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