The Outlook....
According to Newsweek, " For K-12, Clinton will leave behind No Child Left Behind, recruit thousands of new teachers and principals, aid at-risk youth and expand after-school programs." If I hadn't already voted for her in the primary, she'd get my vote based on that alone. Obama's educational rhetoric is more toward preschool and Pell Grants for college tuition. Good things, but not of interest to me in my current state of life.
Last Sunday's newspaper had a front page story about California budget cuts and the effect on education. Hundreds of terminations are anticipated. Capistrano Unified expects to ax 266 teachers and an additional 161 staff. Santa Ana Unified will let 570 go. Orange will let 200 temporary teachers go. Newport Mesa says zero will go and Huntinton Beach did not have numbers yet. A few schools are in danger of closing completely. (Wasn't one of the requirements of NCLB smaller class sizes?) Basically, this means that as difficult as it will be to get a job as a new teacher, it'll be even harder to get sub work once all these experienced teachers are out on the market.
Here's what's interesting: about two weeks ago LA Unified was on campus recruiting. They're advising obtaining a single subject authorization on top of the Multiple Subject Credential. This will mean one more class and taking one more CSET, but for it to count, I can't do it until after I have my credential. After reading the paper this weekend, I'll certainly have time, since I won't have a JOB! It won't hurt. What's one more English class?
Like everything else, it's all wait and see. Let's say budget cuts in CA come and then Clinton is elected and makes good on her promise. That could work in my favor. On the other hand, they could cut the budget substantially and McCain could keep NCLB and I'd have to consider leaving the state to find a job. It's just hard to believe. A few years ago, they were desparate for teachers and LA Unified was building more campuses all over the place. Now the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction.
:::sigh:::now I'm depressed.
Last Sunday's newspaper had a front page story about California budget cuts and the effect on education. Hundreds of terminations are anticipated. Capistrano Unified expects to ax 266 teachers and an additional 161 staff. Santa Ana Unified will let 570 go. Orange will let 200 temporary teachers go. Newport Mesa says zero will go and Huntinton Beach did not have numbers yet. A few schools are in danger of closing completely. (Wasn't one of the requirements of NCLB smaller class sizes?) Basically, this means that as difficult as it will be to get a job as a new teacher, it'll be even harder to get sub work once all these experienced teachers are out on the market.
Here's what's interesting: about two weeks ago LA Unified was on campus recruiting. They're advising obtaining a single subject authorization on top of the Multiple Subject Credential. This will mean one more class and taking one more CSET, but for it to count, I can't do it until after I have my credential. After reading the paper this weekend, I'll certainly have time, since I won't have a JOB! It won't hurt. What's one more English class?
Like everything else, it's all wait and see. Let's say budget cuts in CA come and then Clinton is elected and makes good on her promise. That could work in my favor. On the other hand, they could cut the budget substantially and McCain could keep NCLB and I'd have to consider leaving the state to find a job. It's just hard to believe. A few years ago, they were desparate for teachers and LA Unified was building more campuses all over the place. Now the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction.
:::sigh:::now I'm depressed.