Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thats your problem. Getting your graduate degree out of state. A possible employer will take a locally educated person over an out of state degree that they see as inferior to the NY degrees.
NYS is certainly tops in education nationwide. I can not tell you how many people move into our district from other states and expound on how the poor their previous schools were...the south seems to be the worst (just going by what transplanted parents tell us ) with Florida leading the way......
Thats your problem. Getting your graduate degree out of state. A possible employer will take a locally educated person over an out of state degree that they see as inferior to the NY degrees.
I have been teaching in upstate NY for about 20 years now, and have also been on several interview committees when it comes to filling positions within our district. NEVER do I recall rejecting a candidate on the basis of their graduate degree being from out of state vs in state. In fact, theres' lots of candidates who are hired who have not yet completed their masters degree.
In all honesty, stacks of applications are looked at, and the ones who look the best on paper are the ones who are granted interviews. During the interview, each committee member asks a candidate a pre-arranged question (yes, we get together before hand to discuss these) having to do with the candidates' experience, education, how they may be able to contribute to our districts' needs and unique diverse population.
After interviewing the candidates, the committee members (teachers, parents, and principal, asst, principal) discuss the interviewees, and agree on 3-5 'top' candidates to recommend to the district office (superintendent). There is NOTHING unfair about this process. Plenty of teachers and parents are on this committee in order to offset any 'favoritism' that the principal may have.
does that mean that all districts play fair like this? I don't know....
However, it IS true that the SUNY system does graduate many teachers. There IS tons of competition!!! SUNY Geneseo is well known. HOWEVER, just because you graduate from a well known teachers' college does NOT mean you will automatically be a great teacher.
I have browsed many candidate's applications (I am a dpt chair), and have NEVER rejected a person based on where they went to school, nor have I ever SELECTED a candidate simply because they are a SUNY Geneseo (or Cortland, or Brockport) graduate. We base our selection on the applicants experience, student teaching recommendation, and references. Of course, if there's a local student coming back wanting to teach in the district where they grew up, we will give that application a 2nd and 3rd look, but that does not GUARANTEE they will get an interview. If we've already selected a great number of well qualified applicants, that former student may or may not be granted a courtesy interview.
I have also spoken to several former students, and applicants, and they all eventually find jobs within a couple of years. Many do go out of state, and return after getting some experience. NEVER do we reject a candidate because their experience is from out of state. In fact, we're all the more interested in hearing how their experience can be used in our unique district.
Right now, I know for a fact, that my building (600 students grades 6-8) have openings in 6th grade science, 7th grade Social Studies, 8th grade English, and 7th grade Social Studies. These are due to retirements, some teachers moving to districts closer to home, and some faculty members obtaining a position in administration. There's always movememt. Some years have more than others.
Hang in there....you'll get there. But rest assured, it is NOT a corrupt system. Quite simply, in the early 1980s when my dad was upset at my career choice ("COME ON, THERE'S NO MONEY IN TEACHING!!!!"), now he agrees that it was a great career choice. During the Mid-1980's, the salaries in NYS took a huge leap towards becoming a livable wage. In addition, all my yuppy friends who went into computers, banking, finance, etc. now ENVY me bcause of my summer vacations, job security, and retirement. Many of THOSE folks are also choosing education as their 2nd career. And encouraging their children to do the same.
Good luck w/your search!! PM me if I can help some more!!!
Your district may be fine but I know for a fact in a few districts in suburbs directly surrounding the Rochester area, people with out of state degrees will not be looked at the same.
Your district may be fine but I know for a fact in a few districts in suburbs directly surrounding the Rochester area, people with out of state degrees will not be looked at the same.
Wow!! Did someone in administration tell you this directly? This is news to me, as I have spoken to MANY folks in other districts. In fact, a relative of mine is in the superintendents' office in Gates, which is a suburb in Rochester. He disagreed with this, and said he's never heard of such a thing....looking down at out of state degrees . It is NOT the norm.
