<p>Reciprocity is great, but in practicality some of the uphill battle for new teachers finding a first job is that good student teachers known within the school may have the insider’s edge. No guarantees, by any means, but at least they’ve made an impression on current faculty and are on the radar screen of the principal. </p>
<p>I’ve had to move twice to follow H’s career, since being certified mid-life as a public elementary teacher. Each time I had to go backwards for one year, from a full classroom to substitute teach for a year, just to gain the trust of the new district by being seen as I work. This was true even when I moved within the same state.</p>
<p>She might decide, or think in advance, about teaching in the same state where she gains the degree, as the circle of contacts will be known. Even her supervising professor who oversees the student teaching will have dialogue with the school districts surrounding her college. If she returns to her home state, she may have to work hard to regain momentum to find her first job. </p>
<p>On the other hand, she might have old school connections from growing up in her homestate, that will help her even more. I’ve seen it work both ways.</p>
<p>It’s just to be considered that in tough economic times, and with teacher layoffs, the certification does not automatically lead to a teaching spot. I think of certification as a license to interview and compete (hard) for a teaching job, alongside other teachers who may have been longterm substitutes in that school awaiting the same spot, or student teachers/recent grads who served right there, with professors pulling for them.</p>
<p>Newly minted teachers are favored for hiring because they come in at the bottom salary rung. That goodie (in the eyes of a hiring team) is offset by the question of inexperience/newbieness in the classroom management. The only way they know if you can handle the classroom is to have seen a teacher in action, either as a student teacher or substitute. Sometimes as part of the interview process, schools now ask an interviewee teach a “sample lesson” to unfamiliar students, which has its ups and downs. IT’s a profession where people rely on what they observe much more than
commendations from others they don’t know from other states. I don’t like that, because it can incubate parochialism and leave out some astonishing teachers who studied “elsewhere.” I’m just reporting it.</p>
<p>As well, many hiring decisions today include a component of group-interview by current teaching staff, so knowing people in advance is helpful. Student teachers and familiar substitutes have sometimes made their impression on current faculty, so pass that hurdle more readily than someone returning from an out-of-state education.</p>
<p>I realize this is a lot to absorb, and also agree with just taking her best choice for the moment and working out problems as they arise. Still, I’m offering from experience a long view of the issue of studying teaching out-of-state, with the expectation of returning home to work. </p>
<p>Would you and she be equally happy if she stayed within the state where she attends college, to find her first job? It could be easier at that moment.</p>
<p>Several years ago there was discussion within the profession about improving ease of reciprocity, especially slow paperwork that would cause people to lose a full teaching year. The idea was to allow for some mobility, within the nation, among trained teachers. I don’t know if that got any further along. Historically teachers haven’t been mobile, along with firefighters and police, because of salary step levels that can’t be recovered. But today, with everyone relocating more through their lifetimes, perhaps acceptance of teachers trained out-of-state will improve. I certainly hope so.</p>
<p>From other posters it sounds as though the reciprocity process is smoother than 5 years ago, which is a promising start. </p>
<p>Sorry to write so long; passion topic.</p>