Superintendent's Weekly Message

March 15, 2023

Dear Hollister High School parents, students, staff and community:

Beginning in late February each year, San Benito High School District’s Human Resources Department begins recruiting highly qualified teacher candidates for the upcoming school year. Human Resources Director Cindi Krokower spends several months each Spring traveling to universities throughout California, as well as other states such as Oregon and Colorado, searching for candidates who are best suited to meet the academic, cultural and socio-emotional needs of the students at Hollister High School. 

Support For New Teachers

But it’s not just about what a prospective candidate can give to the school: San Benito High School District has a longstanding history of providing a highly supportive, growth-oriented program for new teachers. 

“We want to nurture our new teachers and provide them every opportunity to reach their highest potential, just like our students,” Director Krokower stated. “The first few years in the classroom are challenging for anyone new to the profession and SBHSD is committed to retaining quality teachers for years to come.”

Ongoing Mentorship

We take pride in providing our newest teachers support that lasts throughout the entire year and beyond. Teachers new to the District start the school year participating in a week-long New Teacher Academy through which they receive orientation and training that will help connect pre-service experiences to the culture that makes Hollister High School a great place to work. New teachers spend time lesson planning with department members, setting up their classrooms and even taking a bus tour of our community. Along with the support from full-time induction coordinator, Kathy Picchi, each new teacher is matched up with either an induction coach or a content mentor who provides individualized, non-evaluative support during weekly one-on-one meetings.

Becoming A Teacher

So what does it take to be a teacher? There are basically two routes to becoming a teacher, and both require a bachelor’s degree and proficiency in the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. One path is to enter a teacher credential program, take coursework and complete student teaching requirements to earn a preliminary single subject credential before being hired as a teacher. The other path is to be hired by a district and work as an intern. Interns take coursework while they gain on the job experience. 

San Benito High School offers both paths to the profession for its teachers and the Human Resources staff meets regularly with new teachers to assist them in choosing a program and providing the correct documentation to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Subs Needed

Are you interested in teaching but not quite ready to become a full-time teacher? Are you looking for a flexible schedule? Perhaps you want to make some extra money and you like working with students. Consider becoming a substitute teacher. 

In addition to setting their own schedule based on their availability, our substitutes earn $225 for a full-day assignment and can make an additional $67.50 for teaching zero period. Long-term subs, those who work more than 21 consecutive instructional days in a classroom, earn $335.43 per day, retroactive to their first day of the assignment.

The minimum requirement to be a substitute teacher is to have a bachelor’s degree and the requirement to pass the California Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST) in reading, writing and mathematics is waived until July 2024. Please reach out to our Human Resources Department for more information.

Plenty of Opportunities

In addition to a variety of teaching, administrative and staff opportunities for the 2023-2024 school year, the District also has many non-teaching opportunities including bus drivers, special education instructional aides, campus supervisors, and substitutes in all areas. Many of these opportunities are available now.

As superintendent, it continues to be a privilege to work for the San Benito High School District, with its focus on student achievement combined with a commitment to supporting our credentialed and classified staff members to create a team about which our community can be proud. Our dedicated staff is a reminder that every day is a great day to be a Baler!

Sincerely,

San Benito High School District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum 

To find out more about what we offer new teachers, visit join.sbhsd.org or contact HR@sbhsd.k12.ca.us to schedule a visit.  All openings and anticipated openings are posted on edjoin.org.