Teaching Jobs In Maine

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

Not sure if anyone has considered this, but true TEACHERS teach because they feel called to do so, not to get rich. The low teacher's pay is common in all states. I'm sure the averages pretty much follow the salary trends for every industry in each state. DH will make approximately 10% less in Maine in his field than in Texas, and would probably make more in other areas of the country. This idea begs us to reconsider why we're moving to Maine. Are we moving to get rich financially or to have lifestyle wealth? I know what we're coming for!

exactly...if you're interested in making money, education as a profession should be virtually the last place one looks. So why do people become teachers and then complain about their salaries? There's no way you couldn't have known! Furthermore, an Ed Tech 1 made half my salary as a first year teacher. Hardly sounds like they're living high on the hog. I'm not saying that the salary issue is right, but holy cow....how can you miss that when researching career choices? Furthermore, the State is currently providing incentives to those educated in Maine to be teachers in Maine after passing their certification tests. I know of at least two programs--Maine student loan reimbursement and the Univ Southern Maine degree in Tech Ed. Personally, I don't know how much that would really entice me if I were 18 weren't all ready interested in teaching. Teaching is just not something one does because of the outstanding personal financial gain.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

My kids have gym 2x a week, it's mandatory. Calais school department still participates in the Presidential Fitness Award. My kids work hard and they have weekly spelling words up until grade 9. They do their math step by step, on paper, and write their rough drafts by hand in school, only using the computer for that final copy, just as I did. We have supper as a family every night....even though we have 3 teenagers and an 8 year old. We go on family vacations, and my kids don't run the streets. If they did, I'd know...gotta love a small town! lol....Just because on a national scale things aren't looking so great in education, does not mean in any way shape or form that it is like that EVERYWHERE. The generalizations in this case don't cut it. There are fabulous teachers in our state, who are recognized by parents and students and their peers as such....and I care about them when they're recognized statewide with an award, and I care that my kids go to a school where sitting for 3 hours straight isn't acceptable. Getting up and moving and learning cooperatively is necessary and mandatory. I understand that education of a teacher does not mean that teacher is a good teacher....but in my experience there are far, far more outstanding teachers here in Maine than mediocre teachers in Maine. It's too bad that you had a terrible experience with the education system in Maine, but that doesn't mean that your experience is everyone's experience. It also doesn't mean that your experience happens the majority of the time.

I am sorry if you find my observations offensive. I was not trying to insult you. I have had great exposure to several educational districts in the state of Maine. My son goes to SAD 15 Gray/newgloucester and had gym for only one of his trimesters last year where he was in 6th grade. I looked at your schools test results and they are less than desireable. All of the district scores are less then the state averages. And the state of course scores lower when compared to other new england states. Though NE as a whole generally scores higher than the south ect. In calais, For fourth grade, 0% of students were able to "meet the standards" for Writing. Everything is subjective. I think my sons education is massively subpar compared to mine. My generalizations are about a trend in education today. I feel for my son when he comes home with HW and struggles. But its small price to pay in the big world. I'm not one to say the sky is falling, I am very much a realist. But this world is changing and our children WILL pay the price if they are not prepared to compete. Did you read my entire post. It was really about education as a whole and not just a slam on Maine.

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by flycessna

I am sorry if you find my observations offensive. I was not trying to insult you. I have had great exposure to several educational districts in the state of Maine. My son goes to SAD 15 Gray/newgloucester and had gym for only one of his trimesters last year where he was in 6th grade. I looked at your schools test results and they are less than desireable. All of the district scores are less then the state averages. And the state of course scores lower when compared to other new england states. Though NE as a whole generally scores higher than the south ect. In calais, For fourth grade, 0% of students were able to "meet the standards" for Writing. Everything is subjective. I think my sons education is massively subpar compared to mine. My generalizations are about a trend in education today. I feel for my son when he comes home with HW and struggles. But its small price to pay in the big world. I'm not one to say the sky is falling, I am very much a realist. But this world is changing and our children WILL pay the price if they are not prepared to compete. Did you read my entire post. It was really about education as a whole and not just a slam on Maine.

