JOB SEARCHING TIPS FOR GTF FELLOWS

GTF staff have contacted the directors of the Teacher Recruitment (TRIP) Centers in California to gather information about teaching positions available in various parts of the state and how they are able to help GTF Fellows in their search for employment. Below are some general tips that the TRIP Centers have provided, followed by specific activities or procedures in use in each of the Centers. We wish you well in your quest for continued employment in qualifying schools. Make use of the Teacher Recruitment Centers – they are there to help you.

GENERAL TIPS

Be Hopeful: In spite of the negative stories you may have seen in the press, there will be some jobs available for the next academic year. Not all who receive notification of a possible layoff in March will receive an actual layoff notice in May. Some districts have “over-noticed” on layoffs because of the current budget uncertainties. Some have begun offering retirement incentives to older teachers that will open up positions this spring and summer. All districts will be looking to replace emergency permit and other uncertified teachers with fully certified teachers, especially in low performing schools that serve children from economically poor families. Districts are still interviewing teachers for possible positions, working to increase the size of their pool of potential teachers because such teachers will be the core of their teaching staffs for many years to come. So, stay focused on realistic, positive possibilities.

Be Flexible: There are chronic shortages in some teaching fields. Special education, mathematics, and science are the most obvious shortage areas. Teacher recruitment centers are encouraging teachers to consider taking additional coursework to expand their certification into the shortage areas. Elementary teachers may seek supplementary authorizations in mathematics and science. General education credentialed teachers may wish to investigate what it would take to earn a special education certificate. A word of caution here – make sure you are aware of what the world of the special education teacher is before committing to this path. It may not be for everyone.

Teachers who are re-certifying into these shortage areas may be hired as Interns during the process. This type of Intern position in a qualifying school will not jeopardize your GTF Fellow status. You will have already completed a credential and will be teaching in a qualifying school – you will not be penalized for Intern status on your way to completing another credential in a shortage area.

Another way to enhance your job quest is to consider relocating. You have a much better chance of landing a job if you are willing to go where jobs are most plentiful.

Increase Your Job-Searching Skills: When jobs are tighter, the job search becomes more important. How good are your interviewing and resume-writing skills? Search out some resources to let you check your skills and improve them. Print materials are available. Teacher Recruitment Centers may be offering special workshops for teachers who want to improve their skills in these areas.

Stay Connected: There are some resources that can help you find a job if you need one. The Teacher Recruitment Centers are one such resource. When you contact them, make sure you tell them you are a GTF Fellow and that you are looking for a position in a low performing school. Once you have contacted them, don’t just sit back and wait for them to come to you. Check with them periodically as the job situation is fluid in many areas. Are there job fairs in your region? Attend them and follow through. Keep in touch with your former credential program – with faculty or with your alumni center or placement center. If they know what you are looking for, they may be able to help you find a lead.

REGION-SPECIFIC TIPS:

Teacher Recruitment Center: Los Angeles Unified School District
Website: www.teachinla.com
LAUSD has vacancies in all subject areas. You can fill out an application and submit it electronically. In the Comment section of the application, please identify yourself as a GTF Fellow and remind them that you must be placed in a low performing school.

Teacher Recruitment Center: Los Angeles County
Website: www.teachnow.la
This Center operates under the authority of the Los Angeles Country Office of Education, serving many school districts. Teaching vacancies are variable throughout the county. Districts are only looking at fully credentialed teachers. There are math and science vacancies and teachers are being encouraged to complete their supplemental authorizations in these areas. Bilingual teachers are also highly desired.

Teacher Recruitment & Support Center: Southern California
Website: www.teachsocal.org
Call them and let them know you are a GTF Fellow looking for a job in this area. They are committed to spending the necessary time with Fellows in their searches. They conduct video-interviews so that people who do not live in the area can still be considered for positions without having to travel. They encourage teachers to consider adding a special education credential, if the teacher has a passion or a calling for such work.

Teacher Recruitment Center: Central California
Website: http://207.166.53.39/ (TEACH California Website)
They strongly encourage Fellows to put their application in on http://www.edjoin.org/.

Project Pipeline Northern California Teacher Recruitment Center
Website: http://www.projectpipeline.org/
Some districts are still looking to establish a pool of eligible teachers, beginning with teachers needed for summer school. They are also holding recruitment fairs. They will provide 1-on-1 services to GTF Fellows who are seeking employment. Contact them by email (NCTRC@projectpipeline.org) so that they can send you recruitment fair flyers, notices of vacancies that they learn about, and assist you in getting up on EdJoin.

California Teacher Recruitment Program (CTRP)
Website: http://www.teachincal.org
Operated by the Tulare County Office of Education, CTRP serves Central California and Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. The CTRP is dedicated to the recruitment, selection, employment and professional growth of quality teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals. It provides assistance to school districts and teacher preparation agencies in seeking, screening, referring and supporting all teachers to comply with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

EDJOIN
Website: http://www.ed-join.org
EDJOIN, a premier education job website in California, offers over 10,000 job postings in K-12 public education.