Is a degree in education worthwhile?

amother

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 12:43 pm

My daughter has been teaching early childhood for a year and enjoys it, but not the low pay. If she does a BS in education (we are looking at Touro) will it greatly enhance her earning potential in this field?

mha3484

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 1:00 pm

I think it opens you up to far more job choices which can lead to better pay. Also, if you ever find yourself burned out of classroom teaching you can get advanced training in so many different areas.

amother

DarkCyan

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 1:01 pm

Very much depends where she lives and is willing to teach. If she's teaching in a bais Yaakov in Lakewood or Monsey, the pay is the pay because why should they pay more. If she lives near a modern orthodox school and is willing to work there, getting a degree allows her to teach there (although they may require a masters) and they generally pay a bit better. The more modern, the more qualifications required, the better the pay, generally speaking

amother

Linen

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 4:34 pm

Better to have a degree in the subject she wants to teach, with a minor in education.

Disclaimer, my experience was in an MO high school, where teachers generally had a master's degree in their subject. Quite a few had PhDs.

Generally, as you move further to the right, qualifications and salaries drop. So a lot depends on what she wants from her teaching career.

amother

Babypink

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 4:39 pm

For early childhood education, a degree can also open doors to jobs in public schools or Head Start etc. Or if she would ever want to move up the administrative ladder to become a preschool director in a frum school.

amother

Babypink

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 4:45 pm

amother [ Linen ] wrote:

Better to have a degree in the subject she wants to teach, with a minor in .

That makes sense for secondary education.
But for early or elementary, a degree in education is fine. Then, to become more marketable and open more doors, if she would go on to get a graduate degree, it would be a good idea to specialize in something like special ed/math/reading. Right now, what's very "hot" is to specialize in ESL or technology.

amother

Peony

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 5:51 pm

amother [ Babypink ] wrote:

As a teacher, I agree with this. If she’s interested in teaching high school, she should get a BA in education and an MA in her subject (or some colleges offer degrees in teaching specific subjects). If she wants to teach elementary, she should get her MA in education and then perhaps an advanced certification as a reading specialist or something.

amother

Babypink

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 6:21 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Thanks all. She is not interested in teaching older kids, just little ones. Eg preschool.

Still not a bad idea to get a degree in early childhood education. Then she could become state certified to teach pre-k to 3, I think. Having an educators certificate will look very good on a job resume, even if she wants to stay in frum schools, with the option to get a job outside of frum schools. Always good to have options, you don't want to be stuck only being able to work at schools that pay a low wage. I do know frum women who teach preschool in public schools, and are very satisfied with their jobs.

Just_be_happy

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 6:44 pm

Are you in NYC?

In NYC, there is good earning potential for a early childhood teacher with a degree in early education with a BA up to 62,000 annually, and with a Masters in Early Ed the salary would be up to 68,000.

If you're not in NYC, it really depends on the area that you live in. You can post it here or do more research with schools in your area.

nicole81

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 7:44 pm

Depends where she lives, where she wants to work, and what trajectory she sees herself taking. In NY, there are tons of early childhood openings in public schools with 3k for All. BH I support my family with education degrees working in public school. And as others have already stated, MO schools value a degree and will pay more, even for preschool level.

nicole81

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 7:49 pm

Just_be_happy wrote:

Not to mention you get a pension, great insurance, regular raises, and other benefits. And if you choose to continue your education as you work, you can make over 100k as a teacher.

scintilla

Mon, Jul 26 2021, 7:49 pm

If she's in NYC, it's very valuable but you really need the master's as well. Lots of options in preschool to earn nicely with the master's.