Canadian teachers in the US

No it isn't "technically impossible". At all. Right, plenty of people don't get a teaching job - because of the sheer number of applicants. It's to a Board's advantage (and they do the hiring, not the Union) to hire newly-qualified teachers. Their pay starts at the low end of the grid. For one example, my own son is a HS teacher in Ontario. When he was first hired, he had plenty of work experience prior to Teachers' College but no prior teaching experience. You can't get experience as a teacher until you are one!

I don't see it quite that way. Every teacher hired (by the Board) has to belong to the Union. More teachers = more union members. The more people who get hired, the more it's to the Union's advantage. The No. 1 problem is far too many people want to become teachers. Many fail to recognize the odds - the sheer reality of numbers that confronts them in the job search.

I'll grant that job security is pretty good for teachers who have a fair bit of time in, but it's not necessarily for life. There's a downside to Union rules. In tough times, people can get "bumped." It's an ugly process. If that happens to you, if you can't find someone else to "bump" - or successfully compete for a vacancy at another Board, you can be S.O.L."

It's like a lot of businesses/professions. To stay for the long haul, I think teachers need to be thick-skinned, tough-minded and extremely competent. All three - no particular order. And if you don't really like what you're doing - you'll probably go crazy, long before retirement.

J.

 

As I have said before - probably too often - it's like the glut produced by U.S. law schools. Here, the Teachers' Colleges screen for what they hope are "the best of the best" (i.e. "come back next year when you have more volunteer work with children in your portfolio") and still manage to cram student teachers in till the doors won't close. The multitude of applicants left out flock to the UK, Australia, US and wherever else they can qualify. Everybody smiles and takes their fees. Is it any wonder so many qualified people are without jobs?

J.

 

I don't work with teacher college students but I work with PhD students. Graduates have about 30% chances of finding employment in Canada after graduation as tenure track faculty. Last year, we had a student that after struggling for seven years to get a doctorate then 2 years of post doc finally got a tenure track in the US but now Trump is banning people from some muslim countries, he was born in Iran so he is most likely going to have to leave next year. Life is tough!

The moral of the story is to avoid high level of education and go back to basics, people working in nursing, construction, technicians, etc seem to be having the easier time now. Salaries are not very high but at least you have a job.

 

Most jobs are unionized, so they're not too badly paid. There's quite a range. A while back we had a discussion on welders making 100K. Here's a bit on electricians and other construction trades in Canada, from livingin-canada.com.

"The 2016 full-time average hourly wage rate for industrial, electrical and construction trades, which includes electricians (except industrial and power system), is $28.00. The 2016 corresponding median weekly wage rate is $1,125, giving an approximate full-time annual salary for this employment group of $58,500."

It is noteworthy (at least to me) that at last report about 4,000 Hydro One (electrical utility) employees were on the "Sunshine List." (Yearly list of all Public Sector employees making $100K plus.) Their names will no longer be reported as the service has been "taken private."

Indeed - and this is causing problems here. From what I've heard, I don't think our Prime Minister is too aware of some of the ramifications. I heard yesterday of a law student (two years completed) who is working on a joint Canadian & American law degree program offered at U. Windsor and U. of Detroit, across the river. She's from Iran and has permanent resident status in Canada. Under the new ban, she's been refused admission to the US as she's from Iran and not a Canadian citizen. Permanent resident status won't do, apparently. So - no classes in Detroit, unless things change...

J.

 

Bottom line is that Canadians need to diversify, as the US is becoming over populated and saturated, we will be seeing more attempts to increase barriers of entry. The US is not the world, plenty of opportunities exist in other amazing places like in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. There is no really need for those head aches with green cards, xenophobia, etc, many countries will welcome educated Canadians willing to work hard in education.

 

True. And it's a two-way street. Canada will (and does) welcome educated, hard-working people, too. I like it here - I'm stayin' put - but as you say, If a Canadian wants to move, there are other pretty good alternatives without those headaches you mentioned.

J.