MCPS Teaching position - help!

[Anonymous]

What are your references saying about you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you emailing the admin of the schools you applied to your cover letter? Are you sending thank you emails with the schools you interviewed with? Are you dressing professionally at these interviews (I interviewed with MCPS this summer for a new position/school and saw lots of seasoned teachers underdressed).
It’s the little things that help you stand out in a crowded field.

Yes to all of the above -OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are your references saying about you?

Not sure if you were being sardonic, but how could someone find out? MCPS doesn't release any interview or reference info.

[Anonymous]

Took me 4 years to get in. I finally became friends with DH's client who happened to be a principal. She took my resume and within a week I had a dozen calls.

My current school is not so secretive about only hiring Spanish speakers and POC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can't seem to get in the system. Not sure what I am doing wrong but MCPS keeps kicking back my application. Tenured in PGCPS (PE, Health, Team Lead, coaching), worked for HCPSS last school year, and check all the requirement boxes. Interviews with specific schools who have advertised positions always go well, I know all the key terminology, am patient and skilled teacher, I'm confident (if not modest) that I'm reading the room correctly and they all say they'll be in touch, that it's a good fit, then positions go elsewhere. Down to the wire here.

What am I doing wrong?

Likely nothing - they don't need PE or Health teachers right now. What level are you applying for? There is only one Health position listed right now, at Einstein HS. The only 1.0 FTE are positions for Adapted PE at two special schools. The rest of the PE positions are part-time ES positions. If you want to get into MCPS, you may need to take a position that isn't exactly what you want. Work that for a couple of years and then try to transfer internally during transfer season.

[Anonymous]

I got into the system on an “open contract” a long time ago. No science positions opened up by July 15th so I chose to stay in my old district another year rather than quit there and take the risk with MCPS. I had good luck the next year.

At least you had interviews. The above poster is right. All the schools are on the look out for POC or other minority representations.

[Anonymous]

Most PE and Health teachers are former classroom teachers who take the PRAXIS. Very few are certified. They want an “easy” job. Many principals don’t care about PE and will hire anyone. PE is becoming a joke in MCPS. I suggest looking at Howard Co.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Happened to me for 6 years! They often hired folks right out of college on the cheap versus an experienced teacher.

I think it also depends on your content area.

Same thing happened to me as well. I couldn't seem to get into the applicant pool..
One thing that helped was reaching out to the department that covers my specialty and having them help advocate for my application with HR so I could actually get into the applicant pool. After that I got multiple job interviews and offers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't seem to get in the system. Not sure what I am doing wrong but MCPS keeps kicking back my application. Tenured in PGCPS (PE, Health, Team Lead, coaching), worked for HCPSS last school year, and check all the requirement boxes. Interviews with specific schools who have advertised positions always go well, I know all the key terminology, am patient and skilled teacher, I'm confident (if not modest) that I'm reading the room correctly and they all say they'll be in touch, that it's a good fit, then positions go elsewhere. Down to the wire here.

What am I doing wrong?

Likely nothing - they don't need PE or Health teachers right now. What level are you applying for? There is only one Health position listed right now, at Einstein HS. The only 1.0 FTE are positions for Adapted PE at two special schools. The rest of the PE positions are part-time ES positions. If you want to get into MCPS, you may need to take a position that isn't exactly what you want. Work that for a couple of years and then try to transfer internally during transfer season.

Do not enter MCPS in a part time position! Not only are you stuck for at least 3 years awaiting tenure, but you’re last in line for full time jobs after that. I learned this the hard way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most PE and Health teachers are former classroom teachers who take the PRAXIS. Very few are certified. They want an “easy” job. Many principals don’t care about PE and will hire anyone. PE is becoming a joke in MCPS. I suggest looking at Howard Co.

Very true! I know a kindergarten teacher that took the Praxis to get r health certification. She will now be teaching MS Health this year. Joke’s on her because the behavior in those kind of classes is off the charts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most PE and Health teachers are former classroom teachers who take the PRAXIS. Very few are certified. They want an “easy” job. Many principals don’t care about PE and will hire anyone. PE is becoming a joke in MCPS. I suggest looking at Howard Co.

Very true! I know a kindergarten teacher that took the Praxis to get r health certification. She will now be teaching MS Health this year. Joke’s on her because the behavior in those kind of classes is off the charts!

If she can handle a kindergarten room, she can handle any room.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why you can’t get into the pool. Did you interview with HR and go through all their steps? It can take a couple of months but then your resume shows up in the MCPS jobs site and schools can contact you

[Anonymous]

You must be female. Almost all of the new ES PE teachers are male. Principals look to get more male staff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You must be female. Almost all of the new ES PE teachers are male. Principals look to get more male staff

Male. Jewish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can't seem to get in the system. Not sure what I am doing wrong but MCPS keeps kicking back my application. Tenured in PGCPS (PE, Health, Team Lead, coaching), worked for HCPSS last school year, and check all the requirement boxes. Interviews with specific schools who have advertised positions always go well, I know all the key terminology, am patient and skilled teacher, I'm confident (if not modest) that I'm reading the room correctly and they all say they'll be in touch, that it's a good fit, then positions go elsewhere. Down to the wire here.

What am I doing wrong?

A close friend of mine has been trying to get a high school STEM job in MCPS for years. Admittedly, they’ve had a couple of offers over that period, but only from the schools where there were bad vibes coming from the principal or department heads. Few positions and no offers from the schools with more functional staff. I really thought they’d be fighting to get a math teacher.