iluvbooks

I am really trying to figure out the "where I want to be" right now. Although there are many things I enjoy about being in the classroom and all the rewards that come along with it, I am very frustrated at the "worker bee" level. It seems like many of these districts are in need of good advice and they aren't neccessarily asking the teachers. I think that ultimately my interest lies in school reform also and that I will make the most impact outside of the classroom. It's funny that you mention going into school psychology. I've thought about going into a counseling program also! I think it would be very rewarding work, but having observed the guidance counselors it seems like they are worker bees as well, just doing a different job. As a teacher, I feel like that we are basing quite a bit on the results of the CMT/CAPT tests, but I am not seeing a lot of research that suggests all of this testing is having the proposed pay offs. I want to know what's going on and what the research suggests we do next - involved in the process- rather than just enacting the proposals handed down to me. Geographic location is somewhat important, but I would be willing to move. My family is pretty spread out across the eastern U.S. and I am not worried about having to make new friends or anything. I have a comfortable living situation now, but I have a list of probably 5 areas that I would move to without a second thought. The deciding factor for me would really be the working environment - good people matter. What types of positions do you think would allow me to achieve my goal? Would I most likely find these positions at the State Department of Education or at the district level? Which degree do you think would most prepare me for this kind of work?

Funding is an issue and I have considered that. You are absolutely correct about not taking out any more student loans. I would need to work probably full time during the time I was getting my EdD. As far as which program I would apply to, I have done some research on the programs available, but I am not sure which one would be the best fit for me. I am interested in ultimately going into either curriculum design, or community education/action. Education reform has gotten so much media attention over the last few years with the controversy over No Child Left Behind, and I see a real crisis brewing with the recent lack of funding to education. In the large urban district that I currently work in, 42 teachers were given lay off notices last week and more lay offs are coming in July. I think that teachers need to be actively involved in the process of education reform and I believe a more rigorous and dynamic curriculum and more community/parental involvement (and accountability) are neccessary in order to actually fix the problem. I want my voice heard. You are also correct about State Universities offering excellent programs. I went to UCONN and I believe I received a very good education there. I know UCONN has a highly rated school of education and have several friends who graduated from it. My main reason for prefering Teacher's College over UCONN would be (I am embarassed to admit it) the prestigious name and the Ivy League connection. Most teachers have a Master's degree in this state due to the very high standards, many have their EdD because of the large pay increase that comes with it. Most went to UCONN or one of the other state Universities here, but very few of them went to Columbia. I could be absolutely wrong in assuming this, but I feel like Teacher's College would give me the competitive edge. I was laid off last year after my teaching position was eliminated due to major budget cuts. I applied to many jobs but was repeatedly told that someone with more experience was hired. I obviously need to get some experience that will make these districts take notice. The teacher job market is looking bleaker than last year and teaching positions have been very difficult to land, yet the 5-6 good teaching programs in the state are still churning out new teachers every year. It's obviously not going to get easier any time soon! The area in which I live is home to Yale University and I see how much is attached to the Yale name. I think that the kind of professional connections and door opening experiences I could get at Teacher's College would be worth all the hard work. What do you think?

Thank you for the advice and the vote of confidence )

I am currently a high school English teacher looking to further my education. Teachers College at Columbia seems to have a very good reputation and a wide variety of programs to choose from. My ultimate goal would be to earn an EdD, but I would not be opposed to entering a Master's program first with the hope of being accepted into an EdD program upon completion of the Master's degree. My hope would be to enter into a course of study in either the Fall of 2012 or 2013. I would really appreciate it if someone could advise me on the type of experience (or further education) I should plan to augment my resume with to make me a more competitive candidate. Here's my educational background (I didn't attend very prestigious universities): University of Connecticut - Double Major in English and History - Bachelor of Arts degree - GPA 3.1 Sacred Heart University - Master of Arts in Teaching - Major: Secondary Education - GPA - 3.9 I know my undergrad gpa is unimpressive, but I am hoping the fact that I worked nearly full time during my Bachelor's and Master's degree would count for something. Professional Experience: Year long Internship at the High School level 2 years of Full Time teaching English Literature at the high school level 1 year of serving as an ESL Resource Teacher to several high schools in a large urban district My next step - I am hoping to gain some international experience by teaching English abroad (possibly Japan). If that doesn't work out, I'll probably add a couple of more years of teaching experience to my resume. Realistically what are my chances? What do I need to do to better my chances? Should I just resign myself to going to a state university for my EdD?