Possible move to Chicago....

[gomexico]

Originally Posted by tankhead

Any suggestions?

There are many discussions down the list in which the same or similar questions are asked. My suggestion is that you have a look at those helpful suggestions. Welcome to Chicago!

[nana053]

Originally Posted by tankhead

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying. Are you saying that teaching assignments / schools are assigned as opposed to being able to apply to a choice of one's choice?

You can apply to the schools you choose, but there is NO guarantee that a *good* school will be hiring. Teacher turnover is much less in the good schools.

It helps if you have an in demand specialty like special ed or mathematics. You did not say what your certification is in.

[tankhead]

Agreed that there are no guarantees in securing a job in a "good" school because of the lower turnover rate. It's the same everywhere, even here in Miami, but it doesn't hurt to try. I was just asking where the good schools are so that I know where to begin the job search.

I do have a Special Ed. certification, have 5 years experience (and counting). I also have certifications in Social Studies and Elementary Education, though my experience has been entirely in a Middle School setting. I work in a title I school and have had some tough classes (low income) in the past (something I don't want in the future).

I am bilingual (English & Spanish) and was thinking of getting ESOL endorsed (as I've heard that bilingual education is in demand in Chicago and have worked with ESOL kids).

[tankhead]

Originally Posted by gomexico

There are many discussions down the list in which the same or similar questions are asked. My suggestion is that you have a look at those helpful suggestions. Welcome to Chicago!

Will do. Thank you.

[nana053]

Originally Posted by tankhead

Agreed that there are no guarantees in securing a job in a "good" school because of the lower turnover rate. It's the same everywhere, even here in Miami, but it doesn't hurt to try. I was just asking where the good schools are so that I know where to begin the job search.

I do have a Special Ed. certification, have 5 years experience (and counting). I also have certifications in Social Studies and Elementary Education, though my experience has been entirely in a Middle School setting. I work in a title I school and have had some tough classes (low income) in the past (something I don't want in the future).

I am bilingual (English & Spanish) and was thinking of getting ESOL endorsed (as I've heard that bilingual education is in demand in Chicago and have worked with ESOL kids).

Definitely get the ESOL certification. Bilingual education is definitely in demand. There are actually a few Spanish language immersion programs as well.

Inter-American Magnet School - Wrigleyville - Chicago, IL

Here is one ranking of the elementary schools
Best Elementary Schools: Chicago (Schools Ranked 1-250) - Chicago magazine - October 2010 - Chicago

You can look up the addresses of the ones you might like.

[ChiGuy2.5]

I recommend you rent before you buy. Once you find out what school your looking to teach at, and then the neighborhood you want to live in. I recommend renting for the first year. You may discover pretty quick that the area you chose isn't quite as nice as somewhere else.

[Attrill]

I definitely second the recommendation of renting before buying. In terms of transit the CTA bus system is pretty extensive, so even if a school isn't right by an L stop you can get to pretty much anywhere you need to go in the city (although it can take awhile).

Right now it is hard to get any public sector job anywhere due to layoffs and budget cuts, but CPS always has some openings due to the high number of employees and a very high turnover rate. Are you looking at High Schools or Elementary? If you are certified, experienced and are willing to work in any school you could probably find a job for next fall if you started now.

Getting a job in a good school is a different story. ESOL certification would certainly be helpful , as would National Board Certification (that one is really hot right now, due to a big push from CPS administration). Ultimately principals make the final hiring decisions, and good principals at good schools generally have a waiting list of good teachers they know of/have worked with/are trying to retain. That said, there are some schools that are in process of being turned around with new principals who may not have people lined up yet.

Finding the "good" schools can certainly start with looking at test scores, but I think that's just one part of a larger picture. The Illinois Interactive Report Card has a good online tool for looking at school test performance over the last ten years, and many times a school that doesn't score well but has a steady upward trend can be worth checking out. The University of Chicago also does a biennial survey of individual schools that can be very helpful in determining the direction a school is headed. If you see a job listed on the CPS site you can just search those sites to help give you some perspective on the school.

