Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I apply if I am interested in summer school employment?
A: All applicants interested in summer school employment must complete an online application. Directions on how to apply for a summer school employment can be found on the Application Instructions and Information page.

Q: I have an existing application account but cannot recall my username and password?
A: If you are unable to recall your username and/or password please utilize the "Having trouble logging in?" feature found on the login screen. You will need to enter the e-mail address associated with your online application followed by clicking on the "Send recovery email" icon. As long as you entered the correct e-mail address both your username as well as password will be sent to the address.

Q: How will information be communicated to applicants regarding the summer school process?
A: The primary method of communication between applicants and the school division's Department of Human Resources will be via the e-mail address entered on the online application. It is important for all applicants to check this e-mail account on a regular basis. Should you change your e-mail address, this can be updated at any time by logging back into the online application system.

Q: How can I confirm if the Department of Human Resources has received my summer school application and it has been completed properly?
A: Once an applicant begins an online application, or logs back in at a later date to make revisions to their existing application, as long as the applicant clicks the “save and next” icon at the bottom the information entered for that particular page is saved to the online application system (applicants will need to do this for each page information is entered or changed). Applicants can be assured that any information entered and saved into a particular page of their online summer school application is received by the Department of Human Resources.

For applicants initially creating an online application account you will receive a confirmation e-mail verifying Human Resources has received your application. Furthermore, if your application is incomplete this will be indicated in the e-mail as well as documenting which specific pieces are incomplete.

For applicants with an existing account, a confirmation e-mail is only issued when changes made to the application result in making it incomplete. If this were to transpire, similar to those creating an initial account an e-mail is generated informing the applicant their application is incomplete and list the section(s) which need to be updated to make it complete.

Any applicant who is interested in verifying their application has met the minimum requirements necessary in order to make it complete can do so at any time by clicking on the check mark icon found in the upper left-hand corner of your online application. Upon clicking on the icon a new page populates and for applications which are complete a green check mark with the phrase “Data Entry Requirement Met” will appear. On the other hand, for incomplete applications a red X will appear with the deficient section or sections listed for the applicant to update to make it complete.

Q: Should I indicate a specific summer school assignment and location?
A: The Employment Preferences page of the online application requires an applicant to select at least one assignment and one location preference. Selecting at least one actual assignment and location brings greater attention to your application as the summer school principal will recognize your interest for a position at their specific site. Additionally, the applicant needs to select the year for which he/she is applying for a summer school position.

If you want to maximize your opportunity for employment, it is best recommended to click on the “Yes” options for the two questions on the online summer school application referencing an applicant’s interest to work any location and/or any subject/grade for which they are licensed to teach.

Q: When I click on the “Jobs” tab in my online application account I do not see any posted summer school positions for me to apply?
A: Due to the inability at this time to project student enrollment figures which help determine the appropriate number of position allocations, individual summer positions cannot be posted for applicants to apply to. This is why it is mandatory for applicants to select at least one work assignment preference and one location preference on their application. Applicants’ selections are collected and appear on reports provided to the applicable summer administrator(s). This notifies the summer administrator at the site for which you listed as one of your location preferences of your interest in working in one or more possible positions there.

Q: When and how will I be notified if a summer school contract has been issued to me by the Department of Human Resources?
A: Staffing will not officially begin until around the early part of May. Once contracts are initially issued, all applicants who applied by the deadline will receive an e-mail sent to the e-mail address provided on their online application informing them whether or not they were selected for summer school employment as of that time.

Please note, if you do not receive a contract when they are initially issued this does not mean you may not be selected for summer employment. For a variety of reasons additional contracts may be issued in between the time candidates are first selected and the beginning of summer school. Applicants who are selected at that point in the process will be contacted directly by a representative from the Department of Human Resources, more than likely via e-mail. As a result, it is unnecessary for applicants to periodically contact the Department of Human Resources to inquire as to potential summer employment.

Q: I received a summer school contract and returned it to the Department of Human Resources. Do I receive a confirmation it was received?
A: All summer school communications will be handled electronically using (VBCPS or personal) email. This includes the issuing of summer school contracts with applicants having the ability to accept or decline summer school contracts online.

