Thread: Becoming A Teacher Is A Dead End In This Economy

The Economic Collapse

Become A Teacher? 10 Examples That Show Why Becoming A Teacher Is A Dead End In This Economy

Today budget cutters are on the rampage from coast to coast and often one of their first targets is public school teachers. What we have witnessed recently in Wisconsin is just one example of this. The truth is that you do not want to become a teacher if you want to have financial security in America today. Teacher salaries are being slashed from sea to shining sea. But to a certain extent the teachers that are having their wages cut are the fortunate ones. There are thousands upon thousands of teachers that have already been laid off, and there are tens of thousands more that are about to be laid off. It is absolutely brutal out there right now. So if you are thinking about becoming a teacher you might want to think twice. Not that there are a whole lot of other jobs that are more secure right now. The truth is that there is no such thing as a "safe job" in America today.

It is very unfortunate that what is going on right now is going to scare so many young people away from becoming a teacher because the next generation could definitely use some quality teachers.

But the truth is that it is getting really hard to honestly recommend that anyone become a teacher at this point. Just consider some of the following news stories that we have seen around the nation recently....

#1 In Providence, Rhode Island the school district plans to send out dismissal notices to every single one of its 1,926 teachers.
http://newsblog.projo.com/2011/02/all-p ... o-rec.html

#2 Michigan has just approved a plan to shut down nearly half of the public schools in Detroit. Under the plan, 70 schools will be closed and 72 will continue operating.
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archiv ... -s-economy

#3 In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie has laid off thousands of teachers and he cut a billion dollars from the state education budget.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/ ... ontentBody

#4 Bills in Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana and Idaho would either significantly alter or completely take away the collective bargaining rights of public school teachers.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/22/news/ec ... /index.htm

#5 The eyes of the whole country are on Wisconsin right now. Teachers there are very alarmed about the $900 million in cuts to school funding over the next two years that are being proposed.
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/17/state ... r-layoffs/

#6 Clay Robison, a spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association, recently said that his organization is projecting that 100,000 school employees in the state of Texas could lose their jobs.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/22/news/ec ... /index.htm

#7 The current plan is for more than 4,500 New York City school teachers to be laid off after this current school years ends. This will be the most significant teacher layoffs in New York since the 1970s.
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/news/news-fr ... -1.2007018

#8 In Los Angeles, more than 5,000 teachers will be receiving preliminary layoff notices due to budget cuts.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... aff-t.html

#9 Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is being deeply criticized for the teacher pay cuts that he is proposing.
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index. ... le/18654-2

#10 StudentsFirst.org is projecting that 161,000 teachers across the United States are in danger of losing their jobs this year alone.
http://www.studentsfirst.org/

So in light of the facts above, should we advise any of our young people to try to become a teacher?

The worst thing about all this for young teachers is that in many areas of the country there is a rule that says the last teachers hired are the first ones that get laid off.

That is another huge incentive for young people not to choose teaching as a profession.

So why are so many teacher layoffs happening?

Well, the truth is that most of our state and local governments are very deep in debt and have run out of money.

State and local government debt has reached at an all-time high of 22 percent of U.S. GDP, and hordes of state and local governments are teetering on the brink of insolvency at this point.
http://freedom4um.com/archives/municipa ... heir-debts

When there is no more money, the cuts have to come from somewhere. It is just really unfortunate that so many teachers are going to be put out onto the street.

People that have gone into the teaching profession have all spent a lot of time and money to get the education that they need to teach. If they are told that they can't do that anymore, what are they supposed to do?

Most of the time when teachers are forced out of the profession they end up having to take jobs that pay much less. In this economy, many ex-teachers will not be able to find jobs at all. Today, one out of every seven Americans is on food stamps, and sadly many teachers may soon be joining them.
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/arch ... c-recovery

So why don't we just raise taxes so that all of these teachers can keep their jobs? Well, the truth is that middle class Americans are already being taxed into oblivion. When you add up the dozens and dozens of different taxes that Americans pay each year the overall tax burden is absolutely frightening. There is only so much that you can squeeze out of the American people.
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/arch ... gh-already

No, the truth is that the American people are taxed way too much already, and the big corporations and the ultra-wealthy have become experts at avoiding taxation. Our current tax system needs to be completely scrapped and replaced with something entirely new.

If our state and local governments had not been so addicted to debt, and if our economy had been managed correctly and if about a hundred other things had been done differently we would not be having these problems.

But here we are.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any easy answers.

Or are there some solutions that most of us have been overlooking? What do you all think? What should be done about all of the teacher layoffs that are taking place all over the country?

Source: http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/arch ... is-economy

It would be much different if teachers could produce a marketable product.

Spanglish is a hard subject to teach.

Listen, those teachers supported the illegal poachers and then relished in teaching their far too many children supported by taxpayers.

They still don't get it. They lost their jobs because the money ran out and illegals trump American citizens. We lose, they don't.

