If you teach in NYC public school, let's talk!

Senior Member Joined: Mar 30 2011 Posts: 158

I am working towards the same goal, getting my masters in special ed and then getting into public school. If there s anyone out theer in Monsey who works in the county, or even in Saddle River, and can tell me what its like, what kind of salaries you get, etc..I wuld love to hear from u!!

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5867

I'm in the system. I teach high school math in east ny. No, I'm not crazy. Its just a job that pays great and gives me time to take care of my family. So I don't take it personal. Just smile and talk to whoever smiles and talks to you. Talk to the principal as you are talking to a king/queen. Buy some pizza for the classroom eventually. Yes, you have to organize your stuff the night before, sometimes you have to deal with parents u wish u wouldn't know, sometimes you have to swallow garbage from students, but I'm very happy with my choice.
I was looking for a job, and a friend told about teaching. So I applied and I got in. ( my background is statistics , it wasn't hard to get in at all, there wasn't many ppl willing to teach math. It looks like they like ppl with very specific background, like marine biology or sth). Way too many ppl in special ed.
And the best students ll always be the chinese.

Platinum Member Joined: May 15 2008 Posts: 5024

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5867

Silver Member Joined: Oct 11 2011 Posts: 591

I teach in a title 1 vy inner city public high school in nyc. Tough kids. I'm young with a baby's home. Pm me if u have qs

Silver Member Joined: Oct 11 2011 Posts: 591

Sorry autocorrect messed up my post

Seeker, I'm sure I'm not giving you any new ideas here, but I'm wondering if you would consider working with kids one one one during evening hours. I'm not sure what your current job is but I get the picture you're either seit or P3? I know of some SEITs/P3s who get more hours in at night. For school kids who can't be taken out during school hours (either they don't want, parents don't want, school doesn't let, etc..).

Though I have to tell you that these people I know are in brooklyn, where there is a plethora of kids needing special ed. I don't know if you live there or if the situation is the same where you live.
Because if you can do something like that to add to your salary. Say you take on just one kid for 2 evenings a week, an hour session. That's 8 more hours a month and another few hundred dollars. (using the current rates of nyc doe, I think)

Hard to find a babysitter though. Though maybe kid can come to your house.

Anyways, was just wondering if you consdiered this. IF it can't work, can you just add some more hours to your morning hours? I'm confused because you say you work so much less than public school hours, yet the kind of work is better/easier. So I would say hey why not first try adding hours to the current situation and see if you can handle that..

But yeah it's hard to get seit/p3 jobs now so could be you tried and didn't work.

Whatever, just trying to help. I wish you hatzlacha!

Platinum Member Joined: Oct 14 2009 Posts: 5867

Yes basically I have one of those by-the-case jobs and there just aren't so many cases. Plus, they don't come with any benefits or time off or anything so even though by the hour it pays much more, over the course of a year and after paying self employment tax and your own health insurance and all that, it ends up not being that great. Evening is pretty self-limiting and also deeply cuts into family time, maybe it's a solution for singles or newlyweds but soon my kids will be in school and that will really be klutzy.

I'd still probably look for ways to make my current type of job work, but at the same time I need to seriously look into full time employment options. SIGH. Wish it weren't so.

Senior Member Joined: Aug 16 2012 Posts: 164

This topic interests me alot as well. I am currently a private school teacher, and my goal is to one day work for a public school. My dream would be as a kindergarten teacher. But I have to say, although I have a MS in ED and SPED, I do feel utterly lacking when it comes to the world of DOE and Public School. I do not feel ready to step in and take the role of teacher, although I do a great job in my jewish school.

Is the take home salary really only 2800? I do need insurance, and the pension and benefits seem excellent... I just feel that the whole application process, getting into a school, and the hours.. how do you manage? I have a baby and a three year old, and I feel somewhat that I cant work for the DOE until my youngest is in first grade. But that puts off a lot of years of salary increase...

What are your hours? Is there such a thing as a part time job?