Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is the nation’s 11th largest public school system, located in Northern Virginia and serving more than 175,000 students in the most populous jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  FCPS diverse student body is educated in 196 schools and centers.  Special programs include magnet schools for the arts and sciences, family and early childhood education, inclusion model special education, foreign language partial-immersion programs, FCPS Advanced Academic Programs (AAP), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, Advanced Placement (AP) courses and more.  FCPS students consistently measure among the highest-achieving students in the nation.  The school system employs more than 22,000 people and offers its employees outstanding benefits including medical insurance, dental insurance, retirement plans, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, sick and personal leave, disability programs, and long term care insurance.  Staff development and training is available through academy classes, in-service training, and master’s degree cohort programs.  Full-time technology support teachers are in each school and an on-line resource for FCPS students to extend learning beyond the traditional day is accessible to all through the 24-7 Learning System. “Great Beginnings” provides mentoring to all teachers new to the county, and “Smooth Transitions” incentives help to make your relocation an easy one.

If you wish to apply for instructional positions (including counseling, speech pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and all teaching positions,) please go to the following site and create a new account at http://careers.fcps.edu/tg_instructional.htm.

The instructional vacancy list for the 2012-13 school year will be posted at https://careers.fcps.edu/vl/Vacancy on July 2, 2012.

The Virginia State Licensure requirements are online at the following sites:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/licensure/prof_teacher_assessment.pdf

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/licensure/graduates_foreign_institutions.pdf

Our main website is www.fcps.edu

The average job search lasts 33.9 weeks — more than 8 months — according to October 2010 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Times continue to be tough.

And times may stay tough for you, if you’re making one or both of the following mistakes, which plague most job seekers …

Mistake #1: “Sure, that person got a job, but my situation is different. I have too much experience/not enough experience/etc. What about an idea I can use in my job search?”

Solution: Almost daily, I hear variations on the “I’m different” question, which is absolute poison in your job search.

No matter how many job-search success stories I share, there’s always someone who can find a reason why they won’t work for them.

I could offer a tip that got a 45-year-old IT Manager from Des Moines hired, and someone would write, “What about me? I’m a 46-year-old IT Manager from Des Moines.”

If you’re waiting for the perfect job-search tip, one that’s 100% customized to you and your exact situation, to appear in this or any publication, you will wait a very long time.

Meanwhile, other people are getting hired for jobs that you are qualified for, because they’re out there competing with creativity and persistence.

Here’s the solution. The next time you learn of someone who found a job, ask yourself this question: How can I adapt that to my situation?

Mistake #2: “I already applied for the job and they ignored me, so I can’t apply again. I’m stuck.”

Solution: Understand this: Nowhere is it written that silence from an employer equals permanent rejection.

If you apply but get no response from an employer, you probably emailed your resume or submitted it online, never calling or writing to follow up, right?

Look. If you had to get a message to someone or risk losing your home, would you send it by email and wait? Or would you email, call, fax, write, or even visit their office until you learned for certain that they got your message? The latter, of course.

Well, if you go jobless for so long that your house gets foreclosed on, don’t let it be because you weren’t willing to follow up with employers. That would be tragic.

There are several ways to 1) follow up with employers without being a pest and 2) re-apply for the same job, even after you’ve been ignored.

Two examples of how to follow up smartly:

1. Call or ask around to find the name of your potential boss (not the HR manager). Mail your resume to them, along with a cover letter that says, “Because email isn’t 100% reliable, I’m mailing you my resume with a stamp, just to make sure. You can expect this same attention to detail if I join your team as JOB TITLE.”
2. Make contact with someone at your target employer and ask them to forward your resume to the hiring manager the same day you apply online. Bonus: Get two people to forward your resume — the more conversations you can start about you, the better.

Want to re-apply for a job? Try the Coffee Cup CaperTM. Send an excellent, full-color resume in a box to the employer, with your cover letter, and a paper Starbucks cup. Ask the hiring manager to meet for coffee, then call to follow up.

