Part-time art teacher

Question: I've been thinking of taking a hiatus from work as a full-time art teacher for a local public high school and transitioning to part-time employment as an art teacher for a parks and recreation department or local nonprofit organization. I think I have enough of a financial cushion to maintain part-time employment as an art teacher but am curious as to the pay of an art teacher anywhere from the Los Angeles area to the South Bay/Long Beach area.
— Leyla

Response: Your pay is likely to plummet as a part-time art teacher.

Earnings
Earnings vary according to where you work. Pay is generally by the hour, the course, or per student enrollment. In addition to decreased pay, you are not likely to receive benefits.

For example, if you were to work for a City of Los Angeles parks and recreation center, you would earn approximately $12 to $48 per week. This is if you taught one to two hours per class, and one to two classes per week.

If you were to work with a City of Long Beach parks and recreation center, pay would be based on cost of the class, cost per student, administrative fees and the length of the class.

For example, the average cost of an art class is $45. If you teach a $45 class for 6 weeks or less, the cost per student is approximately $25. If teaching a more than 6-week $45 class, the cost per student is approximately $24.

The number of students per class depends on room space and student load as determined by the art teacher. Therefore, for a $45 art class of 10 to 20 students, the earnings of an art teacher range from approximately $240 to $500 per class, depending on the length of the class.

You could also work in after-school programs, often funded by the PTA. Or you could work in a private art center. For example, in one Los Angeles County art center, art teachers earn $24 per hour and usually teach a three-hour class once per week. Classes are held over a period of 10 weeks. So at this center, art teachers earn $720 per class.

Job Description
Your job duties as a part-time art teacher will be similar to those of a high school art teacher. But you will have less paperwork and likely less supervision. You won't necessarily have to follow a framework or curriculum dictated by the State Department of Education.

You may have fewer students in your class, but you'll still be teaching artistic skills and methods. And you will still be critiquing the students' work.

Employment Outlook
Above average growth is projected through 2010 for art teachers.

Job Resources
The following are parks and recreation resources that you could contact for employment as an art teacher:

City of Los Angeles

Department of Recreation and Parks

Personnel Division

700 E. Temple Street, Room 100

Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 847-9240

www.laparks.org

The Department of Recreation and Parks has approximately 120 facilities. Check the city's online listing of job opportunities. If you don't find a posted opening for an art teacher, try contacting a facility director. You could propose posting a flyer to see if there is an interest in art classes.

City of Long Beach

Department of Recreation and Parks

2760 Studebaker Road

Long Beach, CA 90815

(562) 570-3100

www.ci.long-beach.ca.us/park/

Those interested in working as a part-time art teacher can submit a resume and application indicating the desired subject matter. Depending on community needs and interest, the personnel department may create an art teacher position for that class.

Another possibility is the approximately 30 YMCA and YWCA chapters in the Los Angeles County area. Check with your local chapters for job opportunities.

 
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.

E-mail career questions you'd like answered in this column to info@californiacareerservices.com or visit California Career Services at www.californiacareerservices.com.