Documentary: American Teacher

There was a free screening in Los Angeles at Mount St. Mary's College on November 16th at 7 pm, so I went to check it out (I am finally taking the time to write about it). The documentary is about how the label as teacher has been so under-appreciated in America that it has been embedded in our culture. The documentary follows four teachers from all around America and introduces all the problems they go through in trying their best to teach their students. It shows all the sacrifice, the genuine passion, and the struggle of it all. Teachers inspire, they are hardworkers (and work more than some people assume), they are dedicated, but at the same time they are career is misunderstood and underpaid. The quality of a country takes it all the way down to their teachers. In America, the situation does not look so good.

For more information and screenings, please visit: http://www.theteachersalaryproject.org/index.php

CSET I and II - May 5th, 2012. Here we go!!!

I never really took the CSETs in Social Science when I applied for the credential program at UCI. Instead, the requirement was waived because I completed a subject matter preparation program (SMPP) in Social Science while an undergraduate.

I've always thought it was a downside because I wasn't sure whether schools preferred SMPPs or CSET scores. Being that I'm having such a difficult time finding a teaching position, I'm starting to believe that they probably prefer CSET scores.

As a result, I'll be taking the CSETs! That way, I can show them that I've passed the CSET exams as well as completed the SMPP in Social Science.

I'm probably a little rusty with history, so I purchased CSET study guides at the Orange County Department of Education and let me tell you... they are so NOT worth it!!! Two booklets for $86.20!!! When I finally got them, I flipped through them and the quality is not worth it. We'll see how this goes.

The dates for my CSET exams will be:
May 5th, 2012: CSET Subtest I - World History; World Geography
May 5th, 2012: CSET Subtest II - US History; US Geography
July 14th, 2012: CSET Subtest III - Civics; Economics; California History

Yay for all the substitute assignments!!!

I substitute all this week, except for Friday which is Veterans Day. :) :) :)
Please keep the substitute assignments coming!

Anyways, while substituting at UNI High School today, I saw this:

A Good Laugh is Needed: Cartoons, Pictures, etc.

XD
To be continued...

Update on WIN Program.

Dear Life,
Can you PLEASE give me a break here?? Seriously? Why are you making it so hard for me?!?!!? *sigh*

"Diana,
I will have to double check on your WIN application. It may be on hold since you have not completed our training yet. I don’t think that your workshop proposal would be feasible at this time. There have been a lot of changes in the jails recently, which resulted in the entire WIN program being put on hold for most of last year. We are getting back on track now, but this is not the time to rock the boat.
Thanks!"

Other than that, I recently got a voice message about the Global Tel*Link, a Jail Management/Inmate Telephone service, telling me I have an inmate at a correctional facility trying to contact me via collect call but cannot get through because I'm required to open a direct billing account? I didn't want to take any action yet until I confirm first with ReadOC if this is something that involves the WIN Program or not.

www.gtl.net

My personal project: WIN Program

So I signed up to become a volunteer literacy tutor for an organization called ReadOC and they are directly related to the Orange County Public Library.

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Read%20OC/About%20READ%20OC

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Read%20OC/Volunteer%20Information

http://egov.ocgov.com/ocgov/Read%20OC/

They have a variety of different programs available for volunteers, but the one program I chose was the WIN Program.

The Working for Inmate Literacy Now (WIN) Program is a "One-to-one tutoring to help inmates in the Orange County jail system gain a second chance by demonstrating their ability to learn and letting them know that there are programs and people available to help them improve their reading and writing skills."

But my overall goal is not one-on-one tutoring; my goal is to go above and beyond all that and create a workshop that would benefit a wide range of inmates. A writing workshop that will gradually help them with academic writing (concentrating on overall literacy--writing, reading, and speaking).

Therefore, I sent the following email to the appropriate person:

"Hi Rebecca!
... Regarding becoming a literacy tutor, I believe I signed up mainly for the WIN program (and have already submitted the clearance form awhile back for a background check).

I was actually going to ask you as well as the others in charge of the ReadOC program if we could work on a long-term project together that would benefit the WIN Program?

I've been in the process of developing a few writing workshop curriculum (three different ones to be exact) and would like to introduce all the curricula to you all at a set date in January? I'm hoping to be able to provide workshops for the inmates in the Orange County jail system (that way, instead of just tutoring one inmate at a time, I would be able to concentrate on a group instead?).

Of course, when going over the curricula, I would have project proposal ready and can even model an actual lesson plan with everyone. The workshops would include about five-ten lesson plans each. As for measuring whether the workshops would be successes or not, I would do a pre-writing test and a post-writing test to look for any improvement.

I know it's a lot of work, but I do have a teaching credential in Social Science and a supplemental in Language Arts. I have been very passionate in teaching academic writing. Of course, all this would be done as a volunteer.

I believe this project has a lot of potential, but in its beginning stages, it's more of a work-in-progress.

Please tell me what you think. If it's not practical, I will totally understand. If ReadOC would enjoy trying out this new project proposal, which day in January would be best for me to present it?

Sincerely,
Diana Nguyen"

I'm extremely confident in getting this program/project to work. I've always been complaining about how great my resume is and how it befuddles me how I am not able to find a full-time teaching position. I then came to the conclusion that instead of moping around and whining about it, I should do something more that would allow me to stand out from the other applicants.

This is my chance...
And who knows, if it turns out successful, maybe it'll turn out to be my calling instead.

Update on how I'm paying the bills.

I've been getting by through substitute teaching in the Irvine Unified School District and private tutoring. Both have been doing fine. Last year, I was only subbing at two different schools in Irvine. This year, I've bumped it up to four different schools. As for private tutoring, last year I was only tutoring a total of three students. This year, I'm tutoring a total of six students. All due to referrals. :)

It's more money to pay the bills, but it really takes up my afternoons and evenings (sometimes weekends).

I'm really hoping to get my own classroom for the next academic school year.

Once again, wish me luck!

Missed recruitment event.

So I missed the following recruitment event for part-time program aides and part-time teachers in LA County. I missed it because I had a substitute assignment that day and needed the money to pay the bills.

Have I been making the right choices recently? Should I have skipped it and went to the recruitment event?

Rocket Learning Job Fair (Hiring for Program Aides/Tutors/Teachers!)

County: Los Angeles, Orange, Inland Empire
Date and time: 10/20/2011 - 10/20/2011, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location and address: El Rancho Adult School, 9515 Haney St., Pico Rivera, California 90660
Description:
50 P/T Program Aides Wanted!!!
$10 Per Hour
• Position Description:
Program Aides provide general on-site assistance at Rocket Learning after-school and/or Saturday tutoring programs.
• Duties include:
Assemble students at the beginning and end of each program session. Receive and distribute snack to students. Conduct call campaigns to student’s home to update parents on progress, attendance, and program details. Distribute and collect program materials to/from classrooms. Ensure safety and proper behavior of students. Maintain cleanliness of program facilities. Obtain completed paperwork per the direction of the Program Manager and Conduct outreach in the community.
• Requirements:
Minimum Requirements: High school diploma or equivalent; experience working with school-aged children; background check required. Spanish and Vietnamese speakers are encourage to apply.]

