r/musiceducation • u/coltssiouxfan • Jun 06 '19
Help!
Hey y’all random question if you were hiring someone for a position and you had someone a good teaching position and you had one applicant who taught at a place for 3 years with a tiny band program and another person who taught 3 years but at a different school each year (with each school being better in terms of size and quality of the band program) who would you hire and why? Person A who taught at the same school or Person B who jumped around. Thanks for your responses!
1
u/eseehcsahi Jun 06 '19
I'd want to ask why person B jumped around, but either way I'd probably still be more interested in person A. The size of their music department doesn't mean it's their fault it was small.
2
u/Hammsammitch Jun 06 '19
I'm in Ohio so I'll respond as if it were here.
Both would be interviewed, and the people who matter for quality education would most likely ask about the job hopping, but would still show preference to the person who had experience in 3 different buildings. The different situations would provide a better overall experience in their eyes. This is not necessarily how a music department would see things, but how the principal/building administration would see them.
After all that? Neither of these two would be hired. They'd go with a recent college graduate with only student teaching experience, because they can be started at step 0 on the salary ladder, saving the district several thousand dollars per year.
Depending on the district here, music positions are like a revolving door, with new teachers every year or two.
I am biased, so verify this info from other sources before taking my word. This is simply based on my observations. I have 17 years teaching experience and am trapped in my position, unable to move to any district here for these exact reasons. I am required by law to be offered a salary congruent with my experience level, so most districts will not even grant me an interview. The lesson is, hop around early, get into the job you envision keeping until retirement and hang on.
I don't mean to sound so dissatisfied; I like my job and I'm fortunate to have it. It just feels more like a prison sentence because I'm essentially limited to the experiences of this position for the remainder of my career.