Education Jobs (hiring process) I don't understand why I was not hired.?
I am Hmong (Asian) with a bachelor degree in physical education and has been applying for jobs around my area for over a year now (North Carolina, USA). In my county, there are four high schools, each with over 1000 students and over 30 Hmong students in each of those school with even more at the middle and elementary school level. Currently, I am the junior varsity soccer coach at EBHS while unemployed (going on my second year). Half the team are Hmong players. I got this job bc the Varsity coach is new to coaching soccer and I played college soccer. He also believe that I can connect with the Hmong players better. EBHS had two Physical Education positions opened this summer but they gave it to two football coaches. Now I am looking for a TA position at EBHS and I might not get it. I had also applied for PE positions at DHS and FHS in the county and did not get it. Also applied at a few elementary schools in this are.
Wouldn't it make sense for the schools to hire a Hmong teachers when there are so many Hmong students in the county? There are around 20,000 Hmong in North Carolina, the majority, maybe 95% of them live in the county I live in and the surrounding counties. Again, EBHS have over 30 Hmong students in the school. I graduated from EBHS. I was a good student who never got in trouble and made good grades, 3.5gpa. During my time in hs I received the Cavalier Award (soccer), Team Leadership (soccer), Director's Award (Choir), and made honor roll a few times. If you're a principal, would you hire a Hmong teacher or not?
Excuse my grammar. Writing, spelling, and vocabulary has always been my weak subject.
2012-08-10T11:43:06Z
I am fluent in English though i may have a little accent. Made B's in all my high school English classes and B's in my college English courses. I speak fluent Hmong. All the Hmong students understands Hmong. All the students that I know are fluent in English and a few of them speak broken Hmong.
ctsmrvn2012-08-10T15:26:20Z
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Whenever an applicant for a job is not successful, he always wonders, "What did I do wrong." In your case, perhaps, the answer is "nothing." You may have been seriously considered for the positions, but the hiring process, especially in a school system, must take into account many factors. I have served on evaluation committees which made many decisions about hiring candidates for positions at a community college. The final decision was always tremendously stressful because the candidates were usually all very well qualified. I suspect, in your case, the decision was probably a difficult one, and the choice was based on small details. It is possible that one of the other candidates excelled just enough to become the choice. So what should you do? You have taken the right steps by staying in touch with the school system and working as a soccer coach. Schools tend to prefer to hire candidates they know over people who are "new to the system." There are some additional things you can do, however. Your bachelor's is in physical education, and quite often, school systems hire someone with a dual major who can teach, for example, history and physical education both. Look at the pattern for the last ten years and make yourself a chart of the openings which have occurred. What subjects does the school hire for most often? Then consider getting some extra college credits so that you can qualify in more than one teaching area. Another thing to consider is that you might do well applying in a different part of the country. People who can move from one state to another put themselves at an advantage in the job hunt. The job market, particularly in education, is truly terrible at present, and I do not encourage anyone to plan to become a teacher -- but jobs are there for people willing to persevere. You seem like the kind who will, and I suspect you will be successful soon.
o0o I live like on the other side of east burke.. well kind of. I guess you could say racism can play a tiny role there, but not entirely. EBHS is East burke right? Well anyways, if its there, well in general, schools want to hire a teacher who can speak the language and not to confuse the majority of the race, whites. Its not that you arent good, its just schools look forward to strong coaches for the team, not by race.
It does make sense for people to hire a hmong teacher BUT! You have to understand that just because your hmong, doesnt make you better than a white person applying for the same job. Not all of the race is hmong there. I havent seen a hispanic coach yet even though theres a majority of hispanic around.
All in all, just keep trying to apply for a job maybe here and there. Schools expect more from you than just speaking hmong. They want you to be able to speak to english students rather than outcasting them for the hmong. They also expect coaches to do many things to help a whole team.
One thing about applying at schools in North Carolina, well from what I hear in my area, most elementary schools hiring I guess you could say hmong people, would want them as ESL teachers. ESL teachers who are hmong are very common. ESL teachers help the majority of hmong students who need help with english too. So its not that youre hmong and schools dont want to hire you, they just see that if you speak another language and associate with your own language than the main language, then youre better off as a ESL teacher. Just work hard, and youll find a place that can take you in. There should be new schools being built around areas, apply for them if they are.
It is actually against the law to use ethnicity to hire or not hire someone. However, if you speak the Hmong language and that is useful to what you are doing then it would be a plus. Conversely, if the administration believes that it is more important that the students hear excellent English possibly you were not hired because of your weakness in the area.