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Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 3:03 pm
by WeDoDude
PsyGuy, we didn't shrink, we didn't lose students. Our numbers actually went up. The bases aren't even closing, the army is consolidating them. A lot of the operations are being moved to bigger bases. There is talk of a drawn down in Europe, but what you fail to understand is that the U.S. simply can't reduce troops in a country because they want too. They have to negotiate with the host nation as troop sizes are built into treaties.

What the army is doing rethinking how they deploy. So the 2 schools that close this year, those bases went from an accompanied tour, to an unaccompanied tour. The accompanied tours are being shifted to bigger bases in the country.

Our bases in Spain and Italy are going to see a build up, which means more families and students. Korea is seeing a major build up, as is Guam. Okinawa will see a draw down, but those troops are being shifted to Guam and Australia. Mainland Japan will see a build up.

DoDEA isn't shrinking, the military is shifting troops around. The classrooms in Germany didn't close, they were moved. Enrollment numbers aren't declining, they're increasing in many places which means more teachers.

There simply aren't enough local hires to be hired, especially in Japan, and Korea where the bulk of the positions are. Europe doesn't even have that many openings so the chances of being hired there are slim, but not totally out of the question.

Your sources are wrong. The realities is that the organization is entering an expansion and upgrade phase, not a drawdown phase.

*Sigh*

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 8:11 am
by PsyGuy
You may not have lost student but you lost classrooms, and when it comes to teachers that's what matters. The rest we will have to concede that many things are true, including that many people disagree on what is true.

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:22 pm
by WeDoDude
Again, we had 2 schools close and those classrooms moved to other schools throughout Europe. We didn't lose anything. DoDEA has known that the Heidelberg region was drawing down for years and have planned for it. Other schools nearby were upgraded and so were some bases.

In Japan, the George Washington's air wing is currently housed at Atsugi, but that is going to close and the air wing will soon be housed at Iwakuni, which is currently a Marine air station. So Iwakuni the base, and all Iwakuni schools have been upgrading to accommodate this move soon.

That's what you aren't understanding. We, as in the United States, cannot just pull troops whose numbers are negotiated into treaties. All the Army is doing right now in Europe is consolidating. There are plans to deploy differently, mainly make a lot of smaller bases unaccompanied tours, but we aren't shrinking, we can't yet and we won't as Europe is a lot closer to Iran than Korea and Japan are.

Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:32 pm
by lifeisnotsobad
PsyGuy,

For goodness sake give it up...YOU are wrong...accept when you are wrong!

Doppelganger

Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 12:56 am
by Walter
Interestingly, the Teachers.Net site is cursed with a similar problem. There is a know-all, answer-all character called Dave. Here is some biodata he provides:
"Re: Cairo, Egypt

Posted by: Dave on 4/21/12

I would say the schools run from horrible to "The only thing bad
about the school is it happens to be in Egypt". I had a very bad
experience at a school in Cairo, as my first teaching position,
and made a runner (broke contract). I would never teach there
again, and cant in good conscious recommend the region to
anyone. I wouldnt disagree CAC or the British school being at or
near the top of the rankings."
Does the spelling, the punctuation, the Middle Eastern phobia remind you of anyone?
Same Dave keeps giving advice about DODDS schools even though he's never worked in one. Look at the responses:
"Posted by: Wrong again, Dave on 2/28/12

Actually, there is a manpower document that determines whether or
not there are excessed teachers. The union has access to this list,
and eventually the teachers do too. I can say with 100% confidence
that there will be NO excessed teachers from my school this year.
For the 4 millionth time Dave, please stop posting about things
which you truly have no knowledge of."

"Posted by: School Psyc on 3/01/12

Please, let's go back to ignoring Dave's come-backs. He always wants
the last word, so if you respond to each statement, he will too. That
is why we have this long line of back and forth posts that don't help
anyone.
It is best for all if we stop since we cannot make him stop.
I understand pointing out the erroneous statements that Dave (or
anyone) makes and letting others know that Dave does not work for
DoDDS, but let's please just leave it at that."

Isn't coincidence amazing?

Sigh

Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 9:54 am
by PsyGuy
It is not anywhere near a period of expansion, europe is shrinking and the other DoDDS schools will have to pick up the excessed teachers. It all adds up to a shrinking DoDDS program, it is not anything anyone could call an expansion.

I'd give up if i was wrong, but Im not so have to keep hammering away.

@Walter

Your so far behind

Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 2:49 pm
by WeDoDude
No, you're wrong Psyguy, you're very, very wrong. Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Italy are all expanding. Belgium and Netherlands just built brand new schools, with more classrooms for more teachers. In the United States when we build bigger buildings to house more students with more teachers we call that an expansion.

In Korea we are currently building 2 brand new schools that will house an additional 1000 students. That means we'll be hiring brand new teachers to teach those extra 1000 students. There are also plans to start building an addition 2 brand new schools for an additional 1000 students in Korea. In the United States when we build brand new schools to house an additional 2000 students we have to hire brand new teachers to teach those students. We also call that an expansion.

In Japan and Okinawa we are building 4 brand new schools to house 1500 students. These new schools will replace older schools but are being build bigger to house an addition 500 students between them. In the United States when we build bigger buildings than the ones we currently have to hold more students, we have to hire brand new teaches to teach those additional students. We also call that an expansion.

The only country that is seeing school closures is Germany. But those students are being moved to other schools in Germany. They are not being sent home. They are staying overseas. The teachers at the schools that are closing are also being moved to other schools in Germany. They aren't being sent back to the United States. They are staying overseas. The number of students in Germany is remaining the same, though next school year their numbers are projected to grow by 100 students. In the United States when an organization grows in student numbers they have to hire new teachers to teach those students. We don't call that shrinking.

So where, PsyGuy do you see us shrinking? If we're building new schools in Europe to house more students. If we're building new schools in Korea to house more students. If we're replacing smaller schools in Japan and Okinawa with bigger schools to house more students. Where do you see us shrinking? Where? We lost 2 schools in Germany, we added 1 brand new school in Europe that is bigger and 1 new schools is under construction currently. How is that shrinking?

This also isn't including our America schools in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Kentucky, New York, Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina, all of which are also not shrinking.

I'm sure your reply will again say the same thing, that the lost classrooms in Europe point to a shrinking program. Except as I just pointed out to you, we are no shrinking in Europe. We are growing.

Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 10:23 am
by anon
Dear WeDoDude,

Thanks for all the information. Have not been posting as I have been updating the application and sending for transcripts and so on.

I love ISR. I have been a lurker for years and finally signed up for the forum. I find the information useful, although some reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt. For teachers who think only whiners post, I can assure you that teachers don't post the very worst that has happened to them as it would be apparent to their colleagues (and, yes, seem unbelievable).

Meanwhile, for me, ISR supplies any/every need for drama and gossip, and I don't join in those conversation in the staff room! Thanks, ISR!

Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 11:42 am
by IAMBOG
Dear WeDoDude, stop banging your head against a brick wall, we believe you!!

Just let PsyGuy have the last post and he'll be happy and move on to annoy someone else.

Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 8:33 pm
by anon
Dear WeDoDude,
OK! Updated aps are looking pretty good, however, one place in the DoDEA website says this ap will be for 2013-14 and another place says we accept applications all year. (?)

The application requests that all transcripts are attached as one document. Ummm, how exactly is that done?

Appreciate any help. Thanks.

Reply

Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 11:35 pm
by PsyGuy
Once youve logged in click on "Application: in the top right hand corner. You will see several options click on "Target Location and Date". The first option (drop down box) will be for which school year you want to be considered. Unfortunately the deadline for 2012/2013 school year has already passed, but apply ANYWAY. High demand/hard to fill positions can still get you an interview, and position if your the best candidate.

As for your transcripts: Click on "Application", then click "attachments" you can upload your transcripts from there. The best think to do is to scan all your transcripts into one multipage PDF file. otherwise you can use an online (adobe) pdf combiner, or download one. Just google "PDF merge" if you have individual files. Once you upload a document it will be set to the applicable year.

Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 12:27 am
by WeDoDude
It takes about 2 to 3 months for your application to go live in the system in order to be seen by hiring admin. DoDEA HQ is very slow and the hiring is about to gear up here any week now. In past experience I have personally witnessed a CONUS hire getting rejected after being selected by the admin, which always begs the question to me, why does it take so long to activate a application if you aren't properly vetting it? But of course this is the United States Federal Government that we're talking about, so yeah, it is what it is.

So apply for this year, it doesn't hurt. But fear not, the new schools in Korea and Europe come online SY 13-14.

Sorry

Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 1:21 am
by PsyGuy
Actually your application goes live, within 48 hours of finalizing it. Certificate verification takes about a week, and transcripts are done at the discretion and needs of the service. If your a drama teacher, and there is no need for drama teachers your transcripts will say pending until whenever. High need and high demand transcripts take about 2 weeks.

Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 5:03 am
by WeDoDude
No Psyguy, wrong again. It takes them a while to activate your file within the system. When there is an opening that goes to CONUS the admin send a request to HQ and they in return send them a list of eligible candidates. Unfortunately that isn't always the case and many of the names sent don't pass final inspection and are denied.

Nothing about DoDEA is streamlined, or fast. Everything takes time. So again please stop giving out info that you don't directly know. I went through the process and I know how long it takes. You don't know everything and that is okay. Stick to what you do know and leave the DoDEA stuff to me.

WeDoDude

Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 7:37 am
by ringler24
[b]WeDoDude[/b] Firstly I want to just thank you again for taking the time out to inform those of us who are hopefuls. It's really appreciated. I've gone ahead and switched my date to available now even though it says I'm applying for 2013/2014. We figured we'd just go for it and see what happens. So even though all my application materials are in and complete and I see Qualified listed already for ESL (everything else still says Pending), am I to assume that my application is NOT yet activated? Is there anyway to know when it is?

[b]Anon[/b] Agree on scanning the transcripts as a PDF in one file. That's what I did to get them all on one upload.