re: How hard is it to get a high school teaching job in Louisiana?

quote:

---

what is this? I too am hoping to break into the teaching field next year. You have any more info on what all this program entails?

---

This is essentially a program for people with non-teaching related degrees to go through a certification program, after which they will be placed in a teaching position when you finish the program. That last part is of particular importance, because you have a high chance of getting placed in a complete shite-hole. The program could be considered a way to farm desperate, but educated, job-seekers and churn out "educators" for positions that are extremely difficult to fill.

Granted, this is not always the case, but the point of this program is find bodies for schools where teachers are most needed, and we all know where and why teachers are most needed when it comes to education in Louisiana.

If you want to be more selective about your schools, become a substitute teacher in the district you desire most, respond to as many substitute requests as humanly possible, and get to know the staff--especially the administration--at your school(s) of choice. So basically, treat it like an internship.

This is coming from my wife, who's a teacher (though she went the traditional route--Master's in education from LSU, Praxis, student teaching, etc.)

EDIT: There is also the Teach BR program, similar to Teach Louisiana but placement is limited to EBR.

quote:

---

I'm of the opinion that you don't teach physics, you inspire people to learn it.

---

I'm with you here.

I'm in higher ed and my wife is in secondary. There's a huge disconnect between the two and the secondary is always going to be the one that suffers.

I am a huge proponent of alternate route teachers - but there is too much BS to make it work. I know of a M.D. that wanted to retire and teach high school biology at one of the top schools around here. The school and district wanted to hire him on the spot - the state said he had to have additional hours. The superintendent stepped in and said frick that and hired him as a "emergency" certified teacher and he rocks that school and has inspired hundreds in just a few years.

But when the state report cards come out, he actually counts against the school's "Highly Qualified Teacher" count. Its ridiculous. High schools are full of former jocks that want to relive their high school days and popular girls who want to do the same - and we discourage those who passionately want to teach later in life, and have real life to share with the future workforce with this "certification" BS.

quote:

---

what is this? I too am hoping to break into the teaching field next year. You have any more info on what all this program entails?

---

What happened to MS and TX, 7th?

quote:

---

I'm in Madison.

---

Nice. I'm down the highway from you.

I have a few friends who graduated in education, they found jobs pretty easily in the Lafayette/Vermilion area. One stopped teaching because he had a terrible experience, though

I don't know anyone who graduated in education and couldn't find a teaching job, although some of them took jobs that weren't exactly what they initially wanted.

quote:

---

I have a few friends who graduated in education, they found jobs pretty easily in the Lafayette/Vermilion area. One stopped teaching because he had a terrible experience, though

---

I tell my students to absolutely not judge the field by their first job - just like an accountant or an attorney would not. For some reason, recent college grads that have to take less than desirable jobs get out fairly quickly. One of my former students helped me at the AT&T store last week and was really pissed off about her student loans being for nothing because she hated teaching.

I really wanted to tell her maybe she shouldn't have pissed her 4 years away at fraternity parties and have a 2.2 in Elementary Education. The only school that would hire her was an inner city school - rocked her little world, she quit in the middle of the school year, and let her license lapse.

Now she sells cell phones at AT&T with $40k in student debt and blames society, the college, the education system - everyone but herself.

If you are certified, it should be easy. Good physics teachers are hard to come by.

quote:

---

I'm on the coast, BSL, and the education is shitty...even the private school my son's in. I wish it was better, but hell I had shitty teachers growing up as well. My mom taught me enough where I was able to pull it off. Hopefully I can do the same without strangling the little guy.

---

Education is 90% Home, 10% School. Educrats will disagree with me, and so will the Marxist "it takes a village" crowd.

Support your son. Emphasize academic achievement on the same level as athletic or social achievement, and he will be alright. The formula is so simple, the execution is atrocious.

I went to a small public school in Alabama that the state has had to take over its so bad. I turned out fine, many others did as well. My niece is a high achiever as well. The problem is the school is full of shitty parents that will raise hell when their kid is benched in a 2A football game that doesn't mean squat but won't roll out of bed for a parent teacher conference, and if they do - immediately make it the teachers/schools fault.

The less crappy parents you have in an area, the better the schools are. I don't know why our leaders will not acknowledge this and create an action plan with this in mind.

I happen to be in the middle of the entire process.

May 2014: googled "Teach Louisiana"

searched for "jobs by geographic location"

found a school within 40 minutes of my house.

Applied. Interviewed in late May.

Passed Social Studies Praxis in June

Got the job in July.

I'm now finishing my first semester teaching W. Geography (Master's in History), and I'm currently getting certified through iTeach. $4500 total, 6 months of coursework. Pretty easy...

That said, take your content area Praxis as soon as possible if you haven't done so. Thats step #1.