100+ P/T Teachers
• Description:
Deliver after-school Literacy and/or Math instruction to students in small groups (average of 7 students per group). Conduct regular student assessments and communicate regularly with parents. Complete administrative responsibilities throughout the program. Obtain student placement data and help create student learning plans.
• Requirements:
1) BA in Education or related field preferred.
2) Must have 2 years of experience.
3) Commitment to the success of our students.
4) Experience working with English Language Learners and/or Special Education students (desired).
• Compensation:
Up to $35 per hour depending on certification/credentials
• Areas:
- Lynwood
- Compton
- Inglewood
- Montebello
- Hacienda
- La Puente
- Rowland Heights
- El Monte
- Bassett
- Pomona
- Montclair
- Ontario

100+ P/T Tutors
• Description:
Deliver after-school Literacy and/or Math instruction to students in small groups (average of 7 students per group). Conduct regular student assessments and communicate regularly with parents. Complete administrative responsibilities throughout the program. Obtain student placement data and help create student learning plans.
• Requirements:
1) Commitment to the success of our students
2) Experience working with English Language Learners and/or Special Education students (desired).
• Compensation:
$28-35 per hour depending on certification/credentials
• Areas:
- Lynwood
- Compton
- Inglewood
- Montebello
- Hacienda
- La Puente
- Rowland Heights
- El Monte
- Bassett
- Pomona
- Montclair
- Ontario

For more information call 323-992-4253 or e-mail us at losangeles@rocketlearning.net
Or contact Nora Garza @ (562) 801-5009 ext. 217

Contact Information: Suzanna Zaragoza, (323) 992-4253, losangeles@rocketlearning.net

Orange County Christian School??? Not so sure.

Awhile back, I got a referral regarding a job offer due to a fellow substitute teacher I'm acquainted with. He sent me contact information regarding one of his colleagues at Vanguard who knew of an opening position at a school in Orange.

Turns out that the school is actually a private, religious school:

"Hi Diana

I forwarded your name to ... who works at the Ball Road Church of Christ. She was the one who told me about the position at the Orange County Christian School (http://www.occhristian.org/)... should be giving you a call to give you some info about the position and contact information for the school.

From what I understand, they are looking for a Christian teacher who is qualified to teach secondary History. They would also like the person to teach a class in Christian apologetics (no degree required) and possibly Music theory. I think that they will let the Music theory aspect go. I don't know much more than that.

... are classmates at Vanguard University. He recommended you so I put your name forward as a possible candidate.

Have a blessed day!"

I looked up Christian apologetics and apparently it "aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views."

I really took the time to think about it and whether I would be able to teach a class like that. My whole goal as a teacher, a history teacher, was to teach students HOW to think, not WHAT to think.

Even though I was extremely desperate for a job, I knew that I would not be able to teach the class to the best of my ability. That would be unfair to the students and their parents.

So the following reply ensued:

"Hello *****,
My apologies for the late reply, but I have been thinking about the job opportunity and finally realized it might not be the right job for me due to the class on teaching Christian Apologetics.

I am, indeed, a Christian, but I do not think I would be able to teach that course to the best of my ability, which would be unfair to the students, parents, and school.

Thank you so much though for informing me about the job opportunity.

I wish you well on your remaining time at Vanguard University. In case I don't see Stanley for awhile, please send him my greetings.

God bless,
Diana"

I was wondering if that was the right choice.

Goals for another academic year, 2011-2012

So here comes another academic school year where I try to get by and build up my resume to begin applying for teaching positions again next May.

As of now, I'll continue substitute teaching for Irvine Unified School District as well as private tutoring. That will get me by another school year hopefully.

Goals for this school year:

1. Take the CSETs in Social Science and Writing Skills.
I already completed a Subject Matter Preparation Program (SMPP) for Social Science at UC, Irvine, but it hasn't helped me much in applications. I'm hoping that completing the SMPP for Social Science AND passing the CSET in Social Science will give me a better advantage. As for taking the CSET in Language Arts/English, that will have to wait since I've already completed the Supplemental Authorization for that subject.

2. Take the revised-GREs again. I just took the revised-GRE this past Saturday and it was murder, bloody-murder! The revised GRE is extremely difficult compared to the previous version.

3. Volunteer at ReadOC. Continue volunteering for OC On Track.

4. Attend a Grant-Writing Workshop and a "Starting your own non-profit organization" workshop.

5. Develop and hopefully implement a writing workshop curriculum.

My Interview with OC United Way.

So this past Monday, I got a call to schedule a phone-interview with OC United Way for the position of Manager of Education, which I recently applied for.

The interview was today and was finished about a half-hour ago.

Well, let me just say this... This was the worst interview ever! It didn't even last ten minutes! It wasn't through OC United Way, but through a third party company. I assumed they were going to ask me about my resume, which was what the person on the phone on Monday told me.

I admit, I don't have that much experience creating projects and organizing the community, but I do have so many ideas (I mentioned this Writing Workshop curriculum that I completed that I would like to start implementing in partnership with a non-profit organization).

But in the end, the interviewer told me that this job was not right for me considering that they were looking for more. In addition, she also told me that they had better candidates than myself. But to just bring me down like that gave me the most worthless feeling ever.

Can't I just get a chance to prove myself? No worries though. I'll just pick myself back up and continue with my plans with the Writing Workshop Curriculum.

OC United Way: Manager of Education

Both my brother and sister forwarded me the notice that they were hiring for a Manager of Education at Orange County United Way, which is a non-profit organization that focuses on health and human service needs in the county.

So I applied about a week ago (dropped off a hard copy of my cover letter and resume as well as sent a copy via email). Didn't hear anything from them yet, but will email them for a status update soon.

"Orange County United Way (OCUW) is about building self-sufficient lives for those most in need in Or-ange County. By way of collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships, OCUW creates long-lasting positive change within the community. United Way focuses on the follow priority areas in Orange Coun-ty: Basic Needs (food, shelter, medical care and emergency services), Education (preparing children academically, socially and emotionally to grow to be independent adults) and Financial Stability (sup-porting financial education and job development programs). OCUW is a local 501 (c) (3) organization."

http://www.unitedwayoc.org/JoinToday.aspx

Who is the Manager of Education?
"The Manager, Education will have responsibility for the development, implementation and overall management of OCUW’s Education Priority and Destination Graduation Initiative.

The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated track record in in developing, managing and analyzing outcomes in the Education sector. They will have experience building community relationships, devel-oping and managing strategic programs for long-term sustainability and growth, managing teams of staff and volunteers and representing an organization to external constituents and groups."

What are their responsibilities?
"• Develop OCUW’s education sector goals (0-5, middle school, high school graduation), aligning them, where possible, with United Way Worldwide goals.
• Develop strategies and programs that would assist OCUW in meeting these goals.
• Develop, initiate and monitor effective OCUW lead initiatives to include:
- Destination Graduation High School Program
- Early Literacy Program (TBD)
• Represent OCUW at all appropriate education meetings/committees in Orange County.
• Develop position papers for OCUW relating to county wide education issues.
• Work with community groups and volunteers to identify ongoing county wide education issues.
• Develop formal volunteer engagement programs related to OCUW education efforts.
• Supervise Education support staff (50% FTE).

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following capabilities:

• Commitment to the mission and work of OCUW with the credibility and persuasiveness to secure support from others
• An individual who leads by example and exemplifies the values of the organization
• An organized individual with strong creative and conceptual skills
• A doer and team player who is inclusive, flexible, creative, and energetic
• A decisive and resourceful individual with the willingness to accept responsibility and take charge of results; able to work successfully with limited resources
• An individual who can set follow through on goals and objectives
• A multi-tasker who can juggle many responsibilities at once and operate both independently and hands-on with the flexibility to be part of a team"

What are the qualifications?
"The successful candidate should have demonstrated knowledge, skills and abilities in the following areas:

• Orange County nonprofit sector
• Education programs and community development/organizing
• Program, grants & community relations management and program measurement methods
• Ability to bring new ideas forward that would strategically enhance the Education Priority.
• Ability to align OCUW’s education programs with local, state and national (including UWW) edu-cational goals
• Knowledge of trends relating to education on national, state and local levels
• Knowledge of critical education research in one or more focus areas (0-5, middle school, high school, drop-out prevention, parent engagement, etc.)
• Experience in analysis of complex financial information and development of
recommendations based on the data and in managing a program budget
• Experience developing and presenting complex reports, research and white papers to a variety of constituents (internal and external)
• A strong interpersonal and communication skill set and demonstrated ability to work effectively with and gain the respect and support of varied and changing constituencies including staff, com-munity representatives, and volunteers
• Computer literate; knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and database software
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree and at least five years experience in the field of education (either teacher, researcher, program developer) preferable required"

First to Worst: Why Public Schools are no Longer Free

Wanted to post this for quite a while now. I got it from a handout that I found in the office of University High School (there was a stack of them).

"FIRST TO WORST: WHY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NO LONGER FREE"

Reality:
- Our school district is in a crisis! We are faced with a $5M deficit!
- We need to move fast or we will lose valued teachers and programs.
- In California, a high quality public education is no longer free.

A Series of Legislation Has Destroyed Funding for Public Education in California!

1950's
California was rated #1 in education in the U.S. - #1!
- People were moving to California rapidly and the state was booming.
- Many school districts were state of the art and flush with public funding.

1960's
Riots broke out in Los Angeles
- Disparity in education was blamed. Wealthy neighborhoods had wealthy schools and poorer neighborhoods had little money and poor schools. At the time, each community funded its own schools through property taxes.

There was a movement to create parity in education.
- A law suit, Serrano v. Priest, resulted in limits placed on the amount of money a community could spend on education.
- Decisions on curriculum and education funding were centralized in Sacramento, taking it away from local school districts.
- Instead of raising education standards in the poorer areas, education funding was lowered in all districts to match funds available in poorer districts.
- The net effect was statewide mediocrity in education.

This was just the beginning of education problems in California.

1970's
Howard Jarvis helped pass Prop 13, which had devastating unintended effects on education funding.
- Prop 13 is still in effect today:
1. It limits the amount the state can require citizens to pay on property taxes.
2. It limits assessment for increasing property taxes.
3. It limits the ability of a community to levy taxes on itself - most new taxes (i.e. parcel tax) must be approved with 2/3 voter approval. Consequently, California residents pay extremely low property taxes in relation to the rest of the country.
4. It limits the amount of future funds available for education.
5. It causes education funding to become much more volatile as a result of dependence upon economic conditions.

REALITY:
Centralization in Sacramento of funding and education decision making coupled with Prop 13 (limiting property taxes - leaving schools underfunded) has been devastating to the California school system.

Private Donations are Critical to Ensure High Quality Schools

1980's
Education Foundations began to form throughout the state in response to the decline in state funding.
- High performing school districts realized that to maintain high quality public schools, private funding must be secured.
- Private funding for public schools became the new reality n California.
- Initially, Education Foundations largely supported enrichment programs (music and the arts). MBEF was formed in 1983 for this purpose.

1990's and 2000's
Education funding became extremely volatile.
Education Foundations evolved to fill in the gaps to provide programs considered vital to a quality education (computer, science, librarians, counselors, in addition to music and arts).
- State budgets are approved well after school districts are required to provide balanced budgets to the state.
- Categorical funding (funding of specific programs) has increased earmaking funds largely in lower socio-economic area and dictating how districts use limited funding, further removing local control of spending from school districts.
- State and Federal mandates were passed, including No Child Left Behind, without corresponding funding and setting unreasonable expectations for underfunded districts.
- Private funds have become critical for high performing school districts to continue to provide high quality education. In fact, California has more than 500 education foundations state-wide; more than any other state in the country.

REALITY:
- Private funding for our public schools is essential for quality schools!
- A minimum private donation (compared to private school tuition) from every family will supplement inadequate state funding and will ensure we continue to have outstanding PUBLIC schools in Manhattan Beach!

Final Rejections List....

I'm assuming since it's practically the beginning of the 2011-2012 academic school year, I have most likely been rejected by the teaching positions I have applied to all throughout summer that have never contacted me regarding a status.

THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS:
- Escondido Charter School District: History Middle School Teacher
- Central City Value High School: Social Studies Teacher--World History
- The School of Arts and Enterprise: Full-time Social Studies
- Santa Ana Unified: Social Science 6th-8th Grade--Villa Fundamental School
- Santa Ana Unified: Social Science 6th-8th Grade--Spurgeon Middle School
- Santa Ana Unified: Social Science--Valley High School
- Santa Ana Unified: Social Science--Lorin Griset
- Los Angeles Unified: Jordan High School
- Film and Theater Arts CHS: Social Studies Instructor/Advisor
- The Accelerated School: 7th-12th Grade History Teacher
- Army & Navy Academy: Full-time Social Science Teacher
- Escondido Charter School District: Middle School History Instructional Aide
- Los Angeles Leadership Academy: 7th-8th Grade Social Studies
- College Preparatory Middle School: Teacher-Social Science
- Los Angeles Leadership Academy: 7th-8th Grade English-Language Arts
- New Millennium Secondary School: Social Studies Teacher
- Options for Youth-Los Angeles County: Group Instructor - English Language Arts
- Irvine Unified: Social Science 9th-12th grade.
- Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School: English and Social Science Teacher
- Birmingham Community Charter High School: History Teacher
- Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: College-Ready Middle Academy #7: Social Science Teacher
- Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Health Services Academy High School: History Teacher (U.S./ AP U.S.)
- Partnerships to Uplift Communities: High School History Teacher
- Environmental Charter: Social Studies/Language Arts

Update on REJECTIONS...

Westerly School: Middle School Humanities Teacher

Dear Ms. Nguyen,

Thank you for following up on the status of your inquiry into the Humanities position.Due to the large volume of resumes we received, we were not able to respond to each applicant.
Based on the most qualified candidates that we felt were a match for Westerly, we chose people to interview over the phone. From that list, we called in finalists to meet us in person and to teach a lesson. We eventually hired someone we felt best matched our criteria.
Thank you for your interest in Westerly School. We wish you the best of luck in your search.

Appreciatively,
C_Rodenhizer_Signature

Orange County High School of the Arts: Social Science

Hi Diana~

Thank you for your interest in teaching at Orange County High School of the Arts. Applications are currently being reviewed. If you are a selected as a candidate, I will contact you to schedule an interview.

Thank you!
~Jena

Juan Bautista de Anza Charter School: History/Social Studies Teacher

We are doing paper screening until mid July. Positions will not be filled until late July when we know our enrollment. Thank you for your interest in JBdA.

Dr. Sandra Thorpe, Executive Director

[I am assuming I did not get the position since it is late-August - email was sent in June/July].

Rowland High School: Social Science Teacher

Applications are being screened by the site administrator.

Ann Fisher

[I am assuming I did not get the position since it is late-August - email was sent in June/July].

College-Ready Public Schools - Alliance Technology & Math Science High School: World History/AP European History

Hello Diana Nguyen,

July 20, 2011

We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the World History/AP European position at Alliance Technology and Math Science HS as advertised on Edjoin. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in our History teacher vacancy. After careful consideration, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been chosen for the position.

We thank you again for your interest with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
Leandro Otero
Recruitment Coordinator

College-Ready Public Schools - Alliance Technology & Math Science High School: US History/AP US History

College-Ready Public Schools - Alliance Technology & Math Science High School:

[I am assuming I did not get the position since it is late-August - email was sent in June/July].

Los Angeles Education Partnership: Social Studies Instructional Coach

Hello all,

Thank you again, for your interest in the position. Unfortunately, funding did not come through for our partner for the 2011-12 school year and we will not be interviewing until further notice. Again, thank you and we wish you the best.

Regretfully,
John Matich
Director, Professional Development

College-Ready Public Schools - College-Ready Middle Academy #4: US History Teacher

Hello Diana Nguyen,

Aug 1, 2011
We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the History teaching position as advertised on Edjoin. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in our vacancy. After careful consideration, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been chosen for the position.
We thank you again for your interest with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
Leandro Otero
Recruitment Coordinator

College-Ready Public Schools - Christine O'Donovan Middle Academy: English/Social Science Core Teacher

Good Afternoon Diana Nguyen,

I would like to thank you for submitting your application for the English/Social Science Core Teacher at Christine O’Donovan Middle Academy, an Alliance College-Ready Public School. I regret to inform you that you were not selected for the position. We appreciate the time that you invested in your application and wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
Sandra Salib

West Covina Unified - Edgewood High School: Social Science Teacher

Dear Diana Nguyen,

Thank you for your interest in employment with the West Covina Unified School District.
We were fortunate to have received applications for this position from a number of well-qualified individuals with divergent types of experience and backgrounds. It was difficult to make a decision as we considered applicants relative to the special needs of the position. While your qualifications met some or many of the preliminary requirements, there were other applicants who we felt exceeded our expectations and more closely fit our particular needs.
Although you were not selected for this position, we would like to encourage you to apply for other job openings as they occur and for which you may feel qualified. Access to all West Covina Unified School District job openings are posted on EdJoin.org.
We appreciate your interest in employment with the West Covina Unified School District. Best wishes and continued success in pursuing your career goals.

Sincerely,
Michael F. Seaman
Assistant Superintendent

Alhambra Unified School District - Alhambra High School: Social Science High School Teacher

Hello Diana Nguyen,

Thank you for your interest in applying for the position of Social Science Teacher.
We regret to inform you that this position has been cancelled. We appreciate your interest in our District, and we invite you to apply for any future positions that you feel you qualify for.
Again, thank you for your interest with the Alhambra Unified School District.

Sincerely,
Laura Tellez
Assistant Superintendent-Human Resources

Long-term Substitute position at Plaza Vista

Haven't updated in a long while.

For about one month from July to August, I have been a long-term substitute for the Resource Center at Plaza Vista in Irvine, CA (K-8 school). It was a great experience with its ups and downs, but I would be so honored to be able to sub here again.

Now this school is like no other school I have ever subbed at before. I have never ever seen as many rolling backpacks in my life--that is when I knew the atmosphere of this school concentrated on academics. Every student here is required to either join chorus or orchestra as their elective. There are all these students walking around with tubas, clarinets, etc. in the morning. (Note: One of the orchestra teachers has 70 students in one class sitting!!!). They also offer foreign language such as Spanish.

It is a great thing, a K-8 school. The population of the school is quite small. That way, all the teachers know the progress of every student there from kindergarten all the way through eighth grade.

I did not get the job. :(

So here's how my interview went down.It was a 25 minute interview that should have lasted 30 minutes (not sure if that's bad). They were really enthusiastic about how I would incorporate literacy within the classroom, my thoughts on teacher collaboration especially with Language Arts, etc. I brought each interviewer a portfolio for them to look at filled with a sample lesson plan w/ actual student work, sample syllabus, my teaching philosophy, etc. Sent them a Thank You email. The only disadvantage I have is the lack of actual teaching experience. :(

My "Thank You" email:

"Dear Ms. ***,
I would like to thank you, everyone in the Social Science Department, and Mr. Patrick for taking the time out of your busy schedules to talk to me about the World History position available at Valley High School.

Even though I lack teaching experience, I believe I offer many new, exciting ideas when it comes to incorporating literacy into teaching history. I hope these ideas will contribute in Valley's transition through the "Persistently Low Achieving Schools" (PLAS) program and will eventually benefit the students at Valley High School in the long run.

I look forward to hearing from you once the final decisions are made regarding this position.

Thank you once again for your time and consideration!

Sincerely,
Diana Nguyen"

----------------------------------------

I then get this email from the Social Science Department Head (July 14th, 2011):

"Diana,

You are an exceptionally gifted and will become an amazing teacher some day. This round of interviews produced some really good candidates and it has been difficult to make a decision, but you have made it into the top group and we are still in the process of selecting. So I hate to keep you waiting on pins and needles, but you will hear from me soon I promise.

****"

My response:

"Dear Ms. ***,
Once again, I am thankful for having the opportunity to still be a candidate for this position. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Sincerely,
Diana Nguyen"

-------------------------------

Finally, on July 16th, 2011, I got this:

"Diana,

We have decided to hire two other candidates, but you were among the few that we were considering. Please do not be deterred. You had an excellent interview and have a great deal to offer any school. I wish you luck and have no doubt you will land a job soon.

****"

I will definitely keep trying.

My First Interview Ever at Valley High School (SAUSD)!!!

Got a phone call last week and was offered an interview (finally). When I got the call and realized who it was, I was in shock! The department head emailed me and asked for a sample lesson plan as well as a sample syllabus, which I sent to her.

The interview is today at 12:30 pm and it is for a World History teaching position at Valley High School in Santa Ana Unified. One of the reasons why I think I got the interview is because the principal at Valley High School was the same principal I had when student teaching. Hopefully, he remembers me.

I've been preparing all weekend asking friends to give me mock interviews, typing up notes, going over educational terminology, rethinking about how I would teach history, how I would discipline students, etc.

