u/Salt-Technician-2632

I’m a bit confused about the inconsistencies in hiring timelines. I’ve had districts contact me the same day I applied, two days after applying, and even up to 14 business days later. Which of these timelines is most typical in the hiring process?

I’m also wondering if it is generally more promising when both administration and the department team are part of the interview process. In my experience, interviews with only administration have not resulted in job offers and often led to internal hires, while interviews that included both admin and the team have resulted in offers.

At what point—specifically in terms of business days—should I assume I will not be called for an interview?

1. How long after posting a job do you wait before scheduling interviews?

2. Does emailing principals after applying help your chances, or is it a waste of time.

3. Is there anything I can do to make myself more viable to land an interview?

4. Would rumors floating around about a candidate in a small district deter you from hiring them if their principal says they rumor is false. (the rumor is really bad)

Someone who is department head or has experience with a tight knit community of teachers please give me your input

I am a first year teacher in a very diverse district (I am white). I love my kids, love the district, and love how diverse it is. I am leaving my elementary position to teach secondary. I applied for the middle school job that opened up and did not get it. This is when my principal said to stop trying to get a job in our feeder pattern because there is a rumor going around about me that I “have a problem with black kids”. I was absolutely shocked, disgusted, confused, and angry. She then told me I have burned bridges, and recommended I leave the district all together. Now If i was in the union, I would have immediately called my rep, but I am not. I absolutely love my district, and my kids, and am so disgusted that this is being said. Apparently after my interview, the principal from the middle school called and asked about how I work with black kids.

I did what I probably should not have done, and called up the people from my department at the highschool who i went to college with. They said the only talk of me was how people were curious why I wasn’t returning and it had something to do with my classroom management. I asked specifically about if there are rumors circulating about my ability to work with students of color, and they said no. I ended up asking the secondary department head, but she ended up kind of dodging my question. When I asked her if she also recommends I not apply in the district, she said the only person I should believe telling me that would be our district wide department head.

There is a position opening up for my dream position at the other highschool (let’s call it school b). I got to meet the principal, and that schools department head who invited me to tour her school once I told her I applied and was interested. (so she hasn’t heard anything about me). I toured and it was awesome, dream position, made me tear up. The thing is the department head at school a is going on maternity leave and they want this girl from school b to transfer. School b told me she’s gonna say no and that she’s good friends with the other girl from school a but doesn’t think it’d be a good work dynamic. my principal said she thinks I’d have no problem finding a job and other feeder patterns which would be this school, but i’m terrified that now I asked about the rumor that the department head at school a will tell her friend at school b.

I do want to add that another girl at school a texted me a few hours after all this went down and said to not apply at school a because they are looking for an experienced teacher since the other two girls are new, and the other is going on maternity leave , but i have a really good chance at getting a job at school b.

I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but there is a rumor circulating around me inferring that I am racist, from people who have never worked with me. i asked the college girls and they said they’ve never experienced or heard me being racist (because i’m not?). so i wanted to ask if this rumor was going around because it’s awful and disgusting. I’m wondering how fucked I am in the district, and if I should just leave all together.

What do I do moving foward to fix this. Do I keep trying to find a job and prove the rumor wrong through my actions? Do I move on and leave the district all together? Do I go ahead and tell the girl at school B about it and get ahead of it before she maybe hears about it through the grape vine? I really want to stay in this district, the student and staff support is awesome.

Context: 1st year teacher with a k-12 certification teaching elementary specials. They knew going into the job my preferred grade was highschool but that wasn’t available to me. Around dec principal asked if i wanted to continue in elementary, i said probably not. I re-interviewed anyways and was non renewed because she believed I would do better with secondary and I didn’t fit in well with the staff.

We had a very nice conversation which was her saying she wants the best for me and she can tell i’m not passionate about elementary. All true.

I applied for a secondary job in the district and got told no, I asked her why she thinks and she completely switched up and said that I should stop trying to find a job in the district, that I’m blacklisted from two schools (she didn’t use that word but ) , I “burned all my bridges”, and that there is rumors that about me going around that I “have trouble teaching black kids” which literally almost made me throw up hearing it as I work in a very diverse school and love all my kids. I actually grew up in a really small southern white town with no diversity and have really appreciated the ability to learn about other cultures and be around diversity in an inner city school. She said that she doesn’t agree with this, but it’s already been spread and the damage is done and I should get out. I feel this was completely inappropriate, toxic, and unprofessional. Why did she tell me this? I can’t tell if she’s on my side or if she believes it too and wants me out. Do I even ask for clarification?

I’m wanting to ask

I need some clarification. What I was told is very serious and upsetfing

- In reference to the comment that I may have a “problem with Black students,” I would like to understand what specific behaviors or situations that concern is based on, as that is very serious to me and I want to make sure I understand it correctly.

•	What specific factors led to the recommendation that I consider finding a position in another district?

•	Are there specific staff members, situations, or interactions that have led to the idea that I may have “burned bridges” within the district?