If they had been speaking out and demanding enforcement when hordes of illegal children invaded our school system, we might have avoided this situation. Feds are still printing money out of thin air but states are unable to do so. Illegal immigration does not provide job security to anyone except the rich and powerful.

Originally Posted by HAPPY2BME

So in light of the facts above, should we advise any of our young people to try to become a teacher?

When there is no more money, the cuts have to come from somewhere. It is just really unfortunate that so many teachers are going to be put out onto the street.

People that have gone into the teaching profession have all spent a lot of time and money to get the education that they need to teach. If they are told that they can't do that anymore, what are they supposed to do?

Why should our young people want to be a teacher? In fact I just advised a young man from a local college to find another career before he graduates and it's too late. I also conferenced with two young high school kids who admired their teacher so much that they wanted to be one to also find a much more reliable form of employment. I come from 4 generations of teachers almost as far back the the acceptance of Texas as a State. I will be the last of a long line of teachers. My son WILL NOT be a teacher.

While teachers are not the fault of states mismanaging funds so badly, not the fault of our government allowing illegal aliens to flood this country, and not the fault for politicians that design horrible curriculum cut do need to come from somewhere. However in school districts, non-teaching jobs are now 1:1 with teaching jobs. There are as many administrators, curriculum specialists etc as there are professional teachers. In 1970 it was 4:1. The sad part is the non-teaching professions make much more money and require about the same education. Perhaps if schools trimmed off the cushy non-teaching jobs and get back to teachers teaching children we might have more money. When you have situations like Beaumont ISD, (Beaumont, Tx) Superintendent Dr. Carrol A. Thomas head of 3 high schools, 7 middle schools, and 18 elementary schools being paid $360,000 a year (more than any superintendency in Texas) something is not right. Money being sent to school is being spent at the top and not on those who actually do the teaching.

So what are teachers to do, well we just lost a very good English teacher. She resigned and took a very good paying job with a pharmaceutical company making twice the money. Maybe that is what the rest of us need to do? Myself, I just hope I can and in there 4 more years so I can finally retire. I plan to take my retirement and go to work at Lowes. They pay more and I would work far less hours.

While school districts are laying off those who actually teach, look at some of the non-teaching jobs that are currently being hired:

Chair, Special Education
Coordinator, Instructional
Curriculum Specialist (Secondary ELA)
Evaluation Specialist, ED Cert - (Special Populations)
Instructional Specialist (Math)
Instructional Specialist (Science)
Manager, Migrant Program
Special Education Program Specialist
Special Education Program Specialist - Speech
Special Education Program Specialist Team Leader (Autism Services)
Special Populations Program Specialist - Elem. GT (Bilingual Pref.)
JROTC Program Administrator
Deputy Chief Academic Officer
Assessment Program Administrator
Senior Manager, Academic Training
Principal, Middle School
Principal, High School
Principal, Elementary
Principal Pipeline
Assistant Principal / Dean Of Students Pipeline
ASPIRE Program Manager


Yes, fire teachers who actually educate our children and hire more non-teaching position that have nothing to do with education and plenty to do with using up payroll budgets. All of these position make much more that a teacher.

What makes me just as mad is that I don't know of one teacher in my school that is not as angry as anyone in ALIPAC at the problems that have been thrown on us because of our governments lack of border enforcement. You will have no problem finding one of us that knows too well that the children of illegals are destroying education. However, unlike the rest of us, we have to put our personal feels aside when we go to work and swallow our pride and do our jobs attempting to educate these people. Then to go home and find we are being blamed for unions supporting illegal aliens makes me want to vomit.

I can assure you teachers join unions because we are treated so poorly in schools. We have ZERO representation other that the grievance system we are forced to use. Here is a personal example of the grievance system. A few years back a new principal chose to not pay me for 4 months work I had done after school. We even had a written contract. His comments were he had better things to spend the school's money on. Hell, he should have told me that 4 months ago but now he is taking food off of my family's' table. I was conned in to joining the union that year out of fear that I might get sued by parents so I was advised by the union to file a grievance. Who do I go to but the next in line with the grievance but the area superintendent who had just hired this guy (yeah, the fox minding the hen house) They politely told me they were so sorry and I should just transfer to another school if I didn't like my bosses decision not to pay me. What could the union do about it.....NOTHING. I could have eventually gone all the way to the State Board of Education in a year or two but nothing would have been done. The fox is still minding the hen house. Anyway, I never got paid the $1600 owed me after working 4 months for a total of about 350 hours of work in the hot Houston sun. However, I still had a job. Without a union, I would have been fired for filing a grievance like a few others I knew of. The district's superintendent (who went on to be Secretary of Education) was always quoted as saying "if a man does a job the man deserves compensation." Well I got no compensation, and was pretty much told to shut up if you want to keep your job. Great way to treat a professional, huh? So I quit my job at the end of the year and went to another school district. The union helped little but just kept me employed until I could leave on my own. I really didn't need a union however, to get a new job at the end of the year so my membership was canceled.

