Public school teachers usually have little difficulty weathering recessions.
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Public school teachers in the United States -- who are essentially state employees -- also enjoy solid job security. As America struggles to meet the education standards set by other industrialized nations, there is a strong long-term demand for qualified teachers across all grade levels in math, science and bilingual education [source: Burt].
America also experienced a sharp rise in community college admissions during the recession of 2007-2009 [source: Donaldson James]. The reason for this phenomenon is twofold. For one thing, many high school graduates simply can't afford to take on mountains of student loans at four-year colleges. Secondly, as more people find themselves out of work, many return to school to upgrade their job skills [source: Hare].
An uptick in students means increased demand for college professors, which is another job with tremendous security. In fact, if you earn tenure as a professor, it's very hard to get fired.
That said, many public schools operate on extremely tight budgets. In early 2009, the Obama administration promised $70 billion to improve public education, but until school administrators see that money, some have had to cut auxiliary programs like art and music. Other have encouraged older teachers with higher salaries to retire early to make room for less-expensive, less-experienced teachers.
