Getting a Job as a Teacher in the Bay Area: Harder than Nailing Jell-O to a Tree

As I mentioned in previous articles, I miss teaching in the classroom. Though I work over 25 hours a week as a tutor, I truly long for those school mornings; walking into my classroom, preparing my lesson for the day, writing instructions on the board, and seeing my students. 

I especially miss the classroom interaction with my young ones: discussions about literature, watching them make connections between real life and a character or a plot line, hearing them tell me, intelligently, why they liked or didn’t like a novel, reading their blossoming written work, and supporting them when they felt like they were failing.

I continue to do most of these things with my single students as a tutor, but the liveliness of the classroom…Well, nothing can replace it. 

Since December I’ve been actively looking for classroom placement for the 2011-2012 school year. This has proven to be quite a challenge, however, and not just because of the economy.

Before I begin, I should tell you a little about my resume. I have been an educator for 15 years, and I have a master’s degree in education. I am a published author, both on Patch and in academia. I have written curriculum, acted on several accreditation committees, have a slew of glowing recommendation letters, sponsored clubs, raised thousands of dollars and supplies for charities, and have been specially trained in diversity awareness and differentiated instruction. 

In short, my resume is fairly impressive.

However, I earned my degrees in Arizona. Getting my certificate in California has been an arduous and expensive process. 

First, I had to pass the CBEST, which is, essentially, a very basic assessment that tests whether or not I can read a graph, decipher a paragraph about chipmunks, and perform basic math functions like division and subtraction. This test cost $140. Why wouldn’t a master’s degree nullify this test?

I also learned that I have to be CTEL (California Teacher of English Learners) qualified, a difficult test in three parts. It covers everything from the origins of language to California history. This test, which is also only offered twice per year, is $303.

Whether or not I have to take the CSET (California Subject Examination for Teachers) is still up in the air. Most of the testing questions are similar to those on the CTEL, but if I have to take it, I will have to pay another $200. Finding out this information is near to impossible. The California Department of Education website is extremely complicated and talking to a real person on the phone is, frankly, laughable. My last wait time was 42 minutes and then I was disconnected.

Not only is there a financial burden, but I have experienced first hand what is now known as “unemployed discrimination”.  Because I have not been employed as a “regular” classroom teacher for the past year, I am frequently passed over for those who are currently teaching and pursuing new employment, especially by independent and religious schools. 

Working as a writer, exploring other facets of education including working with disadvantaged youth in the South Bay, and rehabilitating from a serious bicycle accident, the catalyst for my leaving the classroom last year, seems to have little merit to prospective administrators.

Additionally, within public schools, most districts want to hire within their own communities. This is understandable: they would prefer to give jobs to teachers who have been laid off in the past or live in their surrounding area. However, even though I am as qualified as many of those applying, I am still considered un-hirable by public schools because I haven’t completed the given-twice-a-year CTEL test, for which I am registered in June, even though I’ve worked in independent schools in San Francisco for 6 years.

After Waiting for Superman appeared in theaters, the conversation about “good teachers” increased dramatically. Time magazine, in their review, stated, “Our future depends on good teachers— and that the coddling of bad teachers by their powerful unions virtually ensures mediocrity, at best, in both teachers and the students in their care."

Though I realize the problem with schools is not solely based on the teachers the way Waiting for Superman implies, most of the problems are tied to “red tape” issues- budgets, services, curriculum study, and the difficult issue of hiring/firing teachers—all of which stem from convoluted and seemingly contradictory state requirements.

I know that I'm not the only teacher out there looking for a job, nor am I the only one who has been temporarily out of the classroom. What about stay-at-home moms returning to the workplace or those who have been laid off? There are plenty of people who are looking, and I am one of them.