STANDARD APPLICATION

For Teaching Positions in Pennsylvania Public Schools

(Please Print or Type)

Position(s) Desired

Any position in Elementary or Special Education

Name

Finan Amber Renee

***-**-****

Last

First

Middle

Social Security Number^1

Present Address

RR 1 Box 614

(570)946-4364

Street

(Area Code) Telephone

Muncy Valley

PA

17758

City

State

Zip Code

Permanent Address

Same as above

Street

(Area Code) Telephone

City

State

Zip Code

E-mail Address (if available)

amberfinan@yahoo.com

List, in order of preference, the grades, subjects and/or positions for which you are applying:

1.

Special Education-all grades

2.

Elementary Grades

3.

CERTIFICATION

(list all areas in which you hold valid Pennsylvania and/or out-of-state teaching certificates. Note: Applicants holding a certificate from another state must obtain a Pennsylvania Certificate in order to teach in Pennsylvania Public Schools.)

Area of Certification

Issuing State

Date Issued

Special Education K-12

Pennsylvannia

5/2003

Elementary Education K-6

Pennsylvannia

5/2003

Have you acquired tenure in Pennsylvania?

No

If yes, in what school district?

N/A

Date available for employment

Immediately

If you are not employed full time, are you interested in being placed on our Substitute List?

Yes

No

Long-term

Yes

No

Short-term

Yes

No

[1]

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

	School or Institution and Location	Major/ Minor	Diplomas, Degrees or Credits Earned	Grade Point Average (GPA)
High School	Sullivan County High School	PreCollege Prep	HS Diploma	89%
College/University	Mansfield University	SPE/ELE	BSE	3.67
College/University
Graduate Study
Graduate Study

EXPERIENCE

(Present or most recent first)

Dates			Name of Employer and Address					Your Title
From	April 2004		Pocono Mountain School District					Special Education Teacher
			PO Box 200
To	Current		Swiftwater, PA 18370
			(Area Code) Telephone:	(570) 839-7121
Work Performed:					Reason for Leaving:
delivered instruction in a high school emotional support classroom setting					N/A
Name & Title of Supervisor:		Jim Breslin Special Education Supervisor				Final Yearly Salary:	33,600
Dates			Name of Employer and Address					Your Title
From	Aug. 25 2003		Penn Cambria School District					Long Term Substitute
			201 6^th Street
To	Feb. 26 2004		Cresson PA 16630					$145/Day
			(Area Code) Telephone:	(814)886-8121
Work Performed:					Reason for Leaving:
planned and implemented instruction for high school life skills classroom, implemented community based instruction, and developed IEPs					end of term
Name & Title of Supervisor:		Mary Beth Whited Supervisor of Special Education				Final Yearly Salary:	$145/day
Dates			Name of Employer and Address					Your Title
From	Summer 2004		Sullivan County School District					ESY Teacher
			P.O. Box 346
To	current		Dushore, PA 18614
			(Area Code) Telephone:	(570) 928-3841
Work Performed:					Reason for Leaving:
implemented ESY instruction to students in home and school settings					N/A
Name & Title of Supervisor:		Stephanie Weikel/ Deborah Knapp Special Education Supervisor				Final Yearly Salary:	$20/hour

Please list activities that you are qualified to supervise or coach:

I would be interested in supervising any field trips, outdoor activities, and/or proctoring events, such as school dances or fundraisers.

If you have not been previously employed in a teaching position, please complete the following:

STUDENT OR PRACTICE TEACHING

Grade or Subject Taught	Name and Address of School	College Supervisor Cooperating Teacher
Alternative Education Grades 7-12	North Penn High School Noth Campus	1.	Dr. Richard Dale
	Laurel Youth Services
	520 Ruah Street	2.	Mrs. Karen Fry
	Blossburg, PA 16912
Second Grade	Troy Elementary Center East	1.	Dr. Richard Dale
	RR 2 Box 300
	Troy, PA 16947	2.	Mrs. Bernadette Warren

Student Teaching References:

Please attach photocopies of letters of reference and/or evaluations from college/university student teacher supervisor and cooperating teacher(s).

REFERENCES

References should include superintendents, principals or professors who have first-hand knowledge of your professional competence and your personal qualifications. Experienced teachers should include the superintendent and principal of the two most recent schools in which employed. If any person(s) listed should not be contacted for reference at the present time, indicate in the left-hand margin the date contact(s) may be made.

