I spent ALL day getting ready for an interview. Almost got lost but figured out the dumb directions. Got there 20 minutes early. It turns out to be a screening interview. 10 minutes with a TIMER. Good grief.
Ughh! I hate this for you. I know exactly what you are saying. Same boat for me with my child's ES. I had worked hard to get my name out there to this P and try to get my foot in the door. The P sat with me at the volunteer luncheon and knew I was aiming to try to get on her staff soon. She encouraged me to keep in touch blah blah blah...and then to get her email today that she had already interviewed for and offered the 3rd grade job to someone else. Gee thanks for nothing. I have been more upset over this particular school since the P knows me and she still didn't even give me a chance.
Matgrad. I was there last summer. you know what I'd *really* like right now? An application/interview with NO BS. None. If you don't like me or my methods, tell me. If you don't think I'll fit in with your school, tell me. If something on my application automatically disqualified me from your county, tell me. Just quit stringing me along like I'm a junkie & your holding the goods with no intention to sell. That's a bad analogy. I'm just having a fed-up day. Grab a bottle of wine & come over for some spa action.
Chebrutta, I love your analogy actually. I think we all sort of feel that way. We want a position so bad and they are just dangling them in front of us. Wine does seem to help!!
How about we add in a facial with that wine? I've got some great skin care stuff that I'm dying to use. I too would love an interview with NO BS. That's the one thing I miss about the business world. BS seemed to be limited.
Maybe I am taking things to heart today, but a teacher friend from the ES I really wanted to work for just sent me email to ask "How's the job search?" I emailed her to say that I got word from the P that she hired someone else at the school she works for ...her reply was "oh, yeah we knew she hired for that already. I heard you had in an application for it. " I feel like all my friends over there are snickering about how I can't even get a job with a P. that I know.
Ok. What I'd like is a couple of tequila shots (Patron, none of that cheap cr*p) with lime, a long island iced tea, and a mani-pedi. I don't even care what order they come in! I really hate 15 minute interviews. I also hate interviews with exactly 6 questions (two of which sounded exactly the same). I especially hate the combination of the two. hmy::unsure::mellow::huh::|:mellow:
Can I just say... sorry if this is too positive for this thread ( ) I LOVE seeing those smiley-hugs guys. It reminds me (OFTEN) how much I DO love each and everyone of you and this forum. And how, when i have NO-ONE in my personal life you "gets" the pain that I am going through with this job search...that I will find comfort, support, and commardarie here....amongst you, my friends. Yes, to all!
Well I just got another blow today. So that makes three in one day. They say bad things happen in threes. After all it's nearly been a month since something has broken. Well today my desktop computer decided it no longer wants to work. Hubby took it in and the report is the computer is fried. The Power supply shorted the motherboard and CPU. We need a new one. At least hubby is computer savvy and can do a hard drive data transfer. There goes another $600. I wonder what could break next.
Girl, you are going to make me cry. Life has given some of us so many lemons that we could run lemonade empires.
MAT... I have had those days where i feel like I have been punched from a NUMBER of different directions. And the computer? man, if MINE goes... that would do me in financially. Ouch! Ok... let's work our way back.... Go outside. Have a seat on the grass and watch the stars for a while. Have a talk with God. Find peace. This too shall pass....and better times are ahead for us.
My Mom keeps telling me that things will get better. I can see lots of stars in my neighborhood and the mosquito guy is out spraying again. Why he does this at midnight I will never know. For some reason I have this song in my head "The sun will come out tomorrow but your bottom dollar" or whatever the line is.
You're asking a music major about lyrics from musical theater? watch out and stand back: That's Tomorrow - from Annie The sun'll come out tomorrow Bet your bottom dollar That tomorrow there'll be sun! Just thinkin' about tomorrow Clears away the cobwebs, And the sorrow 'til there's none! When I'm stuck a day That's gray and lonely, I just stick out my chin, And Grin, and say, The sun'll come out tomorrow So ya gotta hang on 'til tomorrow Come what may Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow! You're always a day away Personally... I like You'll Never Walk Alone from Carousel When you walk through a storm Keep your head held high And don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm Is a golden sky And the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain, Though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone, You'll never walk alone. (Oh sheeesh...now you have me singing broadway tunes. I'll not need the tums thread...but i WILL need to close the windows! ok back to YouTube Karioke videos...good luck to my neighbors who want to sleep. hehehehe YouTube Karioke should be in every depressant's toolbox. )
Hubby has now forbid to sing anymore songs from Annie. He says I should stop talking to my "imaginary friends" and get some sleep. What a silly, silly man but then again they'e all silly. I told him to just wait we will take a trip to IL one day and I'll show him....
