Four Square- I could end up fairly close to you! It seems that recently, most positions have been in the far southwest counties of MI. (And thanks)
The town I live in is not laying off teachers! First time in years! Although, apparently, the district has reserved the right to lay off teachers later if the numbers don't hold.
There is now an H! H is the closest to home time wise. It is 6th grade, which is no where near my first job, but their elementary is K-6. And, hey, its a job! She said they were really impressed with my resume
Recap: A- eliminated B- eliminated C- awaiting official openings- in the hiring pool D- eliminated E- interview via Skype on the 10th F- waiting for a call to set up a second interview- not guaranteed the second interview, but not eliminated yet G- interview in person the 13th H- phone interview the 11th.
We live in a tight knit, smallish town and I can tell you that around here it is ALLLLL about who you know. Most of the principals went to grade school in our system and now are admins. Many of the teachers at our schools are all interconnected either by being married to this person or that person or they went to school with an admin/other staff members. It has been said for a long time here in my county that they prefer to only hire "new" people as a last resort. I didn't grow up here, nor did my husband. Even though I am good friends who several staff members at local schools (who say to use their names as references), it hasn't helped me yet. :unsure:
Yeah the layoffs around here are CRAZY! I have been subbing for the teachers I had in grade school and they are going insane trying to figure everything out. I suspect a lot of art teachers will be let go and programs consolidated. It's amazing you are getting so many interviews though! The four-letter district never called me even though the position is still listed and I e-mailed to check on the status of my application. I'm moving on!
I applied in February and didn't get called until April. And I still haven't heard anything since moving to the 2nd round/pool and it has been almost 3 weeks. They are taking their time. Don't count them out, but don't get your hopes up, either.
Yay for school I! School I is about an hour and 15 minutes away. It is a pretty nice area, heavily populated suburban area. 1st grade.
Oh- Interview on Friday! So, I have a Skype interview on Monday, phone on Tuesday, in person on Thursday, and in person on Friday. 4 in a week! Wow!!
Terrific! I love reading your chronicles. You're doing everything you can do, and it looks like you're doing it well.
And school J just called. I interview with them on Tuesday afternoon! So 5 interviews next week! OMG I'M GOING TO FREAK OUT!!! School J is 2 hours away. I really don't know anything about it since it is on the other side of the state. I do know it is a multi-age year round school. It sounds like a pilot school for hands-on learning.
Part of what is helping you is your gigantic circle of where you're applying. Sounds like you're willing to move for a good job. That shows a lot of dedication. Hooray! On a side note, keep track of your mileage for these interviews. It should be tax-deductible.
Oh- and the lady left the longest voicemail, talking about how she hopes I'm safe from Tropical Storm Andrea and everything. Based on how friendly she was, it sounds like a great school to be at! It is a multi-age 2-3 classroom!
Well, this year's goal is to simply get in the state. 2 hours is better than 11 hours! That way, I can start on my masters from a university in Michigan. THEN I can work on getting all the way home- if I even decide I want to! My hometown did finally post a job the other day. Just 1. It is 2nd grade, and they usually hire their own alumni. However, I did not get an interview last year when they had 8 openings (they went from 1/2 day K to full day K). My resume is way more impressive this year, though!
This is your year. With all the interest you're getting, something will happen for you. I remember how disappointed you were last year, but this is it. Good luck during all of those interviews next week. You'll do great!
I had my School E interview today. I am SO glad I will be in Michigan beginning Wednesday to interview in person. I had more tech issues. It was a Skype interview. However, something was messed up, and I could only see ME. Not them! They could see me, so I didn't want to hang up and start over. However, looking at yourself while interviewing is very distracting. I was constantly fidgeting! I received a rejection in record time- 4 hours Tomorrow (today) is my big day! I have 2 phone interviews tomorrow! One is the school closest to my family, and the other is a dream school but 2 hours away.
The way I see it is......you can now let go of the idea of the wrong school (or they let you go - no worries) because now the RIGHT SCHOOL and the right offer will be on its way
Both interviews went better than the day before. And, I haven't been rejected yet, so that is always good! I'm not sure I'd classify either of them as 'great'. It is really hard to judge when it is a phone interview.
Recap: A- eliminated B- eliminated C- awaiting official openings- in the hiring pool D- eliminated E- eliminated F- waiting for a call to set up a second interview- not guaranteed the second interview, but not eliminated yet G- interview tomorrow H- eliminated I- Interview on Friday J- Pending (interview was yesterday) *sigh*
In better news, the hometown now has 2 positions, and the district my cousins went to has a 2nd grade opening. Hopefully I get an interview with either (or both!)
Actually, that was as of last night. The neighboring town has multiple openings (doesn't say a number), and another area town posted a position. I REALLY hope I can at least land some interviews. I'm in the state now, so I can interview in person. I'm trying to convince myself that I keep getting rejected so I can land a job in my home county. I would give anything. My interview tomorrow is at my best-friend's school. I already did a brief (5-10 minute) phone interview with them. She thinks they will offer me a job either tomorrow or within 48 hours. She was offered hers on the spot. They know we are friends, and I listed her as a reference. It is a charter. I'm usually a person of my word, but I would consider breaking a contract if I could get a job in my home county. But, that is putting the cart before the horse again.
Interview with G went pretty well. Definitely my best interview this year! After the interview, he had me fill out a few confidentiality waivers so he can contact references and also a criminal history form. That has to be good, right? In other news, there is now a school K! School K is in a VERY wealthy area about an hour from my family. I'm talking average income of $100K in this town! Interview is next Tuesday!
Recap: A- eliminated B- eliminated C- awaiting official openings- in the hiring pool D- eliminated E- eliminated F- waiting for a call to set up a second interview- not guaranteed the second interview, but not eliminated yet G- pending H- eliminated I- Interview tomorrow J- Pending K- interview Tuesday
That's all so Awesome! You have quite a few possibilities and I bet AT LEAST 1 or 2 will end up being offers. So Happy for you
