Teacher Moving to LA Area
 

I'm a soon to be 23 elementary teacher fresh out of college. I currently live about a hour north of Detriot in a nice suburb. My parents mentioned today that my Dad was just offered a job in Downey (which Dad says isn't a very nice area) and that if the family moved out to the LA area, would I be able to find a teaching job since there are no jobs in Michigan.

I've started looking, but I don't really know the school districts out there. Could anyone help me out? What are the school districts out there? I'm assuming more than just LAUSD. Any input to any I should stray away from?
Thanks!

Oh yes, and is the job market for teachers any better out there than here?

First you should go to the CA Teaching Credential website (www.ctc.ca.gov) and see into which hoops you'll have to crawl to be eligible to teach in CA. Second, there will be jobs available, but they will be in the poorer schools, in challenging neighborhoods. So, then go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/sd/ and look under either Los Angeles County or Orange County for school districts and their websites. Good luck!

Just for the record, there are some areas of Downey that are very nice. It is a typical city with both good and bad. We have close friends who live in an 8500 SF house in a very nice section of Downey.

You really shoulc check all the teaching requirements as well...I know my sister had to get a california teaching certificate, and had to pass a fluency test in Spanish to get hired in San Diego.

and Downey has nice sections...

Also check out www.teachers.net. Go on the chat boards there - nowhere near as nice as Fodors ;) but very helpful with the type of questions you have. You can go in a chat room for Elementary teachers, one for California teachers to ask about the job market, and many others.

I would check with the local CSU (LA, Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, etc.) and the teacher ed. depts. therein. Most, if not all, have extensive knowledge about CA teaching credentials, which you will have to get at some point, since CSUs educate many of CA's teachers (who go to school in CA to teach in CA).

LA is huge w/many districts, so I'm sure that there will be no shortage of jobs, but you will likely have a better chance applying at more "urban" districts. You would likely be directed to more urban schools anyway when hired because that is where the need is.

Don't be fooled, even Orange County has urban environments. These aren't necessarily difficult places to teach depending on your abilities and temperament, but they have their challenges. Go to www.edjoin.org and they have many job openings, but check with the local state u. first.

Also, you will likely need a bilingual authorization as well. You don't necessarily have to speak another language, but you do have to know how to teach second language learners. The CTC website is also a good resource because it is the institution that actually grants credentials.

Depending on how badly you are needed, a district may be able to hire you and request emergency credentials until you can complete the requirements for yours, but this practice is being phased-out.

Good luck.

One last thing, Cinderella02, if you are either fluent in Spanish, teach special ed., math, or science, you pretty much can teach anywhere that you desire in CA.

Trust me, most districts will find a place for you, of course, assuming credential requirements are met or eventually met and depending on the grade levels for which you are credentialed.

Teachers are needed in most parts of Southern California although it is usally in the poorer districts. In looking quickly on the California Teaching Credential site mentioned by TrvlMaven, it looks like your out-of-state credential is accepted and that all you have to do is pass the CBEST test. This test meets the requirement that you can pass a test of basic skills. All prospective teachers in CA have to take this test. And of course you would have to do the normal application process.

I don't think you will have to pass any test in Spanish to become credentialed. Most of my friends are teachers-both elementary and high school-and none of them speak Spanish. And we do live in an area that has a heavy Hispanic population. Of course, knowing some words in Spanish is always helpful.

The one thing you could do for a while is substitute teach. My daughter who graduated college in 2005 and does not have a teachers credential did a lot of substituting for the Santa Ana school district last year. She had to pass the CBEST and turn in all the recommendations. She does have a lot of experience working with kids so that helped but they called her almost every day. She wanted to do mostly elementary school although she did go to some junior highs and high schools. Even though this district in Orange County is a poorer one, there was only one high school where she had a problem and she just didn't accept any more jobs at that site. They were always looking for her to do long term substituting but it didn't fit into her schedule. So that would be another way to get started while you look for a permanent job.

If you need more info on some of the areas, let us know. And yes parts of Downey are nice.