That we can agree on. To me, every time I sit in front of an administrator, I feel like I'm competing with the rest of the pool. I know that someone is going to get the job and others will not. If I am the one who gets the offer, I know that I did something more right than other equally qualified applicants. If there are X applicants, there will be X-1 that didn't make the cut for any number of reasons (most of which you have stated). Schools would love to be able to hire many of the people they interview (if they didn't want to hire them at all they wouldn't make the interview stage), but money is finite and so are positions.
Yeah, but it was worth a shot. I've known a number of duplicitous snakes in education, and have been bitten by a few.
I think I listened to you a year before you said it. I got my job last year, and I'll be going back to it this year. You think a lot like I do, and if you read my old posts, you'll see that. Also, I'm incredibly impatient and hate to wait for anything.
The display issues are worth pursuing, but I agree that they're not particularly relevant to this thread. I'm dealing with them in a thread elsewhere: have a look, please, and let's discuss them there, not here.
Honestly didn't mean it as a slight of your skill in the profession. It was merely a philosophical comment. There are great teachers who would narrow the scope of an investigation if they know it will lead to failure for example. They might try to save time by saying that won't work because... Personally, I'd rather let the kid hit the dead end and learn how to handle such a situation. I think you got sufficient responses. I agree there is some neediness and needless self loathing occuring on these boards (not you in particular). Personally, I'm interviewing for better admin jobs at the moment. I'm a great candidate, but I am facing an entire group of great candidates. The districts want an elite candidate so if they find one, us great ones will not get the job. I get bummed too, and then I try my best to be charming and excited in the next interview. Don't wear desperation on your sleeve. It's not appealing. Fake it until you make it. I'd be applying for every job. Private, public, charter. Volunteer to teach ESL at the library. Anything to boost that resume. Good Luck!
Bella, thank you for the clarification, but her attacks (on me) on other threads are numerous, and I'm done with it. I don't come to this forum to hear what SHE THINKS about what I say. [/QUOTE] Guys/Girls, no one is personally attacking anyone. We are adults practicing stimulating conversations. We have interest in each others thoughts and experiences. We are all trying to grow. You simply can't let constructive feedback bother you. How do you plan to make it in public education without being questioned or challenged? (not meant as slight) That's a daily occurance and an opportunity for growth.
Couldn't agree more. Once you get passed over twice, it's time to take your talents elsewhere. Personally, I'd probably do it after getting passed over once.
Unless you want to teach in Indiana. Indiana is DESPERATE. I've seen a lot of new teachers who had been around waiting for a job for years, who would never be hired—according to those in power. And they sure as hell have jobs this year. The worm has turned in Indiana, largely because no one in her right mind would teach there.
There are also several states that are always looking for teachers from other states because they don't have enough local people. Virginia, Maryland, Florida, and Nevada are always up here scouting in NJ, NYC, and Philly.
And these state leaders are too entrenched in their own party's politics and dogma to realize the stunningly simply truth: IF THEY JUST TREATED TEACHERS WITH A MODICUM OF RESPECT, THERE WOULD NEVER BE A SHORTAGE! Then again, perhaps these states are simply trying to move to a cheaper, privatized, for-profit education model serving the poor and working classes, and these shortages are exactly what they want—on one hand; but then, on the other hand, legislators act surprised and scramble for new legislation and recruitment practices to stem the damage they themselves caused and continue to facilitate. Insanity is so difficult to understand because. . . it is just that: insanity.
It probably also has to do with the low quality of education their young adults received going through their school system. They probably don't have a quality pool of candidates to pull from. There are very few places in NJ where you can't recieve a high quality education. Even in urban schools, the resources are there, student behavior might be in the way though.
We have to be careful, because some would prefer to blame any and all deficiencies on the teachers being asked to build a rocket to Mars with duct tape and bailing wire. Where there are problems, the root cause is ALWAYS underfunding by the state. Well, underfunding designed by lobbyists and corporate interests who control our weak-willed politicians like sock puppets.
It's a good thing my kids never challenge me, but are always polite and respectful, instead. I doubt I could handle any sort of conflict!
Only way that can change is to decide good schools add value to a community by electing people who will significantly raise your taxes. The reason NJ schools are so good is because they are so well funded and have a well educated base of parents who will accept nothing less. Sure in some schools it ends up being like throwing money into the wind, but most get out of them what they put in.
That is sad and SCARY! I watched a documentary on Camden, NJ that was horrifying! Being from the West Coast, I had NEVER imagined anything so appalling, and didn't think we had anything THAT BAD, until I visited Oakland. The problem is NOT "low quality education," but "LOW QUALITY PARENTING." By the time we get those kids, the irreversible damage has been done. It doesn't matter what quality education you're teaching, they're not getting it! Of course, a good, caring teacher can turn this around, but it's VERY DIFFICULT; and frankly, that's not the job of a teacher, that's THE PARENTS job! Most of these students are unable to fit-in to the school culture of learning. THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TRAINED TO BEHAVE PROPERLY--sit down, stay at your desk, be quiet and listen when the teacher is talking, etc., etc., etc. This places a HUGE BURDEN on the teacher that she is not normally trained for, unless her major is psychology or social work. In school districts like Oakland, and Newark, NJ, they expect A WHOLE LOT MORE out of their teachers and this may be why the turn-over rate is so high.
Well you can also look at priority mistakes in these schools. A lot more should be spent on counseling services and are instead funneled into other areas. St. Benedicts Prep a private school in Newark has mandatory group counseling and individual counseling when warranted. They also have a boarding option for kids living in unsafe environments.
[QUOTE="AlwaysAttend, has mandatory group counseling and individual counseling when warranted. They also have a boarding option for kids living in unsafe environments.[/QUOTE] This is great, Always, but it's also a SAD INDICTMENT against American society. WE DON"T KNOW HOW TO RAISE CHILDREN ANYMORE! How EXPENSIVE these programs are! If PARENTS would do their job, then society would not have to spend BILLIONS OF DOLLARS on trying to correct the DAMAGE they do to their children. I don't like to seem unsympathetic, but how UNFAIR IS THIS to everyone else when we have our own children to raise. And this problem is not small, it's ENORMOUS--a HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION from coast to coast! And nobody seems to know what to do about it. So we keep throwing MONEY and COUNSELING at the problem, and in stead of things getting better, IT GETS BIGGER and WORSE! (Forgive me for ranting)
For anyone who wants to see a video about St. Benedicts, they have their 60 minutes segment on their website: http://www.sbp.org/60Minutes
