Teaching in Garland ISD

PokeBride · July 2010

My husband is looking at teaching (1st year - previously a manager at a big box retailer) and has an interview for a high school math teacher with Garland ISD.

I have heard horrible things about this school but curious as to what everyone else things. Would you work there? He has no teaching experience and is working on his certificaiton so positions at some of the prefered schools would most likely be hard to come by.

CerseeRenee · July 2010

Honestly - as a first year teacher (I'm assuming alternative certificated?) I'd jump on whatever position he gets just to get that first year out of the year. Typically, first year teachers don't get to pick the best schools. But that's just my opinion. I don't know much about Garland ISD.

CarlaAndJames · July 2010

I don't know very much specifically about Garland ISD, but I can offer lots of perspective as the wife of a teacher who spent his first year in a low-performing high school.

J taught his first two years at at a HS where the school was "unacceptable" on TAKS, the kids didn't care, the parents didn't care, the administration cared about the wrong things, it was brutal. BUT after that he got a new job, at a fabulous school, and he said he is really glad he had the first two years. He equates it with learning to snowboard on ice, then skiing on powder. He's a better teacher because of it.

Email me - cbeaulieu83 at yahoo - if you want any other insight or advice on how his first year went. You're going to have to be super supportive of him - first year teaching is hard anywhere, and especially hard at a tough school. Best piece of advice my husband ever got was from a superintendent who told him "The first year, you'll learn a lot, and the kids will learn a little. It gets better. No matter what, come back for a second year."

It gets exponentially easier every year!!

shandars · July 2010

CerseeRenee:
Honestly - as a first year teacher (I'm assuming alternative certificated?) I'd jump on whatever position he gets just to get that first year out of the year. Typically, first year teachers don't get to pick the best schools. But that's just my opinion. I don't know much about Garland ISD.

I agree with this!

swimrbride · July 2010

What school is it? I grew up in Garland and as a whole the district is pretty good but it has a few less than great schools.

amberpro · July 2010

CerseeRenee:
Honestly - as a first year teacher (I'm assuming alternative certificated?) I'd jump on whatever position he gets just to get that first year out of the year. Typically, first year teachers don't get to pick the best schools. But that's just my opinion. I don't know much about Garland ISD.

This. First years, especially AC certs, can't be too picky. If he gets the job, I say jump on it. Once he has experiece, he can move. Garland ISD has a pretty good rep overall.

FWIW, I did my first year in inner city. It's tough, but I ended up loving it and I'm still there 9 years later.

turkishdelight · July 2010

Garland is like many diverse districts....they are great at some things and not so great at others. The populations at all the high schools in GISD are very diverse which means that he'll have rich kids, middle class kids, and poor kids. He'll have kids in his classroom of all colors and nationalities.

I work in a Title 1 school in another district and it is hard but I also feel like the kids I work with are the ones who need teachers the most. When people ask why someone becomes a teacher, most people say "because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids." And the kids I work with are the ones that school is going to make the biggest difference in their lives because they don't have great home lives.

But to answer you actually question....I don't currently work in GISD but yes, I would work there. My mom is a school nurse in the district and my sister and I both attended GISD schools K-12.

Alt cert jobs are difficult to come by. Your husband will be in the trenches but if he can make it there....he can make it anywhere.

tulips71 · August 2010

I taught in Garland (2 years in a middle school, 1 in a high school) and went to schools there K-12. Garland is a big, diverse district and some schools there are better than others. I think that's true in any district in the DFW area. My first position wasn't what I planned on doing, but I took it because it was a foot in the door. I transferred after 2 years to my second job in Garland and liked it MUCH better. The only reason why I left GISD was because my husband's job was in Fort Worth and it was too far to commute, so I found a new job outside the district. I think Garland will give him a good first experience as a teacher (working with diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds) and give him the support he needs to get started. Good luck to him!

Teaching in Garland ISD

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