FAQ's
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Q. What is the deadline to apply for a teaching position in Cupertino?
A. Applications are accepted all year. We recommend that applications for fall teaching positions be submitted by April 1.
Q. Do I apply directly to the school principal or to the district office?
A. All applications should be sent to the Human Resources Department at the district office. Please do not send application materials directly to principals.
Q. Once I apply, how soon will you call me for an interview?
A. Teacher interviews are conducted throughout the spring and summer to fill positions for fall. Not all applicants are interviewed. Many interviews are conducted at the Santa Clara County Teacher Recruitment fair and at District Recruitment day events, which are scheduled in the spring.
A. Interviews are conducted at the district office as well as at many teacher job fairs. Following initial interviews, some candidates may be invited for additional interviews. One or two interviewers usually conduct the interviews. Following an interview, candidates will be notified of the outcome in writing usually within about a week. These initial interviews are general interviews and not specific to a particular opening or a particular school site.
Teacher interviews are conducted at some teacher recruitment events. We encourage applicants to bring all materials to recruitment fairs so they can submit applications to our representatives. If you have already sent your application packet to the district there is no need to complete another application packet at a fair. We encourage such applicants to supply the interviewer with a current resume and the interview materials will be filed with the application upon return to the district. When possible we conduct interviews at fairs, but many candidates are also interviewed in the district.
Q. When will you be hiring teachers for next school year?
A. Hiring begins in early spring and continues through the summer. The majority of the hiring is completed before the end of June. Openings for newly hired teachers are often not known until May and June.
Q. What is the “eligibility list”?
A. CUSD meets many excellent candidates eager to fill our openings. Since openings are not firm until late spring, the most highly qualified candidates selected after the interview process are designated for our teacher eligibility list. The district offers contracts to candidates selected from this list who are the best matches for positions at our schools. Candidates remain on the eligibility list until staffing has been completed
Q. If I am on your teacher eligibility list, am I guaranteed a job?
A. There is not a guarantee that every candidate on the eligibility list will be offered a position.
A. CBEST (California Basic Educational Skills TEST) is a test of basic skills in mathematics, reading and language arts. All applicants for a credential must pass this test.
A. If you obtained a California teaching credential before the CBEST became a requirement, you may need to take the test if you have not taught continuously using that credential. If you have not taught in a California public school in the 39-month period prior to employment, you will need to pass the CBEST test.
Q. I haven’t finished my teaching credential coursework yet and want to do student teaching while on a contract. Will Cupertino consider me for a position and help me get an emergency teaching permit?
A. CUSD seeks teachers who have already completed their credential coursework and student teaching. On rare occasions, teachers are hired to fill last minute positions and complete their “student teaching under contract.” With the upcoming changes to credentials and the requirements for “highly qualified” teachers under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, emergency permits may not be an option available to the district.
Q. I want to become a teacher intern. What do I do?
A. You must apply to a university that offers a teacher internship program and be offered a teaching job by a school district that has a partnership with that university. Click here for more information. CUSD has partnerships with Santa Clara University (multiple subject elementary, single subject and mild/moderate special ed. credential programs) and San Jose State University (single subject credentials).
Q. Does Cupertino have partnerships with any universities for teacher intern programs?
A. CUSD currently has a partnership with Santa Clara University for teacher interns for elementary and single subject teacher interns as well as teachers for mild/moderate special education programs. We have a partnership with San Jose State for single subject teacher interns. Applicants for internships must be accepted into the credential programs at the university and be hired as interns by the district. Normally the application period for interns is early winter. Refer to university internships on the web site.
A. Many states have teacher preparation programs comparable to California. Check the CTC (Commission on Teacher Credentialing) web site for detailed information. Once your education has been assessed, you will be notified by CTC about the coursework you may need to fulfill California requirements. You will need to take the CBEST test to be credentialed in California. You will have one year after you obtain a preliminary credential to pass the test.
A. Yes. You must hold a California teaching credential to teach in the K-12 public school system.
A. You must hold a California teaching credential to teach in the K-12 public school system. You must have out of country transcripts evaluated to determine equivalency to a bachelor’s degree from an American university. The CTC will determine whether you must complete a credential program in California.
Q. I attended university in another country. What do I need to do to get a teaching credential?
A. You must hold a California teaching credential to teach in the K-12 public school system. You must have your foreign transcripts evaluated by an agency approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to determine equivalency of your foreign university work to a U.S. Bachelor’s degree. You must then apply to a credential program at a university and complete the credential program.
Q. If I am hired, when will I know my school and grade level assignment?
A. Human Resources places most newly hired teachers into our openings before the end of June so they will have an opportunity to meet the principal and visit the site before the July vacation period. Some assignments are made closer to the opening of school based on enrollment changes.
A. The district has links on this web site, which provide staff members with information on housing.
Q. Does the district have a BTSA program to support new teachers?
A. The district has a new teacher support program, which includes a full BTSA program. We partner with Silicon Valley New Teacher Project to support our new teachers.
Q. What support or training is available to me as a new teacher?
A The CUSD new teacher support program offers a summer new teacher institute in early August for all newly hired teachers. In addition, there are staff development courses in the district for newly hired teachers during the school year. The district uses experienced CUSD teachers as support providers for new teachers. Our BTSA program is done in partnership with Silicon Valley New Teacher Project
Q. Is it possible to visit a school in Cupertino?
A. During the winter the district schedules a district interview and visitation day. Candidates interested in visiting a school site may register for this popular event. Following a welcome and an overview of the district, candidates are escorted on visits to a Cupertino school. During the afternoon, participants may schedule an interview. Watch our web site after the first of next year for the date of the upcoming open house and visitation day. Click here for Recruitment Events.