Teaching Job! (fit in, fingerprinting, private schools)

[maprot]

I relocated here in late June and have been trying to get a teaching job ever since. I've read that this is a common complaint--that there is a very saturated teaching pool this year!

I started applying to every district in the area in March, and have sent my resume to hundreds of principals. Those who replied said they were fully staffed. I was lucky enough to get 3 interviews (all in the past 2 weeks), but still no job.

Is subbing really going to help me get my foot in the door? If I sub, I have to get a part time job to make ends meet. (Compared to teacher's salary, subs are paid horribly! And subs have to pay for a background check/fingerprinting in every single district they apply!) I am single, so I don't have a spouse's salary to rely on. It seems like I could make more money getting an office job. I hate to leave teaching, but I also have to survive.

The school/district doesn't matter, as I have experience teaching in the inner-city w/low-socioeconomic students.

[shoosh1958]

I'm not a teacher but I've got friends who are and I have kids at four different schools. I have friends who sub and a couple have been put in long-term sub positions to cover pregnancies, family situations, etc. They have subbed at various schools but developed relationships with teachers and administrators that led to the long-term sub positions. I know a few teachers who are pregnant now and their classes will have to be covered.

[sinsativ]

Once again, aint the best, but if you really want to teach, School of Excellence, a charter school, is begging for teachers, heres a link to their website.
School of Excellence in Education

[yosoyway]

I'm not a teacher either but I have plenty of friends and family who are. I would greatly recommend that you do some substituting. It will help with your experience, you will meet principals and it might help you land a position.

A friend of mine did not get hired 2 years ago. He did substitute work and within a month he was asked to replace a teacher who had gone on maternity leave. By January he was given a permament teaching position at that school.

I say go for it.

[adtobias]

edgewood south san antonio and harlandale isd.....or private schools

[maprot]

The only problem with private schools is that a lot of them seem to be religious & I'm not religious at all. I don't know how well I'd fit in...

It looks like subbing might be the best route to take.

Thanks all!!

[amye1158]

Originally Posted by yosoyway

I'm not a teacher either but I have plenty of friends and family who are. I would greatly recommend that you do some substituting. It will help with your experience, you will meet principals and it might help you land a position.

A friend of mine did not get hired 2 years ago. He did substitute work and within a month he was asked to replace a teacher who had gone on maternity leave. By January he was given a permament teaching position at that school.

I say go for it.

Please check out some of the other threads on this topic -- we have gone through a lengthy discussion about how this often does not happen. Several of us have become very discouraged after listening to this advice over and over, and have it not be true.

The truth is, it is very difficult to get a teaching job, either in public, private or charter (I've tried them all). One of the things that discouraged me up North was the incredibly blatent nepotism involved in hiring. I have come to the decision that, while nowhere near as blatant, nepotism is indeed alive and well in Texas schools (at least in SA).

[AR Newbie]

Originally Posted by amye1158

Please check out some of the other threads on this topic -- we have gone through a lengthy discussion about how this often does not happen. Several of us have become very discouraged after listening to this advice over and over, and have it not be true.

The truth is, it is very difficult to get a teaching job, either in public, private or charter (I've tried them all). One of the things that discouraged me up North was the incredibly blatent nepotism involved in hiring. I have come to the decision that, while nowhere near as blatant, nepotism is indeed alive and well in Texas schools (at least in SA).

Wow you are really upset about the teaching thing! I can understand where you are coming from (myself in the teaching arena and being there at one time). I am not trying to come across rude by any means, but do you think that your negative feelings about "jobs" has come across in your interviews? I know that happened to myself and my husband years ago with teaching. Then we got better attitudes, utilized every person we knew for contacts, and eventually did get into NISD. I truly believe that finding that one person that is willing to give you a chance is key. Patience is a virtue. Sorry if my comments are the same that you have heard, but it is my heart felt opinion.

[adtobias]

i dont think religion plays any role in working in a private school. unless you are teaching religion

[pobre]

Originally Posted by adtobias

i dont think religion plays any role in working in a private school. unless you are teaching religion

It sure does, as most of the private schools around here are church based. Some require you to be a practicing Christian, some require you to be of the same faith, some require membership in the church linked with the school.