[Ivorytickler]

I know this is probably a lost cause, but you never know. Has anyone heard of any districts in the metro Detroit area hiring? It's May 4th and I haven't heard boo about being kept on for next year and due to staff rearrangements, mine is one of the positions that can be filled by someone with more seniority. I feel like I need my resume out there but I don't know where to send it.

Any suggestions for an aggressive job search. Would it be out of line to simply show up at schools I'm interested in, resume in hand and ask to see the principal? Of course I'll have to take a day off of work to do that but you gotta do what you gotta do in this economy.

Unfortunately, I'm tied to the area for the time being but I'm willing to drive where I have to to have work.

Thanks
Ivory

[Coldjensens]

Get a job as a substitute teacher. Do an awesome job and you will probably get some offers. Sustitute teaching stinks. It pays nothing and you are on call at 5 a.m. You work erratically get no benefits and are generally treated like dirt. However it does get you exposure. If you always say yes to assignments, do a great job, get teachers and students requesting you again the nex ttime a teacher is sick, then the district starts to take notice. If they have opening they may make an offer. My wife was a substitute for one year. She had two districts tell her that they woudl hire her if she was certified. One said tha tthey would wait and hire her if she got certified. (Not sure that they woudl wait two years though).

If you do sub, be sure to sign up for as many districts as you can. You will get more work and get exposure to more districts. Be patient, It could take years to get a job in this market.

[mackinac81]

Actually, here in W. Michigan I get benefits for subbing, and I liked it quite a bit. Once you're a regular sub the kids get to know you like a surrogate teacher, making the job even easier. Also, most of my assignments were before the assignment date so I could contact the teacher about lessons if I needed to. I loved subbing.

Ivory, all I can say is that Farmington Public Schools was at my college's job fair two weeks ago. But they were the only ones outside metro detroit. Good Luck

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Get a job as a substitute teacher. Do an awesome job and you will probably get some offers. Sustitute teaching stinks. It pays nothing and you are on call at 5 a.m. You work erratically get no benefits and are generally treated like dirt. However it does get you exposure. If you always say yes to assignments, do a great job, get teachers and students requesting you again the nex ttime a teacher is sick, then the district starts to take notice. If they have opening they may make an offer. My wife was a substitute for one year. She had two districts tell her that they woudl hire her if she was certified. One said tha tthey would wait and hire her if she got certified. (Not sure that they woudl wait two years though).

If you do sub, be sure to sign up for as many districts as you can. You will get more work and get exposure to more districts. Be patient, It could take years to get a job in this market.

USED TO BE THAT WAY...Now 90% of districts contract out their substitute positions and they could care less who is in the classroom as far as doing a good job. And the subs are generally making less than $60 a day now since contracting out.

If you have any SpEd experience or certs you can contract with a real (impolite adjective here) swell organization GPS (Global Psychological Services) not a real nice place but will pay $22--28 an hour with some benefits.

Also TOTAL EDUCATION SOLUTION in Pontiac--SpEd experience...

Otherwise, even North Carolina if full and has no vacancies today...other than SpEd?

[Ivorytickler]

Well, that was depressing.

I talked to my husband last night and, surprisingly, he's ok with me looking out of state. If June gets here and I have no contract, I guess I'll spend my summer trying to find something elsewhere.

You'd think with certs in math, chemistry and physics, there'd be some demand for me.

[mackinac81]

Originally posted by zthatzmanz28
Otherwise, even North Carolina if full and has no vacancies today...other than SpEd?

Although the NC recruiters told me that the freeze would likely end after June 30 when Raleigh has their budget figured out. And I just got hired down there last week, I guess because my position really really needed to be filled.

[mackinac81]

Here are some job search websites I used when I was searching

www.schoolspring.net

www.teachers-teachers.com (I got my job through here)

IASA - Illinois Education Job Bank (For Illinois)

www.teacherjobnet.org (For Texas. Texas is still doing well)

www.teachincolorado.org

Hope this helps, and good luck. There aren't as many jobs as last year, but they ARE out there.