Not hiring teachers... bullshit!

I moved to this city just over 2 years ago, just as the economy was really tanking. With smaller government revenues, school districts either stopped hiring or severely curtailed hiring. So instead of getting a regular teaching job, I’ve been subbing for 2 full years, just starting my 3rd.

Last year, I long-term subbed for a school, which basically meant I was a regular teacher (made plans, submitted grades, etc.) but only got paid 1/2 as much. While I was there, a neighboring teacher had a student teacher assistant - Meg - who was graduating in May. Nice as she was, Meg was my direct competition for jobs (both math teachers).

Yesterday, I had a 1-day assignment at that same school. At lunch, the conversation turned to whatever-happened-to-so-and-so topics. When someone asked about Meg, her former “boss” mentioned that she got a position at Watson High School in Southside school district.

My mind immediately cried, “whatthefuck!” That school district not only let go of hundreds of teachers last year, but their web site (supposedly the only way to get your application in for a job) specifically did not accept applications for full-time teachers. So how the fuck did Meg get in?

Then I figured it out: she has 0 years experience; I have six. She’s cheaper!

If this is how this occupation works, dismissing those who’ve earned a higher salary and hiring cheaper teachers, I think I may be abandoning this career.

Even though new teachers understandably have less classroom management skills (which will develop with experience), having a disproportional number of them is going to significantly reduce the classroom management in schools, and students learning will be impacted.

Good luck finding a career where this never happens.

My sympathies, but the worst part may be that this isn’t actually hurting the students. It’s been scientifically demonstrated that classroom experience doesn’t actually improve student learning - not one bit. Some teachers are simply effective (at least for a given grade level or subject) and some aren’t, and neither teaching degrees nor experience helps with that. You’re either staying the same or getting worse.

Cite?

She/he could try nursing. I graduated in May. I had great grades, was the class VP, did all kinds of volunteer stuff, have references from my preceptor - and I still don’t have a job. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told “Sorry, we don’t hire new grads.”

Sorry - I’m going to go feel sorry for myself over here now. Good luck with the job search AWB.

I don’t have access to the book now, but the studies on this were covered extensively in Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point.

There is at least one study that claims that teacher effectiveness and test scores have nothing to do with teacher experience and education. Another study says experience and education do matter. Like most education research, there are so many variables that can’t be controlled for that a lot of studies are very specific to one population and can’t be generalized. The end result is that districts often rely on their own experience rather than scholarly literature when it comes to decision-making.

While I really sympathize with the OP, there may be other factors he doesn’t know about. For example, some districts are trying to get female teachers in math and science at the secondary level, believing that having women in front of the classroom will encourage girls to consider math and science as professional fields, and to boost girls’ confidence in the classroom. It does make a difference at the college level, and it may matter at the high school level, as well.

Finally, at least in PA, teachers are paid on a scale that reflects education and length of service. Subbing counts toward experience at the interview, but it doesn’t count toward length of service for salary purposes.

Sorry you got fucked over. But it may not be for the reasons you think.

From my experience in education, it’s much more likely raging incompetence than any kind of focused conspiracy. What happens on the district level is really different from what happens on the campus level. If you are dealing with the central district office, that may be a huge mistake. District-level human resources may know nothing about what’s going on. In my area of the country, at least, the way you get a job is to find a principal who needs a math teacher and wants to hire you. It’s then their job to deal with all the various district BS to get you on board.

Is it possible she’s coaching? It’s a whole different set of rules when someone is a coach.

Thanks, but I’m not inclined to accept Gladwell’s word for it. It’s not as though he’s an expert in the field.

I’m trying to remember if my own classroom experiences were enhanced by experienced teachers, but for some reason I can’t. :frowning:

I believe that classroom management skills are one of the most important skills that a teacher needs.
I have never observed an inexperienced teacher with quality classroom management skills.
So yes, a large number of inexperienced teachers will have a negative impact on the students, IMO.

Students can sense inexperience, and they definitely do take advantage of teachers without experience.

I dare say you haven’t earned a higher salary if there’s someone able and willing to do the job for cheaper.

By any chance would “Meg” happen to be young and cute? In my school district there seems to be rampant age and looks discrimination in teacher hiring and promotion. At least this is my impression from eyeballing the new teachers who are hired.

I have also noticed this in the corporate world.

I am willing and able to do the job of any CEO for only $300,000 per year. I don’t even need any deferred compensation! Just a flat yearly salary.

Leaving aside the issue of the ridiculousness of “willing and able,” it is almost certain that it’s *not *a question of how much the OP is *willing *to do the job for. Teacher’s salaries are often based on a negotiated scale that takes things like experience into account.

I seriously doubt you are able to do the job of every CEO, or any for that matter.

The point is that the higher salary hasn’t been earned

AWB - sorry to hear that. My daughter had a sub in much the same position as you were in last year. He was great and was the favorite teacher my daughter and classmates had ever had. I wrote him an unsolicited recommendation letter but don’t know if he got on for this year.

Best of luck

Does your district have a union?

Well, I’m pretty sure I can at least avoid driving a company completely into the ground and/or ruining the entire economy, and people doing that are still being paid millions. So, really, I’m a bargain.

Clearly we should be judging teachers by how effectively their students seize the day, once we drop the statistical outliers of the ones who commit suicide.

Quite possibly she had an “in” with someone - though it’s usually a no-no to not post vacancies.

Super suck. I’m sorry.

What I came to say. If you know people, you get the jobs. I’ve got a friend who is a new teacher and is just subbing right now, but her aunt is the principal at one school and she has several older teacher friends who say they’ll request her off the list. Combine this with being young enough that our former high school teachers remember her being an A+ student and she has her ‘in’.