If there are so many teacher shortages, why can I not get a teaching job anywhere even though I have applied.?

Question

I'm a Spanish teacher who was working on my teaching degree through an online university.

Answer 1

1. There is not a lot of demand for Spanish teachers.
2. People responsible for hiring would rather hire someone who did their degree in a normal university.
3. Most schools will only hire teachers who took degree programs containing supervised in-school teaching practice.
4. Your resume, cover letter and professional portfolio might not be strong.
5. Chances are good your online university didn't even tell you that you need a professional portfolio.
6. Probably, it would be illegal for the school board to hire you before you have proof that you completed your degree successfully.

Answer 2

Most schools will not hire anyone who has not completed their degree. THat means, totally completed, not just working on it.

And, what kind of certification do you have? No school around here would hire any teacher who was not completely certified in our state, or qualified to be certified, including completing all their student teaching.

and, the words "on line" university send up a red flag for most people who are doing hiring. Some online schools are scams, and even the ones that are completely legitimate are suspected of producing students who have not really done the work they claim. So, many people who do hiring, would prefer, if they had a choice, to hire someone who had completed their degree, or atl least quite a few course, at a school that was not "on-line"

Not all school districts are short of teachers. And not all school districts are short of Spanish teachers. There are a lot of hispanics in the US who can teach Spanish so I dont think that particular subject is in short supply.... if you were in a different subject area, say physics or math, that would be different.

Answer 3

Foreign languages are a dying breed in education. Your best bet is in high schools. Think about it though- a school needs one Spanish teacher. Once they've found that one, the likely-hood of that person leaving is pretty slim. Hence the problem finding a job. I thought about going into Spanish but decided I'd be better off with a regular education degree. I hate to be so Doomsday on ya, but...Best of luck though. Don't quit trying to land a job. :)

Answer 4

Probably because you were not certified in the areas that the schools needed. The shortages are mostly in special education, math, and sciences. I don't see a lot of calls for Spanish teachers. You might want to check with your local government offices. They might have a need for someone who speaks Spanish.

Answer 5

Bush's unfunded mandate, "No Child Left Behind", imposed huge drains on the budgets of school districts around the country. As a result, schools have had to lay off teachers, cut operating budgets, and increase class sizes.

This means that there are lot of experienced teachers looking for work.

Answer 6

You haven't applied everywhere. There are plenty of schools that need spanish teachers just not in your area. Try moving to a different part of the country.

Answer 7

"was"? Does this mean you finished? Did you get an 'ACCREDITED' degree? Sometimes online universities dont' give 'Accredited' degrees.

Next, if you're applying for teaching jobs, be sure you also have a TEACHING LICENSE from the state in which you want to teach. THese are easy to get, so long as you hvae an "Accredited" teaching degree.

Answer 8

South Carolina needs Spanish Teachers all around the area. Check into the coastal areas, I know of several that were open and sure that there are plenty still open now.