If you are one of the many job seekers looking for solid ground, a teaching job equals job stability plus reduced student loan debt. With the demand for teachers holding steady, job seekers looking for a career change benefit from a salary, excellent benefits and student loan vouchers that can be applied towards existing student loan debt. Now that's what i call stepping the game up to attract qualified teachers.
Teach for America is one the big players in recruiting teachers mostly for those looking for a career change. Apparently, what a lot of teacher recruits are doing is working for a few years in communities dubbed as "high need" in exchange for a student loan debt reduction voucher along with a salary, benefits and summers off from work. Sweet huh. Well of course teachers on average earn a salary around $36,000, which isn't a great deal, but when you factor in having two months off work with pay and receiving a voucher of $4,100 to apply to any existing Federal Student Loans, than the picture look a little brighter.
So who makes for a "good fit" as a teacher? Well according to Teach for America, those with "leadership" capabilities, likely, fit the mold quite well. Since, leadership is such a subjective term, you might just need to apply for yourself and see how your background meshes with the full scope of teaching requirements. For the most part, the teacher recruiting process shouldn't be a great deal of hoop jumping as most of the teachers in the program are career change individuals or those who don't, otherwise, have a background in education. So if job stability is your focus, teaching equals job stability along with reduced student loan debt via vouchers up to $4,100. Give it a go. As they say, what may be lacking in pay is offset by job satisfaction. 