Wawasee Schools has new teacher orientation activities this week. This orientation is for all new teachers on regular contract as well as teachers filling temporary contracts for teachers on leave. New teachers will be discussing instructional process, crisis prevention, personnel paperwork, meetings with building principals, a million other things, and time to work in their buildings.
We give a warm Wawasee welcome to the following:
1. Christopher Berg - Wawasee High School - English
2. Emily Quandt - Wawasee Middle School - Special Education
3. Julie Harkema - Wawasee High School - Family and Consumer Science
4. Kelly Holbrook - Syracuse Elementary - Special Education
5. Kari Flanigan - School Psychologist
6. Jamie Baker - Syracuse Elementary - First Grade
7. Christie Holst - Wawasee Middle School - Sixth Grade
8. Gina Bordones - Milford Middle School
9. Andrew Dittmer - Milford School - PE
10. Mason McIntyre - Milford Elementary School - Fifth Grade
11. Todd Lucas - Syracuse Elementary - Fourth Grade
12. Danielle Wells - Wawasee High School - Special Education
13. Carla Winegardner, Wawasee Middle School - Special Education Teacher
Good luck to all!
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8 comments:
I always wonder when I see these lists why Wawasee School Corp does not hire Wawasee graduates.
Put my mind at rest and list the numbers of new hires and show those that are Wawasee grads in the past 4 or 5 years...
I think there is an unspoken rule about not hiring former Wawasee students.
I appreciate that Wawasee is open to hiring people who are not Wawasee graduates because it brings different perspectives into the school system. Wawasee graduates are great, but so are other graduates.
In response to the "observant patron", I am a 1999 Wawasee
graduate. I have attended Wawasee schools since 1989. I am very proud to be a Wawasee graduate and even more excited to be working within the corporation. Last year I worked in Milford Middle School, and this year I am in the high school. As well as teaching, I am also a coach. This is my third year coaching Freshmen Volleyball and JV Softball for WHS.
I also know of several other former Wawasee grads that work in our corporation as either teachers or coaches or both.
We are out there. And rest assured if a WHS grad is interested in a position as well as qualified, I feel that we are strongly considered as candidates for openings.
On a final note, please keep in mind as new teachers entering into our careers, we are going to migrate to where the jobs are. This may factor into why some area grads are working in various other local corporations rather than Wawasee.
I will see if we can find that data for you. There is a lot going on right now so it could be a few days, but we will take a stab at it.
It's tough on the job candidates right now because there is very little separating a number one choice from a number two or three choice. For many teaching positions(especially elementary) there are many more applicants than there are openings making the decision-making process more complex.
The reality is that when it gets down to the wire, where a candidate graduated from high school is seldom if ever a determining factor for a principal or the hiring committee that may be interviewing the candidates.
Still, there is always that tug to "loyalty" everyone feels when they see a local graduate return to the community.
Truthfully, the only defendable position is where the candidate with the best qualifications and the best "fit" for that department or grade level, gets the job.
Unfortunately with so many candidates right now there will always be good people left out.
anonymous - I too appreciate that Wawasee looks beyond it's own with hiring decisions. What concerns me it that it looks past far too many of it's own grads when it comes to hiring.
Danielle - Yours was the only name on the list I recognized, and I am very happy that you got a job at Wawasee. My point is that many do not, and I wonder why...
Dr. Stock - All good points, and I'll patiently wait on the numbers. I think it will be enlightening for everyone.
At gradutation, you gave a clearer explaination of the dropout rate for Wawasee students. As I write this in Shelby County (the subject of many news articles on the drop out 'crisis'), I'm hoping for similar insight into the hiring practies of the school corp.
I don't expect that you identify how many number 2 thru number 5 choices for positions were in fact Wawasee grads, I think we can assume they were in the top 10.
My concern is that they appears to seldom be choice number 1, and that seems unsual.
It's either intentional non-selction or underqualified candidates, or the opinion of [anonymous] permeates the selection committies.
The acutal numbers of Wawasee grads as new hires will settle this whole debate, and if we assume they are in the top 10 for any given position, reveal the percentage of grads as hires.
(And I do realize that the decision about who is hired is not yours, but the selection committee and the building principle.)
There may be a large selection to choose from in the elementary and middle school grades, but at the High School level there are many times we only have one or two choices. Positions require specific licenses and, many of them are not Wawasee High School graduates. Our graduates seem to migrate to larger communities where it is more affordable to live and more to do during their liesure time. One might think that the lake area is a strong draw to younger teachers seeking employment, but the truth is that to a young person making $30,000 a year they cannot afford to enjoy the lakes like someone with a higher income or a two income couple.
We do not get many opportunities to employ Wawasee graduates at the High School level.
I am very concerned about how teachers are hired in the Wawasee Corporation. I am a Wawasee graduate and have applied for many positions. I have been involved in the school system as a sub and a paraprofessional. I watch people walk into the school and get a job without any effort (such as an interview). It seems to me teachers are not always hired based on qualifications .
I had almost forgotten about this topic, but I looked it up this morning to see that 'the numbers' were not published.
So, from this lack of response, I will continue my belief (based on my own observations) that the school corp hires few of its own grads.
I do not limit this observation to the high school, as also discussed here.
I think the comment above sums up my observations as well.
Publish the last three years of hiring data (which should be readily available from the Board minutes), and indicate their graduating school.
Let the facts speak for themselves.
Perhaps I need to pass this request along to my school board member so that its an official request.
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