Do your school districts have unions in NOVA? (Fairfax: job openings, salary)

[PghWA22]

Hi, just wondering if there are any public school teachers on here in the NOVA area?

Do your school districts have union contracts?

Salary schedules?

Is there any reason there are so many job openings in your school districts?

Any information you all could provide would be much appreciated... Thanks!

[HFAutistic]

1: Yes.
2: Virginia is a Right to Work State; some do, some don't.
3: Salary Schedules are normally maintained through whichever county in NOVA your looking at.
4: Huge Population Growth, one of the fastest growing areas in the Nation.
5: New Schools are being built in the NOVA area every year due the rapid population growth.
6: In Dire need for Special Education Teachers and Special Education Teaching Assistants due to said population growth.

[tgbwc]

Hi, just wondering if there are any public school teachers on here in the NOVA area?


Do your school districts have union contracts?
While we have unions and associations, districts do not have union negotiated contracts. There is no collective bargaining.

Examples:
http://fcft.org/
http://www.fairfaxea.org/

Salary schedules?
Yes. Most are posted on the district's website.
Example: http://www.fcps.edu/DHR/salary/scale...%20teacher.pdf


Is there any reason there are so many job openings in your school districts?
Same reason PGH gave, plus many teachers have spouses with transient jobs.

Any information you all could provide would be much appreciated... Thanks!

[PghWA22]

Thanks for the responses. While reading through the first few pages, I noticed a few other topics regarding jobs in school districts. Is it competitive/tough to land a teaching job in NoVA? Are any positions being cut?

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by PghWA22

Thanks for the responses. While reading through the first few pages, I noticed a few other topics regarding jobs in school districts. Is it competitive/tough to land a teaching job in NoVA? Are any positions being cut?

I don't know of any being cut. Fairfax County is expanding full-day kindergarten. Now might be a little late to start looking, but that doesn't make it impossible.

[PghWA22]

I'm asking more for next year. My fiance will be student teaching this fall and then she will be certified. We live in Pittsburgh and it's tough to find teaching jobs here. Not to mention, our governor just did a major funding cut to education in PA, so many districts are on a hiring freeze or furloughing teachers. Our next choice would be to move down to Baltimore/DC/NOVA area.

Any other advice or information is appreciated...thanks everyone

[Caladium]

I'm not a teacher, so I'd double check this--but one thing I hear is that the most job openings are in Prince William County. PW county, as well as Loudoun and Stafford, seem to have the most growth right now as well as the highest birth rate in the country. So they're building schools left and right.

[marie5v]

Originally Posted by PghWA22

I'm asking more for next year. My fiance will be student teaching this fall and then she will be certified. We live in Pittsburgh and it's tough to find teaching jobs here. Not to mention, our governor just did a major funding cut to education in PA, so many districts are on a hiring freeze or furloughing teachers. Our next choice would be to move down to Baltimore/DC/NOVA area.

Any other advice or information is appreciated...thanks everyone

That would probably be a good bet. She should apply to all the counties around here - Loudon, Prince William, Fairfax, even some of the MD ones, like Montgomery. If she starts early enough and plans well, she should be able to register for and attend the hiring fairs for the counties and hopefully land a job before you actually move. If she is in spec ed or esol she has an even better chance. Otherwise, if she somehow can't get a job for that year, if she can sub or work as an assistant for a year, she should be able to work as a teacher for the following year.

[PghWA22]

Originally Posted by Caladium

I'm not a teacher, so I'd double check this--but one thing I hear is that the most job openings are in Prince William County. PW county, as well as Loudoun and Stafford, seem to have the most growth right now as well as the highest birth rate in the country. So they're building schools left and right.

That's great news...I hope the whole Baltimore/DC/Nova area continues to see manageable growth and increasing job opportunities.

[PghWA22]

Originally Posted by marie5v

That would probably be a good bet. She should apply to all the counties around here - Loudon, Prince William, Fairfax, even some of the MD ones, like Montgomery. If she starts early enough and plans well, she should be able to register for and attend the hiring fairs for the counties and hopefully land a job before you actually move. If she is in spec ed or esol she has an even better chance. Otherwise, if she somehow can't get a job for that year, if she can sub or work as an assistant for a year, she should be able to work as a teacher for the following year.

She is in grades 7-12 Math, which is usually an area of need so we'll keep our fingers crossed. What are schools like in the suburbs in Maryland? Same deal?