In addition, I prepared portfolios for each interview which I will hand out when I see them. The portfolio includes an updated Cover Letter/Resume, the sample syllabus, my Teaching Philosophy (in the form of a cheat-sheet), a sample lesson plan supplemented with sample student work, and copies of my Letters of Recommendation.

Wish me luck, since it is my first interview ever after receiving my credential! *sweatdrop*

Supplemental Authorization in English/Language Arts

Since I am having such a difficult time finding a full-time position teaching History/Social Science, I thought I should obtain a supplemental in the mean time. Might as well; maybe that would help open some doors. The supplemental I chose to work towards was English/Language Arts since there are so many ways to teach cross disciplines between both English and History. Instead of taking the CSET examination, I chose to take classes off a checklist offered by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

At first, I was not that enthusiastic about it, especially since I was so passionate about teaching History. Once I started taking some Literature courses, Writing courses, etc., my view on English/L.A. has changed. I could definitely see how I would love to teach both History and English in a set Humanities Core class. It is also a great attribute because I really endorse the whole aspect of having literacy within the History classroom.

So for the past year and a half, I've dedicated time to taking online/evening classes at a local community college (Coastline Community College District) and finally completed the minimum amount of units required to add the supplemental onto my credential. :)

I just mailed the package on July 1st, 2011 enclosed with all my official transcripts (University of California, Irvine, Golden West College, and Coastline Community College), $55.00 check, the completed application, and the worksheet stating all the classes I took that would make me fully competent in the subject matter.

Classes completed: [Total of 45 units]

Grammar or Language Structure

·         Subject A Entry Exam (UCI admission): Requirement Satisfied (9/2002)

·         Fundamentals of Composition (CCC – Eng C099): Pass (3 semester units)

·         Freshman Composition (GWC – Eng G100): B (3 semester units)

Advanced Composition

·         Critical Reading and Rhetoric (UCI – Writing 39B) : A- (4 quarter units)

·         Beginning Poetry Writing (UCI – Writing 30): B (4 quarter units)

·         Critical Reasoning (CCC – Eng C102): A (3 semester units)

·         Creative Writing (GWC – Eng G280): B (3 semester units)

Speech

·         Interpersonal Communication (GWC – Comm G100): A (3 semester units)

·         Public Speaking (GWC – Comm G110): C (3 semester units)

·         Essentials of Argumentation (GWC – Comm G220): A (3 semester units)

Drama or Theater

·         Japanese Theater (UCI – Easian 120): A- (4 quarter units)

·         History and Appreciation of Cinema (GWC – Thea G102): A (3 semester units)

Literature

·         Introduction to Literature (CCC – Eng C140): A (3 semester units)

·         Children’s Literature (CCC – Eng C143): A (3 semester units)

·         American Literature: Short Story (CCC – Eng C145): A (3 semester units)

The end with another beginning in sight!

So I finished my long-term sub position at UNI High School in Irvine, CA just last Wednesday. It was an amazing experience getting to know the students better (I've known them for over a year now since I've been subbing at UNI since last year). The last few days were spent having parties, saying my goodbyes and good lucks to all the seniors, grading assignments and entering grades into the system, and cleaning up the classroom/wrapping things up with the school. :)

I have about a month off before my next long-term sub position starts at the end of July at Plaza Vista Elementary in Irvine, CA. Will be quite fun indeed and I can not wait for that experience to come. :)

Rejections and applications...

REJECTED:

• Escondido Charter School District - History Middle School Teacher
  "Hello Diana,
  Your resume has been received for the Middle School History Instructional Aide. We are currently reviewing all applicants and forwarding on to the appropriate director. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
  Thank you,
   Escondido Charter School District"
• Alliance College-Ready Public School (Media Arts and Entertainment High School) - Resource Teacher
  "Good Afternoon Diana Nguyen,
  We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the Resource Teacher position advertised on Edjoin by Media Arts and Entertainment High School, an Alliance College-Ready Public School. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in the Resource Teacher vacancy. After reviewing your application, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been selected for the position.
  We thank you again for your interest in interviewing with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.
  Sincerely,
  Celina Esqueda
  Human Resources Coordinator"

APPLIED:

• Santa Ana Unified for the position of Social Science 9th -12th Grade- Valley- In District Employees Only
• Santa Ana Unified for the position of Social Science (6th - 8th Grade)- Spurgeon- In District Employees Only

More application updates...

Recently REJECTED:

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools: Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School
  "Diana Nguyen,
  Thank you for your interest in the open US History teaching position at the Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School. Unfortunately, the position has been filled. I highly encourage you to seek out other open positions in the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. Good luck in your continued employment search.
  Sincerely,
  Derrick Chau, Ph.D.
  Principal
  Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School"
• Escondido Charter School District - Middle School History Instructional Aide
  "Hello Diana,
  Your resume has been received for the Middle School History Instructional Aide. We are currently reviewing all applicants and forwarding on to the appropriate director. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
  
  Thank you,
  Escondido Charter School District
  1868 East Valley Parkway
  Escondido, CA 92027"

Recently APPLIED:

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  History Teacher (7th grade) : College-Ready Middle Academy #4

Another rejection --> Apply to more...

So I got another rejection yesterday:

• Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School (English and Social Science Teacher)
  "Good morning,
   This position has been filled."

Still, it's not the end of the world, so I just made sure to keep applying. Here are some more schools I have applied to:

• Santa Ana Unified - Social Science 9th -12th Grade- Godinez High School - In District Employees Only
• Jordan High School (LAUSD) - Social Science/History/Humanities Teacher
• Film and Theatre Arts CHS - Social Studies Instructor/Advisor[Apparently, this is considered a Big Picture School (a special umbrella schooling system of some sort). The school my sister teaches in down in San Diego is also a Big Picture School].
• Escondido Charter School District - Middle School History Instructional Aide
• Army & Navy Academy - Full-time Social Science Teacher

Wish me luck once again.

Jordan High School - Missed Opportunity? NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Awhile back, my friend who teaches Special Education in LAUSD informed me about Jordan High School in LAUSD (http://www.jordanbulldogs.org/) and how it will soon be taken over by the state. As a result, they are going to have to post up teaching positions for every single subject at that school.

March 9th: "Hey Diana, there is a high school, David Starr Jordan Senior High, that is being taken over by the district. The current plan is that there will be new administration, possibly three separate schools/academies, and all of the teachers will have to reapply for positions. Some of the Charter school teachers I know believe that there company may operate one of the academies. Keep it in mind this spring and summer as postings may come up on the LAUSD website and/or Edjoin." - Inside source

March 14: "[All] the administration staff are being replaced after this school year; which means that there will be a lot of disgruntled administrators. Two, the district has not decided how to structure the school for next year (e.g. academy structure, charter, or a hybrid of each)." - Inside source

He told me to wait it out a bit.

The next thing you know, I check http://www.teachinla.com/ and this was posted as an announcement:
"The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is transforming Jordan High School: The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is seeking passionate and dedicated teachers in all content areas to work at Jordan High School for the 2011-2012 school year. Click here for more information."

