Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, or Child Development. I'm stuck on which one...lol. ;(

[sanantone]

You've already gotten tons of good advice, I'll just share my experience. My closest friend completed her associate degree in child development about a year or two before I started at TESC. Her degree is an AAS (are you sure yours will be an AS?) and unfortunately she took out a hefty student loan and the whole process took her 4 years. She has held the same job since graduation (10 years or so) and earns $12.00/hour. She is the highest paid aid in the K-5 district, and since the district only uses aids in special ed, she has occasionally been moved to different schools based on where the new year's needs are. She is on a 9 month contract (unlike teachers) which means "technically" they could end her employment each school year, but so far, funding has allowed her to be rehired each year. Summers she works daycare for about $9/hr and has done that since she was in school- so probably 12 years with them, and barely gets 40 hrs per week.

When she went to CC, I didn't know what I know now, but since then I've tried to help her look for a path for more income. Of course she has spent a decade in special ed, and I have encouraged her repeatedly to earn her bachelor's degree and run her own classroom. She certainly has the ability- her trouble is that only 12 of her child development credits are general ed, the rest are in child development, so essentially there is no transfer into an education degree without tons of work, and that mountain isn't one she's up for just now.

So, my suggestion to you is if you're even remotely considering that you'd like to be the teacher instead of the aid some day, don't waste your time chasing liberal arts or social science at TESC- do directly into a teacher ed program. Of course, if your plans don't include k-12 education, it is probably best to do whatever is fastest so you can start working. Anyway, just tossing that into the mix.

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[Christopher]

Hi Again:

Yes, the Child Development was an AS. Some colleges call it Child Development, and some call it Early Childhood Education. Ours calls it Child Development, the same community college on the east end of our county calls it ECE with the same course work. Our community colleges in our county are in a "Unified College District." I can take any course at any of the three, and it all shows up on one transcript all together. Same courses/degree though. But, it’s an AS. Some of the Universities offer it on the BS levels but most don’t as an AA is the only semi-requirement to be licensed to pre-school teach. An AS in Child Development or the second option which is eight core classes and something like 350 days of student teaching hours or a certification you took all the CD classes but didn’t take the GE classes and you can still Teacher Assist. I wouldn’t pay $50,000 for a BA degree that only pays $10.00+ an hour. Our Campus Supervisors (what we called ‘Yard Duties’ in grammar school) get paid $11.00 starting. Some AS/BS pay good, some don't. An AS in Nursing actually pays amazing here. A BS in Nursing...wow. There's a two year waiting list to get into the AS nursing program at our CC and you have to get your AS before you can move on to your BS.

Our District has special education aides. They’re called “Instructional Assistant: Special Education”. They’re classroom aids that work Special Education and SDC/Resource rooms. I’m certified in that. Our District offers a one day class, a NCLB test, and you can aide. Just need “48 college credits” to be able to apply. They pay $14.25 an hour starting with most positions being about five hours a day. Same with our aides with the layoffs (unless they have 7+ years of employment then they’re vested.) Almost none work summer.

It’s good. I have it figured now. If I go into teaching, it’ll be sub-teaching K-12. Some will say sub teaching is a waste, no pay, only might work 20 days a school year. But, it works a little different here. Even though subs only work 185 years a day, they’re vested from being laid off at our District and most others. They're on a whole different certification list. Live near or in a major city like Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernedino County and neighborhing counties and you're a full time sub steacher with the phone rining off the hook everyday. If they take the one 3 unit class “EDU 1: Education” which includes minor student-teaching, they can get the 60 Day Substitute Career Permit. Meaning they can substitute up to 60 days for any one teacher without CSET. We NEVER let good subs go once they're hire even if they work only one day a week or go weeks without working. Every day of the week teachers go to special required classes at one of the colleges so we always short subs. Some Districts offer full benefit packages and nice salary like LAUSD ($200 a day starting.) Part of the office part of my job is to actually find and process in substitute teachers and block out the bad ones. If you’re a good sub; you work every day even summer school and you have more control over your career then regular teachers lol. I have a decent job now. I was looking at regular private school teaching a new career path, but going through all that hassle and coursework for little pay isn’t worth it. Plus, I might decide I rather go the other way and work the office ladder up. I make decent pay now. A BA in any subject puts me eligible for higher classifications and allows me to rank up one pay scale as those with BA’s get paid one pay scale step higher no matter what position. I dropped the Child Development courses. Anyhow, most to almost all of our school districts don’t offer Pre-School/Head Start unless its special education. That’s all private individual schools.

