Teacher Making Aliyah

Active Poster Joined: Dec 26 2010 Posts: 96

My husband and I are big advanced planners. Since we got engaged we knew that we wanted to move to Israel and we knew when. Well we are about two years away from the date we would like to move. I have just finished my first year teaching in public school in nyc. I do not have my professional license. I have heard that with a professional license, it is easier to transfer your degree in israel and you can begin work sooner. Is this true? Are there any teachers in israel, preferably english teachers because I think that would be what I will be most equipped to do, that can tell me about their experiences. what are the job credentials required? How was transferring your degree? And are there communities that would be best to consider to make finding a job easier?

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5867

Sorry to derail the thread so fast, but how the heck were you teaching for a year in public school with no license? Something does not add up here.

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5867

Your first year, no less. As far as I know the NYC public schools have been in a hiring freeze for over a year now. Fully credentialled teachers are lining up in droves for the jobs that aren't hiring.

Is NYC an acronym for something else?!

Posted: Sun, Jul 10 2011, 1:09 pm Post subject: re: Teacher Making Aliyah

It really depends. I don't teach here but I know several people who do. Most started out in an area desperate for teachers and taught without an academic degree (some had a "teudat horaa," teaching certificate, which you can get with about 1 year of study, but some didn't). Then later they were able to get other jobs based on experience.

I think though, that if you're planning on starting in a more urban area with no teacher shortage, a degree would help.

And either way, since it's a government job your level of education affects your pay scale, IOW more degrees = higher salary.

Active Poster Joined: Dec 26 2010 Posts: 96

Thanks ora43.

To answer seeker, even though its off topic, I am part of a program called Teach For America, which recruits college grads to teach in inner city schools. I have a transitional license in the mean time while I get my masters. I also teach special ed which is excluded from the freeze.

I would be curious to know if being a Teach For America corp member is recognized in Israel. It is kind of a big deal here.

Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20484

Active Poster Joined: Dec 26 2010 Posts: 96

Posted: Sun, Jul 10 2011, 11:10 pm Post subject: re: Teacher Making Aliyah

I was in EY w. a teaching certificate from the USA & a Sp. Ed. degree, trying to teach. First thing that I wish someone explained to me is, if the ministry of education people (who when I was there, were very non-religious) thinks you are religious (like you are dressing tsnius & covering your hair) they will assume that you are only willing to teach in religious schools. & they do not have the connections to help you get those jobs & were not very helpful or interested in connecting me to the non-religious systems.

It takes time to go through all the documentation they want you to show & verify. & they seemed to want me to take a re-training program on top of it, but I think that was just for the Sp. Ed. certificate. If you have a masters already, I was told that the process for certification there is easier.

The school systems are very different there, & there are a range of public, semi-public & private schools. I was able to be offered sp.ed. positions, but the pay was not anything you could actually live on & in some instances, I was taken aside & told that I should not expect the pay check to be regular.

I was encouraged to teach English. At the time, I was not interested, since my special area was w. very disabled children & that is what I wanted to do. In retrospect, I think the options & opportunities would have been better if: 1) was willing to try living in an area/city outside of Jerusalem 2) Willing to teach English or English as a second language type classes 3) was very open & outspoken about being very happy to teach all kinds of students from all kinds of backgrounds ( not sure what language Israelis exactly need to hear, but the kind of "value diversity" philosophy that you need to incorporate in an American urban setting)

This link may be helpful:

http://www.etni.org.il/etni.htm

(In the end, my story was that I needed to support myself, so I came back to the states & thank G-d had a well paying job, with the population I wanted to work with, within in 1 week. -- It's a whole other topic, but I have no idea how Israeli's manage on what they are actually paid. I think most of the Americans who go there, need to have alternate sources of income or extended family there who will help.)

Best to you.

Hope this helps.

Active Poster Joined: Dec 26 2010 Posts: 96

Kugglegirl, that was super helpful! do you think the government people would understand that I am not picky about my student population based on where I am teaching now, which is a predominately black and hispanic school? What/where was your experience prior to your aliyah attempt?

Executive Member Joined: Apr 09 2008 Posts: 288

Both DH and I are teachers, though DH was born and raised in Israel. we also live in a high needs out of center city.

I have a masters and a teaching certificate, but did NOT want to teach english. I was offered a job in the city teaching, but decided to teach instead at an American school. I teach History and Latin, which is what I am qualified for.

DH was in engineering, but when we came back to israel he decided he wanted out of the hi-tech race. He got a job teaching 4 and 5 point bagrut math here in the city, as well as tutoring. he has no certificate and is not part of the teaching union.

between my teaching and DHs tutoring and teaching we make much more than minimum wage, though that is not normal for 'beginning' teachers.

I also taught in a low income hispanic area before making aliyah... and honestly I dont thin most israelis have any idea what that means, though you can try to explain it to them.
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Active Poster Joined: Dec 26 2010 Posts: 96

roze22, how many years did you teach in America before moving? You did your masters in America? Just curious where. Also what region do you live in. DH and I have thought about the Go North option because we heard it is easier to find teaching jobs there. Any truth to that?

Diamond Member Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 3580

Executive Member Joined: Apr 09 2008 Posts: 288

Active Poster Joined: Dec 26 2010 Posts: 96

What is involved in getting degrees transferred? Is there an online resource you could recommend? My DH originally thought about psychology but when he heard what was involved in transferring that degree he switched to social work. I have heard that they could ask to see your syllabi, is this true?

Executive Member Joined: Apr 09 2008 Posts: 288

Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 20484

Posted: Mon, Jul 11 2011, 1:11 am Post subject:

If you are willing to teach English, as you are, I thibnk there is (or at least was) a special program at Misrad Hachinuch for this. IIUC, they will helpyou through the process. You MUST bring official copies of EVERYTHING!!!! you have with you. Try to contact Nefesh B'Nefesh.
AFA social work, Tamiri's point seems to be quite correct.

Posted: Mon, Jul 11 2011, 2:17 am Post subject: re: Teacher Making Aliyah

I am a social worker who transferred my degree from America. Transferring the degree was very easy. Its a matter of sending in the forms. If they don't know your university, then yes they can ask you to send it syllabii and course descriptions but thankfully for me they were familiar with the university where I studied.

Social workers "in the system" get paid peanuts. Even less than that. Persoanlly, I work privately and charge between 200-250 shekel a session (I work out of 2 places and my rent is higher in 1). Which is more than enough for us. I recommend for people in social work to come here with enough experience to be able to open a private practice. It might make sense to stay in America a few more years, so that at least you can be paid decently while he gets that post masters supervised experience and then he can open a private practice when he gets here.

Posted: Mon, Jul 11 2011, 2:32 am Post subject: re: Teacher Making Aliyah

I only somewhat agree about social work.

Social workers aren't paid well, but salaries are due to go up over the next couple of years. The starting salary is supposed to be 7,000 shekels a month by 2013.

Which is not a lot at all, but could be enough depending on where you're planning to live. A social worker and teacher would struggle in Jerusalem, but could live nicely in Akko or Arad.

Also, as amother said, social workers can go into private practice, full or part time.

Posted: Mon, Jul 11 2011, 5:36 am Post subject: Re: re: Teacher Making Aliyah