Relocating to Hilo - Advice on Housing, Neighborhoods, Work? (Waimea: how much, teaching jobs)

[Rain Monkey]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

My wife has been emailing schools and letting them know her availability and that she would like to be a substitute if not permanent positions are available. Only Hilo High School reached back to her and will endorse her substitute application.

Got it. Good Luck.

[rya96797]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

The only thing we are trying to bring from the mainland is my wife’s job. If that can’t happen here, it will have to happen somewhere else. We love it here, but she isn’t going to not teach. We wouldn’t mind a Wendy’s.

Could try oahu.

[Rain Monkey]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

The only thing we are trying to bring from the mainland is my wife’s job. If that can’t happen here, it will have to happen somewhere else. We love it here, but she isn’t going to not teach. We wouldn’t mind a Wendy’s.

What compels you to love it here?

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

That’s not what happened. Lmao. They did not contact her former principal. Secondly, if they did and her former principal did do as you stated, that means absolutely nothing. Not all teachers and administrators see eye to eye. We have all had bad bosses. That doesn’t necessarily mean it has any bearing on the teacher. Some administrators are nightmares to deal with. This principal came from an elementary background and wanted things done from that perspective and she was also a miserable human being. She also didn’t have teachers backs. 16 teachers left that Middle School because of her this year alone and 12 last year. That’s a problem in a school where turnover isn’t that significant.

It’s not a teachers market in Hawaii when students are not in school. I know you insist it is my wife who is the issue. Maybe you can call one of the principals she interviewed with and ask. You’re still involved and know administrators. I’ll give you her name.

Since you already "know" that isn't what happened, there wouldn't be any point in contacting a principal (and they wouldn't release personnel information in any case).

I guess this will just remain an inexplicable mystery. Best of luck to you both.

[Nyfinestbxtf]

Originally Posted by Rain Monkey

What compels you to love it here?

The beauty, the climate, the aloha, and it has yet to have gone crazy as it has on the mainland. There are some things I don’t like, but nothing I can’t live with.

[Nyfinestbxtf]

Originally Posted by Futuremauian

Since you already "know" that isn't what happened, there wouldn't be any point in contacting a principal (and they wouldn't release personnel information in any case).

I guess this will just remain an inexplicable mystery. Best of luck to you both.

We will see what happens next year, but we kinda wish Hawaii didn’t start looking for teachers so late.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

That would be inappropriate to ask and none of their business.

Interesting response. If they got that vibe that definitely works against you.

As someone who has interviewed dozens of people in Hawaii - I have many questions geared around how long they will stick around Hawaii - when I interview, from my perspective - everything is my business.

I always ask for instance, what made you decide to move to Hawaii. If they answer is the beauty, the climate, the aloha, etc - that is a huge red flag. That gives me zero confidence you'll be sticking around (and unless this mythical teaching position happens, you aren't). Even people with the best of intentions rarely stick around long term. If someone says to me - it was my dream to move here, you definitely aren't getting hired.

If the answer is answer is - I've worked in the islands several years as a consultant and really got to understand the culture, etc....or, I have family ties to the island, etc - then you get my interest.

[Nyfinestbxtf]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Interesting response. If they got that vibe that definitely works against you.

As someone who has interviewed dozens of people in Hawaii - I have many questions geared around how long they will stick around Hawaii - when I interview, from my perspective - everything is my business.

I always ask for instance, what made you decide to move to Hawaii. If they answer is the beauty, the climate, the aloha, etc - that is a huge red flag. That gives me zero confidence you'll be sticking around (and unless this mythical teaching position happens, you aren't). Even people with the best of intentions rarely stick around long term. If someone says to me - it was my dream to move here, you definitely aren't getting hired.

If the answer is answer is - I've worked in the islands several years as a consultant and really got to understand the culture, etc....or, I have family ties to the island, etc - then you get my interest.

Why would they ask where our daughter would attend school? What does that have to to with anything?

Who knows if we will stick around. That’s an impossible question to answer. It works out for some and doesn’t work out for others. There really is no response that can satisfy that concern imo.

They didn’t ask her what made us move to Hawaii.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Nyfinestbxtf

Why would they ask where our daughter would attend school? What does that have to to with anything?

Smalltalk. Getting to know someone on a personal level. Trying to make a connection. See if that person is a fit above and beyond qualifications. I don't hire assembly line workers nor is DOE.

You are overestimating qualifications and underestimating the personal connections. I'm sure they'd love to hire a highly or even overqualified teacher if they feel that person would be a fit with the other teachers, students, and culture of the school. More likely than not, a overqualified teacher from the mainland will find many of the public schools using antiquated methods and find the students to be very different than mainland counterparts especially in rural areas.

I don't hire the first highly candidate - I interview all the candidates and make a decision based not only on qualifications and also how they will fit with the culture of the organization. If I make a bad hire (highly qualified - but bad fit) the rest of team is simply going to freeze that person out as soon as they make the dreaded "why do you do it that way, that's not how we do it on the mainland" statement in a meeting.

[Nyfinestbxtf]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Smalltalk. Getting to know someone on a personal level. Trying to make a connection. See if that person is a fit above and beyond qualifications. I don't hire assembly line workers nor is DOE.

You are overestimating qualifications and underestimating the personal connections. I'm sure they'd love to hire a highly or even overqualified teacher if they feel that person would be a fit with the other teachers, students, and culture of the school. More likely than not, a overqualified teacher from the mainland will find many of the public schools using antiquated methods and find the students to be very different than mainland counterparts especially in rural areas.

I don't hire the first highly candidate - I interview all the candidates and make a decision based not only on qualifications and also how they will fit with the culture of the organization. If I make a bad hire (highly qualified - but bad fit) the rest of team is simply going to freeze that person out as soon as they make the dreaded "why do you do it that way, that's not how we do it on the mainland" statement in a meeting.

They didn’t ask any of that. Everything they talked about was teaching related. It wasn’t personal. In fact my wife felt it was quite dry unlike her interviews on the mainland. Strangely impersonal. It was as if they were just going through the motions, a formality.

She’s not overqualified, she’s highly qualified. In regards to technology, the school she did teach at though a rural school and title 1, was well funded and had the latest technology available. My wife adopted some of the technology, but preferred many of the antiquated ways. Those were some of the things she would butt heads with the principal about. The principal insisted technology be used for everything and my wife had her method she felt worked better.