NCE School Leader Job Search Panel
With the hardships of the pandemic lingering in some job markets, many prospective teachers are anxious and eager to settle into their new careers. Additionally, navigating the job application process can feel daunting and overwhelming.
NCE's Teacher Preparation professors and support staff recognized the need to gather experts in the teaching hiring realm to share resources and advice with our candidates. On Wednesday, April 21, NCE hosted a virtual School Leader Job Search Panel with over 100 students present. The panel included four school administrators, representing Chicago and the Suburbs, with pre-k-12th schools in the mix: Christine Zelenka, principal of John B. Murphy Elementary school (CPS), Aldo Calderin, principal at Unity Junior High School, and Interim Superintendent for Cicero School District 99, Erin Tatel Stein, director of human resources at River Trails School District 26, and George Dagres, assistant superintendent of general administration and human resources at Maine Township D207. Those four shared their knowledge of the current job climate in a conversation moderated by NLU faculty Dr. Sherri Bressman, Director of the School of Teacher Preparation, and Dr. Ayn Keneman, Chair of Early Childhood Education. Topics presented to the panel included job application do's and don'ts, interviewing etiquette, the job market, and supporting new teachers during the first year in their school.
The question that kicked off the event was, "How can new graduates make their application stand out?" For Christine, what stands out the most are licenses and endorsements on the application. ESL and Bilingual endorsements, for example, are particularly strong in her opinion. Aldo added that it's crucial to make an application as pointed to the school as possible rather than sending a generic application. Another simple way to stand out is to send an application early, according to George. Sending an application late doesn't send the right message. If there are 100 applications for a position and twenty of them are incomplete or late, it's likely those twenty won't be considered. Finally, Erin mentioned that it's valuable for candidates to have multiple reviewers proofreading cover letters and the application, especially for grammar and spelling errors. Since the application is the first introduction for a candidate, it should be strong.
One major takeaway from the event was how important it is that candidates are excited about their students. Naturally, applications are very "you"-centric. However, demonstrating experience in and outside of classrooms, whether volunteering, collaborative work, or leadership roles, identifying skills utilized in other positions that can translate to teaching, and expressing a desire to support students is key for job search committees in the education sector. The panelists concluded that despite the pandemic, teaching jobs are still in high demand. Their unified parting advice was no matter the school or district's job-hiring process, applicants who are humble, collaborative, and eager to make a difference for students go a long way.
To view a recording of the discussion and learn more about the panelists, click here.