There are also a couple sites that can be helpful if you want parent perspectives on what the "hot" schools are, and what the experience is for parents navigating CPS. NPNparents.org is a group that organizes school fairs and their discussion board is packed with parents discussing which schools (both public and private) they should apply to. It is very focused on the Northside of the city (it used to be "Northside Parent" and not "Neighborhood Parent") and on Elementary schools, but it is a very good resource. Applications for Magnet and Selective enrollment schools just opened up this week, so there should be loads of discussions about the quality of different schools over the next couple of months. CPSobsessed is also a good site, that is again focused on the Northside. The blog posts are solid, and there are a lot of discussions that occur in the comments.

You also don't have to limit your search to CPS - towns like Oak Park, Evanston, Cicero, and Berwyn have public schools that can be reached by public transit from the city. Some of them pay better as well.

[chet everett]

I especially like the idea of using the "5 Essentials" rating to narrow down schools that might be worth checking out. I would probably suggest a relocating teacher would be wise to actively avoid schools lacking in "effective leaders" and "collaborative teachers" category -- might be walking into a dead-end or a deteriorating situation as shown by trends -- here's an example: https://cps.5-essentials.org/2012/s/...ntials/#trends

Originally Posted by Attrill

I definitely second the recommendation of renting before buying. In terms of transit the CTA bus system is pretty extensive, so even if a school isn't right by an L stop you can get to pretty much anywhere you need to go in the city (although it can take awhile).

Right now it is hard to get any public sector job anywhere due to layoffs and budget cuts, but CPS always has some openings due to the high number of employees and a very high turnover rate. Are you looking at High Schools or Elementary? If you are certified, experienced and are willing to work in any school you could probably find a job for next fall if you started now.

Getting a job in a good school is a different story. ESOL certification would certainly be helpful , as would National Board Certification (that one is really hot right now, due to a big push from CPS administration). Ultimately principals make the final hiring decisions, and good principals at good schools generally have a waiting list of good teachers they know of/have worked with/are trying to retain. That said, there are some schools that are in process of being turned around with new principals who may not have people lined up yet.

Finding the "good" schools can certainly start with looking at test scores, but I think that's just one part of a larger picture. The Illinois Interactive Report Card has a good online tool for looking at school test performance over the last ten years, and many times a school that doesn't score well but has a steady upward trend can be worth checking out. The University of Chicago also does a biennial survey of individual schools that can be very helpful in determining the direction a school is headed. If you see a job listed on the CPS site you can just search those sites to help give you some perspective on the school.

There are also a couple sites that can be helpful if you want parent perspectives on what the "hot" schools are, and what the experience is for parents navigating CPS. NPNparents.org is a group that organizes school fairs and their discussion board is packed with parents discussing which schools (both public and private) they should apply to. It is very focused on the Northside of the city (it used to be "Northside Parent" and not "Neighborhood Parent") and on Elementary schools, but it is a very good resource. Applications for Magnet and Selective enrollment schools just opened up this week, so there should be loads of discussions about the quality of different schools over the next couple of months. CPSobsessed is also a good site, that is again focused on the Northside. The blog posts are solid, and there are a lot of discussions that occur in the comments.

You also don't have to limit your search to CPS - towns like Oak Park, Evanston, Cicero, and Berwyn have public schools that can be reached by public transit from the city. Some of them pay better as well.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by tankhead

I am considering possibly moving to Chicago from Miami due to Chicago's higher wages, lower costs of living, better mass transit, more cosmopolitan, carless lifestyle, etc.

I went there a few years ago during the winter time and have a generally positive view of the city. I would like to live in the urban core and near mass transit and teach in a good public school as that is what I am currently doing for a living in Miami.


Any suggestions?

Bring a coat.

You'll face incredible competition for a teaching spot in a good school. Even positions in crummy schools are hotly contested.

[tankhead]

I would like to thank everyone for your input. It is greatly appreciated.