This Guerrilla Job Search tactic helped one man, Steve Fox, from Edina, Minn., get hired for a position in October 2010 that he had originally applied for more than 70 days earlier. The employer ignored him the first time, but not the second — how could they?

As a final principle, remember this: The best way to stand out and get noticed by employers in this economy is to zig when everyone else is zagging.

Because, if you do what everyone else is doing to find a job, you’ll get results like everyone else is getting. And almost every job seeker you talk to is getting poor results.

If you get stuck for ideas, just look at what everyone else is doing … and do the opposite. If they’re sitting behind a computer zapping out resumes to employers, deliver your resumes in person. If they’re not calling to follow up, make sure you do call.

You get the idea.

To grow and become a better person, you must try new things. The tactics above can help you try new things, smash through two common job-search misconceptions — and get hired faster.

Kevin Donlin is author of “Guerrilla Resumes.” To learn how people are getting hired for new jobs in 30 days or less, please visit: Guerrilla Job Search International.

Welcome to UNIVERSITY PREP, where COLLEGE STARTS IN KINDERGARTEN. We are a tuition-free, K – 5 public charter school with the mission to educate every student for college.

Main Office
2409 Arapahoe St.
Denver, CO 80205
o: 303.292.0463
f: 303.296.2844
info@uprepschool.org

Profile and job opportunities will be posted soon.

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To visit our website, click here.

Most managers and executives love to talk about their companies and themselves. When you listen, you acquire knowledge, and knowledge gives you power. It allows you to channel your marketing efforts to emphasize how your acquired skills will help a company to solve their problems and contribute to growth and profits. It helps the employer see you as a better “fit” for their specific organizational culture. As the famous Greek philosopher Zeno of Citium said, “The reason why we have two ears and only one mouth is that we may listen the more and talk the less.” Following are 15 key rules that will allow you to hone your listening skills..

1. Try to comprehend what you hear. The contrast between hearing and really listening is dramatic. If you are not effectively listening to the interviewer, it is the same as the salesperson not listening to the needs of their buyer. It will make the difference between success and failure.
2. Don’t think about what you wish to say next while someone else is talking. Don’t take notes when being interviewed. Don’t shuffle papers or try to work on other projects while you are on the telephone. Focus your attention only on what is being said. When you are writing, you are not listening. Take your notes after your discussion while things are still fresh in your mind.
3. Keep an open mind and try to be receptive to someone else’s point of view. If you do not understand a statement or question, then ask for clarification. Clarity works wonders.
4. Whether you are in an in-person interview or participating in a telephone discussion you should have keep a script of points you wish to cover in front of you. That way if you are thrown off track by unexpected questions or comments it is easy to recover.
5. When in an interview, always maintain eye contact. If you look at the person who is speaking to you, they will feel like you’re really listening, not just hearing them.
6. Ask questions to show you care. Good questions give you additional information and a better ability to effectively sell yourself.
7. Try to care more about the other person and their concerns. Be empathetic. You will be a more attentive listener.
8. Be open-minded. Nod to show the speaker that you understand and are in agreement. If you disagree with something and you really want the job, an interview is not the place to vent opposition. Try not to be judgmental.
9. Pay attention to the speaker’s body language. Non-verbal cues can be as important as what is being said.
10. Paraphrase or summarize important points.
11. Don’t change the subject or fail to acknowledge important statements.
12. To be an active listener, you must begin with awareness. Do others get angry with you for poor communication? When do you have problems communicating? How were you listening at these times? It takes guts, but don’t be afraid to ask others what you could do to become a better listener. Others will see your faults much better than you do.
13. According to Michael Purdy, coauthor of Listening in Everyday Life, “To be a successful listener, you must also believe that listening is power. Because our society places so much emphasis on speaking as the way to win friends and influence people, good listeners can quietly have a powerful and subversive impact. You should also remember that speakers have little power without listeners. Speakers share their wisdom and try to persuade, but listeners make meaning of what is heard — they make the ultimate decision to act on what they hear.”
14. To learn more about effective listening: Read books, visit the International Listening Association’s Web site (www.listen.org) for tips, or take a workshop or class on effective listening. Then be sure to practice what you learn.
15. Finally listen to your heart. Whenever you listen to your heart, you listen to that part of you that is most interested in your well being.

