Pittsburgh Teaching Jobs Face Performance Pay Plan

A new education model could help create more Pittsburgh teaching jobs.

Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers are currently in the middle of implementing "Empowering Effective Teachers in the Pittsburgh Public Schools" - a performance pay plan that's part of the $40 million grant the school district received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The process of implementing the plan will include seven core initiatives designed to improve teacher efficiency and the learning environment in the district, according to an article by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Among those initiatives are:

• The creation of a Promise-Readiness Corp, which is made up of a team of teachers who would lead the same group of students from ninth through 10th grade.
• Expanded career opportunities through the creation of six new job classifications, which will result in 400 teaching positions
• A teacher academy to train incoming teachers in certain subjects.
• A teacher practice and evaluation system.
• Streamlining the district's human resources operation and IT technology platform to better track and place teachers and students.

The district administration and teachers union will ultimately have to approve key aspects of the performance-pay plan, because those aspects would have to be negotiated in the district's collective bargaining agreement.

Pittsburgh Public Schools was one of four districts throughout the country that received funding from the Gates Foundation. The organization hopes the funding will help address the challenge facing the American education system.

"What we are looking for is: What are the ways to improve student achievement?" Chris Williams, a spokesperson with the Gates Foundation, said. "Part of that is the idea that efficient teachers create better learning environments. But the challenge is how to measure that."

In addition to the $40 million grant, the Gates Foundation also is funding a two-year research project in eight school districts throughout the country - including Pittsburgh - to develop a method of teacher evaluation.

Los Angeles Accounting Jobs for Bookkeeping, Accounting and Auditing Clerks

Even though advanced technology is causing somewhat of a slowdown in the industry, there are still plenty of opportunities for Los Angeles accounting jobs.

Bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks serve as an organization's financial records keepers. They're responsible for updating and maintaining accounting records, including tabulating expenditures, receipts, accounts payable and receivable, and profit and loss.

These employees typically work in comfortable office settings. Most bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks are offered medical and dental insurance, vacation and sick leave, and retirement benefits.

In order to become a bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerk, most employers require that you have at least a high school degree. Obtaining some college education is becoming more important, while an associate degree in business is required for some positions.

What you will earn in this occupation varies by firm, level of experience, and your workload. During 2009, the median wage for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks in Los Angeles County was $17.84 per hour or $37,110 per year. The average wage throughout California was $18.10 per hour or $37,660 per year.

The number of bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks in Los Angeles County and throughout California is expected to grow at an average rate between 2006 and 2016, according to the California Employment Development Department.

Employment in Los Angeles County is expected to increase from 62,010 during 2006 to 68,190 by 2016, accounting for an increase of 10 percent and 6,180 additional jobs. Employment throughout California is expected to increase from 232,500 during 2006 to 267,500 by 2016, accounting for a 15.1 percent increase and 35,000 additional jobs.

Unfortunately, the need for bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks is expected to decline as office automation continues to grow and increase productivity. However, there will still be many opportunities, especially for temporary and part-time workers.

Milwaukee Healthcare Jobs for Medical Assistants

Anyone looking for Milwaukee healthcare jobs should consider the medical assistant occupation, which is among the most popular in the industry.

Medical assistants typically perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the supervision of a physician. On the administrative side, they may be responsible for scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing and coding for insurance purposes.

When it comes to clinical duties, medical assistants may be responsible for taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood and administering medications as directed by a physician.

The long-term employment outlook for medical assistants throughout the state is good, according to Wisconsin's WORKnet. Employment is expected to increase from 7,120 workers during 2006 to 9,720 workers by 2016, accounting for an increase of 36.58 percent and 350 job openings each year.

During 2008, the average salary for medical assistants in Milwaukee County was $14.61 per hour or $30,385 per year, while the entry-level salary was $12.21 per hour or $25,406 per year and the experienced-level salary was $15.80 per hour or $32,874 per year.

Some related occupations include registered nurses; radiation therapists; nuclear medicine technologists; emergency medical technicians and paramedics; licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses; nursing aides, orderlies and attendants and dental assistants.

The Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis area's education and health services industry employed 146,800 workers during February, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 145,300 workers during January and a 2.1 percent increase from last year.

Austin Healthcare Jobs Cut with Seton

The largest charitable hospital in the area is planning to cut more than 100 Austin healthcare jobs.

Seton Family of Hospitals recently announced that it would eliminate about 150 positions, 74 of which are vacant and 77.5 of which of which are currently held by 120 part-time and full-time employees.

None of the positions slated to be cut involve direct patient care, and Seton is working to find displaced employees jobs elsewhere in the system, as there are currently 200 open positions. Some of the 120 employees affected will only see reduced hours.

According to an article by the Austin American-Statesman, the company is being forced to cut positions because it has been taking care of more patients who don't have insurance or who can't afford to pay their bills.

