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Re: Question especially for Special head
Posted by spedhead on 7/04/08

On 7/03/08, Future Sp. Ed. teacher wrote:
> Thank you so much for the detailed reply. It is very helpful. I
> will be getting my Type 03 & Type 10 certificate.

You~re getting your type 10 and type 03 certificate: What the heck,
darn foreign, caribbean keyboard can~t make a question mark or
apostrophe! Anyway, thats pretty rare. Usually, you get either
your reg ed type 03 or 09 (eled or secondary) and add the
endorsement, or you get the K-12 type 10. However, if you~re
looking in Evanston, well thats a hard nut to crack. That area is
obviously high rent. I~m assuming you aren~t looking CPS yet... I
know Waukegan and N. Chicago are always looking, but they pay crap,
especially compared to Evanston area schools. Still, its a job for
a year or two while you look around, they~re used to turnover. Good
luck!

> As per your advice I will apply also for middle school and also
> look at different districts.
> I live in Evanston and had applied in districts which are close
> to Evanston. But, now I plan to apply in other districts within
> 30 mile radius.
> Once again thank you, I really appreciate all the advice.
> Have a wonderful vacation.
>
>
> On 7/02/08, spedhead wrote:
>> On 7/01/08, Future Sp. head teacher wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I have recently graduated with Elementary & Sp. ed.
>>> certificate.
>>
>> From what I've heard, the elem grades are a bit harder to find
>> special education positions. Many special ed majors have
>> elementary kids in mind when they went into the field. So, if
>> I'm reading your post right, you're a type 03 with an LBSI
>> endorsement, right? Or are you a type 10 LBSI? If you are
>> type 10, which is PreK-12, consider expanding your search to
>> secondary, at least for the time being.
>>
>> If you are type 03,do you have the middle school endorsement?
>> If not, consider getting it for the future, though it won't
>> help you this year. At least in my area, west Chicago burbs,
>> we have quite a time filling positions, though we've done it
>> for this year... unless one of my teachers flakes on me in
>> July or Sped enrollment goes up (crosses fingers).
>>
>> I have applied to various districts for sp.
>>> ed positions, but have no luck so far in getting a job.
>>
>> How many districts have you applied to? Even though Special
>> Education is a much better job market than other teaching
>> fields, its still not a slam dunk. I advise those I know
>> looking for jobs to be willing to apply within a 30 mile
>> radius, which woud be an hour commute in Chicagoland. In the
>> Chicago burbs, that radius would probably include 100 or more
>> school districts, especially if we're talking elementary.
>>
>> Also, make sure you're applying to all districts in whatever
>> radius you've decided upon, not just ones with job postings.
>> Especially as we approach August, some openings will pop up
>> and they'll be looking to hire ASAP. Have your stuff on-file.
>>
>> I also suggest sending to the contact person on the job
>> posting, or the Principal if no one is listed, a professional
>> cover letter and copy of your resume. It should be on the
>> good resume paper with matching envelope HINT: Make sure your
>> envelope has the address typed on it, not hand written. The
>> whole package should be professional, and even cheap printers
>> can type on envelopes.
>>
>> Some say email is better and it sure is cheaper. This may be
>> the way to go with schools that you fill out their online apps
>> but they don't have postings for open jobs. However, for
>> schools that have postings for jobs, I really like the mailing
>> of a resume. In this day of junk emails, it can get looked at
>> as spam.
>>
>> Faxes... Secretaries run schools in the summer. Many throw
>> faxes away like that along with the junk faxes. They
>> shouldn't but they do.
>>
>> I don't know whether there is some problem with my resume or
>>> the way I have answered the online appication questions or
>>> since I do not have any experience, I am at a disadvantage.
>>
>> I seldom read the online questions, though some might make
>> them a major part of their process. I don't like them.
>> They're set up for the applicant to tell us what we want to
>> hear. They're too leading and just basically makes the person
>> jump through hoops. I wouldn't stress too much about that
>> though. I would suggest not writing an essay for each one
>> though, especially if there are many. A fat paragraph that is
>> to the point is usually enough for me.
>>
>> As far as your resume, I think people with no experience
>> should make the education portion a major part, towards the
>> upper center and the experience part towards the bottom.
>> Focus on student teaching. Do not include in experience
>> section your summer job at the Gap or Applebee's. If its not
>> ed experience, don't include it. There are spaces on the
>> online application to include non-ed jobs, do it there.
>>
>> If you're in Chicagoland, I know there are jobs out there.
>> Downstate I know there are fewer jobs because fewer people,
>> but they seem to post a lot on IASA. Make sure you are
>> rechecking district websites in your search zone every week.
>> Any posting, update your app to include that posting as a
>> wanted position and then send either the contact person listed
>> or Principal a hard copy CL and resume like I mentioned above.
>> Even consider sending CLs and Resumes blind to Principals at
>> schools that haven't posted. They're not hiring you now, so
>> what do you have to loose?
>>
>> Right about now, I'd suggest you start looking at alternatives
>> to public for this year. Still apply to pulbic, by all means,
>> but you want a backup. There are alternative schools, like
>> the MENTA group and SES (again around Chicago, but similar
>> organizations exist everywhere). It is NOT an easy job, its
>> basically where we send ED kids who can't make it, even in an
>> ED room, but it is a job and if you can make it there, you can
>> say with confidence you can handle a classroom in any elem
>> school!
>>
>> Also there are the co-ops. At least in suburban cook and
>> Dupage counties, with many districts being small, they don't
>> have all the resources that a big district like Naperville 203
>> has, so many of their specialized teaches come from Special Ed
>> cooperatives. They send teachers to districts, or take kids
>> out of the district to a central location. These are public
>> school special ed districts that pay into TRS, so they're
>> decent jobs. Usually more specialized jobs, like working with
>> ED or Autism, but there are all kinds of positions there. A
>> lot of SL Path and Psych jobs there too, though that doesn't
>> affect you.
>>
>> Also, if you're in Chicagoland, there is CPS. Its... well its
>> CPS with all its issues, but they pay well and you can get a
>> residency waiver being SPED. They always seem to have job
>> fairs, even right before school. Check into it if its an
>> option. I've hired CPS people right before school, so they
>> get openings up until the first day... and then after. Also,
>> have you considered other "high need" districts in your area.
>> Most areas have them. Aurora, Elgin, Waukegan all fit the
>> bill. There are others...
>>
>> And, lastly, you can always consider moving if you absolutely
>> want a public school teaching job this year. If you're in a
>> sparsely populated part of downstate, consider Chicagoland or
>> another part of downstate that is hiring. There is also
>> out-of-state, but I don't know if you're there yet. Most sped
>> teachers don't have to do that, but its an option for some.
>>
>> This post was long, but I'm off to an island and don't plan on
>> doing anything for two weeks exept drink Corona and look at
>> the beach.
>>
>> Good luck


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Posts on this thread, including this one


• Question especially for Special head , 7/01/08, by Future Sp. head teacher.
• Re: Question especially for Special head , 7/02/08, by spedhead.
• Re: Question especially for Special head , 7/03/08, by Future Sp. Ed. teacher.
• Re: Question especially for Special head , 7/04/08, by spedhead.