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Illinois Teachers Chatboard

by Ms. Ada

Jul 6, 2015

I have a MA in teaching but cant find a classroom position in Chicago. I have no idea what else I can do with this degree. I am beginning to feel hopeless as I continue to apply for teacher positions. Has anyone else been in this position? What did you do?

view previous comments

sped To get good advice, you need to provide more information. What are you certified to teach? When you say "Chicago," exactly what area are you talking about? Are you only looking at CPS in a certain part of the city? Are you looking inthe suburbs, if so, how long of a commute are you willing to accept? Are you willing to consider Charters/p...See More

Jul 13, 2015

Ms. Ada Yes, I am licensed to teach elementary

On 7/08/15, Gina wrote: > On 7/06/15, Ms. Ada wrote: >> I have a MA in teaching but cant find a > classroom position >> in Chicago. I have no idea what else I can > do with this >> degree. I am beginning to feel hopeless as > I continue to >> apply for teacher posi...See More

Aug 5, 2015

Ms. Ada I am certified to teach Elem Ed. I would consider any area of Chicago. I have looked at Charter Schools and I am willing to commute at least 45-60 minutes. I have no idea what I am doing wrong. I am thinking maybe I need to look into endorsements although I really don't want to spend any additional money. Thanks SPED.

On 7/13/15, sped wro...See More

Aug 5, 2015

sped It is difficult to say if you're doing anything wrong or not, but general, English-speaking Elementary Ed is still a very saturated field. There are many applicants for every job posting and it will probably always be that way in suburban Chicago. Some suburban districts gets many hundreds of applications per job opening. It certainly has been that...See MoreIt is difficult to say if you're doing anything wrong or not, but general, English-speaking Elementary Ed is still a very saturated field. There are many applicants for every job posting and it will probably always be that way in suburban Chicago. Some suburban districts gets many hundreds of applications per job opening. It certainly has been that way for all of my career. Even elementary sped is harder because that is the level most sped majors want to work in. Most sped majors are women who pictured themselves working with cute 7-year-olds with disabilities, not a 17-year-old who is prone to outbursts.

That said, you sound like you're doing everything right. Continue to apply to every district you can, even if they don't have openings. Hopefully, you have gotten in CPS's "Teacher Quality Pool" and are continuing to apply for openings there. They are notorious for last minute, and even mid-year openings, because new teachers freak out and decide they don't want to work on the South Side in a rough school.

If you don't get a job, look at subbing at nearby districts or become an aid and try to make connections with decision makers. Many times, elem ed jobs go to people the district already knows. With so many applications, especially for general ed elementary jobs, they need something to filter through them. Knowing you as an aid or sub can help.

That said, if you want to increase your employment chances, you should look at adding endorsements or moving to somewhere they are hiring elem ed teachers like Las Vegas (one of the only places in the country where elem ed is a shortage field). You would have a plethora of job offers if you could speak and read Spanish... Even if you can't, an ESL/ELL endorsement is probably the biggest shortage field to add right now. Sped..., not so much anymore. A lot of people figured out that you can add the LBS 1 endorsement with only 4 classes to your existing license. Special ed is still a much better job market than most, but it is not the guaranteed job it used to be.

The middle school endorsement should be added, but honestly if you would just be endorsed in Language Arts or Social Stuides, then you can push that off. Those job markets aren't that much better. Middle school math and science would be better...

On 8/05/15, Ms. Ada wrote: > I am certified to teach Elem Ed. I would consider any area of > Chicago. I have looked at Charter Schools and I am willing to > commute at least 45-60 minutes. I have no idea what I am doing > wrong. I am thinking maybe I need to look into endorsements > although I really don't want to spend any additional money. > Thanks SPED. > > On 7/13/15, sped wrote: >> To get good advice, you need to provide more information. >> What are you certified to teach? When you say "Chicago," >> exactly what area are you talking about? Are you only looking >> at CPS in a certain part of the city? Are you looking inthe >> suburbs, if so, how long of a commute are you willing to >> accept? Are you willing to consider Charters/private schools? >> >> Getting a job at CPS is a different situation entirely from >> getting a job in the 'burbs, so it is very different advice. >> It also depends greatly on what you are certified to teach... >> >> On 7/06/15, Ms. Ada wrote: >>> I have a MA in teaching but cant find a classroom position >>> in Chicago. I have no idea what else I can do with this >>> degree. I am beginning to feel hopeless as I continue to >>> apply for teacher positions. Has anyone else been in this >>> position? What did you do?

Aug 5, 2015

A CPS Teacher Hi Ms. Ada,

CPS is supposed to host a Job Fair on August 14, 2015. You can register using the following link:

[link removed]

It will be a tough market this year because of the fiscal crisis. The best advice that I can give you is keep an open mind and be flexible.Positions sometimes open up unexpectedly for one reason or ...See MoreHi Ms. Ada,

CPS is supposed to host a Job Fair on August 14, 2015. You can register using the following link:

[link removed]

It will be a tough market this year because of the fiscal crisis. The best advice that I can give you is keep an open mind and be flexible.Positions sometimes open up unexpectedly for one reason or another throughout the course of the school year.

Although you have been given this advice before, it bears repeating. You should get an additional endorsement in a high needs area like Math, Science or Bilingual/ESL. Before this school year, I would have encouraged you to get an LBS I endorsement if you were looking to transition to special education. You could still do so but with the understanding that CPS restructed special ed services which has resulted in layoffs of hundres of teachers and support staff.

If you are looking at suburban school districts, you have to keep in mind that competition can be fierce depending on the pay scale and desirability of the district. When looking at the suburbs, keep the population growth of the area in mind as well. For example, the plainfield school district seems to have alot of job openings because of the number of families with school-aged kids that relocated to the area.

I wish you the best of luck and hope that something will turn up.

On 8/05/15, Ms. Ada wrote: > I am certified to teach Elem Ed. I would consider any area of > Chicago. I have looked at Charter Schools and I am willing to > commute at least 45-60 minutes. I have no idea what I am doing > wrong. I am thinking maybe I need to look into endorsements > although I really don't want to spend any additional money. > Thanks SPED. > > On 7/13/15, sped wrote: >> To get good advice, you need to provide more information. >> What are you certified to teach? When you say "Chicago," >> exactly what area are you talking about? Are you only looking >> at CPS in a certain part of the city? Are you looking inthe >> suburbs, if so, how long of a commute are you willing to >> accept? Are you willing to consider Charters/private schools? >> >> Getting a job at CPS is a different situation entirely from >> getting a job in the 'burbs, so it is very different advice. >> It also depends greatly on what you are certified to teach... >> >> On 7/06/15, Ms. Ada wrote: >>> I have a MA in teaching but cant find a classroom position >>> in Chicago. I have no idea what else I can do with this >>> degree. I am beginning to feel hopeless as I continue to >>> apply for teacher positions. Has anyone else been in this >>> position? What did you do?

Aug 12, 2015

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