Research clearly shows that the employment outlook for teachers is good and will remain good until at least 2022. The projected job growth for kindergarten and elementary teachers is 12 percent, which is one percent above average. Below explains the reasons why the employment outlook for teachers is expected to keep growing.
More Educational Programs
The news media has been continually lamenting how poorly American students perform in math and science compared to the rest of the world. However, educators, the public and the government are slowly changing their views on the American education system. This is especially true in areas that are poor in money, yet rich in cultural diversity. More public money is being allocated to offer equal opportunities for American students everywhere. There are also legislative efforts being made to expand certain educational programs. For example, many states are supporting and funding pre-school programs, such as Head Start, so all children can get an early start on their education, regardless of their parents’ income level. In addition to this, parents are paying more attention to their children’s academic performance through the help of collaborative school support and new technology solutions, such as online homework tracking programs.
More Job Market Competition
Even though the job market is steadily growing, competition for open teaching positions is still fierce. Therefore, more and more teachers are spending more time and money in their own education. Right now, the standard for most public teaching jobs is a master’s degree. Thus, teachers are not only increasing their own academic competency, but also specializing and diversifying their talents. That is, more and more aspiring teachers recognize the demand for certain subjects, such as math and science, as well as foreign languages. To be sure, private bilingual schools and language immersion programs in public schools are becoming very popular as parents recognize the need for their children to not only understand a foreign language, but a foreign culture. Currently, Spanish and Mandarin are the two most popular foreign languages to learn. Finally, some teachers are also diversifying their career flexibility through obtaining licensing in multiple subjects.
More Private Schools
Research by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reveals that private school enrollment and expenditure levels have slowly been increasing. There were approximately 5 million children enrolled in private school in 2013. Private schools may be expensive, but they offer flexible and alternative education options that simply aren’t available in public schools.
To illustrate, the education and licensing requirements for most states is complex, yet rigorous. However, private schools have the freedom and adaptability to simply hire competent teachers with bachelor’s degrees. Many parents prefer private schools because they offer enriching academic opportunities that simply aren’t available in public schools. For example, many private schools work closely with colleges to offer high school students advanced placement courses and introductory bachelor degree programs. Private school classes are also smaller with dedicated teachers who enjoy an excellent salary. Finally, private schools are much safer and more community orientated. In the end, the market for private school teachers is contributing to better job prospects for all educators.
Without a doubt, the employment outlook for teachers will continue to steadily grow as more people recognize the social, personal and career benefits of a formal education.
Further reading: Top 10 Best Online Masters in Teaching Degree Programs