Seton currently employs 11,500 workers and is one of the largest private employers in Central Texas. The system provides the most charity care in Central Texas, totaling $281 million during 2008.

Seton hopes the job cuts will help reduce the system's 2011 budget by 5 percent. Other measures to reduce the budget will include reducing hours for some services and consolidating others.

The last major round of layoffs at Seton took place during June 2008 when the company eliminated 93 positions. However, most of those employees were placed in other positions with the company.

Aside from the news of Seton's layoffs, the healthcare industry in the Austin area has continued to thrive as of late, adding positions over the month and year.

The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos area's education and health services industry employed 84,600 workers during February, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 83,500 workers during January and a 3.3 percent increase from last year.

Houston Government Jobs See Second-Largest Yearly Increase

As the area's unemployment rate increased and more employers reduced payrolls, Houston government jobs saw the second-largest yearly increase in employment, second only to the education and health services industry.

During January, the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area's unemployment rate increased from 8.3 percent to 8.8 percent, following an increase from 8.2 percent during December 2009. Despite the latest increase, the area's rate is still lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.7 percent.

The Houston area had a total non-farm employment of 2,484,200 workers during January, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 2,529,500 workers during December and a 3.3 percent decrease from last year.

No industries managed to see a monthly increase in employment during January. Two industries, however, did manage to add jobs on a yearly basis. The education and health services industry saw the biggest yearly gain, followed by the government industry.

The education and health services industry employed 300,600 workers during January, down from 303,200 workers during December, but a 4.6 percent increase from January 2009. The government industry employed 373,600 workers during January, down from 376,700 workers during December, but a 2 percent increase from last year.

On the opposite end of the scale, the construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. The industry employed 168,400 workers during January, down from 172,300 workers during December and a 14.2 percent decrease from January 2009.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• mining and logging by 4.1 percent
• manufacturing by 9.4 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 3.3 percent
• information by 5.4 percent
• financial activities by 2.5 percent
• professional and business services by 7.2 percent
• leisure and hospitality by .2 percent
• other services by 1.2 percent

Arizona Unemployment Remains Stable

In a positive sign for the economy, the Arizona unemployment rate remained steady at the beginning of this year.

During January, Arizona's unemployment rate remained at 9.2 percent for the second month in a row, following a decrease from 9.3 percent during December 2009. That decrease keeps the state's current rate below the national unemployment rate of 9.7 percent.

Arizona had a total non-farm employment of 2,382,300 workers during January, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 2,385,900 workers during December and a 5.4 percent decrease from last year.

Five industries managed to see a monthly increase in employment, including: mining and logging by 100 jobs; construction by 800 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities by 1,600 jobs; other services by 1,300 jobs; and government by 4,100 jobs.

Only one industry saw a yearly increase in employment. The education and health services industry employed 333,800 workers during January, down from 334,800 workers during December, but a 2.1 percent increase from January 2009.

Although it added jobs over the month, the construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year. The industry employed 114,500 workers during January, up from 113,700 workers during December, but a 26 percent decrease from last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• mining and logging by 15 percent
• manufacturing by 11 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 3.7 percent
• information by 9 percent
• financial activities by 4.6 percent
• professional and business services by 7 percent
• leisure and hospitality by 3.4 percent
• other services by 5.4 percent
• government by 3.4 percent

Raleigh Jobs Created by Census Bureau

More than 2,000 temporary Raleigh jobs will be created by the 2010 Census.

Gov. Bev Perdue recently announced that the U.S. Census Bureau is looking to fill 37,789 temporary positions in North Carolina through September. After hiring its first round of workers in January, the Census Bureau is now looking to hire a second round.

"Census jobs are a great opportunity for thousands of North Carolinians who are looking for work," Perdue said. "At the same time, these workers will help our state achieve a complete count of our population and access the more than $400 billion in federal funds to be distributed each year based on the census count."

The Local Census Offices throughout the state and the number of positions to be filled include:

• Asheboro - 1,561
• Asheville - 3,337
• Boone - 2,016
• Charlotte - 2,962
• Concord - 1,978
• Durham - 2,248
• Fayetteville - 3,846
• Gastonia - 1,691
• Greensboro - 2,222
• Greenville, NC - 3,907
• Hickory - 1,885
• Raleigh - 2,621
• Rocky Mount - 2,536
• Wilmington - 3,282
• Winston-Salem - 1,707

Applicants must: be able to read, write and speak English; be a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or non-citizen with an appropriate work visa; be at least 18-years old; have a valid Social Security number; pass a written test of basic skills; have a valid driver's license; pass a background check; and commit to four days of paid training.

Census forms are scheduled to be mailed March 15-17. An accurate count is critical, as recent estimates indicate the state will receive approximately $15,000 in federal funding per person counted during the next 10 years.

Check out this recruitment video for the 2010 Census: