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Re: teachnola pros/cons
Posted by Allen on 2/06/08

I have a friend who teaches for TeachNOLA

It really isn't "teaching." I'm not sure what it is, but it is
dangerous. The schools are decaying and falling apart. A vast
majority of students never graduate, or simply drop out/disappear.
Violence is epidemic--some schools are surrounded by barbed-wire
fence, and security guards carry guns. Students and teachers have
to pass through metal detectors to get into the schools.

On his first day, my friend witnessed a knife fight that sent 3
students to the hospital. A month later, one of his co-workers was
beaten into a coma in her classroom with a fire-extinguisher (she
lived). Soon after that, my friend was car jacked in the parking
lot. He never got his car back.

On his second day he found racial slurs and death threats on his
blackboard. There have been 6 shootings either in or around the
school he teaches in within the last year. Drugs are everywhere.
Most kids are illiterate or semi-literate. The parents have 4th
grade educations.

So decide what you want to do, but don't have any illusions about
TeachNOLA--this is about as dangerous as Alaskan crab fishing or
patrolling burned out cities in Iraq.


On 1/30/08, thisrj wrote:
> The first step w/ Teachnola is the online application. If one
receives acceptance, he/
> she is asked to sign up for an in-person interview "event." At
the "event" you are with
> a group of applicants & asked to discuss (w/ other applicants)
some possible
> scenarios in the classroom, w/ administration, etc. That part of
the process may
> sound daunting to some, but it truly wasn't a competition. The
Teachnola folks
> simply wanted to hear applicants' takes on the scenarios & see how
people interacted
> with each other. After the group discussion, applicants have
one-on-one interviews
> with members of the Teachnola organization. I wish I could give
you solid info. on
> how many potential teachers there are vs. how many openings might
exist but I
> cannot--it would only be speculation. You might consider starting
right now w/ the
> application process to Teachnola AND Teachlouisiana (TeachLA
website last year was
> a mess & I had to check/resubmit the same info. many times). If
your applications
> are completed (remember, both sites will be wanting many documents
for which
> you'll be relying on others' timeliness) by spring, perhaps you
could come here &
> interview with both in one trip. If you are called by a few
principals, you could
> schedule numerous interviews in the course of a couple of days.
So perhaps you're
> talking 2 brief trips to NOLA. I do encourage you to pose any
questions you may
> have to Teachnola, I found them to be forthcoming and eager to
assist. They usually
> returned my emails/phone calls within 2 - 3 business days. I
would think they would
> have a good idea of how many new teachers will be needed for the
'08/'09
> schoolyear; best regards.
>
>
>
>
> On 1/28/08, Thank you THISRJ from Adriana wrote:
>> Thank you so much for your considerate response. Does NOLA
>> have a plethora of applicants from which to choose? Such a
>> lengthy interview process? I live in Baltimore. Would I have
>> to fly down there for one or more interviews? I shall pursue
>> this but would like to hear from you.
>

Posts on this thread, including this one

• teachnola, 1/22/08, by Adriana Carlson.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 1/27/08, by thisrj.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 1/28/08, by Thank you THISRJ from Adriana.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 1/28/08, by Katy Anna.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 1/30/08, by thisrj.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 2/06/08, by Allen.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 2/09/08, by NOLAteach.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/05/08, by tyler.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/06/08, by Merrill.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/06/08, by Katy Anna.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/06/08, by Mrs. D.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/07/08, by Katy Anna.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/07/08, by New Orleans bound.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/07/08, by certifiedteacher.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/08/08, by A Good Question.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/08/08, by Mrs. D.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/11/08, by New Orleans bound.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/13/08, by Mrs. D.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/15/08, by A Good Question - Again.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 3/15/08, by New Orleans bound.
• Re: Mrs. D----As a New Orleanian &teacher, I'm GLAD you're gone!, 3/16/08, by MY city doesn't need you and your negativity!!.
• Re: Mrs. D----As a New Orleanian &teacher, I'm GLAD you're g, 3/16/08, by Mrs. D.
• Re: teachnola, 3/16/08, by Mrs. D.
• Re: teachnola, 3/16/08, by New Orleans bound.
• Re: Mrs. D----As a New Orleanian &teacher, I'm GLAD you're g, 3/18/08, by LOL@Mrs.D-----YOU are the NEGATIVE ONE!!.
• Re: Mrs. D----As a New Orleanian &teacher, I'm GLAD you're g, 3/18/08, by Christina.
• Re: Teaching in NO - conerns/advice, 4/07/08, by trinigal.
• Re: Teaching in NO - poor pay, no incentives, 4/19/08, by Barbara.
• Re: teachnola pros/cons, 5/01/08, by future teacher.
• Re: Now if you really want to get some good teaching experience, 5/03/08, by Helen/HS/La..
• Re: Now if you really want to get some good teaching experie, 5/05/08, by future teacher.