Q:
I am a recently retired administrator who was a district-level special education administrator in the Pasadena, CA Unified School District. I am looking for something part-time in my geographical area. Any ideas would be appreciated.
A:
If you are focused on a particular area for part-time work, I would suggest that you target school districts or special education cooperatives in your area. Prepare a résumé with a clear description about your job target to work part-time and with clear evidence of your skills and abilities. Prepare both electronic and paper versions of the documents, as you may need to use both.
Your professional connections in the Pasadena area are the best place to start, so let every colleague know that you are interested in working part-time. Ask them to spread the word around to their colleagues, as well. I would also contact the California executive directors and regional chapter officers of ACSA and the California special education association to see if you can talk with someone and share your interest in part-time work.
As a final step, I would contact school districts directly with your information by using their application process and/or by sending a letter to the director or administrator of the department(s) in which you may want to work.
Lastly, don’t give up. Part-time workers are sometimes a very valuable resource, but the district needs to want to hire someone part-time.
-- Hank Gmitro, President, HYA Executive Search Division, ECRA Group, Inc.