Interview Canceled
Wow. I just got a call from a school that had found my resume through NYCTF and that contacted me for an interview last week. They are canceling my interview for Monday.
I had researched this school and from what I’ve read, they had a 66.66% teacher turnover rate last year (and more than 50% in the three prior years), so I’m pretty surprised that they canceled the interview.
Don’t they need teachers? Don’t they have retention problems? Isn’t this the kind of school that NYCTF aims to staff?
It seems like a risky preemptive move, to me, for them to just simply cancel interviews. If they interviewed people they could at least have some choices in reserve in case the ban on hiring new teachers is lifted. Right? I mean, I’m thinking logically, I think.
Filed under: Uncategorized | 13 Comments
From a school with a 2/3 turnover rate, I hardly expect competent decision-making.
Jonathan
LOL Witty words of wisdom! (Not to be juvenile, but I really did laugh out loud at this!)
Thirdgen! What a bummer. Not the way to start off the interviewing season. Please keep your spirits up. I need my fellow Fellows to be encouraging as I pack boxes, sell my worldly goods, and make the 3 day drive to NYC to, hopefully, find a job!
Paula, you’re aware of everything that’s going on with the 1,100 teachers in the ATR, right? Check out Gothamschools.org. There is a guy there who says he and his wife were both offered jobs in the city and are leaving Virginia to move here, but were told that their offers were rescinded due to the new regulations, and – get this – they are certified teachers with years of experience. I’m not holding out too much hope at this point. I’m pulling together some grad school applications. It’s tough being unemployed in this city, and come September, I need some kind of a concrete plan.
Actually, I’ve been talking with an ATR teacher (who is assigned to our school) over the last couple of days as the hiring freeze has been playing out. You need to remember that the 1,100 people in the ATR pool are not all classroom teachers. Many are also guidance counselors, secretaries, etc. Nobody really releases the breakdown by job title, with both the DOE and the UFT keeping it pretty secret. But I hope that gives you a little more hope. You’re not waiting for 1,100 teachers to get placed before you, and ultimately, some ATRs will be left un-hired. According to the letter from Klein written to principals, there will be a regular review of the hiring freeze, including considerations to lift it in certain license areas (i.e. special ed and science) and certain geographic areas where it’s hard to get qualified teachers.
Thanks, ESL Teacher. This, combined with other e-conversations I’ve had, makes me feel a lot more hopeful. Seriously, I can’t wait to be a teacher.
I’ve got at least one grad school acceptance sitting in my back pocket should this all hit the fan come september. well, I suppose I need to investigate how long I can sit on the offer before I accept/decline…
the news coming out of the city is not encouraging but, strangely, I was contacted for an interview Friday afternoon. It looks like there are schools that are still interviewing just in case the ban’s lifted. I’m sure you’ll get more interviews, and good luck!
i would take this as a blessing in disguise. you don’t know what kind of horrors are going on at a school with such a poor teacher retention rate. remember that the first year is critical and many new teachers leave during this time. it’s pretty important to find yourself a job in a school that has at least semi-decent support and an adequate administration. it’s enough of an uphill battle without that.
You are aware, of course, that I maintain a “Do Not Apply” list, mostly of Bronx High Schools, but also with some middle schools and some Manhattan high schools, exactly for the reasons that Adelaide gave. If we (current teachers) want to have new colleagues who last, it would do us well to warn you about the places to avoid.
Jonathan
Yes, and I read it often. The school that canceled on me is on your list.
Thirdgen, I am cohort 18 fellow and I had almost exactly the same experience as you–and it was also from a school on Jonathan’s do-not-apply list. They called me to schedule an interview (which was pretty exciting, I thought!) and then cancelled it last Friday. I have a feeling this was the same school…
It probably was the same school. I ended up persistently calling them and was able to visit today. It was actually a great experience! The kids were absolutely wonderful – so thirsty for knowledge, extremely opinionated, respectful of adults and very, very creative. I felt sad that the school culture isn’t similarly encouraging for the teachers. The ones I talked to were very nice, totally loved the students and were interested in giving me advice about becoming a teacher. Apparently what they did not tell me when they canceled was that they interviewed someone who they really, really want (and will probably hire) the day before. So…the reason they canceled on me (budget) was at least not entirely true.