Job market, elementary education (western mass)

Submitted by Shaylurker t3_11b3270 in massachusetts

Planning a move from Kentucky to the Northampton, MA area next summer. Unfortunately, Kentucky is increasingly becoming a difficult place for a lesbian couple with children to live.

I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner and see many opportunities in the area. My wife is working to finish her degree in elementary education. As I browse different job boards, it doesn’t seem that there is much opportunity in elementary education. Is this due to the time of year or is this field saturated in the pioneer valley?

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gerkin123 t1_j9vode4 wrote

It's the time of year. Right now, openings posted through SchoolSpring are generally replacements for mid-year departures. Jobs begin popping up April-May, if my memory is correct.

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Shaylurker OP t1_j9yg6ea wrote

Thank you for sharing the information about school spring/timing of postings! Super helpful

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NesquikKnight t1_j9vzjoh wrote

Most of the districts post on schoolspring and positions will start opening up in March/April when the school's start finalizing budgets.

For info on the license reqs DESE is your go to site.

In MA she will eventually have to get her Master's but she'll be able to teach for 5 years without one (and can apply for an extension after that), as long as she meets the other reqs.

Welcome to the Pioneer Valley, my wife and I were able to move back out here a couple of years ago and love it. She's a 1st grade teacher and she enjoys it out here compared to where she was before.

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Shaylurker OP t1_j9ygdiv wrote

Thank you for the welcome! We are looking forward to moving to the area. Seems like a very good environment in which to raise children (particularly of a no traditional family). Also, great to know your wife enjoys her job!

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NesquikKnight t1_j9yquxa wrote

Absolutely! Our first kiddo is in kindergarten and I'd say about 1/3 of the kids in his class have same sex parents.

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_peteyfourfingers_ t1_j9vu4nx wrote

Your partner will be able to find a teaching job. Does she have a masters degree? She will also need to pass the MTEL, but I don’t think she needs either BEFORE getting a job. I think you have three years to finish both. Oh, and welcome!

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Shaylurker OP t1_j9vvt52 wrote

Thank you for the information. She will only have her Bachelor’s Degree when we move there. I wondered whether she might have to work as a paraeducator for a period of time while looking for a position. This post makes me feel more positive!

Thank you for the welcome. We are very excited for the transition

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poprof t1_j9wgln9 wrote

I am a teacher in the pioneer valley. She will need ti pass both MTEL tests before getting her license as the state does not offer reciprocity with other states. Most districts will not hire her under a provisional license without those tests but a few would (Holyoke and Springfield).

Neither is prohibitively hard - she will also have a much easier time getting a job if she has her SEI endorsement - also a test/class.

Check the DESE website for certification routes she can take.

If she had these licenses - and especially if she has any experience in sped - she could get hired in my district today.

Jobs get posted in April and throughout the summer.

Good luck and best wishes.

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Shaylurker OP t1_j9ygtte wrote

Thank you for all of the helpful information. Sounds like there are many tasks to be completed. Good to know the completion of these requirements will likely end in a teaching position somewhere in the valley!

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_peteyfourfingers_ t1_j9vypuv wrote

I work in K-12, and I can tell you that we need teachers big time. I won’t say desperate…but a lot of staff fucked off after Covid. You’ll fit in just fine. Is there a reason that you’re going to Northampton in particular? Feel free to DM if you don’t want to share publicly.

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Constant-Piglet2163 t1_j9y3whc wrote

Lots of opportunities for para just wait until spring/summer timing. She can work on taking the MTEL teacher tests when you get here to work on licensure. Mass is a great state to teach in. Welcome!

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Live-Breath9799 t1_j9x4jgd wrote

It's probably more cost effective to work as a substitute teacher than a Para. The rates vary by district but paras make very little, like $14 bad.

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galgsg t1_j9w1xoh wrote

Springfield is always hiring teachers. It’s a Title 1 district, so you get a lot of the Title 1 issues. They don’t use schoolspring, so check here. This is also contingent on your partner passing all of the MTELs, and they will also have to either take RETELL or pass the SEI exam AND get a Master’s (this is a state requirement, not just Springfield). A benefit of Springfield is that the district offers RETELL for free, many districts do not. There are also fast track Master’s programs in the area.

