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Teachers spend summer break searching for jobs

  • June 24, 2011 at 12:48 pm

Thousands of Texas teachers will spend summer break searching for jobs as lawmakers continue to disagree on public education spending. Byron Browne taught in the Austin Independent School District for 15 years before losing his job teaching Latin. he found out AISD eliminated his position on Valentine’s Day.“I never thought it would be me,” Browne said. Browne’s wife Angie also lost her teaching job with AISD, but she has since been re-hired. AISD has offered him a part-time position, however, it’s a big pay cut. “It’s one of those issues; it’s the last thing you think about when you try to fall asleep. As you wake up, it’s the first thing that screams into your consciousness,” said Browne. Browne is now a freelance writer. he has also published a book called Driving Southwest Texas: on the Road in Big Bend Country. Browne is hopeful his writing career will take off because he is uncertain he can find a full-time teaching job. “I can’t see where this could end,” Browne said. According to AISD and Education Austin, 568 teachers were eliminated, 210 have been re-hired, 112 have resigned or retired, and 246 are still looking for jobs. Finding a teaching job is even more difficult because of uncertainty at the State Capitol. Lawmakers are still debating how to fund public education three weeks into a four-week special session.“I think this is unprecedented," said Holly Eaton with the Texas Classroom Teachers Association. "I don’t think we’ve had this situation before.” the Texas Workforce Commission designed a program with the Texas Education Agency to help unemployed educators called Teachers in Transition. the website offers a listing of available teaching jobs in Texas, how to file for unemployment, and tips to transfer teaching skills to a new job. “For instance, if you are a science teacher, you might be able to transition your skills to biomedical research or many other of the health professions,” said Lisa Givens with the Texas Workforce Commission.

Teachers spend summer break searching for jobs

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