Finding a Position
First, consider where in the K-12 spectrum you may wish to teach. Latin is not only taught at the high school level. An ever increasing number of elementary and middle schools have Latin programs and The American Classical League (ACL) houses a committee specifically designed to support these teachers as well as those who teach subjects such as mythology or ancient civilizations at these levels. Go to www.etclassics.org to find information on Excellence through Classics, a group that provides teaching packets, the Prima Newsletter, the National Mythology Exam and many other services.
As you start your search for a job, a must read is Dr. Brooks’ blog post on Classics and the market place entitled “Careers in Education for Classics Majors. Latin and Classics Teaching Opportunities Nationwide”. You should also visit www.promotelatin.org for the many useful links found there pertaining to the teaching of Latin. The site is run by the National Committee for Latin and Greek, whose “National Latin Teacher Recruitment Week” prompted Dr. Brooks’ remarks.
There are several avenues a job candidate should pursue to find a teaching position at the K-12 level. The first is to register with the placement service at your college or university and to attend the job fairs they hold. Find out if your college, university, or department keeps a standard dossier for job seekers. If so, utilize this service.
Lists of public schools are sometimes available from state boards and departments of education. The more cooperative ones may even share a list of schools teaching particular subjects such as Latin. You should also register with the individual school boards of the districts in which you are interested. Do not hesitate to send letters of inquiry to schools that have not yet announced a vacancy. Such letters are often put on file and are consulted when, as is common, positions become available with little warning.
Private schools will require a different approach but should not be ignored as they very often include Latin in their curriculum. Religiously affiliated schools often teach Latin and the nature of the school affects hiring practices. Independent Christian and Jewish schools, for example, typically do their own hiring. Catholic schools are often administered through the school board of the local diocese, while those run by individual religious orders should be contacted individually. Similarly, private academies and schools that have no religious affiliation often have strong Latin programs and do their hiring independently. Lists of such schools are available online. Search using terms such as “private schools” and “directory.”
Job placement services can help with your search as well. The American Classical League operates a free, national job placement service that allows you to contact schools with openings directly. It also allows you to see where Latin teaching jobs tend to appear each year. Also, a number of web-based services will also help in your search. One such popular program is Schoolspring.com, but an Internet search using the key words “search teacher position,” will return many other possibilities. Services exist that will help you find a job in a private school. One such popular agency can be found at www.carneysandoe.com. Others may be found by searching for “private school” and “job placement.” Note that such agencies may charge a fee.