I spoke to someone today at my friend's bridal shower who is also a jobless teacher. We were discussing the perils of not being able to obtain a permanent teaching degree in the stupid state of New York. EVERYONE who goes to school to be a teacher in New York STAYS HERE! Therefore there are 165+ applicants for EVERY job!
So she tells me that she heard that if you run out of extensions you have to go BACK to school and take another 18 credits worth of classes. SO after paying thousands and thousands of dollars for my AA, BA, and MA that I am ALREADY massively in debt for I would have to pay even MORE freaking money to go BACK to school! Simply because our economy sucks so much that no teachers will RETIRE! How is that fair? I would love to know! If you are any other form of unemployed person you don't have to go back to school and pay tons of money to get the certification that you d*mn well earned!! It's ridiculous!
In NYS you need a Bachelors degree (in my case in Art Education) and you get fingerprinted to get your INITIAL certificate - once you obtain this you have only FIVE years to get 3 years of teaching experience AND your Master's degree. If that five years runs out (as mine did) then you can get 3 one year extensions (these cost $50 EACH) - my third and last extension will be in August. SO as of August 2012 my certification may be gone....
To get a PERMANENT teaching certificate in NYS you need to have:
** you have to pass the LAST (Liberal Arts and Science Test basically tests on ALL general knowledge)
** you have to pass the ATS-W (tests you on teaching questions - how to handle certain situations, etc.)
** you have to pass the CST (Content Specialty Test) in Art
(each of the above tests is around $175 I believe)
** you have to take special classes on: Fire Prevention, Drug and Alcohol and Child Abuse
** you have to teach for three years (ONE of these years must be "mentored") - substitute teaching DOES count but it wouldn't count towards my year that needs to be mentored!
I HAVE EVERYTHING I need EXCEPT all the teaching experience. I have only taught 1 year and 3 months. So I still need 1 year and 6 months of experience. ALSO the one year WAS mentored but I don't have the proof.
So to hear that because our economy is so bad none of these freaking old teachers will retire means that I may have to pay a crap load of MORE money makes me want to SCREAM! Like I literally want to punch the crap out of something! It's sooo unfair. At least when you spend thousands and thousands to become a doctor or lawyer you actually make GOOD money when you get a job. With teaching it takes a LONG time to make good money. So it will take a VERY long long long time and a good amount of my monthly income to pay for my school loans and on top of that to find out MORE could be added to them is just unthinkable right now!
It is truly beyond horrible to have had such a bad year full of expensive money eating car repairs, surgery and doctors bills due to my two miscarriages, losing my job and having far LESS money than the low amount we had before then due to being on unemployment, and on top of all of this bull now I have to worry for the next 1 1/2 years that I may lose my teaching certificate and not even be able to substitute teach unless I spend a crap load more money to go back to school. SO unfair!
I HATE MONEY! And I hate NYS and their stupid certification rules! There should be a little d*mn leeway given the crap that is our economy. I'm so sick of everything going wrong and nothing going right! Why is life so easy for some people and it takes a huge crap on others?
Sorry to vent but I am so beyond annoyed right now. If you read all of this I thank you and I apologize for all the boring facts but along with the sadness of losing my babies, these boring facts and being poor are the facts of my life.
God please tell me it will get better......PLEASE!
Riley & Peyton momma loves you so much. I wish you were here. Please send me some love and some peace. Put a good word in for me because I'm praying that life will take a turn for the better real REAL soon! I LOVE YOU!
This Magic Moment 2022
2 years ago
I'm sorry, Jessica. That's so frustrating and unfair. I cannot remember who wrote about it, but someone blogged about how we should all get a pass to an easy life since our babies died. I couldn't agree more. I'm sorry you have all of this on top of the loss of your sweet babies.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so upsetting, I'm sorry this is happening in your life right now. (((hugs))) Matthew 6:26
ReplyDeleteWow! I never knew NYS had so many certification requirements!! I'm suprised there are so many applicants for one position given all the hoops you have to jump through to be a teacher up there :-(
ReplyDeleteCould you be a long term sub for someone and that count as your teaching experience? I'm thinking of someone out on maternaty leave? I know down here there is different paperwork subs have to complete to get on that type of list.
If they do force you to go back for a certain amount of credit hours, could you get a minor in something - say English - to make you more marketable? You could teach a few English classes and then a few art classes? It would get your foot in the door.
Just some suggestions. Teachers are having a hard time finding positions down in Georgia too. I'm thankful to have found a position back when the economy was good and they were spending on education. Otherwise, I know it's hard to get into a good school.
Praying that job comes along! Keep subing, keep making connections, keep saying hi to principals and department heads - you'll get there!
Jamie
I am so sorry you are going through all of this. I will pray for you to be able to teach so that you don't have to redo your credits and pay all that extra money. It is just so unfair that you would lose what you have already earned because the economy sucks and they aren't hiring new teachers. So sorry :( I am praying for you.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mary
I am so sorry that you have to deal with this stress as well as grieving for your sweet babies. It is SO not fair that some people seem to have it so easy and others just keep getting s*#t on! Sending lots of love and hugs your way and hoping that you get some good news soon.
ReplyDeleteAargh! That would piss me off so bad too. I was actually going to go into secondary education, but I went to a Junior College and then transferred to a University later. I already had my associates and figured I would only need two more years of school to get my bachelors. Wrong! I was punished for not going to the university from the get-go and they told me it would take me 5 years to get my teaching certificate.
ReplyDeleteYEAH RIGHT!
I said, "So I will go to school for 7 years to become a high school teacher, which is as long as a doctor, only I won't make any money and I'll never be able to pay off my student loans?" Yep. I changed majors.
I'm sorry girl. You definitely didn't need that. I want to punch something with you.
This sounds so unfair - it didn't take that much to get my teaching certificate and it was for life. That is no longer done in Texas. They have time limits now. I pray you get a permanent job soon so that will be one less thing to worry about.
ReplyDeleteI hope things get better for you soon!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're having to deal with all of this! Man, just reading the list of requirements stressed me out. :) That's awesome that you have it all done minus the actual teaching experience. I pray that a job opens up SOON!
ReplyDelete