Baltimore City Public School System Interview Questions
& Process

I was hired through a program called the Baltimore Teachers Residency, which is like Teach For America. It’s a good option for people wanting to get certified in public education while earning a full salary. There are a few interview rounds, but they aren’t super competitive. First, there’s a written application with 3 references and a lot of legal paperwork for working with kids. Then, a phone interview. After that, an on-site interview. I interviewed with two cities and didn't get in. But a third city offered me a phone interview, and since I couldn't travel for another on-site, they accepted me based on the phone interview. Be direct and firm in your interview; that's what they seem to value. Many new teachers don't get through the summer training because they underestimate how physically demanding teaching is. Many quit after the first year, and even more after the second.

I got an email to come in for an interview for the job within a week. I was feeling good about the first interview with the person I spoke to over email, and she asked me to come back the next day to meet her boss. But, since he was so busy, the interview got cancelled like 3-4 hours before we were supposed to meet. Instead of that second interview, I was given two assignments to do over the weekend. About two weeks after that, I found out they decided to go with two other candidates. It was a lot of work, but it helped me get ready for other interviews.

I didn't actually have an interview. I got hired through the Baltimore city teacher residency program, which is for people who don't have a teaching degree or background. They didn't interview me either. I did interview in Baltimore for a Math teaching job back in March and got rejected. Then, a teaching program in Philadelphia called me and offered me a job based on my Baltimore interview. I accepted the offer in Philly. But then in July, the Philadelphia program went bankrupt because the city put a hiring freeze on new teachers. The Baltimore city teacher residency program said they would take any teachers willing to move to Baltimore, so I did. I was then placed in a high school and just briefly met my principal in passing when they showed me around the site.

I had to do the work myself to get into the system. I submitted my resume online, but the district office never got back to me. I went to schools myself and handed out my resume. I had a few interviews and then a school hired me. I had to wait to be hired after the TFA, BCTR were placed. I am a traditionally certified teacher, and they placed non-teachers before they hired me. I was on the edge of my seat for a month until the paperwork went through.