Education majors look to a bleak future

Being a teacher is an undoubtedly important occupation. However, Governor Chris Christie’s recent decision to close the $10.7 billion budget gap with cuts to education has left some education majors growing concerned about pursuing the job.

The Career and Academic Planning Center at Rowan has recently seen an increasing amount of education majors who are beginning to question their future in the job market they so eagerly wanted to be a part of.

“It’s definitely a difficult time,” said CAP Center Assistant Director Robert Bullard. According to Bullard, there may be a change down the line.

Freshman math and elementary education major Giovanny Perdomo’s worries seem to be more severe than Amer’s.

“It’s definitely going to be a lot tougher. I’m nervous about going to school and finding a job,” Perdomo said. “I’m working on doing extra stuff to improve my resume.”

Junior math and science elementary education major Michelle Persiano also plans to continue seeking her education degree despite the recent crisis. “It’s not stopping me,” Persiano said.

Bullard reminds education majors that they may have to take on substitute teaching.

“The networking you get from substituting is invaluable,” Bullard said. He added that you may never know when someone is going to retire.

The New Jersey Education Association said that as many as 30,000 teachers could retire due to Christie’s alterations on pensions and benefits to long-time teachers. If this happens, there may be openings for graduates with education degrees sooner than imagined.

Still, Bullard warned students to look before they enter a job, and do a fair amount of researczh before making a decision.

Available in the CAP Center, the 2010 American Association for Employment in Education Job Search Handbook lists several helpful tips on how to go about finding an out-of-state job. Some things listed that should be considered first are how the state handles your certifications, demographics, the school report card, the school improvement plans, and your knowledge of the community and its history.

“When you do choose a master’s or doctorate degree, make sure there’s a career at the end of the tunnel,” Bullard said.