Charter Schools USA Teacher Interview Questions
& Process

I got a call from the Charter School, and I said yes to the interview. When I got there, they immediately started asking me questions to see if I was even qualified to teach. Then, they told me I was moving on to the next part, which was a deeper dive into my teaching strategies and beliefs. There were a lot of questions, and I tried to answer them thoroughly, sometimes even combining answers. I think this impressed them. They started with "What is your background, and Why do you want to teach?" After that, most questions were about teaching methods. They also put a lot of weight on assessments, which I consider a separate topic. I explained that writing is subjective but within guidelines, and that I use rubrics. I mentioned tailoring rubrics to standards and prepping for the FSA. This approach worked well because students knew the rubrics beforehand, got invested in the standards, and the FSA felt less like a test. When I thought I was done, instead of the usual 'we'll call you,' the interviewer excitedly went to the principal's office. I was then called in to meet with the interviewer, the vice principal, and the principal. The main interviewer left, and the vice principal watched and communicated nonverbally while I spoke with the principal. The principal was nice and asked similar questions but on a more advanced level, focusing on higher-order thinking. This part was both pleasant and intense. I got really passionate about teaching, and it convinced the principal. I was hired right then and started the paperwork that day.

I applied online using CSUSA's system. About three weeks later, I got an email inviting me to interview, and we set up a date for about 1.5 weeks out. After my interview with the AP and Dean, they said I'd hear back within the week. I actually got the offer two days later. The questions were pretty general, not super specific to the subject matter, and felt like they were trying to understand my teaching style and methods. It reminded me of a substitute teacher interview, and it felt more like a chat than a formal panel.

I applied online through edjoin and waited about two weeks to hear back from the principal. Then I had an on-campus interview. About a week after that, I was offered the job. I heard from another teacher that it's tough for the school to keep substitutes because they often leave once they get their credential to find full-time work. It's also hard to keep full-time teachers because they tend to leave for the school district when they gain experience at the charter school, as they offer more money.