Originally Posted by GaPatriot

Listen, those teachers supported the illegal poachers and then relished in teaching their far too many children supported by taxpayers.

They still don't get it. They lost their jobs because the money ran out and illegals trump American citizens. We lose, they don't.

If they had been speaking out and demanding enforcement when hordes of illegal children invaded our school system, we might have avoided this situation. Feds are still printing money out of thin air but states are unable to do so. Illegal immigration does not provide job security to anyone except the rich and powerful.

===================================

Precisely. All the educators see sitting in the public education classroom seat is a DOLLAR SIGN - NOT A STUDENT.

More students = more federal dollars.

The education industry has become just that - a socialist butter churning machine spitting out weak-minded and morally apathetic students unable to cope scholastically or vocationally in the real world.

The word "education" is being done a great disservice to and should be removed from any further discussion. The word "public, as in "SOCIALIZED" fits the monster to a 'T'

American teachers have gone from one of the most noble professions to nothing more than tape worms on the lower regions of the socialist gut . . somewhere down there close to the anus.

Our society is a direct result of it.

Illegal aliens from Mexico love it though.

Public education alternates between being the first, second, or third largest sponsor and enabler of illegal aliens from Mexico.

The public schools have failed we can blame teachers, parents,government,etc.

I started school in a three room school in the 40's, female teachers were
addresses as Miss or Mrs. wore approbate clothing went clean and neat.
Males were addressed as Sir or Mr. usually wore suit or dress shirt with tie.

Discipline was expected and given for wrong doing but used with common sense. Children now are treated as adults and feel they deserve that treatment, being friends with the teacher is not part of the game in my opinion.

Teachers in Wis. look more like street people then teachers, act with dignity and normally you will be treated correctly.

I have family members who teach and they are looking for other employment the liberal agenda pushed on teachers is not teaching the basics but rather a social agenda.

Truthful I would not send a child to public school in this age having said that I know many people do not have another option but if we are to maintain this country as a super power we need a quick fix for the schools.

I really disagree that being a teacher will be a dead end soon. Yah Public teachers will end up getting lower pay and pensions more even with the private sector. But then if enough states catch on to cutting collective bargaining on all states or on a federal level for Public Unions and then make it so we can again fire a bad teacher.... that could clear up a hell of a lot as well.

But still personally myself and my wife is also toying with the idea of going into education. I'd personally work for a private school as I'd probably beat the crap out of a smart a$$ student who's extremely disrespectful w/o a parent who cares and nothing I could do to punish besides.

But then I also tend to think we need to change our laws. Allow children to be left behind again. First cut out all illegals from our school system. Then allow public schools to kick out bad students who clearly don't want to learn. When change comes back we'll always need no education burger flippers and lettuce pickers.

Originally Posted by ReformUSA2012

But still personally myself and my wife is also toying with the idea of going into education. I'd personally work for a private school as I'd probably beat the crap out of a smart a$$ student who's extremely disrespectful w/o a parent who cares and nothing I could do to punish besides.

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God knows our public education system needs teachers of integrity and morality. If you want to do it, just know what you are up against and pick the school you work at wisely.

Public schools are ultra-liberal and increasingly more violent towards teachers.

A teacher friend of mine for over three decades just sent me this:

I am a retired teacher who was in the classroom for 33 1/2 years. During that time I saw the teaching profession being taken over by "progressivism" and the unions and the ability to discipline children disappear. Self-esteem took precedence over learning. In my opinion, the present school system is ridiculous. It is way past time for a wake-up call in the educational arena.

At the college level, the professors are more engaged in promoting "globalism" and closed-mindedness than rigor in separate disciplines.

We will need more conservative teachers in the years to come. My daughter is bound and determined to be one. She was amazed at the numbers of classmates who are on the conservative side and are of the same mind.

We cannot let progressives continue to plunge our education further down, I see the rise of a new age of teachers.

I pray for union reform also. Unions must go back to protecting the legal American worker, not out to enrich themselves. Union bosses are no different than company CEO's, all they are interested in is what they can take. I say they need to go.

I stand with Scott Walker.

Originally Posted by miguelina

We will need more conservative teachers in the years to come. My daughter is bound and determined to be one. She was amazed at the numbers of classmates who are on the conservative side and are of the same mind.

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Our daughter-in-law of our oldest son is just finishing up her teaching degree. She tells us that many junior and senior high school students are at third and fourth grade reading levels.

She is replacing a teacher who has been at the school she will be working at for twenty years. The lady she is replacing is completely burnt out and has decided to completely leave the teaching profession.

I still haven't heard back from my son after I emailed him this article today.

Our daughter-in-law from our youngest son is already a speech pathologist in the public school system. She tells us that the public schools are being flooded with the children of illegal aliens who can barely speak English and that it takes on the average FIVE YEARS for these children to assimilate into the public school system.

Much tougher days ahead for America.