Fly, just because I don't agree doesn't mean I was offended. I wasn't, and I'm not. I just wanted to point out to you that is not the case here in Calais. I find the results you posted interestlng...especially having a son who is yet to experience grade 4 here. I'm guessing those results were for the MEAs. My three older kids are teens now, and child #3 was in grade 5 when we moved here. When she took her MEAs in grade 8 this last year, she moved up from the percentile she was in at grade 4 (tested in Eastport) by 17 points. The two children older than her were in the Bangor school dept until grades 3 & 4. They have tested very well. My youngest is this only one of my children who has been in only the Calais school dept. It will be interesting to see how he does in the standardized testing.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

Fly, just because I don't agree doesn't mean I was offended. I wasn't, and I'm not. I just wanted to point out to you that is not the case here in Calais. I find the results you posted interestlng...especially having a son who is yet to experience grade 4 here. I'm guessing those results were for the MEAs. My three older kids are teens now, and child #3 was in grade 5 when we moved here. When she took her MEAs in grade 8 this last year, she moved up from the percentile she was in at grade 4 (tested in Eastport) by 17 points. The two children older than her were in the Bangor school dept until grades 3 & 4. They have tested very well. My youngest is this only one of my children who has been in only the Calais school dept. It will be interesting to see how he does in the standardized testing.

I'm Gladd you wern't. I have never even been to Calais to make such a comment on it. Yes they were the mea results for 2006. I look at it this way, at least we know where we stand and what we need to work on.

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by flycessna

I'm Gladd you wern't. I have never even been to Calais to make such a comment on it. Yes they were the mea results for 2006. I look at it this way, at least we know where we stand and what we need to work on.

I completely agree with you there!

[mollysmiles]

Fly, I got thinking after I posted that last night that it's too bad we've yet to come up with a better way to learn what our kids actually know, and where they're lacking. For me, standardized testing was horrible. Put that blue book in front of me anytime! I know, strange huh? But my SAT scores were not in any way remarkable, I was embarassed actually. (still am!) I think the big thing that saved me was that I'd taken a couple of other tests (Wechsler, IQ) and scored really well, luckily, and I'd done well in school. Standardized testing doesn't work for all kids...the person who finds a better way to reflect what our children are actually learning will earn a huge gold star from me!! The nice thing is, teachers usually have a good handle on what a child needs (good teachers)...but it's not something that can reflect in the testing we use most of the time.

oops....this may be off-topic

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

Fly, I got thinking after I posted that last night that it's too bad we've yet to come up with a better way to learn what our kids actually know, and where they're lacking. For me, standardized testing was horrible. Put that blue book in front of me anytime! I know, strange huh? But my SAT scores were not in any way remarkable, I was embarassed actually. (still am!) I think the big thing that saved me was that I'd taken a couple of other tests (Wechsler, IQ) and scored really well, luckily, and I'd done well in school. Standardized testing doesn't work for all kids...the person who finds a better way to reflect what our children are actually learning will earn a huge gold star from me!! The nice thing is, teachers usually have a good handle on what a child needs (good teachers)...but it's not something that can reflect in the testing we use most of the time.

oops....this may be off-topic

I don't have the answers but I don't understand how we've let go of some the ideals that did work. Moving forward is a slow go. But moving backwards is unacceptable. One (of my many opinion that I have is that school has shifted dramatically towards catering to the education of girls. I really believe boys are losing out, much like girls did in the 60's.

Why do private schools excell when they pay the lowest, you do not even need to be certified. I believe its parent involvement. If your sending a child to private school its because you are concerned about their education and that is reflective. Standardize tests are one tool, graduation rates, rates of further education are another.

On a good note I owned a small business in lewiston and had access to the Bates students. I was always impressed with them...very smart. being a liberal arts school most talked about furthering their education in law, politics, journalism, ect. If you haven't been out of Maine for while the world is changing. A friend of mine is a realtor in Ma and she talks about all the people from India coming here with very high technical degrees and working for lots of money here. When I go there ,even the town where I grew up is like this huge melting pot of activity. good or bad its coming! My brother is a partner in an engineering firm based out of fl. He tells me every day there just are not enough americans going into the sciences. They have a difficult time finding graduates.

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by flycessna

... He tells me every day there just are not enough americans going into the sciences. They have a difficult time finding graduates.

I hear the same thing...

I also know that some of our best qualified and brightest young adults are going abroad to work and live I watched a news story on this a couple of years ago, and can't for the life of me remember exactly what/who the network/reporter was, but it saddened me.


(now I'm absolutely getting out of here and to the beach!)