When was this? When I clicked on the link to apply, a handout came up as a PDF. Apparently, they had recruiting events (5/9, 5/16 with webinars on 5/10, 5/17)!!! AND I MISSED ALL OF THEM!!! :(

Was this a missed opportunity!? I drove by the school awhile back just to check it out and it fit the type of school I woud LOVE to teach in.

Hoping for the best, I still applied with the person and email provided. I emailed them what was required, my cover letter and resume. I really hope there would still be a chance for me to be offered an interview to teach there.

Request for Application Status Updates on Edjoin.org

So I emailed a bunch of people for updates on the applications I applied for on Edjoin.org up to April 29th, 2011.

My email inquiry looked like this (yes, each email was unique in that I inputted specific information according to the subject, school, and person):

"Dear ------------------,
My name is Diana Nguyen and I recently applied for the position of ----------- at -------------- (Application -------) on ---------------.
I would just like to ask about the status of my application and if by any chance I could be offered a courtesy interview.
I hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you,
Diana Nguyen"

So far, two schools have emailed me back with rejections:

1. Richard Merkin Middle School (U.S. History Teacher)
   "I am sorry but our positions for next year have been filled."
2. Media Arts and Entertainment High School (U.S. History Teacher)
   "Hi Diana - thank you for your interest.  At the moment we are not interviewing, pending the budget allotment from the governor.  Good luck with your search."

Still keeping my hopes up.
:(

Handout: Announcement from the ita:CTA/nea

IUSD got announcements regarding the budget cuts and how it would affect IUSD. I'll be typing it out verbatin. Here is what the handout says:

CALIFORNIA BUDGET CRISIS!
HOW IT AFFECTS IRVINE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Source: http://newsflash.iusd.org/2011/04/budget-notebook-budget-goes-from-bad-to-worse-for-california%e2%80%99s-schools/

Potential of $9 - $22 Million in IUSD Budget Cuts Next year!

"IUSD, along with other districts across the state, had been anticipating another hit of around $330 per student for the fiscal year that begins July 1, amounting to a loss of $8.9 million locally. But there are rumblings now that the state may try to reduce education spending by $825 per student, which would be a loss of more than $22 million for Irvine."
- Superintendent Gwen E. Gross, Ph.D.

Impact of a School Year Cut from 183 Days to 160 Days!
23 Furlough Days!

"A 160-day school year in IUSD, for example, would save about $20 million through the implementation of 23 furlough days, resulting in an across-the-board pay cut of more than 10 percent."
- Superintendent Gwen E. Gross, Ph.D.

• Imagine... "What instructional programs may get cut?"
• Furlough days mean ALL schools are closed!
• Shorter school years = less instructional material covered

What Can We Each Do???

Contact your state legistlator and tell them to support the Tax Extension.

3 easy steps:

1. Go to this Site: http://capwiz.com/nea/ca/issues/alert/?alterid=31012506
2. Scroll down and enter your information (takes 2 minutes!)
3. Click send -- and be proud of yourself for standing up for education!

Spread the word! Tell your neighbors!

UPDATES: Long-term subbing, THINK Together, and Edjoin applications

First off, I've been long-term subbing at UNI High School for almost five weeks now. We're currently going to finish up a Financial Planning Program unit which involves completing an entire workbook that the original teacher left behind as sub plans. To make sure things don't get too repititious, I make sure to spend a few days every now and then reading short stories or articles from Upfront or Scope Scholastic magazines and having them write a journal to prepare to class discussions. All this only makes me more frustrated that I still don't have a classroom of my own. No worries though. A mentor of mine told me to keep doing what I'm doing (subbing, tutoring, mentoring), because that shows the passion within me to not go into another profession.



I have a final update with the THINK Together position of Summer Program Leader where I would be able to teach a classroom of about 30 students using a curriculum that will be provided. In the end, even though I was one of the applicants considered for the job, I was not able to get it due to something I thought was mediocre (but completely understandable and I will explain why). I was not able to get the job because I was not able to attend one of the pre-employment exams (testing us on basic English, math, and writing skills). The reason was because all of the the available dates and times were when I was preoccupied with my long-term substitute position. They were all on weekdays around noon. I contacted them asking if there could be any sort of exception (i.e. please take a look at my resume, I am highly qualified and I don't mind the $11/hour). I even asked if they could set another date, hopefully on Wednesday after 2 pm because UNI High School ends early on Wednesdays. If that doesn't work, I asked if there's a possible chance of a take-home exam. Nope, nothing, no exceptions whatsoever. When I thought about it, I did try my best in obtaining that Summer Program Leader position, but at the same time, I knew they had to be consistent with their employment process. If they made an exception for me, then they would have to make exceptions for everyone else. I wasn't about to give up though. I still wanted to be a part of time, but at the same time, can't be employed by them; therefore, I emailed them to see if I could volunteer as an instructional assistant for free (not working all 4-5 hours though but 2-3 hours per day is good). That way, I get what I wanted all along (to be in a classroom helping students even if it's for free) and they can get a highly-qualified volunteer. Still waiting for their response though.

As for the EDJOIN.ORG applications, no school has contacted me yet for an interview (I was hoping a few did because in the Letter of Introduction, I kindly asked for a courtesy interview). So far, only a couple Alliance of College Ready Public Schools declined my application. Still waiting on the others. I practically applied to every position I thought possible (i.e. History, Social Science, Social Studies, Humanities, etc). It all came out to be 34 job applications. I'm even one of the annoying ones who applied to job postings that specifically stated "In-District Employees Only" (the Santa Ana Unified School District postings).

Here are all the new teaching positions I applied to on Edjoin.org:

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Christine O'Donovan Middle Academy - English/Social Science Core Teacher (6th grade)
• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Stern Math and Science School - History Teacher (U.S./AP U.S.)
• Options for Youth - Los Angeles County - Small Group Instructor-English Language Arts (SGI) San Gabriel Center
• New Millennium Secondary School - Social Studies Teacher
• Los Angeles Education Partnership (Formerly Urban Education Partnership) - Social Studies Instructional Coach
• Los Angeles Leadership Academy - 7th - 8th Grade Language Arts
• Los Angeles Leadership Academy - 7th and 8th Grade English Language Arts
• Los Angeles Leadership Academy - 7th - 8th Grade Social Studies
• College Preparatory Middle School - Teacher - Social Science
• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Alliance Teachnology Math Science High School - World History/AP European
• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools: Alliance Teachnology Math Science High School - US History/AP US History
• Santa Ana Unified: Spurgeon- In District Employees Only - Social Science 6th - 8th Grade
• Santa Ana Unified: Alternative Education - In District Employees Only - Social Science
• Santa Ana Unified: Lorin Griset - In District Employees Only - Social Science
• Santa Ana Unified: Century - In District Employees Only - Social Science 9th -12th Grade
• Santa Ana Unified: Godinez High School - In District Employees Only - Science 9th -12th Grade
• Santa Ana Unified: Valley - In District Employees Only - Social Science 9th -12th Grade
• Rowland Unified (Rowland H.S.) - Social Science Teacher
• Orange County High School of the Arts - Social Science
• New Los Angeles Charter School - Middle School Humanities Teacher
• Patty Gould via Email (Lynwood Unified???) - 7th - 8th Grade Social Studies
• Westerly School - Humanities Position

Wish me luck!