Name	Position	Address	Telephone
Mr. Mark McGalla	Assistant Principal	PO Box 200 Swiftwater, PA 18370	(570)839-7121work ext: 81416
Mrs. Karen Fry	Alternative Ed. Teacher	390 RT 184 HWY Trout Run, PA 17771	(570)998-2934 (570)638-1113 work
Mrs. Bernadette Warren	Elementary Teacher	RR 2 Box 445 Sayre, PA 18840	(570)569-2715 (570)279-2138 work
Mary Beth Whited	Supervisor of Special Ed.	201 6^th Street Cresson, PA 16630	(814)886-8121 work

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Summarize special job-related skills and qualifications acquired from employment or other experiences (including U.S. military service) and/or state any additional information you feel may be helpful in considering your application, i.e. honors, awards, activities, technology skills or professional development activities:

I graduated Magna Cum Laude, have studied abroad in Ireland, attended child abuse and violence

workshops, had APL training, and PLT (Project Learning Tree) training. I have experience

working with computers and training in porgrams such as, LetterGrade and IEPWriter. I have designed my own webpage using an web-hosting site. I am very versatile on a computer.

GENERAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION

You must give complete answers to all questions. If you answer "Yes" to any question, you must list all offenses, and for each conviction provide date of conviction and disposition, regardless of the date or location of occurrence. Conviction of a criminal offense is not a bar to employment in all cases. Each case is considered on its merits. Your answers will be verified with appropriate police records.

Criminal Offense includes felonies, misdemeanors, summary offenses and convictions resulting from a plea of "nolo contendere" (no contest).

Conviction is an adjudication of guilt and includes determinations before a court, a district justice or a magistrate, which results in a fine, sentence or probation.

You may omit: minor traffic violations, offenses committed before your 18th birthday which were adjudicated in juvenile court or under a Youth Offender Law, and any convictions which have been expunged by a court or for which you successfully completed an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program.

Were you ever convicted of a criminal offense?	Yes	No
Are you currently under charges for a criminal offense?	Yes	No
Have you ever forfeited bond or collateral in connection with a criminal offense?	Yes	No
Within the last ten years, have you been fired from any job for any reason?	Yes	No
Within the last ten years, have you quit a job after being notified that you would be fired?	Yes	No
Have you ever been professionally disciplined in any state? Professional disciplined means the annulment, revocation or suspension of your teaching certification or having received a letter of reprimand from an agency, board or commission of state government, such as the Pennsylvania Professional Standards and Practices Commission.	Yes	No
Are you subject to any visa or immigration status, which would prevent lawful employment?	Yes	No
Note: If you answered "Yes" to any of the above questions, please provide a detailed explanation on a separate sheet of paper, including dates, and attach it to this application. Please print and sign your name on the sheet, and include your social security number.

ACT 34 COMPLIANCE (Background Check of Prospective Employees)

Each Pennsylvania resident must submit with his/her employment application a copy of a report of Criminal History Record Information from the Pennsylvania State Police or a statement from the Pennsylvania State Police that the State Police Central Repository contains no such information relating to that person. Each out-of-state applicant must submit with his/her application for employment a copy of a federal criminal record history from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The criminal record history report must be no more than one (1) year old. The applicant MUST submit the ORIGINAL report prior to employment.

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ACT 151 (PA Child Abuse History Clearance)

Each candidate must submit with his/her employment application a copy of an official clearance statement obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare or a statement from the Department of Public Welfare that no record exists. The clearance statement must be no more than one (1) year old. The applicant MUST submit the ORIGINAL report prior to employment.

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ESSAY

Please write an essay as described on page six. For your convenience, you may attach a sheet; however, your essay may not exceed one page. At the bottom of the attachment, please print and sign your name.

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CERTIFICATION AND RELEASE AUTHORIZATION

I certify that all of the statements made by me are true, complete and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, and are made in good faith. I further certify that I am the sole author of the essay. I understand that any misrepresentation of information shall be sufficient cause for: (1) rejecting my candidacy, (2) withdrawing of any offer of employment, or (3) terminating my employment.