Author Lawrence Alter is president of L.D.A. Enterprises, Ltd.; a Minneapolis based outplacement and career management firm. He is a recognized expert in career growth techniques. Call (952) 697-3663 or send ideas and questions to: DA@EmploymentClinic.com

Goals don’t get realized on their own. They get completed and achieved when you are working on them. Work on your goals and you will reach them. Work on something else and your goals will take a back seat. Nothing great happens in your career without your active participation. When you are taking action in your career, you are carrying out your goals with purpose and power. You are “in the zone” and believe that anything is possible. You feel great. You have faith that your actions will lead to goal completion. And you are right. So, How Do You Take Action In Your Career? Follow These 5 Steps Below.

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MAP OUT YOUR ACTION STEPS

You can’t reach your destination unless you know where you are going. Mapping out what you are going to do-and then doing it is your recipe for success. Think about it this way. If you were to complete one action step every day, you will have taken thirty steps at the end of the month and 365 steps by the end of the year. Small steps add up to big ones because goals are reached one (mapped) step at a time.

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MANAGE YOUR TIME EFFECTIVELY

You are probably extremely busy, and you are certainly not alone in this. But do not use being busy as an excuse to not work on your career. It’s essential to work on your goals despite what is happening around you. And, if you do not make time, it will not magically occur on its own. Are your goals important to you? If the answer is yes, then make time to accomplish them.

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SELECT YOUR PRIORITIES

There will always be something on your list of things to do. So, try to let go of what you should do, or could do. Instead, focus on what you want to do and accomplish. You want to reach your goals. This is your objective. Select the action steps that will get you there, and work on these. This is how you will reach the finish line.

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USE YOUR CALENDAR

A calendar is an essential tool for helping you reach your goals. If you don’t feel like taking an action step in your career, your calendar will help you get motivated or stay on track. If you don’t remember what your next action step is, your calendar will remind you what to work on. If your action steps are not in your calendar, they will not get done, because you will forget what you need to do.

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MOVE FORWARD NO MATTER WHAT

You will have good days and bad days-everyone does. Nevertheless, try to move yourself forward and take action even if you do not feel like it on a particular day. Take one step every day whether you believe it will make a difference or not. Movement will help make your goals a reality. So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC, is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that works with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers who are looking for new career opportunities or seek to become more productive in their current role. She is the author of “Coach Yourself To A New Career”, “Don’t Blow It! The Right Words For The Right Job” and “How To Feel Great At Work Everyday.” Deborah can be reached at www.surpassyourdreams.com or at (631) 874-2877.

Hyde Leadership Charter School
730 Bryant Avenue (Grades K-8)
830 Hunts Point Avenue (Grades 9-12)
Bronx, NY 10474
Phone: 718-991-5500 | Fax: 718-842-8617

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Visit us here.

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Tukwila School District students will inspire you.  We were named the most diverse student population by the New York Times.

More than 2,800 are enrolled in five schools located within the limits of historic Tukwila, Washington.  The teacher-student ratio averages 1:25.  Students represent many cultures and ethnic groups and speak approximately 65 world languages.  Thirty-five (35) percent of students qualify for English Language Learner services.  Seventy-nine (79) percent of students are eligible for free/reduced school meals.   A certified staff of 185, classified staff 139, and an administrative team of 18 full/part time employees serve the district.  As of November 2011, the district has 42 National Board certified teachers.

Tukwila School District is located close to the I-5 and I-405 freeways and major arterials and just 20 minutes south from downtown Seattle and 20 minutes north of Tacoma, Washington.

Come see our schools!

The Tukwila School District complies with all federal rules and regulations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin (including language), religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation (including gender expression or identity), veteran or military status, non-program-related physical, sensory or mental disabilities, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.  This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular school activities, or in the recruitment and employment of personnel.

