There was plenty of teaching experience in the building Monday when 30 newcomers to Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Elementary District 181 met at the district offices for new teacher orientation.
All of the new hires in the district have more than a bachelor’s degree on their resumes, something John Munch, assistant superintendent of human resources, said is common.
“We’re unique,” he said. “We have teachers with experience who are willing to give up tenure in another district for the opportunity to work in our district.”
While District 181 has hired teachers who have just graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree, that isn’t the norm, Munch said. Someone with one year of work as a long-term substitute teacher is the least amount of experience among this year’s newcomers.
Erin Kozakis, the new music teacher at Prospect School, spent the past two years working in Glenview Elementary District 34. Before that she was a teacher in Itasca for seven years.
“I’ve worked as a teacher for a total of 11 years before coming here,” Kozakis said. “I’ve had my eye on this district. I think it’s a great school district with great people and resources in a community that really supports its schools.”
Munch said District 181 generally receives 15 to 150 applications for its open teaching positions.
“It does vary greatly, depending on what the position is,” he said. “We look for a perfect blend of experience and solid educational skills that are the right fit for a particular vacancy.”
Munch said all applications are completed online, before building principals do an initial screening.
The principals, either by phone or in-person, do a 15- to 20-minute screening with 15 to 30 people after their initial screening of the applications, Munch said. From there, they narrow the final pool to about six people who are interviewed by a team of teachers and administrators from that building.
In Kozakis’ case, Prospect School Principal Anne Kryger said the school’s new music teacher looked to be a great fit.
“Our previous music teacher retired, and we wanted some energy and life in our music,” Kryger said. “(Kozakis) brings that.”
Linda Seikel is especially excited about starting work as a new eighth-grade math teacher at Hinsdale Middle School. Seikel previously taught math for 12 years in Naperville Unit District 203 and was a part-time math teacher for 21 years at Benedictine University in Lisle.
She also is a Hinsdale resident whose children, Matt, 18, and Kate, 15, both graduated from HMS.
“I wanted to work here because I wanted a whole new experience,” Seikel said. “Middle school students have so much enthusiasm; it’s a great age to inspire them to love math.”
Seikel also said she likes the idea of teaching at a school in her community.
“I want to give back to our community,” she said. “It’s a new challenge for me teaching here, and it makes it extra, extra special doing this in the community.”
HMS Principal Ruben Pena said Seikel brings a lot to the table as a new teacher at the school.
“She has a great skills set, and by being local she knows the rigor of the district and the expectations of the parents and community,” he said.
Twitter: @chuckwriting