I hereby authorize any and all of my previous employers and/or supervisors to release any and all of my personnel records, and to respond fully and completely to all questions that officials of____________ (school district) may ask regarding my prior work history and performance. I will hold such previous employers and/or supervisors harmless of any and all claims that I might otherwise have against them with regard to statements made to this school district. I further authorize these officials to investigate my background, now or in the future, to verify the information provided and release from liability all persons and/or entities supplying information regarding my background. However, I do not authorize the production of medical records or other information, which would tend to actually identify a disability nor do I authorize inquiries which would include information related to any medical condition or medical history. Further, I do not waive any rights which I may have under state or federal law related to my right to challenge the disclosure of unlawful or inaccurate information, whether by the school district or by entities or persons providing such information to the school district, including any and all claims concerning allegations of employment discrimination because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age or disability.

Date	Signature of Candidate (in ink) [Must be original]

Pennsylvania school districts shall not discriminate in their educational programs, activities or employment practices based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, ancestry or any other legally protected classification. This policy is in accordance with state and federal laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. Information relative to special accommodation, grievance procedure, and the designated responsible official for compliance with Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504 may be obtained by contacting the school district.

ESSAY
We are interested in your ability to organize and express thoughts on a specific topic in a succinct manner. Please select one of the following topics and write an essay in the space provided on this page.
1. The Most Important Qualities of an Outstanding Educator. 2. My Philosophy of Student Discipline. 3. The Importance of Continuing Professional Development and How I Plan to Incorporate It Throughout My Career. 4. Essential Elements of Instruction, Administration or Area of Certification. 5. How Information Technology (i.e., computers, Internet) Can Be Integrated into the Instructional Process and Curriculum.
1. The Most Important Qualities of an Outstanding Educator. There are several important qualities of an outstanding educator. I feel that the most important qualities of an outstanding educator are the commitment to make teaching a lifestyle, the ability to reflect as teachers, and the understanding of positive expectations and student success. With these qualities in place, a teacher can change the life of a student and ensure success. Outstanding educators view teaching and learning as a lifestyle, and they made a vow to themselves to uphold high standards for success. They make a commitment to continued growth as a teacher so that they will be able to increase their students’ potential as well as their own. Outstanding educators know that a major component of their success and satisfaction depends on the success and achievements of their students. Good teachers are reflective teachers. Because effective teachers care about their students’ learning, they constantly strive to build effective learning practices. They know that what may have worked best for one particular class or group of students may not work for the next. Outstanding teachers recognize this because they have developed the habit of reflecting on their teaching. By reflecting as teachers, it allows he/she to examine strategies and practices critically, while allowing the teacher to act in purposeful ways. Furthermore, outstanding teachers are able devise new ways and construct new experiences by reflecting upon past ones. Outstanding teachers have positive expectations for their students. Students tend to act and do what is expected or believed of them. If one believes that a student is a capable, above-average learner, the student will live up to those expectations because that is what the teacher conveys to the student. Outstanding teachers promote and transmit a sense of encouragement and opportunity to their students. In conclusion, outstanding educators set themselves apart from other teachers, and it is not hard to pick them out. They seem have an aura about them, an aura of confidence, concern, and a yearning to better themselves and their students every day. By reflecting on teaching, outstanding teachers are able to make the very best decisions to better their learning as well as their students’ learning. An outstanding teacher is strong and positive person in a student’s life.
Signature	Name	Amber R. Finan
Note to applicants: This application can be downloaded from the Department of Education's home page which is accessible at: http://www.state.pa.us.
This application was developed, in accordance with Section 1204.1 of Act 107 of 1996, by the Pennsylvania Department of Education is consultation with organizations representing school administrators, including personnel administrators, teachers and school boards. Questions should be referred to PDE School Services Unit at Voice Telephone (717) 787-4860, Text Telephone TTY (717) 783-8445 or FAX (717) 783-6802. If you need accommodation in completing this application, including alternate format, please contact the school district.

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[1] Federal Privacy Act [5 U.S.C.§552A NOTE] Statement. Authority for requesting social security account numbers: Public School Code of 1949 [24 P.S. § 12-1212, 24 P.S. §1224] Principal Purpose: To verify certification. Other Purposes: Identification and collection of criminal/disciplinary records for certified educators. Disclosure: Mandatory. Failure to provide the Social Security Number will result in an applicant not being considered for employment.