Professional Teacher Development - PTD

The Program - Teaching in Philadelphia

Time periods

August 2009: workshops in Philadelphia, including child abuse
and violence prevention, getting acquainted and settled

School year 2009/2010: September 2009 - June 2010,
teaching in public schools Summer 2010: vacation or possible summer school position

September 2010: new school year begins

The Teaching Position

Teaching will be done in a public school in Philadelphia. The job involves less than 7 hours in school per day, Monday – Friday. The class periods are about 45 minutes, sometimes 2 periods are blocked.

Salary

Salary starts at US $ 41.111,- per year. This is the same salary that American teachers earn. Payment is made through direct deposit to the teachers’ account. Health insurance is covered by the Keystone HMO 10 plan for the first four years of your teaching.

Advanced Training

The School District of Philadelphia provides for all the teachers, new in the system and established, excellent in service development workshops. The teachers will get a certificate of participation which will guarantee the personal development that returning teachers will need for teaching their subject in English as a Working Language.

Accommodation

The School District of Philadelphia will see to your accommodation during the first weeks in Philadelphia and they will advise you how to find housing in the city.

Requirements

• A diploma either from a university or a pedagogical academy with at least one subject in the natural sciences (mathematics, physics or chemistry), in Spanish, Physical Education, Music and Special Education as well as having taken the required education courses (student internship year is not necessary).
• Good English skills
• Successful completion of an interview with recruiters sent to Vienna by the School District of Philadelphia.

Proceedings

Please send the three application forms with photo, a short curriculum vitae in English (2 copies), 2 copies of your diploma plus the English translations of the diploma and 2 copies of your transcripts plus translation to our office. Contact

After receipt of your application you will receive information about the place and time of the interviews (beginning of May). At the interview you will also need a police clearance letter, the original plus the translation into English (by you). If you are accepted you have to send your diploma(s) and transcripts to WES (www.wes.org) for international academic credential evaluation. This course-by-course evaluation will cost you $ 150.- and is necessary for your hiring.

You will be informed immediately after the conclusion of the interviews with officials of the School District of Philadelphia of the result. Successful candidates will be informed on the further proceedings connected with their work in the USA, and instructed on how to obtain their visas.

Unsuccessful candidates are invited to try again for next year’s project after further English language training.