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Teaching Opportunities in Florida

Florida is the fourth largest school system in the nation. The Sunshine State has 67 school districts with more than 3,815 public schools that served over 2,535,155 students during the 2002-2003 school year. Florida's public school teachers are among the finest in the nation. They are joined by school counselors, media specialists, and school psychologists for a total of 157,981 instructional staff. In the next few years, Florida will face an increased demand for teachers. This demand is fueled, in part, by the number of teachers that are retiring or resigning each year. Beginning in 2001, Florida anticipates a significant increase in the number of teacher retirements. The number of teacher retirements is projected to reach unprecedented heights during the ten year period following 2006. In addition to this factor, Florida continues to experience annual student enrollment increases that will generate a demand for additional middle and high school teachers.

Florida's 67 public school districts are defined by county boundaries. Each school district is unique with respect to its hiring procedures. Therefore, interested individuals must apply directly to the district for employment. To interview for a particular teaching vacancy, a teacher applicant must have a current employment application on file in that district personnel office. To assist persons interested in teaching in Florida, the Bureau of Educator Recruitment and Professional Development provides the following information and recommendations:

Use www.TeachInflorida.com to post a resume and search for jobs.
Use the Florida School Districts Personnel Office list to call or write to the districts of interest to request an employment application.
Complete and return the employment applications and required documents to the district where you are seeking employment.
Plan to attend the Great Florida Teach-In, the annual job fair held in June.
If you are not certified to teach in Florida, request an application for certification from the Bureau of Educator Certification.
Check with each district about the process for scheduling interviews as the process may differ by district. Some districts may require an initial interview at the personnel office before allowing a teacher candidate to interview at the school level. Others may allow you to contact the school with the vacancy to schedule an interview if your application is complete and on file at the district personnel office.
If you intend to travel in Florida in a district where you are interested in teaching and have an application on file, write or call the personnel office to determine whether it is possible to schedule an interview for anticipated vacancies while you are in the area.

Teaching salaries differ among districts, as does the cost of living throughout the state. A list of beginning salaries by district (PDF) is provided. The average teacher salary in Florida during the 2004-2005 school year was $41,578.

Florida needs teachers in many subject areas and grade levels. Critical need areas include: exceptional student education (special education), school psychologists, physical science, mathematics, reading,speech pathology, physical and occupational therapy, applied technology/industrial arts, foreign languages, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). In support of Florida's affirmative action goals, minority applicants in all teaching fields are encouraged to apply.

To assist teachers interested in teaching in Florida, the Department of Education sponsors the Great Florida Teach-In, an annual teacher recruitment fair held in June. The Teach-In provides a forum whereby teachers seeking employment opportunities can meet with district personnel who are responsible for hiring teachers. Teachers interested in attending should contact the Bureau of Educator Recruitment and Professional Development for registration materials and additional information.

The Bureau of Educator Recruitment and Professional Development launched an online statewide recruitment web site. Teachers interested in teaching positions in Florida can post their resumes and review job listings posted by districts.

For more information, please visit www.TeachInFlorida.com or contact:

Florida Department of Education
Bureau of Educator Recruitment, Development, and Retention
325 West Gaines Street, Suite 124
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400

1-800-TEACH-FL