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SharpCookie232 t1_j9wfttu wrote

SEI is a course, not just an exam, and it's pretty demanding, but it is interesting and useful, so at least it's time well-spent.

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galgsg t1_j9wgl58 wrote

One can avoid taking RETELL/SEI by passing the SEI MTEL. Otherwise, they’re stuck taking the course. Larger districts with large numbers of ELL students will often offer the course for free, teachers in smaller districts will either have to pay out of pocket for the class or pay out of pocket for the test.

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Shaylurker OP t1_j9ygimn wrote

Would you happen to know the time commitment of the SEI course?

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galgsg t1_j9yk318 wrote

You meet once a week for a roughly a semester. It’s brutal, but mandatory in the end. I know a few who have passed the test instead of taking the class, they might even have test prep books out there now. There is a place in Northampton that offers the course, The Collaborative.

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DeskFan203 t1_j9wpudx wrote

Does Springfield have a residency requirement for teachers? They do for the library staff...

Edit: and the library is ALWAYS hiring which is odd

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galgsg t1_j9wrhh0 wrote

For teachers? Lol, no. And they barely enforcethe one for they have for the firefighters and some cops. Do you mean school librarians or librarians for city libraries? Because school librarians are considered public school employees, so are not subject to residency requirements.

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DeskFan203 t1_j9wrlyp wrote

Sorry, meant the public library not schools.

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anxiouscolon t1_j9w4cxt wrote

We need teachers! It is definitely not oversaturated here. Especially if you'll work in Title 1 or special ed. Positions will start being posted soon, but there might be a small summer crop too as people don't sign their offer letters for next year. I got my job here in July which was stressful as we had already decided to move to the area. I hope you love it here 😊

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Shaylurker OP t1_j9ygxd2 wrote

Thank you for the information. We are definitely looking forward to making the transition.

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Agreeable-Damage9119 t1_j9xczku wrote

After you've settled in, please visit us further west in the Berkshires. We're hillfolk, but we have a vastly different culture than Kentucky. You're very welcome here!

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Shaylurker OP t1_j9yhed0 wrote

We definitely will! We have 3 kiddos that will love exploring the Berkshires

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MoirasPurpleOrb t1_j9y1eg9 wrote

Do not underestimate the teaching license requirements! It’s a lot and will take time.

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SmuglySly t1_j9wl9x0 wrote

Western Mass will be a great spot for your family! Best of luck on the future move and welcome to the area!

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ThreeDogs2022 t1_j9wonqm wrote

It's absolutely not saturated. Our district is hiring....everyone. LOL. I don't think your wife will have ANY trouble finding a position. Keep in mind teaching licensure is pretty demanding in MA compared to most states so she should definitely start figuring out what she'll need to do now.

Welcome to the hippy, happy, Pioneer Valley! We do weird shit here, and it's a great place to live imo.

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Shaylurker OP t1_j9yh1t9 wrote

Thank you for the information. We look forward to moving to the area!

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Staple_Sauce t1_j9yjlu2 wrote

From one lesbian couple to another, welcome! I hope you love it here. Some of the news coming out of the rest of the country makes us uneasy but MA is a solid refuge, especially the Northampton area.

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Various-Fan9759 t1_j9wcghx wrote

Westfield and gateway need subs right now! Jobs will open up in the summer usually

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piggyazlea t1_j9y50jw wrote

A teacher I used to work with (she was both a general ed K teacher and a special ed K teacher for ~5 years), moved from the greater Boston area to the Pioneer Valley area and wanted a kindergarten or first grade position. She started looking and applying in June. She received 5 callbacks and interviews. This is almost unheard of in general education in eastern MA. Western MA is not saturated like eastern MA.

With that being said, your wife will need to acquire her MA teacher license beforehand. She will need to complete the appropriate MTEL assessments and obtain an SEI endorsement. Getting a MA teaching license is no joke and it will be time consuming. It’ll be like starting over licensure-wise. Also, she will need her masters within 5 years of teaching in MA. Masters degrees are required here.