Q: I did not receive a summer school contract offer. Why didn't I get hired?
A: A variety of potential reasons may lead to one candidate being selected over another. Some of them may include:

1. Certification/licensure appropriate to the position
2. Documentation to verify teaching licensure (required for non-VBCPS employees for teaching positions)
3. Work experience at the summer school site during the current school year or recent school years
4. Work experience in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools
5. Work experience in the same or closely similar assignments to the target position
6. Previous summer school work experience
7. The fit or match of the target position to the applicant's expressed preferences for location and subject/grade assignments
8. Principals' recommendations
9. Date of submission of application
10. Course/class was cancelled due to low registration

How well an applicant matches up with the above selection criteria is a critical factor in receiving a contract for a particular position. Then too, we find imbalances in the applicant pools for summer school positions. Some positions / schools / subjects / grades attract a large number of candidates. Other positions have fewer applicants. VBCPS has around 900 summer school positions to fill, and each position is unique in its attraction to prospective employees. Quite possibly, your choice of preferences for assignments/locations on your application was for one of these very highly competitive positions.

Q: If I want to make changes to my summer school application after I initially submitted it can I?
A: Yes, you can always log back into your Transfer application and make adjustments at any time. Please note, if you are changing location or employment preferences, the selection or selections previously entered will not be saved. The system will only recall the top three choices for location and employment preferences. After your application preferences have been updated, your name will appear on subsequent applicant/candidate lists sent to summer school principals for their review and consideration. To protect the integrity of application data, we are unable to accept any change requests via telephone, e-mail or in person (For VBCPS Employee Only).

Q: Can a summer teaching job be split? I have a colleague who is willing to work the part of the summer that I cannot.
A: We feel that the students' best interests must govern our hiring practices. From the standpoint of what is best for the students, instructional continuity is difficult to maximize if more than one teacher teaches the class, particularly in the short, intense summer sessions. You may certainly apply to split a position. Whether you might be selected and/or permitted to split a position would depend heavily upon availability of other suitable candidates. Another fully licensed, experienced teacher applying for the full position would be given hiring priority over a teacher applying to split a contract. It is very important to note that any job/contract splits require the approval of the site principal who, if approved, will notify the Department of Human Resources.

Q: I want to work summer school but I have a previous commitment that conflicts with two days of the students' summer school days. Can I still be hired?
A: The summer school site principals make hiring recommendations for all summer positions. You should discuss your individual situation and schedule conflict with the site principals for the schools for which you are applying to work. Availability of other fully qualified candidates, your previous teaching experience, summer school experience, "regular" school year job performance, and the contribution you can make to a school's summer program would be factors the principal quite possibly might consider. Ultimately, the summer school principal must decide what action is in the best interest of the students, given the above factors.

Q: What happens if a class has low student enrollment?
A: The class can be closed and the contract will be withdrawn.

Q: I hold a special education teaching license. Am I eligible to teach in "regular" education classes?
A: You must hold the teaching license appropriate to the teaching assignment. Therefore, you would have to have a regular education license in addition to your special education license to teach in a regular education classroom during the summer. Generally, summer school principals prefer to employ teachers with very recent experience directly related to the vacant position, as these individuals can "hit the ground running." Conversely, regular education teachers cannot teach in special education classrooms unless they hold the appropriate special education licensure endorsements.

Q: When and how will I be paid?
A: Summer school employees are considered “temporary services/ part time employees” for their summer employment and are paid in arrears two weeks after their hours worked during a pay period are reported to the Payroll Office.

For example, if you start summer school work on June 25 and work the last week in June, your June 25-30 work hours would be reported to Payroll on June 30 and you would be paid for those hours on July 15. Summer school ends on August 3, August 14 or August 15, depending on your assignment to elementary, middle or senior high. Following our example, hours worked from August 4-7 would be reported on August 15, and you would be paid for those hours on August 31. Hours worked in between July 16-26 will be reported July 31 and paid August 15.

If you worked with VBCPS during the “regular” school year, your check will be sent to your “home” school or office on paydays. If you did not work with VBCPS during the school year, your check will be mailed to your home address on file in the summer school office.

While we hope the Frequently Asked Questions is able to capture the most prominent questions from summer school applicants, we realize not every question is addressed. For those questions not addressed above, applicants can contact Mimi Marcotte via e-mail or via telephone at 757.263.1056.