Dallas Still Short At Least 1,000 Teachers For New School Year
Dallas has seen its ups and downs with the field of education. Back in 2009, hundreds of teachers were let go from the Dallas Independent School District (ISD) alone. As a result, potential teacher candidates, who were preparing to graduate from college or their alternative certification program, were left standing at the doors of the ISD with no hope for realizing their dreams of becoming an educator.
Things are finally looking up. According to Dallas ISD's Human Capital Management (HCM) department, the Dallas ISD is going to need at least 1,000 more teachers for the 2013-2014 school year. As a matter of fact, if you go to the Teacher Job Network website, you will see over 500 available jobs for certified candidates, with over 400 of them being teachers. The Dallas ISD alone has hundreds of jobs available on its website. From elementary to high school, there is so much out there for those with a giving spirit. But teaching is not for everyone. Some people say it is more of a calling than a job.
Chris Taylor was happy to answer a few questions about the value of dedicated educators in the Dallas area.
What is your advice to people who want to work in education?
"Education is not for everyone. Some people will never be effective teachers. Others have a gift from God and are born teachers. My number one rule is to evaluate if you love working with the students. If you do not love it with all your heart, then it is probably best that you do something else for your career. It is not a nine to five job. It's whatever it takes to get the job done.
"Teaching is a family-oriented career, and the feeling you get when you do something positive for a student is unbelievably great. Some people go to work for a paycheck and do not have any real meaning from their work. I go to work knowing that I have one of the most important jobs in the world and that I make a real difference."
What makes working in the DFW area unique to other cities?
"Working in the DFW area brings a lot of diversity. Since Texas is such a successful state, many people from all over the world move here. Challenges are presented and overcome daily."
What are some of the rewarding factors about working in education?
"I get to pay forward the positive influences and good deeds that I experienced coming through public education. I believe that being in education has also helped me as a parent. Seeing the positive or negative influences that parents can have on their children has helped guide me in some of my personal decision making."
Judy Serrano writes romantic thrillers at JudySerrano.com. She graduated from Texas A&M Commerce with a BA in English. She is also a freelance writer for Examiner.com. She lives in Texas with her husband, four boys and five dogs.
