What's the market like for teaching jobs? (Portland, Salem: 2015, job market)

[OceanOcean]

Hello all,

I'm an Oregon native in my late 20s. I am an elementary teacher. My SO and I moved to Nevada two years ago after I graduated with my Master's of Arts in Teaching, because I needed a teaching job and they were hard to find in Oregon but very easy to find in Las Vegas. The weather and cost of living is good down here, but I miss my family and the Oregon lifestyle a lot, and I'd like to move back eventually. We knew when we moved down here that it would be temporary.

However, as you all know, in Oregon is THE place to move to right now. I thought that being down here a couple of years and gaining experience as a teacher would be helpful in my getting a job, but now I'm not sure. I was hoping that waiting a couple of years on Oregon might mean that more schools would be hiring, but I am seeing no jobs advertised anywhere for next year (it's still early though). Is anywhere in the greater Portland area in need of teachers? Would I have any shot of getting a job for next school year? I do really want to move back, but don't want to if it's a poor financial decision.

We'd consider moving to anywhere in the northwest corner of the state: Salem, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Woodburn, Clackamas... or any of the other cities in that area. Vancouver area would be fine too. Rural districts would be okay if I could live in a larger area and commute within 20-30 minutes.


Any thoughts?

TLDR: Can anyone tell me about the availability of teaching jobs in northwest Oregon?

[texasdiver]

Honestly the job prospects are not great. I'm also a native Oregonian and moving back with my wife this summer after a decade in Texas where teaching jobs are really easy to find. I teach HS science and the prospects aren't great in most towns where you'd want to live. Education budgets have been on a long slow bleed in Oregon and there are lots of unemployed teachers around doing other stuff who want back in.

your best bet might be to look across the river in the Vancouver area. Washington schools are on a more solid funding basis and there has been a lot of growth in Clark county and new schools being built. Driving from Vancouver or Camas or Battle Ground into Portland really isn't any different than driving up from a place like Woodburn. There is some paperwork involved with getting a Washington teaching license but it wasn't that problematic coming from Texas. Just lots of forms and 2 tests I needed to take which I could do remotely in Texas. But it did take 3 months to get all done.

You will increase your options if you get licensed in both states before you start your search.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Teaching jobs can be hard to come by. I suggest that you start submitting applications and do not plan on moving until you have secured the job.

If you want to increase your chances, it helps to be bilingual. Fluent enough to teach in that foreign language. It also helps if you are an excellent math teacher.

So while you are waiting, you might consider going back to school and getting fluent in another language or else start taking math courses until you understand math well enough to teach it clearly enough so that young kids can understand it.

[texasdiver]

Also a lot of the school districts use computerized application systems where you have to have all the background documents including the license uploaded to their HR system before you can actually start applying for jobs. So you will want to get all the licensing stuff done well in advance or it can prevent you from actually being able to apply for positions.

[OceanOcean]

Thank you all for that information. It's really helpful and specific.

I'm at a school in Las Vegas that I love right now, which is great, so I'm hesitant to commit to moving back when I don't know what I'd be heading back to. Oregonwoodsmoke, I think you're right that it would probably be a good idea to find a job before moving. The problem is, I think it is also likely that most districts would be less likely to interview me if I didn't have a local address. It's like a catch-22.

It seems like, with all the people moving to Oregon, there should be a need for more and more teachers, but that hasn't seemed like the case thus far. I came across an article that was talking about average class sizes being in the mid 30s for upper elementary classes, which is crazy! It appears that rather than building new schools or hiring more teachers, schools are just putting more kids into every class. I wish Oregon would work to improve their school systems. Oregon's such a progressive state, but the state is often at the bottom for education-related stats.

Anyway, not meaning to rag on Oregon because it's a big part of my heart! I just wish I had a shot at moving back. I might be able to work towards a bilingual certificate. My Spanish is decent, but certainly not fluent.

[OceanOcean]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Honestly the job prospects are not great. I'm also a native Oregonian and moving back with my wife this summer after a decade in Texas where teaching jobs are really easy to find. I teach HS science and the prospects aren't great in most towns where you'd want to live. Education budgets have been on a long slow bleed in Oregon and there are lots of unemployed teachers around doing other stuff who want back in.

your best bet might be to look across the river in the Vancouver area. Washington schools are on a more solid funding basis and there has been a lot of growth in Clark county and new schools being built. Driving from Vancouver or Camas or Battle Ground into Portland really isn't any different than driving up from a place like Woodburn. There is some paperwork involved with getting a Washington teaching license but it wasn't that problematic coming from Texas. Just lots of forms and 2 tests I needed to take which I could do remotely in Texas. But it did take 3 months to get all done.

You will increase your options if you get licensed in both states before you start your search.

Are you still looking for a job, then? I would think that having your science certification would be very helpful.

[christiner81]

my good friend is a science teacher (middle/high) at a rural district 45 min from portland. she says that teachers want to move to the cities, rather than a rural area, so they have to replace them often. she really likes the rural/small districts, so she's happy where she is at. she is a native oregonian who moved around a bunch before coming back a few years ago. her first year back, she subbed a lot and that really helped get her foot in the door. there is a big sub shortage, so finding those jobs shouldn't be too difficult. she wasn't licensed here in OR at the time, they were very flexible with working with her on it because of the shortage. they are currently allowing anyone with a bachelors to get a temporary restricted license to help deal with the sub shortage.

But to echo what another poster said, the budgets are lacking and it seems that schools here are having to make do with less. Not sure how that compares to where you are now. In my current district we employ zero librarians and technology access is hit or miss depending on the school. they have not reinstated jobs and other items that were cut when budgets were cut drastically during the recession.

[Yankeemama]

Originally Posted by OceanOcean

Thank you all for that information. It's really helpful and specific.

I'm at a school in Las Vegas that I love right now, which is great, so I'm hesitant to commit to moving back when I don't know what I'd be heading back to. Oregonwoodsmoke, I think you're right that it would probably be a good idea to find a job before moving. The problem is, I think it is also likely that most districts would be less likely to interview me if I didn't have a local address. It's like a catch-22.

It seems like, with all the people moving to Oregon, there should be a need for more and more teachers, but that hasn't seemed like the case thus far. I came across an article that was talking about average class sizes being in the mid 30s for upper elementary classes, which is crazy! It appears that rather than building new schools or hiring more teachers, schools are just putting more kids into every class. I wish Oregon would work to improve their school systems. Oregon's such a progressive state, but the state is often at the bottom for education-related stats.

Anyway, not meaning to rag on Oregon because it's a big part of my heart! I just wish I had a shot at moving back. I might be able to work towards a bilingual certificate. My Spanish is decent, but certainly not fluent.

My son's school in PPS, a few years back, hired a few teachers from out of state and I have heard that local districts recruit from all over the country. I think talented teachers are in demand.

[Metlakatla]

Idk, it says here that parts of Oregon are experiencing a teacher shortage. I would imagine that wouldn't include Portland, and I've read that teaching jobs are almost impossible to get in Bend, but it's a big state.

Oregon districts hustle to fill vacancies amid teacher shortage | OregonLive.com

[usaf_1832]

My wife got an elementary school teaching job in three days when we moved here. Either we were super lucky, or the job market may not be as tight as everyone says.