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Americans, is it time to go home?

 
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Gulezar



Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 483

PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:36 am    Post subject: Americans, is it time to go home? Reply with quote

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2018/01/solve_ell_teacher_shortage.html

The National Shortage of ELL Teachers Has Caught the Eye of Congress
By Corey Mitchell on January 25, 2018 12:20 PM

A group of Democrats in Congress has introduced a bill designed to remedy the national shortage of teachers who work with English-language learners.

The Reaching English Learners Act would create a grant program under Title II of the Higher Education Act, the part of the law that governs teacher preparation, to pave the way for colleges and school districts to develop curricula for aspiring ELL teachers.

In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education reported that at least 32 states have a shortage of teachers to work with English-learners, but the problem is not new. School districts have struggled for decades to find qualified bilingual teachers, especially in communities where English is not the first language for many students ...
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hope so but I don't see why preference should be given to those who know Spanish.
I am certified in two states and I am thinking of going back, as long as the pay is good enough, and the cost of housing is not much.
In some states, like in Oregon, buying a home costs too much.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't imagine this gaining much traction in today's DC. Pretty sure the current administration isn't going to be enthusiastic about significantly expanding ELL teaching.
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twowheel



Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 753

PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Americans, is it time to go home? Reply with quote

"Americans, is it time to go home?"

Upon reading the title of this thread, my immediate answer to the question posed is no.

I was a content-based 4th grade ESL teacher in New York City from 2004 to 2007. I did the Peace Corps for three years, which wasn't easy, but being an ESL teacher in NYC has been the most challenging position I have ever taken; my subsequent work has been a walk in the park in comparison.

Gulezar wrote:
but the problem is not new. School districts have struggled for decades to find qualified bilingual teachers, especially in communities where English is not the first language for many students ...


Americans, time to come home? Those jobs have been there for a while, along with the training programs to prepare one for such jobs, and I presume they will be there for the taking for a while longer...along with all of the stress and long hours and challenges and lack of respect. I say "no thank you" to all of that.

Also:

spiral78 wrote:
I can't imagine this gaining much traction in today's DC. Pretty sure the current administration isn't going to be enthusiastic about significantly expanding ELL teaching.


I second the above quote by spiral78.

I no longer think that the end goal for me is to bide my time abroad and then wait for my chance to repatriate nicely and spend the rest of my days in the U.S. I am realizing that the end goal for me is to spend my time abroad.

I argue the opposite, now is the time to venture out. I have made the definite decision to stay in Beijing indefinitely.

twowheel
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My pay in Japan is low enough so that is why I am thinking of leaving.
The US is a big country so just because some schools are bad does not mean all are bad.
I was looking at jobs at private schools yesterday.

For those who are single, it is a different story.
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BadBeagleBad



Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185

PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mitsui wrote:
I hope so but I don't see why preference should be given to those who know Spanish.
I am certified in two states and I am thinking of going back, as long as the pay is good enough, and the cost of housing is not much.
In some states, like in Oregon, buying a home costs too much.


Ummm, that would be because there is more of a need for Spanish bilingual teachers than for other languages. That has been the case for as long as I can remember.
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mitsui



Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki

PostPosted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 12:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It used to be that ESL classes would be in English only, and not in Spanish and English. Students still managed to learn English.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
It used to be that ESL classes would be in English only, and not in Spanish and English. Students still managed to learn English.

There are different types of English language education programs. See ESL vs. bilingual education: Is there a difference.
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RedLightning



Joined: 08 Aug 2015
Posts: 137
Location: United States

PostPosted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 8:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bilingual programs tend to be found at the elementary level, while ESL at secondary
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Mod Team


Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:46 am    Post subject: Directly Reply with quote

Two off-topic postings have just been deleted.

The topic of this thread is precisely what is written in the thread title:

"Americans, is it time to go home?"

You may assume this thread will be closely monitored by the Mod Team to insure any and all future postings directly address the stated topic.

Postings not directly addressing the thread topic will henceforth be deleted.
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twowheel



Joined: 03 Jul 2015
Posts: 753

PostPosted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

RedLightning wrote:
Bilingual programs tend to be found at the elementary level, while ESL at secondary


ESL can also be found at the elementary level.

At my elementary school there were four 4th grade classes and each had a different slant, basically something for everybody:

1. general ed.
2. inclusion--mix of general ed. and special ed. kids
3. ESL
4. bilingual (Spanish/English)

Naturally, these four tracks offer employment to teachers from a wide variety of teaching backgrounds. I reiterate: these opportunities should be around for a while. Americans, go home when you are ready and willing to; the training programs and public school jobs should be there for you.

twowheel
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timothypfox



Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 492

PostPosted: Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I returned from Japan in the late 90s and was a NYC ESL teacher for 5 years under The Teaching Fellow program. The teachers and students were great. Working with administrators and dealing with antagonism between the school union and the principal(s) was stressful to say the least. Now I'm back in Japan. I traded a great retirement pension and lots of holiday days for a job that pays less, has less holidays, and will lead to only a small pension, but has considerably less stress.

Those of you considering returning to America may work out as public school teachers. But if you end up in a situation like my own, you may try using your advanced credential and school teaching experience to return to Japan for a better job. Do balance the pros and cons I've listed above.

One thing to be aware of if you try to make this kind of move back to America is subsidized programs to become a school teacher will place teachers in high needs schools. While kids and families are generally great, you will be supporting kids who have experienced extreme poverty, and / or neighborhoods with violence. Many families have come from countries or protectorates (such as Puerto Rico or Dominican Republic) because services for special needs education are extremely limited compared to the US.

It is possibly to move from a high needs school to a wealthy suburban school after a few years. While suburban schools have the advantages of even higher pay and populations of students with very few special needs students, these schools are not as culturally diverse and the cost of housing is ridiculous, so commute time might be much longer and by car. This type of career change tempted me after working in NYC, but I ended up again in Japan. But, in considering what will happen if it is time for me to return to America again (its not now - but falling student numbers at my school give me a wait and see type of thinking), this is a possibility of where a teaching career could eventually take you in the US.
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