SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

Did you do you internship at a school?


I want to know, how imperative it is to have done an internship in a SD in order to be viewed as a potential candidate to work in a school.

Thank you!

Re: SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

I wanted to be a school social worker, so I did one internship at 2 elementary schools and one at a drug and alcohol counseling center. I thought it would help me and it probably would, but it is EXTREMELY difficult to get a job as a social worker in a school. I also heard they are trying to get rid of social workers and psychologists in schools and will be hiring through agencies in order to save $$. I would check on that. I changed careers cause I found it is very difficult to find a decent paying job that you can keep moving up in salary at. I am now a teacher.

Re: SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

I would also think it would be easier to find a job in a non-public school/regular school district. Or maybe a residential treatment facility? I am sure the perks are not as good and you probably wouldn't "have summers off".

I got called on one interview once for this kind of position and it was a contract position. They called it "attendance improvement" and your contract being renewed depended on how many kids you kept from dropping out basically.

The interview was a group interview and there were literally about 15-20 people there and not everyone was a social worker (ie. a lot of school guidance counselors). Made me think similar to what JennJay said about how they are trying to do away with social workers in schools.

My mom is a retired teacher and said this was usually the first position to get cut in her district with budget issues.

I also have a friend who was the assistant to the superintendant in a local LI school district until she had her baby and became a SAHM and she told me this type of position is really difficult to get as well........probably about as difficult as getting a job as a school guidance counselor.

When I talk about leaving this field or at least working with another population, people always suggest this route......I really don't think it's that easy though. Especially for me because most of my experience has been with adults and not children.

Keep us posted though. I am interested to know in general how people get these kinds of jobs.

Re: SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

Oh yeah, the position I interviewed for was also through an outside human services agency and not the school itself. This was in Brooklyn though. Basically they were looking to hire 2 or 3 people to put in the worst of the worst SD's in Brooklyn. You did get summers off though but the pay I think topped out around $40K a year. My biggest regret right now is not sticking with my original major which was education---mom talked me out of it because where I was living at the time, teaching jobs were really hard to come by. I think about how much happier I'd be now though, with much better perks. I have so much debt from my MSW though that the thought of going back to school for a Master's in education seems impossible to me. Does anyone know if there is an alternative kind of certification or something like the NYC Teaching Fellows but for Long Island? Tks!

Message edited 6/23/2008 8:38:28 PM.