By Kristen Loschert

OK, what gives? For the past four years your professors, career counselors, and even your Association have told you there is a teacher shortage. And now, as you're about to graduate, all you hear on the news and read in the papers are teacher layoffs and school budget cuts. Where did all the jobs go?

That's a question Amy Simmons wishes she could answer. After she graduated from North Dakota's Minot State University in 2001, Simmons began substitute teaching because of the lack of full-time positions. A year later, her dream came true when she landed a job teaching third grade at a school in Minot.

Her dream job quickly turned into budget crunch reality when she found herself without a permanent assignment the following spring. Facing a declining student population, Simmons' district consolidated three schools into one and reduced the staff, starting with the least experienced teachers like Simmons.

"It's so frustrating when teaching kids is what you know you were meant to do," says Simmons, who substitute teaches and bartends to get by. "It's an absolute roller coaster of emotions. You never know what's going to happen. Is a job going to come along?"

While Simmons' case is extreme, it certainly isn't unique. But that doesn't mean the job market for teachers has dried up. A demand for teachers still exists in most subject areas and in many parts of the country. Finding your ideal job, though, might require some research and flexibility.

Budget Cut Blitz

Nearly 90 percent of education fields have a balanced demand—meaning an equal number of job candidates and job openings—or a shortage of qualified applicants, according to the 2003 Educator Supply and Demand report from the American Association for Employment in Education (AAEE). The annual report surveys college career centers and teacher education programs about the supply and demand for educators in 64 different administrative and teaching fields.

Admittedly, the market for educators has softened somewhat during the past two years, says B.J. Bryant, executive director for AAEE. In 2001, the "peak" for the teacher shortage, all education fields experienced a balanced demand or shortage of educators, she says. Today, 26 fields face shortages, while seven face some surplus. Bryant attributes the market shift to school budget cuts.

"There's no huge new supply. It's not like there is this bulge of teacher education students available," says Bryant. "If a school district had all the money it needed, we'd be right back to the shortages of 2001. I firmly believe that."

States and local communities are struggling with the worst budget shortfalls they've seen since the 1940s. And, in the name of penny pinching, schools have cut extracurricular activities and enrichment classes, purchased fewer school supplies, postponed maintenance projects, increased class sizes, and terminated teachers and staff. On top of that, increasing federal mandates have put the squeeze on schools. With new demands to meet—and few dollars to meet them—many districts have tightened their purse strings, leaving little money to hire new teachers or fill existing vacancies.

Financial pressures have forced many teachers to delay their retirements as well, which means fewer positions have opened up for new grads.

But, no one can teach forever. And states like California, for instance, still face a major turnover in staff within the next decade.

"We still have a need for teachers," says Gail Watts, Student Program organizer for the California Teachers Association (CTA). "Fifty-four percent of CTA members are over 42 years old and a third are over 50. So in terms of retirements in the next 10 years, we will need to replace those teachers in the classroom."

Where the Jobs Are

But what if you need a job today? Where should you look?

Major teacher shortages still exist in special education, math, the sciences, English as a Second Language, and some foreign languages like Spanish, according to AAEE. That's good news for students like Amanda Macdonald, a sophomore chemistry major at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.

"I'm probably not as worried about finding a job, but more finding a job that I will be happy with or finding a job in a state that I will be happy with, not having to settle," she says.

Fortunately, student teachers in shortage areas have that luxury, says Bryant. These aspiring teachers still need a diligent job search, but they can spend more time searching for the right job in the right school for them.

Students planning to teach kindergarten, dance, social studies, health, or physical education, though, face a more difficult job search since these areas already have a surplus of candidates.

"Some of my classmates are already teachers and they are saying they can't find a job because nobody is hiring," says Monica Masino, a doctoral student at Argosy University in California, who wants to teach the social sciences. "I think I will be able to find a job after graduation, but I know it will be challenging in the beginning."

Attending job fairs and working with your college career center can help you locate the vacancies, especially if you want to teach in one of the more competitive subject areas, says Bryant. Students can maximize their job opportunities by looking outside of their region and state as well, because finding the perfect job often comes down to one thing: location, location, location.

Urban and rural areas still have a great need for educators, says Bryant. States in the South such as Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas also have some shortages, she adds.

Meanwhile, states in the Midwest and Northeast, which have a large number of teacher colleges and, consequently, plenty of new graduates, generally have an overabundance of teachers.

That's what worries Rena McCartney, a graduate student at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

"A lot of my friends who are out there now found themselves having to move extremely far away for the job opportunities," says McCartney, an aspiring elementary school teacher. "I'm concerned that if I don't find any jobs available within a few hours of home, I'm going to have to move out of state, which I would be willing to do if I had to, but it would not be my first choice."

McCartney's sentiments are not unusual. More than 75 percent of teacher education

graduates take a job within 50 miles of their hometown or the college from which they graduated, according to Bill Loadman, associate dean for research at Ohio State University and a contributor to the AAEE report.

But, if they live in a tight market, graduates should keep an open mind about geography.

Nela Foster, past chairperson for the Oklahoma Education Association Student Program, knows how difficult it can be to find a position if moving isn't an option.

After graduating from the University of Central Oklahoma last May, Foster moved to Texas when her husband accepted a position in Fort Worth. Since then, she has worked as a substitute teacher because she has not found a full-time position in any of the surrounding school districts.

"It's disappointing and disheartening," says Foster, who wants to teach high school English. "But, I feel optimistic about the next school year. I'm substituting anywhere they will let me sub and I'm substituting every day so I can get my foot in the door and make those contacts."

Getting Connected

In a competitive market, networking and building your contacts often make the difference between kick starting your career and settling for a paycheck.

Fortunately, NEA Student members can tap into Association resources to build those connections, which gives them an edge over other prospective teachers.

"You need to network with as many teachers as possible. It opens doors for you that way," says Rudy Jimenez Ortiz, president of the Student California Teachers Association (SCTA).

To encourage students to network, SCTA holds its membership meetings in conjunction with those for active teacher members. This way, students can talk with current classroom teachers about hiring trends and job openings in their districts, says Ortiz. Meanwhile, regional and national meetings like NEA's annual Student Leadership Conference give students the chance to talk with experts, NEA staff, and other preservice educators about hiring trends nationwide.

"It's very important for us to go out and find out what's going on in the market," says Ortiz, a graduate of California State University San Marcos. "It varies around the state how the job market is going to be. There are still jobs out there, but now it means doing more homework."

Students need to take responsibility for their job search and do everything they can to make themselves more attractive to school districts, he adds. Although state budget cuts have reduced the number of formal internships available to preservice teachers, college students can gain practical experience as school volunteers or through classroom observations, Ortiz suggests. Ortiz, for instance, works as a teaching assistant at a child development center in San Diego to gain experience teaching preschool students. He's also worked with school-age and middle school students to build his qualifications. Students also can attend professional development programs, like the Student Program's Connections conference, to learn about the latest education research and new teaching strategies, knowledge that's sure to set them apart from the competition.

"If you bring that type of experience and you are informed and well rounded, you will be able to choose where you want to work because so many districts are going to want those qualifications," says Ortiz. "You can't let budget cuts stop you. If this is what you truly want to do, you'll find a way."