Plenty of people dream of leaving their jobs to become teachers. Today, more people are actually doing it.
Peter Vos ran an Internet start-up. Now he teaches computer science to middle school kids in Maryland.
Jaime McLaughlin used to do people’s taxes. Now he teaches math to sixth graders in Chicago.
Alisa Salvans was a makeup artist at Saks department store. Now she teaches high school chemistry in suburban Dallas.
Florida’s Education budget is being slashed, resulting in TWO elementary schools being closed in Tallahassee. Teaching is not any more secure right now than Librarian positions.
The article makes it sound awfully rosy. It’s not. I went through one of those rigorous programs described, taking 30 hours of ed. courses, teaching with a mentor, and then FINALLY being permitted to take the state certification exams. It cost me a lot of money and time, and then I found that there were professional biases against “second-career teachers.” Even though I was a published writer and experienced editor, some of the other English faculty told me to my face that they thought I was inferior because I didn’t go through a four-year ed. program. They resented that I could DO and TEACH, for some reason.
But, as the article points out, second-career teachers do end up in the tough schools with mostly at-risk students. I sure did. In that sense, these kids are getting good, savvy teachers who aren’t mired in educationese and educational theory but have worked in their professions. Teacher burnout is high, mostly from the politics. And when layoffs happen, second-career teachers get the pink slips.
Whatever path we take for second caree teachers at least the subjects being taugh may give rise to building careers instead of sociology and a lot of talkly-talk
Harvey, Not if the NEA (Union) has anything to say about it.