The Tukwila School District provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

The Tukwila School District will also take steps to ensure that national origin persons who lack English language skills can participate in all education programs, services and activities. For information regarding translation services or transitional bilingual education programs, contact the Student Services Department at 206-901-8025.

Inquiries regarding compliance and/or grievance procedures may be directed to the school district’s Title IX/RCW 28A.640 officer and/or Section 504/ADA coordinator located at 4640 South 144th Street, Tukwila, WA  98168:  Nina Melencio, Title IX/RCW 28A.640 Officer (206.901.8005) and Gwen Estes-Zuehlke, Section 504/ADA Coordinator (206.901.8035).

You may visit us here.

Prince George’s County Public Schools is the 18th largest school system in the country and the second largest county in the state of Maryland.  We are located outside the nation’s capital (Washington, D.C.).  We have a total of 199 schools with many diverse programs.  For the 2006-2007 school years we are projecting 1000 openings in all areas.  Please visit our website for our career fairs and further information at www.pgcps.org.

Certified Teachers, Education Majors,
and Mid-Year Graduates
Contact Robert Gaskin at 301-952-6037
or via e-mail rgaskin@pgcps.org
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Prince George’s County Public Schools
14201 School Lane, Room 124 • Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772
TEACHING POSITIONS
IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE
IN ALL AREAS

By Kisha N. Daniels, Ed.D

Effective teachers prepare students for global citizenship and lifelong learning.  Consequently, initial training for novice teachers has become even more critical to the success of teacher effectiveness.  Thus, the mission of The Ultimate Student Teaching Guide is to offer a text complete with practical, yet research-based, field-tested strategies to assist novice teachers during the most pivotal experience in their teacher education or licensure program – the student teaching internship.  While the book’s title lends itself to think specifically about the internship; it has valuable information to support the teacher progressing through the induction phase (the first 3 years).

As veteran educators with over 30 years of combined experience teaching and supervising pre-service and novice teachers in P-16 schools and universities, we’d continuously searched for resources to assist our students.  Although we have used several excellent texts, we’d been unable to secure one with the appropriate blend of theory, practical strategies, and supplemental activities specifically designed for the student teaching internship.  Furthermore, our students expressed dissatisfaction with assignments and readings from texts during the internship. They chose, instead, to focus on completing tasks directly related to their responsibilities in the field (e.g., lesson planning, creating portfolios, studying for Praxis examinations, and applying for teaching positions). We needed a text with supplemental activities that didn’t feel like “busy work;” it needed to speak directly to their current experiences in the field.

We realized that we were spending an inordinate amount of time explaining issues that were typically neglected from the textbooks (legal and ethical issues, cooperating teacher conflicts, school politics, and classroom management without “real” power, and more).   As a result, we ceased using a text altogether and allowed the themes of our seminar classes and supervision sessions to emerge.  Several themes consistently materialized across disciplines and grade levels:  professionalism, the cooperating or mentor teacher relationship, managing the workload, stress and organization, classroom management, teacher confidence, and life after the internship.  Additionally, there was a clear correspondence between the themes discussed and the trajectory of the student teaching internship.

Subsequently, the types of pre-service teachers we were preparing began to change dramatically.  A text for the traditional undergraduate student was insufficient.  We needed a text appropriate for the diverse population of students we served: traditional undergraduate students, second-degree students, second-career students, lateral entry teachers seeking certification, and teacher assistants transitioning into lead teaching roles. These students were entering the internship with varying levels of experience in schools, and no text seemed to directly address their unique circumstances. We needed a text that was not only inclusive of current best practices in teaching (e.g., differentiation, technology integration, and brain-friendly teaching strategies), but it also had to be readable and accessible to diverse learners.  We couldn’t find it, so we figured that we had to write it. Using a light-hearted tone, The Ultimate Student Teaching Guide candidly addresses the totality of the student teaching internship: its complexities, joys, frustrations, and challenges.   We hope that you enjoy it!