•	Can you clarify the source of the concerns being referenced? For example, was this based on direct feedback, HR communication, or informal conversations?

•	Is there direct feedback from the high school regarding my candidacy or reputation, or is this based on broader perceptions within the district?

•	What situations or concerns would have led to discussion about my employment prospects or placement?

•	Are there specific concerns that would impact my eligibility or competitiveness for other teaching positions within the district?

I don’t know if I can do this anymore. My first year teaching was awful with students and admin. We have kids suspended left and right at an elementary school with a population of 350. I’m certified k-12 art, and it’s my dream to be a middle school or highschool teacher, but I just don’t know how long I can handle being unlucky in hiring and timing. It’s so hard to get a secondary job that isn’t in the inner city. I want to go back to teach in the area I grew up because the behaviors are more manageable, but it’s so hard to get in. 4 of the people I know got my ideal positions right after college with no experience, but now with a year of experience I still can’t land middle or highschool art (in any district), or elementary in a district I would like. Even with my experience working at a museum , my fine arts degree, and teacher certification, it all seems to mean nothing. It seems like luck, timing, right place right time is how you get a job. Two girls got it because they student taught in the districts that openings, one got in a competitive spot because it opened two weeks before school started, and another got job over me with no teaching experience. And now i’ve been blacklisted from a huge district because of rumors being spread about me from toxic co workers at my school. I can’t imagine going through this again with hopes of maybe landing secondary or getting into a district I like. I want to be a secondary teacher so bad, but i don’t know how much more I can take trying to get to a good spot. I’ve had such a bad experience that i’m just scared. I can barely function, laundry piled up for months, gained 45 pounds this school year, haven’t been sleeping, and overall it’s just terrible. I wish I could just land a good position and live my dream. We have 15 days left and I just want to walk out and never come back. I feel like a pariah, unwanted and unloved by everyone but my students. I honestly just feel unwanted by most things in life in general.

Is it appropriate or professional that my principal told me to stop trying to get hired in the district, that I can’t trust anyone in the school, and that I’ve burned all my bridges. I’m a first year teacher. I literally haven’t done anything bad except tell the music teacher at the beginning of the year that hanging her stage decor wasn’t my job, and told the principal that the same teacher told me I was going to need to start looking for a new job because they don’t want me back.

I’m a first-year certified K–12 teacher currently teaching elementary, and I was non-renewed after expressing interest in moving to secondary and having some conflict with a very controlling team lead.

I recently interviewed for a middle school position in my district. After being denied, I asked my principal if they had any insight. She told me that during the reference call, the middle school brought up that I “have a hard time working with Black students.”

I am honestly in shock. This is not true, and I have no idea where it could have come from. I don’t have connections at the middle or high school level, so I don’t understand how that perception even got there.

For context, I teach at a school that is about 70% Black, and while I’ve had classroom management challenges (as a first-year teacher), they are not specific to any one group of students.

What’s making this worse is that my principal told me I should basically give up on staying in the district because I’ve “burned bridges,” and that both middle and high schools have heard this.

I feel blindsided, confused, and honestly really upset. I don’t know what to do next or how to address something like this when I don’t even know the source.

Has anyone experienced anything like this or have advice on how to move forward?

I have an interview at a charter school tomorrow for an art position. I have no background knowledge of Charter Schools in general.

1. What do I need to know about charter schools?

2. Why is there such a high turnover that I am reading about?

3. In your opinion, is public school or charter a better decision for a second year art teacher. (The charter school is a stem based school with almost no art program which does not bother me)

I literally have to accept or decline an offer in 30 mins. It’s been very tough finding a job. Only 1 offer out of 9 interviews. It’s not my ideal position but should I accept in case I cannot find anything else. (it’s elementary and i want highschool)

edit: they called me at 10 am monday morning and gave me til thursday to decide, but it sounded like the sooner the better so I told them I would let them know wednesday by 8 am

A little bit of context. I am certified K-12 Art Teacher. I only student taught at a highschool, no middle or elementary. I started this first year as an elementary art teacher and have not enjoyed it too much. There is so much micro managing, very little self sufficiency, and not a lot of creative problem solving. My heart is in content. I cannot decide if middle or highschool teaching would be better for me, but that is besides the point.

Since the middle of March, I have applied to over 50 places, and had 9 interviews, 2 second rounds. I have only been offered one job. I am supposed to shadow the art teacher at a middle school next week, but the position I have been offered wants to know tomorrow morning. I asked for an extension but they said no. This job is at an elementary. It on the brighter side of elementary, its a small school with 50 min art classes, a big art room, small staff, a 4 day rotation, , and max 22 kids a class. Downside is its elementary, prek-4th which means no 5th grade, which is one of my favorites.

Do I accept this job to have something to fall back on while I keep looking? I do not want to be unprofessional by telling them no in a month or so but I also need a job. On the other hand, its only almost may, there is 3 jobs opening up that have not even posted yet, and probably many more to come. What should I do?