I will be completing my master's degree in secondary education from St. Thomas Aquinas College in December. I can't tell you how many teachers and administrators have told me to look out side New York for work. The assistant superintendent of the North Rockland Central School District told my graduate class to move south, that there were 600 applicants for every teaching position. It is also common knowledge that Clarkstown Central School Districts does not want to grant tenure to new teachers and fires them at the end of their third year of teaching. My wife also has her education degree but in elementary education. We have been looking at a number of school systems in the Carolinas and have decided that when we find work we will leave New York and purchase our fist home in the south. There are so many teaching opportunities in the south. The area in South Carolina we are interested in is building a new high school and two new middle schools. Why stay in New York? Homes are expensive here and the taxes are too high. Because so many young teaches are moving south and taking their teaching degrees with them, the south will one day have a better education system than the North.
Thanks for your account of the hiring process. Sounds like the way to do things. It's actually much like the way that most colleges do their faculty hiring.
I think that when people are anxious and frustrated, they tend to assume or buy into the worst about a process that can hold their future in its hands. I'm sure some cronyism happens, but there's nothing like the fear or reality of rejection to prompt you into ascribing sneaky motives.
I applied to almost every job-opening in college-level English for two years before I got my job at Virginia Tech in 1994. At times, it felt like I was being conspired against--how else to make sense of all those rejections (nearly 300 of them)? I was sure that my being a white male was really working against me. And while there is a huge Affirmative Action element to college hiring, if you are truly the best qualified one for a particular opening, given that school's needs at that time, you will get the nod. Now that I've seen how hiring happens from this side of the job-search, a process that I used to think was unfair or bizarre does have its logic. And, though I'm sure there are a few exceptions, the hiring people do try to be fair. But their first duty is "Given our needs right now, what's best for our program and its students?"--and that, rightly, is what should matter most to them. They wince at having to say "no" to so many qualified, hopeful people, but they also have to think of the students' needs first. They have to choose the best possible fit.
At the very least, think of all the problems that would happen if they chose someone un-qualified--all the parents and students that would be complaining, the administrators that would be breathing down their necks for putting someone problematic in place, the potential for bad press, etc. Just for the reason of minimizing problems/looking good to administrators, they generally try to choose the best possible fit.
By the way, Genevanative, I sent you another Private Message--I hope I'm not being too pushy!
I will be completing my master's degree in secondary education from St. Thomas Aquinas College in December. I can't tell you how many teachers and administrators have told me to look out side New York for work. The assistant superintendent of the North Rockland Central School District told my graduate class to move south, that there were 600 applicants for every teaching position. It is also common knowledge that Clarkstown Central School Districts does not want to grant tenure to new teachers and fires them at the end of their third year of teaching. My wife also has her education degree but in elementary education. We have been looking at a number of school systems in the Carolinas and have decided that when we find work we will leave New York and purchase our fist home in the south. There are so many teaching opportunities in the south. The area in South Carolina we are interested in is building a new high school and two new middle schools. Why stay in New York? Homes are expensive here and the taxes are too high. Because so many young teaches are moving south and taking their teaching degrees with them, the south will one day have a better education system than the North.
I have to agree with you. Before I moved south, I too had heard horrible things about the quality of schools compared to upstate NY. Many a disgruntled person who is fed up with NY (taxes, politics, etc.) said that the only reason they were here is for their kid's schooling. However, in my area, I am actually really surprised. The majority of the teachers I work with are NY (Buffalo, Rochester, Elmira, Binghamton area), Mass, OH, and CT, with a few California graduates. I am seeing a lot more people who are open to change, will listen with an open mind , and will follow best and current practices in education easier than in other areas. Basically, I am seeing less drama and more professionalism from school staff.
On a side, but similar note. I recently moved from the west coast, and have been searching for a higher education job for six months. I have ten years of solid administrative and advising experience. I have a Master's degree in Student Personnel from a great college. I've searched Ny through the Hudson Valley, PA, and CT. Not even a nibble. It's been a truly humbling experience.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