MATgrad, you may have a future as a psychic. I *just* got an email from St. Lucie - seeking IMMEDIATE candidates in almost EVERY category. However, I *know* they laid off 170 teachers at the end of the school year. I'm not sure whats up since that county has been a dead zone ever since the hurricanes. Housing mess completely killed PSL.
I got that email too and I was thinking that some districts may be using the downturn as a way to weed out some people. You can be let go during your first three years for any reason and they won't tell you what it is. So let's say a district due to desperation hired pretty much whoever breathed. As crazy as everything was it did happen. Districts know that they can get some good people in their now and poof clean house. All they have to do is non-renew. A non-renewal doesn't give you any privileges like a recall list. I get that impression because every interview I have been on this summer I always have to fill-out an info form and the one common question is "Do you have a degree from a college of education?" Hey, I could be wrong though.
MAT, they spray at midnight so they won't spray any kids Here's my take on the whole job thing: Districts are very, very unsure of what's going on. They know that lots of people are losing jobs and selling houses, so they have no idea what their enrollment numbers will be for the fall. They have no idea whether the states will cut funding even more, or magically find some money and forward it to the districts. So they're operating on a bare-bones, worst case scenario. But all those kids WILL have to educated SOMEWHERE. So, by the time school opens (OK, more realistically, within a week or 2 after school opens) those classrooms will HAVE to be staffed. They may have to cut after school sports of other options, but they'll NEED teachers in all their classrooms. They're just waiting until the last possible moment, so they have the best possible guess as to what they need and what they can afford. So hang in there you guys!!! Your day will come!
I don't think you are - I've encountered that same question. That may be one of my problems - I don't! But then I don't think having a BS in education *automatically* makes you a better teacher or that a BA/BS in a subject *automatically* makes you more knowledgeable. It's totally dependent on the person. However, in St. Lucie's case, they've always suffered from extremely high turnover. Pay is low; district not exactly on its A game; extremely low socio-economic students; and no real industry beyond citrus.
Also, MATgrad, give it till mid-November. Final counts are in (well, til the January count) & they're looking to fill in the holes. That's how I got my first job. Coupled with my willingness to do whatever activities they threw at me. I'm just worried about 1.) GETTING a job and 2.) then not making it through the 11 day count. Grr.
Funny you guys have been discussing what will happen once school starts. The systems here in GA went bare bones back before school let out. The counties near me cut all part time/job share spots, let go part time slots they could do without, upped class sizes, and even let go para's. (My daughter's school let go ALL para's and upped classes to 23. Imagine 23 kindergarteners and no para...oh my!) Slowly some spots have been opening back up in these counties, but several of my friends feel they will get into the first few weeks/months of school and see they just can't manage like this and will hire more. I am not holding out too much hope though....guess all I can do is wait.
That's like my area. Rural, low-paying schools with no industry beyond retirees. There is a "wonderful" superintendent (huge sarcasm) that thinks that you must have an ed degree to be a good teacher. I also agree with you Alice. I really get the feeling that the districts here are waiting almost playing chicken. Budgets get finalized next week. School starts Aug 24. Hubby's school is planning as though they're going to lose 50-75 students. In fact every elementary school is planning as though they're going to lose 50-75 kids. That's three teachers per school. There's no way every school in a district is going to be that short of kids. That would be a drop of 750 kids at the elementary level alone. Enrollment last year still went up albeit not a lot but it do go up slightly. The state says they'll be getting more students but the districts disagree. Real Estate sales on existing homes have been going up in the Tampa area and prices have finally overall stabilized. The foreclosures are the wild card though. My neighborhood has 6 just on the main street. We used to have 9 but three have been sold, renovated and now have families living in them again. All the data I've been reading points to investors buying these properties dirt cheap and renting them out now. I just got our tax notice this year. Our home didn't drop in value again. Consequently, I have to pay a whole $875 in taxes as opposed to the $840 I paid last year. That's one thing about Florida we really don't pay squat in property taxes and there's no income tax. Now if we could get some industry beyond oranges and mickey mouse we could possibly be golden.
