When Cindy Schwartz was studying education at Penn State, her professors told her the demand for teachers was increasing and the job market looked promising.

But Schwartz, a 1991 University alumna, said she was lucky to get a job. She had hoped to get hired in her home state of Maryland, but instead is teaching third grade at Alexander D. Goode Elementary School in York.

"Most of the people I know did not get jobs," Schwartz, who has a bachelor's degree in education, said.

Many of her friends were forced into substitute teaching or completely different fields because they were not able to find positions, she said.

In addition to the lack of available jobs, entry-level teachers now are expected to have better resumes.

Many school districts have implemented stricter requirements for new teachers, including minimum grade point averages, said Ralph DeShong, associate director of career development and placement services.

Schools can be more selective because the supply of teachers is larger than the demand, he said.

Although getting a job is more difficult, teacher pay has become more competitive, making education a viable career option, DeShong said.

The average starting salary was $20,187 for University alumni who graduated between December 1990 and August 1991 with a bachelor's degree in education, according to a survey by Career Development and Placement Services, 413 Boucke.

Although jobs are not plentiful, the demand for teachers is increasing.

The need for teachers will escalate through the turn of the century because the birth rate has been increasing, said Karen Mitch, coordinator of educational and alumni career services.

But many school districts cannot hire more teachers now because they do not have enough money. Their costs are rising while their revenues remain stagnant, DeShong said.

The economy and the tax base are not growing, so tax revenues -- which districts rely on for income -- are not increasing, he said, adding that long-term salary contracts mean continually escalating costs for many schools, he said.

Schools are already having problems meeting expenses, Schwartz said. Instead of increasing the number of teachers, schools are increasing class sizes, she said.

Kelly Kearny, a 1990 University alumna, said she thinks the job market is much tighter for education majors now than it was when she graduated.

Kearny also taught at Alexander D. Goode Elementary in York, but is now substitute teaching in State College and working as a teacher's aide in Boalsburg.

She hopes a full-time position becomes available. She also hopes the Bill Clinton presidency will mean more money, and more teachers, for schools.

Society's attitude toward teaching is changing because education is an important part of improving the economy and the United States' international competitiveness, DeShong said. As a result, society may be more willing to spend money on education, he said.

Teaching is an increasingly challenging career, he said, as increases in single-family households and other societal trends shift parental responsibilities --once handled by families -- to schools.

"Parental realities have laid more burdens at the door of schools," DeShong said.

And although Schwartz is happy to have a job, she is not sure how long she will stay in teaching.

"People don't realize how emotionally draining it is every day," she said.