# Good joke society- I can't get a teaching job **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 4, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081 "2010-08-04T00:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/41 "2010-08-04T11:44:25Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > Have you actually contacted these schools to confirm your applications were recieved? It seems weird that not a single school would acknowledge your application. You must not have done any job hunting lately - the new normal is that you hear absolutely NOTHING when you apply, regardless of industry or position. Frankly, these days I’m pleasantly shocked if the freakin’ website application results in an automated “thank you for applying” e-mail. (About 1 time in 20, by my experience). ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/42 "2010-08-04T12:04:43Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > > [@sandra\_nz](#): > > > > Have you actually contacted these schools to confirm your applications were recieved? It seems weird that not a single school would acknowledge your application. > > You must not have done any job hunting lately - the new normal is that you hear absolutely NOTHING when you apply, regardless of industry or position. Frankly, these days I’m pleasantly shocked if the freakin’ website application results in an automated “thank you for applying” e-mail. (About 1 time in 20, by my experience). I’m on day three of my new job so yes I have done job hunting lately. Surely it couldn’t hurt to give the schools a call to check your application was recieved. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/43 "2010-08-04T12:20:22Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > I’m not sure _teaching_ the children anything is the point of most homeschooling. Oh, I don’t know. The few people I know who were home schooled had a better education than 90% of the people I went to school with. Not all, or even most, I think, home schoolers are fundamentalist wackos, if I understood your post correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/44 "2010-08-04T12:45:24Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > I’m not sure _teaching_ the children anything is the point of most homeschooling. And yet there are studies showing that home-schooled kids outperform public school kids on SAT and ACT scores. Gee, why didn’t you mention that? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/45 "2010-08-04T13:29:47Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > > [@Sailboat](#): > > > > I’m not sure _teaching_ the children anything is the point of most homeschooling. > > And yet there are studies showing that home-schooled kids outperform public school kids on SAT and ACT scores. > > Gee, why didn’t you mention that? And why didn’t you mention that those studies are very self-selecting? [Read between the lines of this one, for example](http://finehomeschooling.com/disadvantage-of-home-schooling.html). It mentions that homeschooled students who take the SAT have an edge over all students who take the SAT. What it also says is that only 0.45% of students who took the test were homeschooled. Considering that approximately (numbers very greatly) 2% of US students these days are homeschooled/unschooled/“other-schooled”, there seems to be a lot of self-selecting going on there. Essentially, what’s going on is that some homeschooled students do great. But a whole lot of other homeschooled students were doing so badly they didn’t even bother to take the SAT because they had no hope of going to college. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/46 "2010-08-04T13:57:30Z")
I assume this probably isn’t an option for you, but Florida is hiring teachers right now (which I don’t really understand, since the education budget is being slashed). A good friend just got a job teaching high school math. She doesn’t even have a teaching certificate. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/47 "2010-08-04T14:04:34Z")
One data point for the home schoolers: while I did know one family who home schooled their kids for religious reasons and got letters from a few more when I worked for a textbook publisher, the home schoolers I know in the real world just really hate public schools. Mostly because of their own experiences, I think, but ostensibly because they’re against mainstreaming or bullying or the class only progressing as fast as its slowest inhabitant or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/48 "2010-08-04T14:20:45Z")
Try the DoD Educational Activity ([link](http://www.dodea.edu/offices/hr/employment/default.htm)). They staff DoD dependent schools - mostly abroad but also at a couple of locations in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/49 "2010-08-04T14:22:51Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I’ve got a question that I’ve always played out with in my head. > > You know how so many kids are being homeschooled now? A lot of times parents do the teaching, but it’s a tall order for them a lot of times. I’ve always wondered why retired or laid off teachers don’t open up their homes and teach a small group of kids–5 to 7–all day long. My cousin’s ex-wife was a certified teacher who worked with homeschooled kids, though I’m not sure what her setup was. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/50 "2010-08-04T14:30:33Z")
Also - my brother worked for several years at an education nonprofit doing curriculum development. He did this between jobs as a classroom teacher, and it helped him get his current job at a well-regarded school district. Look around for jobs like this, and also things like corporate training and the like. None of this will prevent you from getting a classroom job in the future, and could be valuable experience and a good opportunity now. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/51 "2010-08-04T15:25:09Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I dunno. My idea probably wouldn’t work for some reason that I’m not aware of. . Hmmm … I’m thinking liability insurance might be a big problem – or would simple homeowner’s insurance cover it? Might want to talk to an insurance agent. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/52 "2010-08-04T16:26:22Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I’ve got a question that I’ve always played out with in my head. > > You know how so many kids are being homeschooled now? A lot of times parents do the teaching, but it’s a tall order for them a lot of times. I’ve always wondered why retired or laid off teachers don’t open up their homes and teach a small group of kids–5 to 7–all day long. They have the experience, the credentials, and know what kids should be doing based on their ages and abilities. Plus, parents can specify what they what junior to specifically focus on without actually having to worry that they aren’t “doing it right”. They could also work with junior part of the week and then let you pick up the slack the rest of the week, so that they might be able to do part-time jobs or something. > > Charge $400 per month for each kid (or something comparable to private school tuition). That’s $2800 a month for you. Granted, that’s not a whole lot of money. But it’d be better than being unemployed, and it would be able to tied you over till the job market recovers while still keeping your teaching chops sharpened. All you would need is a home big enough to accomodate a number of children, and a yard so they can play around during recess time. In most states, in order to operate a private school, you have to incorporate, pay county and state licensing fees, and submit to regular health inspections. T’ain’t easy. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/53 "2010-08-04T19:34:42Z")