That's your property tax for the entire YEAR??????? Oh, good gravy!!!! People move OUT of our area after the kids graduate high school because of the high taxes. (You go down the street and you see two signs on houses in May...CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATE! and FOR SALE!) That was my plan as well- then the housing bubble burst and i can't (all my money is wrapped up in the house-it was my investment after the divorce)... but now, I have to figure out how to pay the SECOND half of my property taxes for the year in September... (3 bedroom townhome, not a super fancy one by ANY stretch). THIS half? $3,000. You can't get a job...neither can I...but I'd rather live in Florida with warm weather and less taxes.
Even if foreclosures go up-- those people will end up renting an apartment (legal or not) and sending thier kids to school!!!! So look for a bunch of openings once school starts. Or at least that's what my crystal ball says!
I agree with Alice. A great friend of mine works in Pinellas county. They won't stop going on and on about the numbers. She's a NBCT Math teacher, county trainer and so on and they told her SHE might not have a job because of the numbers. Meanwhile they just added on to her school (it's still not done yet) because they said numbers went UP last year. Well no one ever knows the real count until the first week or 2 anyway and then they scramble. She says her county is a mess!!! Even if people are losing their homes, they HAVE to move somewhere. Not everyone is moving out of Florida. I think everyone in education down there is scared because no one really knows what's going on with their budgets. Hang in there!!!!!
All right. I decided to be all pro-active today - vacuum. Dust. Laundry. New applications. I needed laundry detergent. Upon exiting Publix, I discovered my car had died an inglorious battery-related death. After waiting 15 minutes (in the 90 degree heat), the nice guy in the Expedition parked in front of me agreed to jump me. Ok, not me - my car. We debated for awhile over my cables - orange does mean positive, right? Since they aren't marked? - debated over his car for 5 minutes (his terminals weren't marked at all - whee!! let's look at the cables leaving the battery and try to figure it out & hope we don't blow everything up!), and finally got my car started. I drove home (praying I wouldn't have a lapse in driving skills and stall out on US1 & cursing my aerodynamic car where the wind doesn't actually come in the windows) and discovered that yet again, the water was low (Dang, you, FL heat. Dang you.) 3rd time in two months. Time for a new battery. Also: still need tires and my washing machine is filling really, really slowly. I bet that one goes next. Need job. Or martini. PLEASE.
Chebrutta, that's a good idea about keeping busy. Otherwise, you'll go crazy!!! I'm still waiting to hear from my school district where I was pink slipped. Apparenlty, the HR told me that she'll call me when they open up these reading part time jobs, which would be perfect for me because that way I can work with small group of kids and continue going to school (starting at the University this fall!) I'm glad that I'm taking a chem class to keep me busy. Or else, I'd be thinking and wondering all the time about what is going on and if they will ever call me and if they will change their mind and make due without the reading jobs....
This week has just been the pits I guess. Just got word from some friends that one of our young, brand new out of school teachers got a job offer this afternoon. Trying to be excited for her, but why?? Why is it not my turn, or someone who has experience turn? I am literally dreading next week when I have to take my girls over to the "Meet and Greet" at the ES school to see their teachers. Ever since word got out that I tried to get an interview for the 3rd grade spot at my girls' ES and never even got an interview, all my teacher pals there act as if I don't exist anymore. I am sure they have now all discussed how crappy of a teacher I must be if I didn't even get offered an interview.
Hold your head up high--they have no idea what is going on in your life. For all they know you found something better. Most of them probably don't really know anything about a possible interview.
I bet that's not true; they're avoiding you because they know you should have had a crack at the job and they're embarassed that you didn't.
Thanks Alice. Two of them are on the 3rd grade team, so I know they are aware that I submitted an app for the interview and they obviously know I wasn't chosen. Just makes me feel like poo. On the 6p news tonight, the lead story is that the state wants to furlough teachers for planning days. They are trying to get it passed ASAP. Thinking the job situation may not improve around here anytime soon, esp. if they are going to put teachers on furloughs.
Mommy~I feel that same way. Even though I have a job, I really thought I had a shot of getting an interview at a school I subbed at and tutored at..nope not even an interview.
To apply or not to apply? The school that is practically at my doorstep (ok well up the street) has an opening. The problem is it is part time. Like, one hour per day. I WANT to work there. The only benefit I could see is that it would get me experience in the district. No benefits means I'd have to work a night job. Ugggggggg. What do I do?
If I don't have an offer soon, I will be a teacher aid. What school districts need teacher? None.... I need some rum hihi
