Teachers facing tough test: too many applicants, too few jobs
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Teacher Jackie Janaky works with a soon-to-be first-grader during summer school last week at Turtle Creek Elementary School in Delavan. Delavan-Darien School District, among others in the area, report a much higher than normal number of applicants for teaching jobs due to the economy. Terry Mayer/staff.
DELAVAN — When Stephanie Hormig, 24, of Beloit was pursuing a teaching certificate in college, she never dreamed that finding work would be so difficult. After all, she thought she was entering a profession with a profound shortage of qualified candidates.
But what a difference a Great Recession makes.
Hormig graduated from college in December and immediately started looking for work. While she did ultimately land a job this month as a drama teacher at McNeel Middle School in Beloit, that only happened after she applied for more than 40 positions. Casting a wide net, she sought teaching jobs in Wisconsin, Illinois and even in New York City.
Tracy Deavers, director of instruction and technology for the Delavan-Darien School District, said weeding through applications is a job in itself.
“We’re getting well over 100 applicants for any position we post,” she said. “So far, we have posted for five teaching positions, as well five special-ed teaching positions. That’s a lot of applicants to sift through.”
None of the districts contacted for this story have been forced to cut teaching positions, but all report an upswing in applicants for the few positions they are posting.
“I think the economy has played a role (in the shortage of teaching jobs),” said Jim Gottinger, district administrator for Lake Geneva Area Schools. “People are staying longer and (are) not quite as mobile as they used to be.”
Big Foot Union High School in Walworth saw a record number of applicants for a social studies position. Applicants, said Principal Mike Hinske, came from New Mexico, Florida and Arizona. All told, 45 people applied for one position. The candidate ultimately offered the job recently was laid off in Arizona.
While Pam Knorr, the district administrator for Walworth Joint School District No. 1, is grateful she didn’t have to lay off teachers this year, shrinking budgets, she said, are testing the management skills of school administrators.
“It’s tight budget times like I’ve never seen in my life,” Knorr said. “I’ve never seen a budget so tight, and next year promises to be the same.”
Read the full story in the July 18, 2010 e-edition of Walworth County Sunday, HERE.
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Jul 21, 2010 at 12:03 p.m.
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I used to do interview training seminars for college seniors. I was amazed at how naive they were about the job market and this was during good times. Some of them were surprised they couldn't get jobs with the degrees they were pursuing. It is imperative, now more than ever that students do some research to see what fields are hiring. Research is prevalent as to where the jobs are and what are the degree requirements. Majors such as communication arts, journalism, psychology, and some others are not high on the list of job prospects. It seems like education is a hard one too. Students need to do some homework before they claim a major so they go into it with their eyes open.
Jul 20, 2010 at 10:28 a.m.
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I agree with the previous posters. Only 40 applications? Back in 1999, I had way more than that for a teaching job- I also graduated in December and used the spring to job search. I sent applications all over the state. Started interviewing in March...and didn't get hired until August for my current job. I was lucky to get as many interviews as I did with 100+ applicants per job. Funny thing is I wasn't getting hired due to lack of experience. Now districts take the new teachers because they are
"cheaper." Yes, there are less teacher jobs out there because of layoffs and cuts- but it wasn't just because of the recession. I'm kind of disappointed in the article- administrators know they get tons of applicants for one job each year. Colleges also limit the number of people in their education programs now- back then, there were a lot of us at once.
Jul 20, 2010 at 9:31 a.m.
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Let the reader beware: The writer of this article is presenting this situation as something that is the result of the recession, and that not the truth. This situation has existed for decades. When my friends graduated from college in the heady days of the mid 90's, when the economy was booming, the situation for teachers was exactly the same. There have always been more applicants than jobs in education. That is how they have kept wages down (vs. other professional fields with advanced degrees) all these years.
Jul 20, 2010 at 9:25 a.m.
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The best thing to do is start lowering the wages and benefits until a balance is found. That's how it works in real life.
Jul 20, 2010 at 9:05 a.m.
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This is not new. Getting a teaching job in WI is very competitive. In Janesville alone, one opening can produce over 300 interested applicants. For a new graduate to get hired after only applying for 40 postitions and only looking for one semester, he or she should feel extremely lucky. One average, graduates with a teaching degree (minus specail ed majors) search and apply for one and a half to two years before getting into a postion full time. Today's recession may play a role in the amount of people applying, but not a major role in my opinion.
Jul 20, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.
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Proof positive that college degrees mean nothing when there are no jobs available.
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