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Chances...

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 12:31 pm
by anon
Dear Dude,

Wow! You made my day... :D
We're going to go for it and reactivate our applications.
Japan, Korea, Germany, Mongolia (lol)... all would be acceptable to me.

If we put in applications in the coming week (and look up interview sites and so forth) do you think there is a likely chance of SY 2012-13 or more likely 2013-14?

We are certified in high needs areas....
Thank you for your response.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 3:22 pm
by WeDoDude
Anon, this is going to be a HUGE CONUS hiring year. The transfer program was one of the smallest ever, only 140 teachers got transfers. Lots of opening and now even more are retiring. Last week I got 10 emails containing retirement announcements. The bulk of the openings are in Korea, then Japan. Put in and good luck!

Have to Comment

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 8:32 pm
by PsyGuy
Im sorry, but there will be a very small number of CONUS hires this year. The very small transfer round, was due to a lack of funds and the fact that MANY teachers in Europe (Germany) were excessed because of school closures.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 9:41 pm
by ringler24
I believe WeDoDude is working in the DODDS system. Are you PsyGuy? I would trust an insider before someone who is getting info second or third hand.

Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 11:02 pm
by WeDoDude
PsyGuy, that's 100% false. There were only 2 school closures in Germany for next year, and the amount of retirements/those leaving DoDEA were greater, so most of those teachers were shuffled around Europe and placed into positions. What couldn't be filled in Europe was filled by teachers in Korea and Japan. That leaves openings in both Korea, and Japan now.

Yes, we had a small transfer round due to budget, however the budget as set by DoD, was seperated into transfer funds and CONUS hire funds. DoDEA met the transfer round funds with the 140 teachers that were transfered. However, the CONUS hire funds have gone largely untouched. Therefore, DoDEA will be hiring from CONUS to fill a great majority of the positions that are currently open.

2 more schools are scheduled to close the year after, also in Germany, but there are also expansions planned at 4 schools, so that should balance itself out. We've also had a lot of new retirements come in which were not part of the orginal transfer round.

Whatever can't be locally hired, will be CONUS hired. There aren't a lot of local hires (military dependents certified to teach) that can meet all the demands of the organization.

2 different budgets as it is more cost effective to PSC (move) 1 teacher from CONUS, than to move 1 teacher from Japan to Europe and then back fill the position with another teacher moving from CONUS.

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 7:57 am
by anon
Thanks! We are on it! What the heck...
My spouse is updating his application, however, I am blocked because I tried too many passwords....aaarghhh!
Will sort that out today....

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 4:09 pm
by WeDoDude
Good luck! I believe they'll start interviewing in June this year. After your interview, if you're selected by the school's admin, you'll go through a very long process. Admin can't offer you the job, they can only notify HQ-HR that they've selected you. From there HR will have you send everything to them again, your certs, transcripts, everything. Even though it's already attached to your application they will still ask for it and they'll want it quick and you won't be able to email it to them this time.

My suggestion to speed everything up is to order a few transcripts from your colleges, keep them sealed and some place safe. When HR requests them you can drop them in the mail along with all of the other documents they'll want. Once they approve you they will send you the largest stack of paperwork you're ever likely to see to be filled out.

If you have any questions, or if you get an interview and want some suggestions, or anything, drop me a line.

Again, good luck!

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 4:31 pm
by lightstays
WeDoDude:

I still don't quite get it. If the standards are as abyssmal as you make them sound (and I have no reason to doubt you) than on what criteria are new non-DOD staff selected? I mean if there are 750 applicants for an English position and the search is on the open market, are they looking for the one who looks like the biggest retard?

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 6:06 pm
by WeDoDude
They are looking for new talent to bring in fresh ideas. Unfortunately once you get hired and get through that period of pure bliss at having the chance to live, work and play overseas, you find that the product that DoDEA offers isn't really that high quality.

DoDEA teachers are all protected by a very, very strong union. Anything new, from upgrading from Windows XP/Office 2007, to how, when, who gives end of the year assessments, has to be negotiated. Everything requires an MOU (not sure what it stands for) and everything has to be spelled out and then signed by the Director Marilee Fitzgerald and the FEA President.

So teachers in DoDEA, some who have been at it for over 25 years and are very, very set in their ways, are very, very against change. And DoDEA, which wants to offer 21st century education is stuck because they can't get anything done without the union wanting their cake and eating it too.

Yes, we have some excellent teachers, but they are few and far between. What we have is a culture of sit 'n get, skill 'n drillers. Worksheets, rather than hands-on is what is more common. Straight lecture, then book work, replaces project-based learning.

DoDEA is a great place for a teacher at the end of their career that is done with profession development ( we don't get any) and who just wants to make some extra money and travel. It's not the place for young teachers that want to grow and learn.

MOU

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 7:03 pm
by PsyGuy
No it is true. The number of retires this year is no more signifigantly higher then previous years. The excessed teachers from the closed schools in Germany are not the end of the closing either 3 more schools are slated for closure in 2013 and 2014. These arent just "lost jobs", when you close a school, you close the classrooms within that school, and that removes the teacher AND every teacher that would come after. The effect is simple it reduces the labor demand, and the only way to get it back is opening more classrooms. The many excessed teachers will be a significant factor for several years to come. There will be minimal CONUS hires this year.

MOU = Memorandum Of Understanding, which is a term to describe a written agreement that is not to the prescribed form of a formal contract.

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 10:53 pm
by WeDoDude
Not sure where you're getting your info from, but it's incorrect. This year we had a higher than usual number of teachers retire and/or leave DoDEA. All excessed teachers were placed and Korea and Japan grew in positions. Positions that are now open and needing to be filled.

While there are 2 schools closing after SY 12-13, and 1 maybe, all in Germany, our schools in Italy and Spain are growing and increasing staffing.

We also have 2 brand new schools in Korea opening in SY 13-14. This year and next are great times to get into DoDEA.

Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 11:47 pm
by dutchschultz
I'll be certified in ESL as well as social studies and English. Additionally, I lived and worked in Korea for nearly a decade. What do you think my chances are of getting hired by DODEA? Does my experience living overseas and in particular in Korea to my advantage?

Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 3:35 am
by WeDoDude
I'd also like to add, PsyGuy, that there is a big difference between excess and RIF (reduction in force). None of our teachers in Germany were RIF'ed, they were excessed and placed at a new location. The 2 schools that are closing in Germany are in the Heidleberg area. While the schools are closing the bases there are just consolidating. A lot of the teachers were moved to a bigger base. The 2 schools closing next year are also in Heidlberg, and the 3rd that you think is closing is Bavaria, but that hasn't been decided. It's up the what the Army decides to do and their plan now is to rotate the 172nd I believe.

So sure we closed schools, but those teachers were moved to other schools within the organization and we still have openings that the 140 teachers that transferred left. Out of the 140, only 60 of those were excess positions and moved, some to schools that are growing. That leaves 80 positions DoDEA wide that need to be filled. Around 20 of those will go to local hires (dependents), but the other 60 will be CONUS hired.

And we still have to staff the new schools that will be opening in SY 13-14. Good time to try to get in. My school alone now has 4 positions open, all classroom teachers. Another base has 8 positions to hire between the ES and MHS. That's 12 alone between 4 different schools. And I heard that Osan AB in Korea has 10 positions to fill. That's 22 positions between 8 schools. That also isn't accounting for the other schools in Japan and Korea.

The PAC is where it's at DoDEA hopefuls! Asia's a fun place to live! DoDEA's an easy place to work.

Exactly

Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 11:25 am
by PsyGuy
I agreed there is a huge difference between excessed and Riffed. The mat is this Schools closed = fewer classrooms = fewer teachers, but as excessed teachers the labor pool didnt shrink, those teachers went to other schools most in europe. Those vacancies in europe went to accessed teachers = fewer transfer vacancies = fewer transfers because teachers stay pu. You cant ignoire the fact that a loss of classrooms without a greater loss in labor teachers reduces vacancies.


Your also ignoiring the local hires. Generally local hires fill simple one certification areas like "elementary" and CONUS hires fill high demand, complex multi certification combinations like math/computer science combos. My sources indicate the reverse most of those vacancies will go to local hires (about 60 to 50) and CONUS will be between 20-30 thats 30 positions TOPS globally in the whole organization, compared thats nothing.

Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 11:54 am
by ringler24
Well either Psy Guy is wrong or WeDoDude is wrong because those are totally contradictory pieces of information. I shall choose to believe WeDo Dude because he actually works for DODDS as opposed to Psy Guy who refers to "sources". That just seems sketchy.