If you have a degree in education, your skills and expertise are in high demand. There’s a growing need for educators at all grade levels—primary, secondary and even in higher education. And for those with education graduate degrees, job prospects are even more promising. Why the sudden boom in education careers? There are so many jobs available to teachers right now because a large segment of the teaching workforce (the baby boomer generation) is nearing retirement. With a growing U.S. population and the mandating of smaller class sizes by federal programs such as the No Child Left Behind Act, millions of jobs are being created across the educational spectrum. The U.S. Department of Education estimated in a recent report that 2 million teachers will need to be hired over the next decade. In a 2007 manpower talent shortage survey, the need for qualified teachers is second only to salespeople. And this isn’t just within the United States. Their survey is global.
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects 10 percent overall job growth in the education industry between now and 2016. College-level instructors (positions requiring a doctoral degree) will see a 23 percent growth in their field. For elementary school teachers, job growth is projected at nearly 14 percent. If you’re called to work with students with special needs, the prognosis is even better; there’s a trend toward the inclusion of children with disabilities in classrooms, and the job market for special education teachers is projected to grow by as much as 20 percent.
What does that mean for you? A wealth of opportunity, and a wide variety of career options—not just here, but abroad as well.
As mentioned before, the job market expansion in education is not just happening in the United States, but worldwide. With an increasingly global economy, there is always demand for English teachers, so you may want to consider teaching the English language overseas—either in a classroom setting or for business in the private sector. With so many Americans living and working abroad, their children need qualified teachers as well. The State Department provides an excellent resource in the Office of Overseas Schools, as well as a list of organizations that are in need of bright young teachers (the Peace Corps is one of them).
Schools across the United States—especially in rural and urban areas in the South and the West—are scrambling to find qualified and enthusiastic teachers. Many school systems are offering perks like substantial signing bonuses and accessibility to low-rate mortgages to entice job seekers to relocate.
Other employers are offering to pay your tuition, and sometimes more, if you agree to work in an area for a specified length of time upon graduation. The Teacher Shortage Employment Incentive Program in Oklahoma is just one of many programs across the nation. Brevard County, Florida, is offering $2,000 incentives to teachers in specific subject areas for the coming academic year.
In Utah, a recent search for 100 qualified math and science teachers netted only six applicants. The state responded by pushing for an incentive program that could pay teachers a signing bonus, in some cases as high as $5,000. Utah State Senator Howard Draper has identified a key cause of the problem, saying that people who graduate with math and science degrees typically enter higher-paying professions. “We need to respect the principle of supply and demand, and adjust teacher compensation accordingly,” he told the Daily Herald of Provo, Utah.
A perceived “downside” of the education industry is that its salaries have not kept pace with other professional areas. And while you’re not going to become an instant millionaire as a teacher, the picture isn’t as gloomy as it is often painted, especially if you’ve got a graduate degree in education. Payscale.com shows that teachers with graduate degrees earn considerably more than those without—we’re talking $8,000-$9,000 more a year. Median incomes for teachers are in the mid $40,000 range, but starting salaries are approaching that level in many states, according to information compiled by the National Education Association.
The National Education Association is a highly reputable national organization with a powerful union presence that consistently advocates for its teacher membership. The NEA and the American Federation of Teachers are the two principal education unions in the United States, and through their national and local organizations, they work on behalf of their members and the profession, fighting to improve working conditions of teachers nationwide. They are principally committed to guaranteeing great public schools for all children, no matter their upbringing or economic situation. And this, of course, begins by making sure qualified teachers are well represented and fairly compensated, as they are the foundation for a well-educated and productive society.
Most teachers aspire to be teachers because they genuinely love helping people learn, and want to see future generations succeed. Many teachers share in the great pleasure gained from seeing “lightbulbs” go on in their students’ eyes as they grasp a new concept or solve a complex problem. These emotional aspects of teaching have been fulfilling for educators for generations. And the good news is that now, the landscape is changing to make a career in education more satisfying in its practical aspects as well—a growing job market, rising salaries, competition among employers for your skills and an entire world of opportunity available to you. Now is the best time ever to go to graduate school to become a teacher.
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