As for your friend. If she went through the entire teacher credential program in California with a focus on Special Education, she’d be making the big bucks. Im not talking about ECE, but actual Elementary or Secondary school Special Education teaching through a state approved certified teacher prep college (like Cal State Uni-Northridge). It’s a massive program about five years of full time classes and certification/testing progress (and you can’t test out of it hehe.) but we’re talking BIG BUCKS lol. Special Education teachers here make starting $75,000.00 a year just starting first day on. But they deal with the severely handicap. It’s a field not many go into or want to go into. But outside of that Elementary school teaching is a big risk in California. Realistically you can spend the four years in a teacher prep program and never get hired or be laid off after the first year. Fifty percent of our sub teachers are fully credential and can’t find a teaching job or have been laid off from LAUSD. I looked into it once with the University of La Verne. Even they said it’s hit or miss unless you’re willing to move around the state, and once you leave California the certification could be void. Now…a BA/BS in Business Administration…that goes with you everywhere lol. When you’re 20 years old one can afford to take those classes, make those mistakes like with CD or Theather Arts, change majors, or go back and retake another major because the first one failed. When you’re 30+ it’s a different thing. No more games and time to waste. Just have to get a “working degree” and that’s it. I mean let’s say you take Sociology 101, 201, and Psychology 101 and got A/B’s but realize you hate Sociology and Psychology. At least those three course can be used to fill other areas or GE areas or both outside the major. With most if not almost all the CD courses they don’t fall into anything else (even GE options) outside of the CD major; another reason I’m staying away from it now. Our catalog shows only two classes of the 12+ required classes can be used toward other degrees or GE fulfillment options so the other 10 would be a waste even when I move up to get a BA (especially if the BA is in a different subject so they all would go nowhere to fill in areas except to maybe fill up some of the 120 credits as free credits) I’m going to work straight on my BA or BS now.

And on a lighter note. You can see I write long posts/emails lol. Why I won’t have any problems with the English Composition or writing courses. I was an A+ student in any course/topics involving writing hehe.

Thanks again for the advice as it’s helped a lot. Much appreciated.

You've already gotten tons of good advice, I'll just share my experience. My closest friend completed her associate degree in child development about a year or two before I started at TESC. Her degree is an AAS (are you sure yours will be an AS?) and unfortunately she took out a hefty student loan and the whole process took her 4 years. She has held the same job since graduation (10 years or so) and earns $12.00/hour. She is the highest paid aid in the K-5 district, and since the district only uses aids in special ed, she has occasionally been moved to different schools based on where the new year's needs are. She is on a 9 month contract (unlike teachers) which means "technically" they could end her employment each school year, but so far, funding has allowed her to be rehired each year. Summers she works daycare for about $9/hr and has done that since she was in school- so probably 12 years with them, and barely gets 40 hrs per week.

When she went to CC, I didn't know what I know now, but since then I've tried to help her look for a path for more income. Of course she has spent a decade in special ed, and I have encouraged her repeatedly to earn her bachelor's degree and run her own classroom. She certainly has the ability- her trouble is that only 12 of her child development credits are general ed, the rest are in child development, so essentially there is no transfer into an education degree without tons of work, and that mountain isn't one she's up for just now.

So, my suggestion to you is if you're even remotely considering that you'd like to be the teacher instead of the aid some day, don't waste your time chasing liberal arts or social science at TESC- do directly into a teacher ed program. Of course, if your plans don't include k-12 education, it is probably best to do whatever is fastest so you can start working. Anyway, just tossing that into the mix.