Teaching and Employment

One of the basic differences between private and public schools is the fact that most public school teachers belong to a union. Does that make a difference for public school teachers? Does having a unionized faculty benefit schools? How did unions get involved with public education? Are private school faculties unionized? Basically, the question is, should teachers be unionized or not? My answer to that question is "Yes" if you teach in a public school and "No" if you teach in a private school. Let me explain why.

In Public Schools: The Case for Protection and Leverage

Public schools are essentially controlled by the government at the local, state, and national levels. They also are funded by taxpayers at all those levels. So it makes sense for teachers to want and need some protection from and leverage with those three quarters. The most potent protection public school teachers have is their union. Teacher unions also furnish the leverage or negotiating strength necessary to engage administrations in frank discussions about matters like compensation, class size, accountability, etc.

Private schools are funded primarily by the tuition fees paid by their customers, i.e., the parents of their students. Endowments and fundraising make up the delta between what tuition raises and the actual expenses for the school year. Income and expenses must align. Each private school is an independent corporate entity controlled by school trustees, not governments. Each private school has its own particular mission and educational goals. Each school hires teachers

Finding a job - any job - is difficult for everybody in today's job market, private school teachers and administrators included. One way to get your resume noticed, perhaps even read in detail, is by creating value. Here's how.

Why You Need to Project Value

Private schools have historically valued staff who are well-credentialed, enthusiastic and flexible. The reason why stems from the reality that private schools have only as many staff as they need. No more. What that means is that when there are gaps in the team, for whatever reason, the school needs somebody to fill that gap competently and cheerfully. On the fly.

Indications of Value

Credentials

Start with your credentials. Make certain that your academic qualifications align with the school's stated requirements as well as offer an additional specialty or two. For example, if you have a Masters degree in French language and literature and are applying for the school's French teacher position, it won't hurt to be proficient in Spanish or Portuguese, or Italian as well. Chinese would be even better. The point is that offering just a little more will give you an edge when the school begins to review the applications in depth.

If it has been several years since you completed your formal graduate studies, be sure to include some recent courses, workshops, and seminars that you have attended. It is important to show your prospective employer that you have not stopped learning. Make sure that there is no

It's kind of scary to realize that most openings for teaching positions regularly draw dozens of applications. Sometimes hundreds of applications. It never used to be like that. But these are tough times. Thousands of public school teachers lost their jobs in the downturn which began back in 2008. Thousands more new teachers are looking for their first job. In the meantime school budgets have been reduced, some drastically, by changing community demographics and changes in the local and regional economies. These are major factors which have changed the dynamics for teachers all over the nation. The realignments which follow these major changes take time to fall into place. For example, when a major employer shuts down a call center, an office or a plant, it will be years in most cases before that void is filled.

While many teachers might well prefer to remain in the public K-12 system or possibly teach at the tertiary level, the realities of the job market mean that those same teachers will also be competing for private school positions. In most cases the best a K-12 teacher can hope for as far as teaching college is concerned is some sort of adjunct instructor position. The reality is that those teachers will probably be applying for the same positions private school teachers are applying for as well.

Here are some tips to help you cope with the job search process in these tough times.

Be realistic.

Be realistic in your expectations

If you about to graduate from college or have graduated recently, and are thinking about going into teaching, you will find it worthwhile to consider one of the intern programs which many private schools offer. The reason why private schools offer teaching internships is that they want to shape their future teachers to teach in the way they want them to teach. Each private school is a free-standing, independent school with its own approach to teaching and its own curriculum. While it is always beneficial to hire an experienced teacher, the school still has to adapt that teacher to the school's way of doing things.

Teaching in a private school also is not simply about teaching in the classroom. Teaching in a private school requires you to be involved in extracurricular activities and athletics as well. Teaching in a private school means that you are teaching the whole child. These intern teacher programs which you will explore offer the opportunity to do all that and to learn how teaching in a private school really works. An internship typically has a light teaching load and is mentored constantly. The possibilities for some serious learning about and understanding of teaching abound. This short video shows Exeter's choir and orchestra getting ready for a concert. Just think! If you are a musician, you could be involved with this kind of extracurricular activity.

Yes, many private schools have

The reality of being a private school teacher is that you will have to face an annual deadline called the contract renewal. If you are doing a good job, this annual rite should not present any problems. You will be notified that your contract is being renewed, and that will be that.

But what if things are not going well? You are unhappy. You sense that things are not going well. Perhaps you have even received a written communication or two indicating that things are not going well. What to do? If there is no resolution to whatever issues are at the root of your mutual unhappiness, the best solution for all concerned is probably the obvious: finish out the year and part company on the best possible terms. After all, you will need the school to give you as good a reference as possible.

In any case, let's look at the renewal process from the school's point of view. Why then should we renew your contract?

Give me lots of reasons why we should do so.

It may sound obvious, but we hired you in good faith. You interviewed well and seemed enthusiastic about teaching here at St. Swithins. Your transcripts and references were sound and everything was checked out. Consequently, we had great expectations.

For the most part, you have not let us down. Your lesson plans are well thought out. You present the material in an engaging manner. You incorporate technology into your teaching effortlessly