DHonks I teach at a Madison High School and the same thing that is going on in AZ is hitting us here. I have been the low guy on the ranking list for three years, and two years in a row my position has been cut. Both times, someone happened to leave our school and they kept me around. But at the end of each year, when budget cuts are needed, it hits the young teachers. Our school has cut positions in all four years I have been teaching, in every department. So each year I have been trying to find ways to make myself more valuable to the school. Coaching has helped, as I coach hoops and baseball. But at the end of the year, I sit and wonder where I will be. I have been lucky in the fact that the school keeps finding positions for me. Unfortunately, I have been teaching in several different subjects and departments because of this. So my resume is a mess! A friend (and frequent poster on BF) just locked down a spot in Madison by paying to get his special ed certification. Teachers here can help the cause by doing that, but then again, that is a very difficult field to get involved in. But that is not free! I feel for everyone out there who has specialized training, and yet, cannot find (or lock down) a job that is "perfect" for them. This market is tough. Hang in there!