Elementary Education Job Outlook In California
She’s the only MSU music grad this semester who wants to work as a music teacher in a Montana school.
“I’m feeling very, very excited,” Skogley, 22, said Friday at MSU’s Teach Montana job fair. “There’s several openings. ... I’m ready to have my own classroom and get started.”
The job outlook was tougher for students like Patrick Lozar, a 23-year-old from Polson, who is about to graduate as a history major with a teaching option.
“There’s not a lot of social studies jobs n only two so far,” Lozar said. “From what I’ve heard, a lot of (older teachers) in this economic climate want to hold onto their jobs. It’s been a wakeup call. I’m going to have to claw a little harder to find a job.”
The two students’ outlook as they perused the MSU teachers’ job fair brought into focus a truism for soon-to-be graduates hoping to go into education: when it comes to landing a teaching job, a lot depends on being trained in the niche that schools need to fill.
The economy’s downturn was felt at the job fair, which attracted school districts from all over Montana looking to fill openings for coaches, teachers, special-education teachers and counselors.
Carina Beck, MSU career services director, said she was delighted that 17 of the 20 school districts showed up.
“I think education is one of those professions that is almost recession-proof, simply because we have to educate children,” Beck said.
But the job market this year is far different from what it was when these students started college. Then, recruiters were coming from Las Vegas, waving generous pay offers. California and Washington state weren’t laying off thousands of young teachers.
Some teachers who left the profession to go into real estate are now coming back looking for teaching jobs, said Bart Bailey, principal at St. Labre Indian Catholic School.
In Montana this year, many school districts still aren’t sure how many new teachers they can hire. The Legislature just passed the state budget, which settles a big piece of schools’ budget puzzles. But many schools’ finances are still up in the air until mill levy elections are held May 5. Schools are also waiting to hear who’s retiring.
Urban school districts like Helena’s and Bozeman’s, which offer new teachers starting pay of $33,900 and $35,000, get tons of applicants.
It’s a different picture at rural school districts, where starting pay may be $22,000 to $24,000. Beck pointed out that rural schools may offer other benefits, like forgiveness of student loans or rents as low as $125 a month.
Pat Strauss, the Bozeman public schools’ human resources director, said for the handful of openings he has yet to fill, he got 60 job applications at the University of Montana’s teachers fair alone. About 750 people from all over the world have applied for a jobs ranging from custodian to teacher listed on the district’s Web site.
One of those hopefuls is Sarah Doll, 23, who graduated from MSU a year ago in elementary education. She did her student teaching at Longfellow School and now works as a paraprofessional at Emily Dickinson. She’s working three jobs to pay off $20,000 in student loans.
“Everyone wants to be here,” Doll said. “It’s cross your fingers and hope your personality shines. I love it here and want to stay.”
Clay Dunlap, superintendent of the 100-student school in rural Winnett, has driven from Spearfish, S.D., to Billings and Missoula, searching for a music teacher. He sounded frustrated and almost desperate.
“We go to the ends of the earth to find a music teacher,” Dunlap said. Not only is it tough competing against Wyoming, which offers starting teachers $40,000, he said, but music majors would rather work in Nashville or Los Angeles than teach in Montana.
Sabrina Scruggs, 22, of Silver Star is the second MSU student graduating this week in music education, but she’s planning to take a year off and then may go to grad school. She winced when told she’s probably breaking some school district’s heart.
“I know,” Scruggs said. “I feel bad.”
Gail Schontzler is at gails@dailychronicle.com or 582-2633.
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“I’m feeling very, very excited,” Skogley, 22, said Friday at MSU’s Teach Montana job fair. “There’s several openings. ... I’m ready to have my own classroom and get started.”
The job outlook was tougher for students like Patrick Lozar, a 23-year-old from Polson, who is about to graduate as a history major with a teaching option.
“There’s not a lot of social studies jobs n only two so far,” Lozar said. “From what I’ve heard, a lot of (older teachers) in this economic climate want to hold onto their jobs. It’s been a wakeup call. I’m going to have to claw a little harder to find a job.”
The two students’ outlook as they perused the MSU teachers’ job fair brought into focus a truism for soon-to-be graduates hoping to go into education: when it comes to landing a teaching job, a lot depends on being trained in the niche that schools need to fill.
The economy’s downturn was felt at the job fair, which attracted school districts from all over Montana looking to fill openings for coaches, teachers, special-education teachers and counselors.
Carina Beck, MSU career services director, said she was delighted that 17 of the 20 school districts showed up.
“I think education is one of those professions that is almost recession-proof, simply because we have to educate children,” Beck said.
But the job market this year is far different from what it was when these students started college. Then, recruiters were coming from Las Vegas, waving generous pay offers. California and Washington state weren’t laying off thousands of young teachers.
Some teachers who left the profession to go into real estate are now coming back looking for teaching jobs, said Bart Bailey, principal at St. Labre Indian Catholic School.
In Montana this year, many school districts still aren’t sure how many new teachers they can hire. The Legislature just passed the state budget, which settles a big piece of schools’ budget puzzles. But many schools’ finances are still up in the air until mill levy elections are held May 5. Schools are also waiting to hear who’s retiring.
Urban school districts like Helena’s and Bozeman’s, which offer new teachers starting pay of $33,900 and $35,000, get tons of applicants.
It’s a different picture at rural school districts, where starting pay may be $22,000 to $24,000. Beck pointed out that rural schools may offer other benefits, like forgiveness of student loans or rents as low as $125 a month.
Pat Strauss, the Bozeman public schools’ human resources director, said for the handful of openings he has yet to fill, he got 60 job applications at the University of Montana’s teachers fair alone. About 750 people from all over the world have applied for a jobs ranging from custodian to teacher listed on the district’s Web site.
One of those hopefuls is Sarah Doll, 23, who graduated from MSU a year ago in elementary education. She did her student teaching at Longfellow School and now works as a paraprofessional at Emily Dickinson. She’s working three jobs to pay off $20,000 in student loans.
“Everyone wants to be here,” Doll said. “It’s cross your fingers and hope your personality shines. I love it here and want to stay.”
Clay Dunlap, superintendent of the 100-student school in rural Winnett, has driven from Spearfish, S.D., to Billings and Missoula, searching for a music teacher. He sounded frustrated and almost desperate.
“We go to the ends of the earth to find a music teacher,” Dunlap said. Not only is it tough competing against Wyoming, which offers starting teachers $40,000, he said, but music majors would rather work in Nashville or Los Angeles than teach in Montana.
Sabrina Scruggs, 22, of Silver Star is the second MSU student graduating this week in music education, but she’s planning to take a year off and then may go to grad school. She winced when told she’s probably breaking some school district’s heart.
“I know,” Scruggs said. “I feel bad.”
Gail Schontzler is at gails@dailychronicle.com or 582-2633.
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