More or less marketable?

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TeacherGal
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More or less marketable?

Post by TeacherGal »

Would a chemistry teacher be more or less marketable in a job search by himself or as part of a teaching couple with a female partner who was an elementary school teacher?
eion_padraig
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Re: More or less marketable?

Post by eion_padraig »

It's generally a value for a school to hire two people they need as they save money in most cases. But the real question is if the school needs the other teacher. If the couple is open to just having one job secured (saying this in the letter) and waiting for an elementary school position to open up later, a school may decide to hire a chemistry position first.

Is this for a specific school or are you wondering about the process in general? Is there a reason the elementary school teacher doesn't want to work?

Eion
fine dude
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Re: More or less marketable?

Post by fine dude »

You'll be more marketable by offering another subject, biology, math, or physics. Way too many chemistry teachers these days.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

In general ISs same coin hiring teaching couples for various logistical issues, but this depends if the IS needs both ITs. Primary is the most common vacancy, but its also easy to fill. I dont agree with @fine dude that chemistry is saturated (its not biology), if an IS needs a chemistry IT they need a chemistry IT, and they want the best chemistry IT they can get, but adding additional science areas wouldnt be a bad idea and would increase your marketability. The chemistry / biology threshold is about the barrier between an IT having to find an IS that needs an IT spouse and being able to leverage a vacancy for an IT spouse as part of the offer (ISs will create a vacancy or are more likely to hire an IT spouse for a vacant primary position when they really want the higher demand IT). If your a really strong chemistry IT with good SLL scores in IE curriculums you can probably push to make that happen. Otherwise your higher marketability is as a teaching couple where an IS has matching vacancies.
shadowjack
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Re: More or less marketable?

Post by shadowjack »

You'd be even more marketable if you were married, but better to recruit as a couple than as two singles. We had that situation once, where a couple got hired as two singles and the school ended up changing the policy as other married couples asked for more benefits to match those the two 'single' teachers were receiving.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

I assumed the LW was married, if not and theyre just BF/GF than theyre just two singles with a history.
fine dude
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Re: More or less marketable?

Post by fine dude »

There is a ton of chemistry teachers who are also examiners and workshop leaders. Can't say the same about HL math and physics, though.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@fine dude

Those comparisons are all relative on the scale, yes there are more chemistry ITs than there are maths and physics, and I will add there are fewer ICT programming ITs too, but those are the only subject areas of ITs that there are fewer of than chemistry. There are more biology/life science ITs then chemistry and if there are a ton of chemistry ITs than there is a kilo ton of social studies ITs and a mega ton of humanities ITs and an exo ton of primary ITs.
fine dude
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Re: More or less marketable?

Post by fine dude »

@PsyGuy
Exactly. What took you so long to concur?
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@ fine dude

You stated " Way too many chemistry teachers these days.", there isnt. There are more than there are physics/maths but not biology or anything else. Glad you agree with me now though.
fine dude
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Re: More or less marketable?

Post by fine dude »

Chemistry teachers aren't as much in demand as they were ten years ago. BTW, there is no such thing as an exo ton.
PsyGuy
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Post by PsyGuy »

@fine dude

That may or may not be true, I see less of a demand for chemistry ITs, as the cost of chemistry at SLL is more expensive than physics or biology. Regardless thats not what you wrote you wrote there is " Way too many chemistry teachers these days.", and thats not true, there may be more of them then in the past but there isnt saturation in the field yet for chemistry ITs, and its not anywhere near saturation.

My error, (stupid auto correct) I should have written an exa-ton.
Overhere
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Re: More or less marketable?

Post by Overhere »

I would say having an ES teaching spouse may or may not make you more marketable to individual schools but as a whole probably doesn't have any impact.
fine dude
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Re: More or less marketable?

Post by fine dude »

@TeacherGal
If your partner can offer math / science coaching to her elementary colleagues, employers might be open to accommodating your partner as 'Instructional Coach' is the new superhero in IT.
PsyGuy
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Discussion

Post by PsyGuy »

While I dont disagree that instructional coach is growing (as a fad), most ISs include maths and science as part of the HRT duties. Unless an ISs is going in that direction or has already done so, they arent very unlikely to restructure their schedule to accommodate that kind of schedule, and except for year 6 (maybe) primary maths and science isnt beyond the typical primary HRT.
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