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lotusblossom60 t1_j9vyu5t wrote

Do you go on school spring.com? That’s where I’ve gotten most of my jobs.

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KateLady t1_j9y5yvw wrote

She will be able to find a job. As others said, districts tend to start posting their openings in the spring for the following year.

I haven’t seen anyone else mention it yet - A Master’s degree is required to teach in Massachusetts. She will need to earn one within 5 years of employment.

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KDsburner_account t1_j9y924l wrote

As others have said you will have no trouble getting jobs in either of those fields here. Some schools might not post positions until the summer though? I’m not sure how it works. Cities will probably have more positions but it might be more challenging.

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boilermakerteacher t1_j9wtm1t wrote

We start school far later up here (Labor Day weekend), and don’t get out till late June. So hiring season won’t happen for another month and a half or so. And SchoolSpring 100% in Massachusetts.

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JaKr8 t1_j9x2vba wrote

I think you'll find a very welcoming community and the Pioneer Valley, and in Berkshire county. That is one of the benefits in moving to and living in one of the most highly educated States in the country

You'll find more permanent employment opportunities as the school year ends.

The immediate North Hampton area is quite expensive for the region. As you go further out, especially north and West, you'll find prices drop relatively quickly.

Take some time and check out the area before you settle in permanently. There are a lot of unique regions and character to the towns in the area.

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Coonhound420 t1_j9yrfe5 wrote

It’ll pop up in the spring. I’m in my second hear teaching in Massachusetts and secured my job in May or June before moving here.

Edit to add: it’s a competitive job market. I only had one year under my belt when I moved here and the desirable school districts didn’t even look at my application. Your partner will have no problem finding a job in Holyoke, Springfield, or Chicopee, but they’re not great districts. Also she will have to get her masters within five years of teaching here. It would also be beneficial if she started the MA license requirements before moving.

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Quiet-Ad-12 t1_j9ys2pg wrote

She will also need to make sure she completes her SEL certification or finding a job will be tough.

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missfrazzlerock t1_j9ysv5m wrote

No job info, but I also moved to the Northampton area from Ky last year! Happy to talk more about the experience. Feel free to DM me.

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betteroffsleeping t1_j9z2fmv wrote

Preemptive welcome to MA! I just wanted to say that my parents moved here in the 90s to raise children as a gay couple, and it’s been one of the things I’m most thankful they ever did. I was able to actually meet other kids from LGBT+ households and feel truly normal.

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UmassAmherst t1_ja1xjua wrote

I would keep an eye out for openings in the late spring. Not sure what your sexual preference has to do with your question. If it has to do with Northampton, it’s a very welcoming place for all kinds of people. Wishing the best of luck to you

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MelodySmith1234 t1_j9zm8jw wrote

You’re gonna love Northampton and she will find something soon enough

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new_Australis t1_ja1hxyj wrote

Welcome to Mass! Specially Western Mass. You will love it here.

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DetailPlus t1_j9wly3e wrote

Definitely the time of year, but it could also be what area you are looking in. For example, it just so happens that I recently lost my psychiatric nurse practitioner!! You must be a gift coming here!! Lol. Funny though because one of my sister-in-laws lives in Louisville and another lives in North Adams, which is closer to the Northampton, MA area. What a small world!

My sister-in-law out in Western MA also works at the Berkshire Eagle in a break away local cultural arts magazine that may be of some knowledge there.

If you enroll on www.masshireberkshirecc.com, you may be able to start visualizing more opportunities and apply early if possible?

If you like, feel free to send me a PM before the move and maybe we can help you expand your access or welcome your family when you arrive!! From what I hear from the Louisville sis, Western MA is waaayyyy different culturally and in general, so I think you'll like it here!!

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Bobbydadude01 t1_j9y97n1 wrote

There aren't a lot of good jobs in that field in the area, sadly. There are some but they are very competitive. My wife left the field and became a secretary because they offered 20k more a year than she got teaching.

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