To the OP: Yep, more supply than demand these days; it sucks but there you go. Follow the good advice others have given here, but I also feel compelled to add that you come off as whiny and entitled, and you seem pretty quick to play the victim card. If you’re letting that attitude bleed through to potential employers, you’re doomed. Discriminated against because you’re new to the area? Doubtful. Chronologically at the bottom of a large pile of applications? Probably. A bit delusional about how much everbody should be falling all over themselves to get in line to hire you because you’re such a golden child? Sounds like it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/54 "2010-08-04T19:53:32Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Also - my brother worked for several years at an education nonprofit doing curriculum development. He did this between jobs as a classroom teacher, and it helped him get his current job at a well-regarded school district. > > Look around for jobs like this, and also things like corporate training and the like. None of this will prevent you from getting a classroom job in the future, and could be valuable experience and a good opportunity now. Your post made me think of a job as a trainer at a large corporation - I think (and I most definitely could be wrong here) that they’d love to have someone trained as a teacher for positions like that. **Wheelz** , I am also getting a vibe of someone who is not familiar with fighting tooth-and-nail to get a job, and how the real world actually works - I think most of us expect to send our resumes off into the ether and never hear back from 99.9% of them, and getting a decent job taking much longer than you think it should. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/55 "2010-08-04T21:36:52Z")
> [@escape3500](#): > > Okay- here is my beef. All my life I was told that if I worked hard enough, I would get a job. I don’t know who told you this, but they are wrong. You also need to make some predictions on what jobs will be in demand when you complete your education. As many people have iterated throughout this thread, most states are having to make severe budget cuts due to a significant decline in property tax revenues, as a result of the housing and finance crisis of 2008/2009. As most education budgets are funded by property taxes, school systems across the country are being forced to tighten their budgets. As the biggest component of a school’s budget is teacher salaries, the only way that schools can meet their budget tightening efforts is to reduce the number of teachers and increase classroom sizes. Some states have put in temporary increases in sales taxes to offset the decrease in property tax revenue, but that’s not always acceptable to voters. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Captain\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/56 "2010-08-05T07:47:20Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I’ve got a question that I’ve always played out with in my head. > > You know how so many kids are being homeschooled now? A lot of times parents do the teaching, but it’s a tall order for them a lot of times. I’ve always wondered why retired or laid off teachers don’t open up their homes and teach a small group of kids–5 to 7–all day long. They have the experience, the credentials, and know what kids should be doing based on their ages and abilities. Plus, parents can specify what they what junior to specifically focus on without actually having to worry that they aren’t “doing it right”. They could also work with junior part of the week and then let you pick up the slack the rest of the week, so that they might be able to do part-time jobs or something. > > Charge $400 per month for each kid (or something comparable to private school tuition). That’s $2800 a month for you. Granted, that’s not a whole lot of money. But it’d be better than being unemployed, and it would be able to tied you over till the job market recovers while still keeping your teaching chops sharpened. All you would need is a home big enough to accomodate a number of children, and a yard so they can play around during recess time. > > If you don’t have a home, maybe you could offer to home school a kid for free in some parent’s big-ass house in exchange for them opening the home up to other kids. > > I dunno. My idea probably wouldn’t work for some reason that I’m not aware of. ☹ But if I had a kid and I had the money, I would let a teacher such as yourself work with them in a heartbeat. > > Sorry things aren’t working out for you, but keep working hard. You never know what door will swing open for you in the future. That’s a good idea until some shitass government agency comes calling and states that your school does not “meet standards”, which would cost tens of thousands of dollars to get. One could be a floating teacher who contracts out to people’s homes. Unfortunately, a lot of “home schoolers” are the children of religious nutters. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/57 "2010-08-05T10:15:15Z")
**escape3500** , like it or not, you’re an unknown quantity. You didn’t go to college in Tennessee, and in fact, you just moved there. Districts don’t know you or the quality of the program from which you graduated, and they may have reason to think they can’t pay you enough (because of the private-school education), or that you’ll get bored and move on, or that you’ll move when your husband takes another job somewhere else. All you’ve really done is announce “Here I am! Hire me!” but you haven’t really given any reason why. What this means is that you’ll have to prove yourself. As others have said, connections help. Can you sub for a while? Or volunteer as an after-school tutor? Or start an after-school tutoring program, if there isn’t one. Any or all of these can help you meet people who can help you get into the district. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/58 "2010-08-05T11:26:29Z")
I went to school in TN (east) and of the 25% that went on to college about half of them wanted to be teachers. You have a lot of local competition that already know everyone they need to know to get the jobs. What part of TN? It is not the same everywhere, there are 3 stars on the state to represent the three “states” of TN. If you are trying in one of the big 4 cities you will probably fare better. Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/59 "2010-08-05T16:11:06Z")
You do realize it’s summer, right? Sure, principals might be in here and there, but I wouldn’t expect much of a reponse. Now that it’s August, things are starting up again and I’m sure the administrators are chomping at the bit to slug through the 600 applications that piled up over the summer. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081/60 "2010-08-05T16:31:35Z")
Forgive me if you’ve tried my area already - Clarksville, TN - here’s the website with openings for teachers (hope this works) [http://www.generalasp.com/cmcss/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp](http://www.generalasp.com/cmcss/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp) The area, including Nashville, has loads of private schools too. But I don’t know much about teaching. There is higher turnover in my city because of a military base, so keep checking. I feel your pain. I got a Master’s in a different field in 2007 and will probably never work in it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-joke-society-i-cant-get-a-teaching-job/549081.md?page=4)