My first OCUSD application on Edjoin.

There was actually a History position for Irvine Unified (which is extremely rare). It definitely goes against all my morals and such but I decided to apply for it. Doesn't matter as much though since it was near the end of the application deadline and they really do only look at the first half of applicants since the number of applicants are too demanding. I really need to pay the bills and need the medical benefits, so I'll try it out.

• Irvine Unified Social Science - 9-12th grade
  http://www.iusd.org/

It was the first application where I had to answer open-ended supplementary questions:

***We would like you to recall an important teaching, teaching related, or human relations incident that involved you and one or more persons. The situation may be actual or fictitious, but it should have meaning for you from a human relations standpoint. It is more helpful if you describe the thoughts and feelings of yourself and the other individuals involved rather than attempt to objectively describe the situation.

1. Describe the situation as it occurred.
During the time I was student teaching, I was in the middle of a lecture. I spent a lot of time preparing the lesson in advance trying to make it engaging. I believe the lesson was about the Black Death (bubonic plague) where I actually had a fictional story (taken from a storybook) involving the Black Death. They were to then complete a worksheet incorporating the Black Death story and Icons of Depth and Complexity. One of my male students was disrupting the classroom dynamics by being obnoxiously loud, not paying attention to the task at hand, and not taking notes from the lecture.

2. What did you do in that particular situation?
First, I tried proximity, going near his desk and giving him a pencil to give him a nonverbal warning that he should be taking notes or following along on the reading (we all read together). Second warning was a verbal warning, making sure to make it personal by whispering to him I expected of him (so he would not be embarrassed). The last and final warning was a verbal warning. When he ended up not listening, I gave him a detention with me after school (which was good in a sense because he never finished his research paper on the Religious Crusades which was required by the school). I spent the time going over the Black Death story with him and well as get him to complete his research paper.

3. How did you feel about the situation while you were experiencing it?
I was very frustrated because many of the other students seemed to be enjoying it (it was the bubonic plague after all). Even though I made sure the story was accessible (at an appropriate lexile score), that one male student did not seem interested and it made me wonder whether he understood the story or not, because if he didn't understand the story, that might be one of the reasons why he was misbehaving in class.  

4. How do you feel about the situation now?
I feel that maybe I could have handled it better and quicker. I did give him multiple warnings and everytime I gave him a warning it would interrupt the class time and discussion. At the same time, I am glad I gave him detention because it allowed me assist him one-on-one, which helped dramatically. Not only was he able to complete the current worksheet, but he also was able to complete writing the final written draft of the research paper on the Religious Crusades with my help and supervision. I always have to remember though that it was just him and me. If there were more students in detention, the result might not have been the same and I would have to adjust accordingly.  

***Please complete the following questions.

1. Briefly discuss your attitudes, beliefs and interest in education. 
The education system nowadays, in my honest opinion, is failing our students when it comes to preparation within a global community. There is less emphasis on developing critical thinking skills and more emphasis on "teaching to the test." The priority that standardized tests receive is a result of that. It does not allow teachers to be creative, teaching at their own pace what they believe would benefit their students. In addition, other subjects have all-together been forgotten (i.e. electives, social sciences within some districts, etc.). Everything seems to be revolving around Language Arts and Mathematics, which indeed, are very important, but the education of our students should not be limited to just those two. We highly value the aspect of diversity within the country whether it is diversity with opinions, religions, ethnic makeup, so when it comes to education, the diversity of subjects offered and given credibility should also be practiced. I see this especially with Social Science in certain districts where History has been offered as an elective, giving students a chance to take two periods in Language Arts and two periods in Mathematics to help prepare them for the standardized tests. One of my theories regarding why history is not perceived as important would be most teachers teach it the traditional way where it is mainly memorization and regurgitation. Most school districts do not understand that history can now be taught a non-traditional way (the method I have learned in my methodologies class in the credential program). The non-traditional approach to teaching history includes teaching students to recognize bias within written pieces (offer them written history in different perspectives). This way, they are taught to question the reliability of what they are reading (who wrote it, what was their job, what was their intention of writing it, etc.). In addition, offer them primary sources to analyze. When using any sort of textual evidence (primary or secondary), be sure to incorporate the icons of depth and complexities (i.e. change over time, patterns, multiple points of views, across the disciplines, cause and effect, main idea, etc.). Also, literacy within the history classroom is extremely important because everything taught within the textbook is content-based meaning the students are required to have sufficient reading comprehension skills. Not only does reading comprehension have to do with it, but being able to write essays is a significant feature in the non-traditional classroom. To get a sense of understanding, I always make sure to have one document-based question essay writing at the end of each unit. Being able to analyze primary sources and incorporate the content they have learned into one written essay will give me a sense where my students are and if they are improving throughout the school year. Essay writing, if taught correctly, will engage students in the writing process. They have to be taught that every essay is their opinion of what the prompt asks for; their opinion just has to be backed up with evidence, logic and reason in an academic manner. In the end, it still represents what they want to say about the subject, not what the subject expects them to say. When teaching essay writing, it is always best to teach them how to develop paragraphs first with a topic sentence and supporting sentences. I am always sure to teach them transition words to help their essays flow. Once they are comfortable with writing the paragraph, they are ready to learn how to write an essay (introduction, thesis, supporting paragraphs, conclusion). Of course, this writing process will require a lot of scaffolding, modeling, supervising, revision, but learning how to write an essay can be a powerful motivator once the students get comfortable with it. All these techniques--literacy within the classroom, document-based questions, primary vs. secondary sources, incorporating the icons of depth and complexity--all show how the Social Sciences are important and how they can teach the critical thinking skills our youth need to know to compete in the real world. As for student success, I believe in the "Triangle Rule of Success"--school, parents, and community (non-profit organizations, businesses, government). If all these factors are involved in the child's education, it would make a dramatic difference in their future success. We would need all three to be the most efficient. 

2. How do you as the classroom teacher work to ensure success for each student? Please include any other information you think would be helpful to us in considering you for employment such as additional work experience, activities, accomplishments, honors, etc.
I believe in the saying "Students should not be expected to understand the lesson plan; instead, the lesson plan is expected to understand the students." It is a given fact that every student/classroom is different and that they all learn differently. As a result, I always make sure to make each lesson accessible to all the students even if that includes adjusting the original lesson plan, as long as the objective stays the same. If the lesson plan fits the needs of the students, there is a higher chance the objective will be met as well as less occurrence of challenging behaviors. I would have to say that student teaching in Santa Ana as well as long-term subbing twice at University High School taught me a lot when it comes to creating lesson plans the students would enjoy and learn. These experiences also allowed me to practice in preventing and managing challenging behavior among students and creating my own "discipline style." I define success as improvement in a reasonable amount of time and at an efficient pace. For example, if a student is in the 7th grade but reading at a 3rd grade level, I am not going to expect the student to begin reading at a 7th grade level after a few months of teaching the student. Instead, I make sure to have attainable goals/expectations for the students. Instead of catching up to 7th grade reading ability, I would make sure he caught up to 5th grade reading capability within 1/2 the academic year. Then the rest of the academic year would be to set the goal to be 7th or 8th grade reading level by the end of the academic year. The classroom environment is also another important factor in ensuring the succcess of each student. The classroom should be a safe haven for student learning. This includes the seating arrangement and postings on the wall.

