Kyle Ruggles LCC
Meg Jacobson VMM
Jose Manuel Villarreal SDCOE
Kyle Ruggles is the principal at La Costa Canyon High School and was also my principal in elementary school! It was great seeing him again and I was very eager to hear what he had to say about the interview process we will go through. Mr. Ruggles is the last of a string of 7 principals that LCC has seen in the past 5 years. Their school has been in dire need of a stable leader and he has been just that for them. Mr. Ruggles continually encourages us to be open minded and to be willing to provide the school that we are applying to with what it needs. He stresses the importance of remembering that we will not fit perfectly at every school. We are to find a school that we feel that we fit into, and be what the school needs. He said that as a principal he is looking for teachers who fit in with the community and feel of the school. If a candidate does not seem to fit in with his school, he knows that they will just need to find a school with a better fit. He also gave us advice for the actual interview preparation. He told us to practice in front of a mirror or to videotape ourselves so that we can get rid of any nervous ticks or habits that we have. Mr. Ruggles ended with telling us that it is important to end with something positive, such as thinking the panel for having us there or something that we enjoy about the school specifically and why it would be a good fit for us. A question was asked about bringing questions to ask at the end of the interview and Mr. Ruggles responded by saying that we do not need to bring a long list of questions but it is nice to have one, maybe two questions prepared to show interest in the position and school.
Meg Jacobson is the principal at Vista Magnet Middle School. Throughout the questions asked of her and the panel, she made one point very clear. She specifically said over and over again that she finds it extremely important that the teachers at her school are student centered. She wants teachers who put students first and do not blame students for any negative experience in the classroom. Meg told us about a test that all candidates take when they are applying to the Vista school district. This test is set up to make sure that the applicants have the correct mindset for working in this district. They are looking for teachers who seek to benefit their students by bettering themselves first through working together and collaborating with their classmates. She also told us that their staff values collaboration. They have meetings every morning with a different topic and opportunity to meet with a different set of colleagues. These meetings are dedicated to building staff rapport and collaborating with them about what can be done in the classroom to better the education of the students.
Jose Manuel is the overseer of the San Diego County of JCC schools. He is involved with all the continuation schools in San Diego. Throughout the panel and questions asked, he made one point very clear. Teachers that want to teach in his JCC schools need to be there to save lives. These students are not the average student. They have problems at home, school, and everywhere they go. They have a negative view on education, yet all they want is for someone to show them that they care about them. Teachers at his schools need to be caring, firm, and have a desire to save lives every day. He told a story about how he had to make a last minute transfer of a student to another school because he was going to be shot the next day at his home. They moved him last minute and saved his life. Jose says that he goes home each day knowing that he saved lives that day. He stressed the importance of these continuation schools and the good that teachers can do at them.
Because I went through an interview and hiring process before the panel that I heard, it was not at beneficial to me as I know it could have been. I wish that I could have seen the panel earlisr in the year so that it could have helped me with my interview. However, I did learn a lot about what to do and not do in an interview and that can help me in any professional situation. I also learned that every school values community and teachers that want to learn through collaboration with others. This is something that will help me next year at my job.
Meg Jacobson is the principal at Vista Magnet Middle School. Throughout the questions asked of her and the panel, she made one point very clear. She specifically said over and over again that she finds it extremely important that the teachers at her school are student centered. She wants teachers who put students first and do not blame students for any negative experience in the classroom. Meg told us about a test that all candidates take when they are applying to the Vista school district. This test is set up to make sure that the applicants have the correct mindset for working in this district. They are looking for teachers who seek to benefit their students by bettering themselves first through working together and collaborating with their classmates. She also told us that their staff values collaboration. They have meetings every morning with a different topic and opportunity to meet with a different set of colleagues. These meetings are dedicated to building staff rapport and collaborating with them about what can be done in the classroom to better the education of the students.
Jose Manuel is the overseer of the San Diego County of JCC schools. He is involved with all the continuation schools in San Diego. Throughout the panel and questions asked, he made one point very clear. Teachers that want to teach in his JCC schools need to be there to save lives. These students are not the average student. They have problems at home, school, and everywhere they go. They have a negative view on education, yet all they want is for someone to show them that they care about them. Teachers at his schools need to be caring, firm, and have a desire to save lives every day. He told a story about how he had to make a last minute transfer of a student to another school because he was going to be shot the next day at his home. They moved him last minute and saved his life. Jose says that he goes home each day knowing that he saved lives that day. He stressed the importance of these continuation schools and the good that teachers can do at them.
Because I went through an interview and hiring process before the panel that I heard, it was not at beneficial to me as I know it could have been. I wish that I could have seen the panel earlisr in the year so that it could have helped me with my interview. However, I did learn a lot about what to do and not do in an interview and that can help me in any professional situation. I also learned that every school values community and teachers that want to learn through collaboration with others. This is something that will help me next year at my job.