One of the biggest decisions you will have to make as a teacher is whether to teach at a public school, or a private school. Most people will only think about pay scales when considering the choice. This is a very dangerous way to go about this decision which will impact much more than just your paycheck.
Just to get it out of the way-as I have already mentioned it- yes, in most cases you will make significantly less money teaching at a private school. It is generally about 10-15,000 dollars less than public school salaries. Of course, you will have other benefits to make up the difference in pay.
Class size is a huge factor in your decision. Most teachers, understandably, prefer a smaller class size. Private schools often boast very small class sizes, while public schools-suffering from budget cuts and low funds- often have to cram more students in a classroom than is beneficial to the students.
Another key factor is discipline. In a public school, it can be hard to remove a disruptive student from your classroom. Even when the student has been deemed dangerous, there is not always a recourse for the teacher. In a private school, these students can be removed easily.
In public schools, teachers are required to have certain credentials-including a teaching license, a Bachelor's (or Master's) degree, as well as other educational requirements as needed. Private ones are able to hire anyone they please. This means that if you do not have a certain credential, you may be more likely to get a teaching job at a private school.
There is more government oversight in public schools than in private ones. Schools are often caught in the midst of political battles and often take school budgets with them as well. Government oversight is also the cause of the often dreaded standardized testing required in many public schools.
The student population will vary drastically between a public and a private school. This is because public schools are required to admit every student within a geographical area. Private schools can turn down anybody- be it for academic issues, behavioral problems, or even inability to pay. This means that there will likely be less troublemakers in a private school, but you may have more spoiled children to deal with.
As you can see, each type of school has their pros and cons. My advice would be to make sure to visit every school you are applying to teach in. You may prefer the atmosphere in one school than another. Many teachers have said that for the freedom that they have in private school, it is worth giving up the extra pay. While others say that they feel they are giving back more to their community by teaching in the free, public schools.
0 comments:
Post a Comment