Why The Time Is Now To Go Into The Field of Education

I am currently half way through my first year working as a School Psychologist in my local school district. In this short amount of time, I have come to several realizations. The first realization is the significant lack of African American men in the field of education and the second is the enormous potential for economic growth the field of education could produce. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on why I believe the time is now to begin looking into the field of education for employment opportunities.

I have worked in my school district all of four months and in this time, I have witnessed countless people quit, resign, transfer school districts and leave the profession of education. Some people left due to burnout, work overload and a variety of other reasons. While I was initially shocked at the amount of people leaving, I was told on several occasions that this is normal within the school system. Upon further explanation, I was told that those individuals that have worked within the system for many years are beginning to retire. In northern areas, many people are migrating south due to the lower cost of living.

I was told that most educators have a career span of anywhere from two to four years in the same school. According to a 2006 study done by the National Education Association, 50% of teachers leave the profession within five years because of poor working conditions and low salaries. Yet, according to the 2006 General Social Survey, teaching ranks among the Top 10 most gratifying jobs with 69% of teachers reporting they were very satisfied with their jobs.

Consequently, for all the educators that are quitting, retiring or leaving for whatever reason, this now leaves the door wide open for a new wave of individuals to begin their careers. While many of us have friends, relatives and loved ones that are searching for jobs and are currently unemployed, I believe the answer is simple! The answer is to go into the field of education! To those individuals that have been out of work and looking to land not only a job, but a stable career, the time is NOW to go into the field of education!

There are three main reasons why the time is now to go into the field of education; 1.) Variety of career paths within the field of education, 2.) Decent salary and benefits, 3.) Educators are highly needed all over the country!

Variety of Career Paths - A common misconception in the field of education is that the only job you can have is to teach. School districts employ hundreds and in some places thousands of various people that all operate within different capacities. There are positions that require varying degrees of education which is a huge benefit. This means that depending on your own level of education there is a position in the school for you. If you have a high school diploma you may work as an instructional assistant, school bus driver, library specialist, food specialist, receptionist, grounds and service worker, etc. If you have a Bachelor’s degree and depending on state requirements, you may be able to teach in the classroom setting, substitute teach or long-term substitute, or even serve as an intervention specialist, athletic coach, art, gym or other special content area teacher.

If you have a Master’s degree and depending on state requirements, you may work as support staff, school psychologist, school counselor, social worker, administrator, pupil personnel worker,  instructional specialist, facilitator, central office employee, etc. If you have a terminal degree there are positions such as administrator, coordinators, even superintendent positions available. No matter your degree level, there is always potential to progress to higher level positions and advance pay grades in your given school district. Most school districts will offer teacher incentives and even pay to help you further your education. This leads to the second reason to go into education, which is the excellent pay!

Excellent Pay & Benefits - In regards to discussing pay in the school system, it is important to keep in mind that actual salary differs from state to state and even from district to district. Some school districts may pay their employees on the lower end of the spectrum, while some school districts may pay as well or better than some major companies. An advantage of working within the school district is the consistent salary and the excellent benefit packages that educators receive. Most benefit packages include full medical, dental, life insurance, pensions and more. Another perk is that most business and companies offer discounts to educators (trust me, I receive a nice discount every month on my sprint bill) such as car loans, home buyer programs and so much more.

As mentioned earlier, your salary will be determined in large part to what region you work in and what school district you decide to work for. According to payscale.com, here is a breakdown of the top ten salaries, grades K-12 by state:

Since I live in Maryland I want to provide statistics for the state I reside and work in to give you a sample of the breakdown at the state level. According to www.teachersalaryinfo.com, the salaries for Maryland teachers have ranked 10th in the nation for the past three years (2009, 2008, and 2007). Maryland’s teacher salaries have increased each year by at least 1.94 percent to the annual wage of $56,896.67 in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As reported by www.nea.org, the current beginning teacher salary in Maryland is $42,297 and the Average Teacher Salary is $62,849. The current job market as rated by the National Education Association in Maryland is “excellent, especially in the urban areas, Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and Baltimore City”.

Excellent Job Forecast & Future Opportunities - With the high number of retirees and people leaving, this leaves the door wide open for individuals seeking employment. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the total number of elementary and secondary school teachers increased 23% between 1995 and 2008 and is projected to increase 7% more between 2008 and 2020! The numbers of teachers in public schools increased 24% between 1995 and 2008 and is projected to increase 9% between 2008 and 2020.

These statistics simply mean that while the economy steadily declines and unemployment continues to rise, the field of education is projected to increase substantially in the foreseeable future. In other words, the time is now to go into the field of education!

If you have been out of work, turned down for numerous positions and are at your wits end, the answer appears to be clear. The field of education needs you now! This field will provide financial security with a steady income, a great benefits package, movement to grow and gain even more education and job opportunities in literally any part of the country that you choose. Perhaps the greatest benefit of going into the field of education is the opportunity to cultivate and nurture our future generations. Ladies and gentleman, the time is now for the field of education!