Types of Schools

Where to Pursue Employment Opportunities

The type of school you work for can largely determine your work requirements. There are advantages and disadvantages for each school environment. Your personal strengths and preferences may lead you to pursue a certain type of school.

Regardless, the various options are valuable alternatives for those with education degrees.

While a candidate may prefer teaching in a public school, employment options are provided by private, charter, and online schools. Generally, the greatest salaries and benefits packages are provided by public schools. However, some teachers are drawn to the freedoms that are present in private schools. Also, while public schools tend to have strict requirements for teacher certification, other types of schools can offer employment options to those interested, but not yet certified, in education.

Your location may also determine the variety of school options available. Large cities tend to have an abundance of private, charter, and magnet schools, while more rural areas may only have traditional public schools nearby.

Regardless of the type of school you teach in though, the heart of teaching is helping students. Each education system strives to help its students reach their highest potential. So even if you have always dreamed of teaching at a prestigious school of fine arts, landing a job at a high-needs public school will offer you the same reward of inspiring children.

Public Schools

With close to 100,000 public schools established in the United States, the majority of teachers work in the public school setting. Public schools must closely follow guidelines provided by the state and federal government. Teachers in public schools are typically highly qualified.

Private Schools

Census estimates report that 12% of school-aged children attend private schools. Since private schools are funded by student tuition and other independent means, they do not have to follow the same government guidelines. For teachers who are not yet highly qualified, this can provide job opportunities. Many private schools have religious affiliations, see faith based jobs section for additional information.

Charter

A division of public schools, charter schools first started in 1992 and have grown to over 5,000 schools as of 2009. They are mostly located in urban areas. Students have the choice to attend these schools as an alternative to the local public schools. Similar to private schools, charter schools do not have to follow all of the government regulations. However, if the school does not meet the requirements detailed in the charter, the school can be terminated. Charter schools are not available in all states.

Magnet

Another subset of public schools, magnet schools are prestigious schools students must be accepted to. Frequently, a magnet school has a focus like the arts or science. Compared to charter schools, magnets remain under the same guidelines of public schools. Magnet schools began in the 1970s to attract talented students to schools outside of a student’s district zone. The goal was to encourage diversity, which is still a cornerstone of magnet schools.

Online Schools

Online schools for students of all ages are a growing phenomenon. These schools can be public or private and are increasingly used by parents who home school their children. Online teachers have the benefits of flexibility and working from home while still planning lessons and interacting with their students.

Vocational

Also known as trade or career schools, vocational schools are an option for high school students. The vocational school may be located within a district’s public school. Also, there are public vocational schools that serve a larger area and provide a wide variety of options for students. Vocational teachers are often hired based on prior work experience in fields like mechanics, healthcare, and beauty.

Overseas

Teaching positions can be obtained all around the globe regardless of where you earned your education degree. There are multiple organizations, profit and non-profit, that assist teachers in finding overseas job opportunities.