachers in Illinois. This is a complex issue, but I will point out some facts:

1. "One problem related to the destructive transfer system is a hiring process that takes too long and/or starts too late, thanks in part to union contracts. Would-be teachers typically cannot be hired until senior teachers have had their pick of the vacancies, and the transfer process makes principals reluctant to post vacancies at all for fear of having a bad teacher fill it instead of a promising new hire." In other words, jobs are not posted because of issues with the collective bargaining agreements.

2. Affirmative action policies in the CPS: white or Asian teachers essentially cannot be hired in black, inner-city schools. The faculty at these schools, according to CPS policy, must be within a certain demographic percentage-point range of the community it serves.

3. As is true with any guild, cartel, or trade organization, keeping the number of workers artificially low is a primary goal. This seems counter-intuitive in that it would seem more union members makes for a stronger union, but that is not the case. The fewer qualified workers available means higher salaries for people in the system. The idea that there is a "teacher shortage" (which there is not), is put forth by those who want higher salaries for existing teachers.

4. Supply and demand: there are simply too many unemployed teachers in Illinois, and schools of education keep churning them out.

5. Hiring has a strong political component, with the daughters of coaches and principals being given jobs, people connected to Aldermen and other Democratic Party officials, etc. The whole "who you know" issue.

So what we have is a problem involving market forces, collective bargaining red-tape, and political policy, making it very difficult, if not impossible, for new teachers to get into the system.

Jan 3, 2013

report post

newspedcity On 1/03/13, Merrillv2 wrote:

> 1. "One problem related to the destructive > transfer system is a hiring process that takes too long > and/or starts too late, thanks in part to union > contracts. Would-be teachers typically cannot be hired > until senior teachers have had their pick of the > vacancies, and the transfer pr...See More

Jan 3, 2013

report post

anon This isn't unique to Illinois; this is true in every school district in the United States.

Transfer processes make it very, very difficult for any outside teacher with no connections to get hired anywhere. The only hope an outsider has is getting hired after the beginning of the school year or well into the school year (school districts d...See MoreThis isn't unique to Illinois; this is true in every school district in the United States.

Transfer processes make it very, very difficult for any outside teacher with no connections to get hired anywhere. The only hope an outsider has is getting hired after the beginning of the school year or well into the school year (school districts do hire all year long). In my old school district in Nevada, the transfer process continued right up until the first day of school, late in August. But the district also had year-round schools, so the transfer process for "excessed" or "overaged" teachers began right about at the same time the traditional calendar teachers started work.

On 1/03/13, Merrillv2 wrote: > On 1/02/13, newspedcity wrote: >> On 1/01/13, Gloria wrote: >> >>> I may not make a lot of money as a teacher. I made >>> a lot more in my former corporate career. But my >>> former career was not fulfilling. Projects I worked >>> on were obsolete a year later. >> >> You'll notice Gloria, that those of us who actually >> have jobs as educators are rational people, while >> those without jobs name-call and pretty much make >> stuff up. I think the teacher hiring system is just >> fine... > > I think we need to understand the reasons for the > hiring issues and massive unemployment among teachers > in Illinois. This is a complex issue, but I will point > out some facts: > > 1. "One problem related to the destructive > transfer system is a hiring process that takes too long > and/or starts too late, thanks in part to union > contracts. Would-be teachers typically cannot be hired > until senior teachers have had their pick of the > vacancies, and the transfer process makes principals > reluctant to post vacancies at all for fear of having a > bad teacher fill it instead of a promising new > hire." In other words, jobs are not posted because > of issues with the collective bargaining agreements. > > 2. Affirmative action policies in the CPS: white or > Asian teachers essentially cannot be hired in black, > inner-city schools. The faculty at these schools, > according to CPS policy, must be within a certain > demographic percentage-point range of the community it > serves. > > 3. As is true with any guild, cartel, or trade > organization, keeping the number of workers > artificially low is a primary goal. This seems > counter-intuitive in that it would seem more union > members makes for a stronger union, but that is not the > case. The fewer qualified workers available means > higher salaries for people in the system. The idea that > there is a "teacher shortage" (which there is > not), is put forth by those who want higher salaries > for existing teachers. > > 4. Supply and demand: there are simply too many > unemployed teachers in Illinois, and schools of > education keep churning them out. > > 5. Hiring has a strong political component, with the > daughters of coaches and principals being given jobs, > people connected to Aldermen and other Democratic Party > officials, etc. The whole "who you know" > issue. > > So what we have is a problem involving market forces, > collective bargaining red-tape, and political policy, > making it very difficult, if not impossible, for new > teachers to get into the system.

Jan 4, 2013

report post

Mary On 1/04/13, anon wrote: > This isn't unique to Illinois; this is true in every school > district in the United States. > > Transfer processes make it very, very difficult for any > outside teacher with no connections to get hired anywhere. > The only hope an outsider has is getting hired after the > beginning of the school year...See More

Jan 6, 2013

report post