Edjoin -- Three more on my list.

I am still continuing to apply to LAUSD since that is my main goal, but the whole rejection letter situation is sort of getting my hopes up. I finally decided to apply for Irvine Unified. I only have two more years until my credential expires. :(

• College-Ready Public Schools : College-Ready Middle Academy #7
  Social Science Teacher
  http://www.laalliance.org/
• Soledad Enrichment Action Charter School
  English and Social Science Teacher
  http://www.seacharter.net/
• Birmingham Community Charter High School  History Teacher
  http://www.birminghamcharter.com/   

My first rejection.

Today, I received my first rejection via email from Edjoin.org:

Subject: U.S. History Teacher Vacancy
"Good Morning Diana Nguyen,
We would like to thank you for submitting your application for the U.S. History Teacher position advertised on Edjoin by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools. We were very fortunate to have various applicants interested in interviewing for our U.S. History Teacher. After reviewing your application, I am sorry to inform you that you have not been selected for the position.
We thank you again for your interest in interviewing with our organization and wish you the best in your future endeavors.
 Sincerely,
 C***** E******
Human Resources Coordinator"

I really hope this doesn't mean ALL the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools that I have been applying to because that would mean I've been rejected by ALL of them. Not good.
I'll keep on trying...

IUSD mass email...foreshadowing evils ahead...

So I'm currently long-term subbing for IUSD. During lunch, one of my colleagues received an email from the school district. It was a notice to teachers to start leaving aside 10% of their paychecks for now on for a rainy day fund, because the district is planning on having a $20 million dollar budget cut, just the district alone! Nothing is official yet, but they decided to send out a notice just in case. Other important notices provided within the email: the school year will have 23 furlough days for the academic school year 2011-2012 (instead of the school year being the traditional 183 days, it would be cut down to 160 days) and teachers should be prepared for a 10% pay cut for the 2011-2012 academic school year.

What worries me are the students. Twenty-three days taken from them is a significant number of days they could have spent learning. Questions then start popping up--"Are teachers still accountable for teaching all of the curriculum provided by the national standards?", "Will state testing still occur, because that will also take some time out of the school year that could have been spent teaching?", and "Why are we still implementing state testing, especially if we can sort of predict how the scores will turn out with all these educational budget cuts and all." If we stop the state testing for a few years, that alone would save the state so much money. They should use the money and give it back to the schools. Once everything is back to order again, we can start giving state testing again in certain yearly increments.

[Will have a specific post about my perspective on state testing in the future].

Edjoin Update...

Signed in and looked up some status updates on all the applications I have submitted so far:

• Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of History Teacher (U.S./AP U.S.): Health Services Academy High School
  Status: DISTRICT VIEWED
  
• PUC Schools (Partnerships to Uplift Communities) for the position of Middle School History Teacher
  Status: DISTRICT VIEWED
  
•  Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools for the position of U.S. History Teacher - Richard Merkin Middle School
  Status: POSTING ARCHIVED, but not yet DISTRICT VIEWED

Regarding the applications that were district-viewed, they have not gotten in contact with me yet, so I'm not sure if I would be offered an interview in the end. Still wishing myself luck and not giving up.

-------------------------------------------------

There were also a few new postings available for History positions, which I applied to, of course. :)

•  Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools
  U.S. History Teacher : College-Ready Middle Academy #4
  http://www.laalliance.org/schools/crma4/

I LOVE the Freedom Writers!

One of my all-time favorite real-life stories on teaching would be Erin Gruwell and the story of the Freedom Writers! I watched the movie, "The Freedom Writers," more times than I can count, crying throughout all of them. I read her memoir, Teach with Your Heart: Lessons I Learned from the Freedom Writers. As for her other books, I am currently reading Teaching Hope. The Freedom Writers Diary would have to wait for afterward. I bought tickets to watch the feature documentary, "Voices Unbound: The Story of the Freedom Writers, by the Little Dust Production/Live Planet at the Lido Theater, the same theater she brought her students a long time ago in her memoir. Also, I was finally able to meet her in person at one of her talks when promoting the new book, Teaching Hope!

 

Erin Gruwell definitely taught with her heart. She stepped into the classroom not judging them knowing all too well the negative stereotypes that go against them. She genuinely cares about her students and they came to realize that as well. She had high expectations for them and went above and beyond when it came to making sure they were learning (leaving her classroom with something valuable and priceless).

I hope to have the same affect on my students and teach as well as her one day.

http://www.freedomwritersfoundation.org/site/c.kqIXL2PFJtH/b.5183373/k.DD8B/FWF_Home.htm

Long term substitute position!

Started my long-term sub position at University High School in Irvine right now. Goes on until the end of the school year. :)

Just in case you ask, why am I substituting at such an affluent school if I am so adamant in obtaining a teaching position at a disadvantaged school. Well, it all started with me finishing credential school right when the education budget cuts started occurring. As a result, I decided to teach English in Vietnam for half a year hoping by the time I arrive back in the US, the status of the educational system would improve. Lo and behold it didn't improve when I returned to the US. What made it worse was all the hiring freezes, this included substitute positions. Luckily, my methodologies teacher in the UCI credential program is the principal at a school in Irvine and was so able to directly add me into the IUSD subbing system.

My goal is still to teach in LAUSD, so I've only been applying to those positions. I'm just happy this long-term sub position gives me some sort of stability up until the end of the academic school year.

Article: L.A. Unified cuts most summer school classes

L.A. Unified cuts most summer school classes
-- Jason Song

April 15, 2011

Los Angeles school officials announced Friday that they will cancel the majority of their summer school offerings for the third year in a row because of budget shortfalls.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which is facing a nearly $400-million deficit this year, already issued preliminary layoff notices to more than 7,000 staffers earlier this spring.

Classes will still be offered starting July 6 at some high schools for some current sophomores, juniors and seniors who are either failing or need to go to adult school. Some online classes will also be available, as will meal programs at some campuses.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/04/district-cuts-summer-school-classes.html

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The possibility of summer school being offered during the summer is extremely important, especially in disadvantaged, low-income communities. There are several reasons for this importance:

1. It gives students the opportunity to catch up in their studies. 
2. It allows students a safer place to occupy their time during summer when school is not in session. This is especially useful when gang initiations are active during the summer. 
3. It keeps them off the street, out of possible trouble (not for trouble they might create, but trouble from other external forces). 

I'm just glad at least the meal programs are continuing because most of the time, those meals the schools offer might be the only decent meal the student might have for that day. As for the online classes, no comment. I just prefer face-to-face student-teacher interaction. Teaching and learning is more efficient that way.

If I was employed in LAUSD as an employee and chose the 12 month payment plan, I would have loved to offer academic workshops for free (writing workshops are my fave).