New Jersey Teachers Chatboard

InFL On 1/19/12, Nancy wrote: > Hi Karen, > > I don't know the answer to your question, but I will soon be > relocating to Florida. Where in Florida are you? Can you tell > me more about it? > > Thanks.

Hi, I'm in the Central FL area and can give you some info if you would like.

Are conditions "the pits"? Yes, pret...See MoreOn 1/19/12, Nancy wrote: > Hi Karen, > > I don't know the answer to your question, but I will soon be > relocating to Florida. Where in Florida are you? Can you tell > me more about it? > > Thanks.

Hi, I'm in the Central FL area and can give you some info if you would like.

Are conditions "the pits"? Yes, pretty much. FL has a huge percentage of children in poverty. My district has 41,000 students and almost 60% are on free/reduced lunch. Most classes will average around 50% minority. Parents complain that we are "doing too much math" and other nonsense. Many kids show up for kindergarten totally unprepared (never held a crayone, don't know letters or letter sounds, etc)

Tenure is gone in FL unless you currently have it. Your entire first year here will be on "probation" meaning you can be fired anytime for no reason. After that, you will be on "annual contract" forever. Pay is 47th lowest in the US. The good thing is we do have a class size amendment that caps class sizes. Some districts are having major budget issues and are proposing a 4- day school week (Marion and Pasco I think). Teachers haven't had raises in years in my district, not even the $200 "step".

The FL DOE just voted in December to toughen the cut scores for our FCAT exam, so that will be in play for this April's test. Almost half of 3rd and 5th graders are now projected to fail the test. Everything is focused on that one test now. Teacher evaluations are 50% test scores on FCAT and 50% classroom observations. (the new and totally untested "value added" formula for test scores)

I know other teachers who have been confronted by parents at their homes and one female teacher had a parent come to her house and ram her car with his truck. A high school administrator told me "I don't know how high school teachers get out of bed in the morning. About 1/3 of students do not want to be in classes and ruin everything for the rest."

Most jobs that open are at the worst, Title I schools now because teachers are fleeing those schools. Sad, but teachers are positioning themselves in the best possible schools for success with the new rating system. For example, until we have a test for every single subject and every single grade (as req'd by our new law), 1st grade teachers will have 40% of their evalaution based on the FCAT scores of the school overall. How is that fair? It's not. FL also has very high student mobility, so in some schools 50% of your class will be gone before the end of the school year (and replaced by new students from all over the state and country).

Also, one of my former co-workers recently moved to NJ and found a teaching job (her salary went from $38,400 here to $66,000 there!) She says she was hired in part due to having the Nat'l Board Certification.

If you have a few years of teaching experience and can get a regular FL certificate, check out FL Virtual School. This would be an option for someone with a high school background. You work from home too. LOTS of work, long hours, etc. But it's a job, and you don't have to deal with distruptive students in a classroom setting.

Feb 13, 2012

report post

CTJS schools will pay for public school experience. If you have many years of experience, you may find some districts that will cap the number of years of credit that they will give for out-of-state/out-of-district experience.

On 1/10/12, Karen wrote: > I received my teaching degree in NJ and then moved to FL. > I've been teaching here fo...See More

Mar 30, 2012

report post

Edison school district

by ron/nj

Jan 12, 2012

I read in yesterday's paper that the teachers still don't have a contract. Are the two sides close in agreement?

Comment

report post

Resume Help

by Katharine

Jan 12, 2012

I have been applying every year for a teaching job in NJ to no avail. I took a job in Maryland for two years but then moved back home. I'm wondering if maybe my resume is to blame. Are there any good sites to help revamp it?

Comment

(1)

report post