Over the last year, about 150,000 Americans in education and health services have lost their jobs
NEGAUNEE -- After four years of searching for a full-time job teaching French in the U.P., Kelly Simon is giving up. She's packing up her home, preparing to move her family to Texas. Simon doesn't want to leave Negaunee, but feels it's the only way to fulfill her dream of teaching French full-time.
"People all the time, when they see the for sale sign out front, they're always...my neighbors are dropping in, 'What are you doing, where are you going? That's so sad, what a shame, we'll miss you,'" said Simon.
Simon's story isn't uncommon. Even with new state retirement incentives for teachers, schools and prospective teachers are still suffering. Superintendent of Negaunee Public Schools, James Derocher, has taken notice.
"Based on the number of applicants that I've reviewed that come across my desk here in the last two weeks are a lot of local people that want teaching jobs,” said Derocher. “It's unfortunate we can't hire them all."
Marquette Area Public School Superintendent Jon Hartwig says his district is facing the same problem--their budget has been cut.
"2010-2011 is shaping up to be yet another year, despite many retirements, when we're going to be spending more than we actually receive in revenue from the state," said Hartwig. "Our cuts are generally in the area of personnel; personnel is most of what our expenses are."
In the past five to six years, the district has eliminated 10 to 12 teaching positions while also cutting funds to athletics and even downsizing bus routes.
So what can a teacher who wants to stay in the Upper Peninsula do to make themselves more attractive to employers? School administrators say strong letters of recommendation and interview skills are a must, and these days, having more than one concentration is making applicants stand out.
Just ask Derocher.
“The first thing we are looking for is how we can use you in the classroom and how we can use you in the future of the classroom because if this economy doesn't turn around in the state, we are going to be looking at cutting more positions,” Derocher said. “And as we do that, we're looking for people who can teach more than one subject.”
But for Simon, her passion is teaching French. And after more than four years, she's facing the reality of a bleak job market.
“If you want to stay here, it's probably not going to happen unless you wait around five years, ten years. It's sad, but that's the way it is,” Simon said. “It's not the school's fault, it's not the teacher's fault, it's the economy right now, but it will turn around, I would think.”
And when it does, Simon, a native of the U.P., unfortunately, will probably be teaching in Texas.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC