Left DS Mid-Year

Post Reply
CountingCarbons
Posts: 12
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2016 8:01 am

Left DS Mid-Year

Post by CountingCarbons »

I left a position (chem and AP chem) in 2019 to teach at a new school much closer to my house. I also left due to high admin turn over and extreme drop in school rating and test scores. School went downhill after our principal left in 2018.

The new school is a newer “specialized” charter school with a high turn over rate and low score (C school). Despite working with much more experienced teachers I was made department head and three preps, two in classes I had never taught before. I never had an observation or meeting with my mentor teacher. Support from admin was non-existent. The students were low level ESL students, didn’t have a lab classroom (taught chem, bio and physical science), 30+ students in the classroom... the works. It was disastrous for my mental health.

I left March 1st with two weeks notice. Little did I know schools would be shut down two weeks later for almost the entire year. I have no desire to go to this hybrid learning, closing schools every other week or teaching online and F2F so have been doing odd jobs and collecting unemployment this year.

How do I explain this to a prospective school? Do I wait for an interview? Mention in a cover letter?

I didn’t really establish relationships with admin or colleagues. It was a fend for yourself environment. What could I do in the interim to make myself more marketable? I began applying to IS several years ago and then closed it off so most recs are a couple of years old. Looking mostly at SA schools since those borders are open and potentially SEA in the right cities. EU is a pipe dream.
marieh
Posts: 212
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:33 pm

Re: Left DS Mid-Year

Post by marieh »

I don't know about other Heads/recruiters, but if I saw "charter" and "United States" I probably wouldn't ask too many questions.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

You dont, you ghost it like it never existed. You fill the hole with private tutoring at your local library. Otherwise I hope your getting a positive reference considering the situation you left them in and you find a recruiter/leader that can value and appreciate the challenges you had and that some work scenarios are doomed from the start.
Post Reply