Job Opening for Lead Mentor of a Veteran FRC/FTC team in Chicago

[ColonelAustin]

Hello,
I am a mentor for FRC team 3135, the Robotic Colonels, and FTC team 3507, Robotheosis, located at the Francis W Parker School in Chicago. We are looking for a new Lead Coaching Mentor for both our FTC and FTC teams. This is a position at our school with a paid stipend. Details on the job opening can be found here: http://www.fwparker.org/document.doc?id=1582

The website for our Robotics Teams can be found at: http://roboticcolonels.org

Please pass along this information to anyone you think might be interested.

Thanks!

[wilsonmw04]

Maybe I need to move. The stipend blows mine away. I mean by roughly 5 times as large. Thank you unions?

[Ilovepineapples]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

Maybe I need to move. The stipend blows mine away. I mean by roughly 5 times as large. Thank you unions?

Same here, I was surprised when I saw that amount! I wish more schools would do that.

[Madison]

The 12-15 hours per week commitment seems naively optimistic.

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by Madison

The 12-15 hours per week commitment seems naively optimistic.

over a full year as a weekly average? I think that's about right.

[Madison]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

over a full year as a weekly average? I think that's about right.

That's not what the listing says, though -- it reads, "12-15 hours per week; September 2013-April 2014". That suggests to me that the commitment is 12-15 hours per week each week from September through April.

[kevin.li.rit]

12-15? Man, I do many more hours for a lot less. (zero).

[PayneTrain]

Originally Posted by Madison

That's not what the listing says, though -- it reads, "12-15 hours per week; September 2013-April 2014". That suggests to me that the commitment is 12-15 hours per week each week from September through April.

At least one of the qualifications is "prior FIRST experience as a participant or member," so I'm sure people who are actually candidates know what the hours really are...

[wilsonmw04]

Originally Posted by Madison

That's not what the listing says, though -- it reads, "12-15 hours per week; September 2013-April 2014". That suggests to me that the commitment is 12-15 hours per week each week from September through April.

True,

That's 384 hours at 12 hours a week. I would still say that is reasonable estimate for most teams if you remove the build season and you don't do anything in the summers. I am still shocked at the level of compensation. Is this normal from FIRST coaches up north?
I get $1450 for 10 month contract.

FYI: I estimate I give ~800 hours a calendar year to my team.

[arizonafoxx]

Wait you guys are getting paid to do FIRST? Wish I had that. I usually end up in debt at the end of the season since my teams school district only gives us 2500 to build a robot, build prototypes, buy T-shirts, buttons, etc. We also have to get permission to ask for a donation from sponsors then if we get money from them we have to get permission from the district to accept the money. Too much red tape.

[smcmahon]

Seconding arizonafoxx's comments, people get paid to coach FIRST? I've been at it for 6 years coaching FRC and the last 2 also coaching FTC. We don't get paid here. Frankly, I don't think I'd want to get paid to do this...

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

True,

That's 384 hours at 12 hours a week. I would still say that is reasonable estimate for most teams if you remove the build season and you don't do anything in the summers. I am still shocked at the level of compensation. Is this normal from FIRST coaches up north?
I get $1450 for 10 month contract.

FYI: I estimate I give ~800 hours a calendar year to my team.

It probably varies by district, on my high school team our two head mentors were compensated as varsity coaches.

I also know at least a few teams where mentors are compensated so they can be district employees and get keys, but then those mentors donate that money to the team.

[rachelholladay]

In our school district (in Louisiana) teachers get a small bonus check (I believe $400) for being the teacher sponsor for any club. Teachers that are sports coaches also get a bonus check, but it is significant larger. Since we are a 'extracurricular activity' and not a 'sports team' our teacher sponsor gets the smaller bonus. Since robotics is much, much more involved than most other clubs, we have tried to gift our teachers money through our booster club, but we can't because there are school board rules about outside sources paying teachers.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Ilovepineapples

Same here, I was surprised when I saw that amount! I wish more schools would do that.

Ditto. I get less than 20% that amount in stipend and paid hourly for 90 hours per year for FIRST Robotics. Of course, I spend about 800 hours per year....

But, if I was doing this for the money, I'd have left long ago. I'm enjoying my time.