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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 10:27 am
by Gina07
Thank you both for the replies.

I understand DODDS are in a transition state right now but I think it is worth it to me personally and professionally to keep my application updated.

I enjoy teaching SPED and I also miss the military family/community so for me it would be the best of both worlds.

Any ideas on how I could contact a current DODDS Special Education teacher? I would be very interested to find out what current teachers think of DODDS SPED programs.

Happy New Year!

Gina

Reply

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 11:05 am
by PsyGuy
Not technically, but as you approach retirement age it get s a lot harder for a principal to want to hire you. Many teachers start in DoDDS in their late 40s and early 50s though. Im in my mid 30s and im considered "the kid".

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 5:20 pm
by mcjahwl
Does anyone know what kind of demand (if any) DODEA has right now for speech pathologists?

My wife (the speech path.) and I (7-12 english, computer, humanities) just applied and I am wondering about our chances. Any insights would be appreciated.

Reply

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:52 am
by PsyGuy
Very little, there arent that many LSPs, and they tend to stick around. When a position is available though youd be in a very small pool of candidates.

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 11:57 am
by mcjahwl
Thanks for the info. We are looking at ISs, too, but not many seem to hire speech pathologists. Any one know of speech paths being hired for resource/sped positions?

We have actually gotten a nibble, and are wondering if there is much precedent for such a hire. Trying to decide whether it's worth a trip to London or Boston...

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:20 pm
by wrldtrvlr123
[quote="mcjahwl"]Thanks for the info. We are looking at ISs, too, but not many seem to hire speech pathologists. Any one know of speech paths being hired for resource/sped positions?

We have actually gotten a nibble, and are wondering if there is much precedent for such a hire. Trying to decide whether it's worth a trip to London or Boston...[/quote]

ASIJ (Japan) is looking for an SLP right now, which would be a sweet gig.

Some schools might consider an SLP for a SPED position. You would have to make the case that you could actually do the job since the skill set are similar, yet distinct.

Use google and just seach international schools +SLP. There are some smaller specialized int'l schools out there that are more likely to hire SLP's and still pay a decent package. Check out Shanghai and Beijing for starters.

Also keep an eye here, http://www.sterlingoverseas.com/positions.html, if you haven't already. They hire for the program that supports DoDDS and seem to be looking for an SLP.

Reply

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:39 pm
by PsyGuy
The top tier American ISs are going to be your best bet (ASIJ is a great school, and I'd jump on that). There really aren't that many positions though, it's really a niche market for SLPs. The good news is that usually the pool of candidates is very small, you could easily be the only one applying for the position.

A number of schools would consider a SLP for a SPED position if they were working for the right population of students.

EDIS (sterling medical) is the place I'd recommend as well they seem to hire year round for SLP positions, you would be working with DoDDS schools, though through a private organization, the package is very good.

reply

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 6:30 pm
by mcjahwl
Great advice guys--thanks!

Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:14 pm
by wrldtrvlr123
[quote="Gina07"]Thank you both for the replies.

I understand DODDS are in a transition state right now but I think it is worth it to me personally and professionally to keep my application updated.

I enjoy teaching SPED and I also miss the military family/community so for me it would be the best of both worlds.

Any ideas on how I could contact a current DODDS Special Education teacher? I would be very interested to find out what current teachers think of DODDS SPED programs.

Happy New Year!
----------------------------------------
Hi. DoDDS SPED programs will look a bit different from school to school. In theory, they attempt to have a school or group of schools in each area/region be staffed to handle a wider range of students. These schools will tend to have similar programs to a stateside public school with some self-contained classes, behavioral specialists, Autism specialists, SLP, OT etc.

In reality there is some unpredictability to placements and many schools will have a range of students from year to year. Virtually all schools will have students on IEPs that are very similar to the states I've taught in. There will also be counselors, psychologists, therapists (possibly shared with other schools) and Learning Impaired teachers (the job title, not necessarily the teachers) who do push in and pull out at both the elementary and secondary level. There will also be paraprofessionals who work directly with students in class, if needed.

Basically, nothing an experienced and qualifed SPED teacher would think was too new or different. Saying that, there is bound to be a wide range in the type and quality of services being offered from school to school.

I really love my school and my job!

DoDEA Pacific Hiring

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 1:38 pm
by Shisho
Hi everyone, I'm interested in getting some feedback for my current plan to apply for a job as a DoDEA teacher. My goal is to be hired as a teacher for DoDEA in Okinawa, Japan K-6 for the fall of 2013. I'm currently a Naval Officer with 10 years of service who will be separating from the Navy at the end of this month to begin a 12-week student teaching internship as the final part of a Master's Degree Program in Elementary Education. I intend to have my Master's Degree and state certification exam completed by the end of April. I was then going to apply for a stateside hire position for the fall with Okinawa as my primary location preference.

I'm aware that stateside hires are the last hiring priority after first offering positions to curent DoDEA employees wishing to relocate followed by local hiring with preference given to spouses and retiring military members overseas. This is why I am not very confident that my current plan is the best way to ensure my success for the fall. I have considered flying to Okinawa on my own after completing my Degree Program to introduce myself to principals at local elementary schools, drop off resumes, and seek a position as a local hire. I realize this would preclude me from many of the financial benefits for the first year but I'm just trying to get my foot in the door. I would even be willing to teach in Korea my first year as a stateside hire to allow me to transition to Okinawa the following year. I really want to work for DoDEA and I really want to make Okinawa my home.

The information on the internet varies widely concerning stateside hiring, veteran's preference, and a wide range of other topics so I'm not sure what to believe anymore. If anyone has any thoughts, advice, suggestions, comments, or points of contact I would really appreciate the help. Thank you.

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:05 pm
by WeDoDude
I wish that I had better news for you, but your chances this year, and for the next few years, are very low, even with your military preference. The breakdown is this:

- Over 200 excessed teachers in Europe all need jobs. There currently are not enough jobs to go around in Europe, so a large number of them will be transferred to the Pacific.

- Elementary Ed is a very low priority right now. Yes we do from time to time hire out of CONUS, but generally there is a pretty decent talent pool to choose from right from the base in terms of spouses. We had 3 elementary positions open up during this school year due to retirements and all 3 we hired locally and filled by spouses of active duty.

- The entire organization is in a bit of a transitional period. The current budget crisis and changing geo-political climate have many theorizing that DoDEA's mission in the EU may be coming to an end, and as soon as 2020. New bases are being added to the closures list all of the time, case in point, Lajes Air Force Base. That has a lot of the employment base on pins and needles and as those bases close and positions in the EU dry up DoDEA will need to look to the Pacific to place those teachers, or RIF them.

Your best bet is to get some stateside experience, which DoDEA likes you to have anyway. Yes, by all means apply now and select worldwide availability. But also get your stateside license and some experience in a stateside school district. Keep your fingers crossed and you may get lucky. But I'll be honest, the future of DoDEA doesn't sound so bright at the moment.

Good luck to you and congratulations on your retirement and thank you so much for your service!

Local Hire

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 9:14 pm
by Shisho
Thanks for the information. That is what I was afraid of. What do you think about my plan to move to Okinawa to try and get a local hire position as soon as I've completed my degree? I can either get a permanent visa because my wife is Japanese or find a government job that gets me sofa status to make me eligible for a local hire position. I'm not sure what the requirements would be to substitute teach, but if I'm there, I have base access, and I'm qualfied couldn't I just sub everyday until someone hires me?

Re: DoDEA Pacific Hiring

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:41 pm
by jimmy_spank
Shisho wrote:
> Hi everyone, I'm interested in getting some feedback for my current plan to
> apply for a job as a DoDEA teacher. My goal is to be hired as a teacher
> for DoDEA in Okinawa, Japan K-6 for the fall of 2013. I'm currently a
> Naval Officer with 10 years of service who will be separating from the Navy
> at the end of this month to begin a 12-week student teaching internship as
> the final part of a Master's Degree Program in Elementary Education. I
> intend to have my Master's Degree and state certification exam completed by
> the end of April. I was then going to apply for a stateside hire position
> for the fall with Okinawa as my primary location preference.
>
> I'm aware that stateside hires are the last hiring priority after first
> offering positions to curent DoDEA employees wishing to relocate followed
> by local hiring with preference given to spouses and retiring military
> members overseas. This is why I am not very confident that my current plan
> is the best way to ensure my success for the fall. I have considered
> flying to Okinawa on my own after completing my Degree Program to introduce
> myself to principals at local elementary schools, drop off resumes, and
> seek a position as a local hire. I realize this would preclude me from
> many of the financial benefits for the first year but I'm just trying to
> get my foot in the door. I would even be willing to teach in Korea my
> first year as a stateside hire to allow me to transition to Okinawa the
> following year. I really want to work for DoDEA and I really want to make
> Okinawa my home.
>
> The information on the internet varies widely concerning stateside hiring,
> veteran's preference, and a wide range of other topics so I'm not sure what
> to believe anymore. If anyone has any thoughts, advice, suggestions,
> comments, or points of contact I would really appreciate the help. Thank
> you.

Hey Shisho, I'm wondering how your job search went. I am a Naval Officer transitioning out of the navy next year and I am looking to work for DoDEA as well. I was hoping you could let me know your story and what you went through in the transition process and, most importantly, how you went about getting certified. Hope everything worked out for you and hope to hear from you soon. If anyone else has any advice or suggestions for getting hired by DoDEA as well, I would love to hear all of them. Thanks!

Response

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2015 3:13 pm
by PsyGuy
@jimmy_spank

You may wish to try:

http://teachers.net/mentors/DOD/

There is an entire community dedicated to working and (mostly) advising others how to get hired in DODEA.

Re: DODDS Hiring Question

Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 9:16 pm
by jimmy_spank
PsyGuy wrote:
> @jimmy_spank
>
> You may wish to try:
>
> http://teachers.net/mentors/DOD/
>
> There is an entire community dedicated to working and (mostly) advising others how
> to get hired in DODEA.

Awesome. Thanks PsyGuy for the recommendation. I will check it out. From the research I have done, it seems that the only employment requirement I wouldn't meet is the 18 SH of professional teacher education course work part. I already have my masters in physics, so short of going for a PhD in education, do you have any recommendations for the best way to get those 18 SH? I am currently overseas, so distance learning would be the most practical.