Teaching Market Has Some Bright Spots

Despite a shaky job market and budget cuts at many levels of government nationwide, economic analysts say there remain plenty of job opportunities for would-be teachers, Western Governors University (WGU), www.wgu.edu, reports.

The nonprofit online university, analyzing data from several agencies and organizations that report on the job market for teachers, found that the greatest opportunity exists for those interested in teaching certain high-demand subjects, looking to work in specific geographic areas, and, perhaps most importantly, possessing the right mix of passion, education, and training.

In fact, across the board, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts a growth rate of 13 percent for the teaching profession from 2008 to 2018 – a number that places teaching at the upper end of "average" for the job market as a whole.

Special education, math, science and ESL: The brightest spots

The outlook is even brighter for some specialties in the field: Special education teachers, for example, are predicted to increase at a rate of 17 percent during that same period. "Excellent job prospects are expected due to rising enrollments of special education students and reported shortages of qualified teachers," according to the BLS.

Special education teachers typically require more training and education than other teachers. In many states, a master's degree is required, leading students nationwide to look to the flexibility of earning their Master of Special Education degree online. BLS predictions also call out math and science as teaching specialties promising above-average growth. Teachers who are bilingual are expected to be in especially high demand, both for classrooms where English as a second language is a focal point and for bilingual education for students of all backgrounds.

Location, location, location

The prospect for finding a dream teaching job also varies greatly depending on where someone lives – or where he or she is willing to live.

The BLS reports that one of the biggest factors in how easy a teacher's job search will be is whether she or he lives in a rural, suburban or urban area. By and large, the suburbs are already saturated with qualified teachers. It's in the inner cities and the rural outskirts where the teaching jobs are most plentiful – and often the most rewarding.

Challenging job market facing many teachers

The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA, also known as the economic stimulus package) pumped $97.4 billion into education via the U.S. Department of Education. Based on self-reporting from the states and school districts that received those grants, approximately 275,000 education jobs – including teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors – were saved using ARRA money.

Still, it's not all smooth sailing for would-be educators. With stimulus funds already having been spent and many localities and states diverting education funding to cover other shortfalls, the state-by-state picture varies dramatically. According to a July 2009 Center for American Progress report, many school districts will face stagnant or declining revenues in the coming years.

Teachers also face mounting competition as professionals who have been laid off or are looking to leave economically hard-hit fields like business are pursuing new careers in teaching. More and more states are allowing licensure of teachers who have earned their degree in another field, and those professionals find the availability of online teaching degrees enables them to begin the transition to teaching while maintaining full-time jobs.

Standing out among the crowd

Experts in education point out that in this competitive field, a would-be teacher's greatest advantage is his or her passion. Teachers often work long, hard hours, competing during the day for students' attention in an increasingly distracting world and struggling with budget cuts, school and district politics, flustered parents, and the demanding work of lesson planning after the children have gone home for the day.

A teacher who withstands these demands and thrives in the face of them is the kind of teacher who molds resilient students prepared to charge into the future. And it's these teachers who catch the attention of school and district officials making hiring and promotion decisions.

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