Pinon Unified School District A Great Place to Work

If you're a teacher and you're looking for a Job, Pinon should be a place where you submit an application, here are some reasons why...

Student population
We have a very different population of students here in the Navajo Nation.  I have taught students who are Sac and Fox, Hopi, Apache, Filipino, White, and of course Navajos make up the majority.  Here you have the opportunity not only to teach but to be taught.  Where else are you going to have a population like this?  These students want to be motivated they want someone who is willing to come here and stay here for the long haul.

Professional Community
Pinon Unified School District has many great staff members from many backgrounds who are dedicated to student success.  New teachers will find that there are many people here who will welcome them into the schools and offer cultural advice, help with the classroom, and friendship.  Collaboration and professional development are very important to the district.

Beautiful Area
Pinon's greatest natural treasure is the night sky.  Being so remote gives us a great view of the Milky Way that most areas just can't compete with.  Also since we are in Northern Arizona, we have a higher elevation.  This means we get snow every winter.  The gorgeous ski resort in Flagstaff is only two to three hours away, depending on the route you take.  I will admit, there aren't many trees, but come out here and see the sunrises and sunsets for yourself and you'll agree that Pinon is a beautiful place.

Quiet Area
Pinon is a safe place to live.  Let me repeat that, Pinon is a safe place to live.  I have lived here for four years, it is a quiet community where I take my son out on walks almost daily and I feel safe doing it.  Does Pinon have problems?  Of course it does but so does every location.

Crime in Pinon
Pinon has been described by some people to be a rural area with urban issues in a third world country.  It's actually a pretty accurate picture.  The closest Wal-Mart is over two hours away, along with movie theaters, nice restaurants, and many other businesses.  Being so remote and having a lack of economic opportunities means that the area has a higher poverty level and high poverty tends to mean high crime.  Crime happens here, however, Pinon is much safer than many other small towns I have been in.

Monetary and Job Security
Pinon Unified School District is offering a 13 percent raise next year to all teachers who stay here.  Pinon is also giving a 10% raise to new hires.  That's right, to people who are brand new at the district! Our district offers some of the highest salaries in the state of Arizona and is in great fiscal shape, unlike many public schools in the state.

Baby Curtis

Curtis Emanuel Edwin Maynard was born February 10, 2014 at 6:19 PM, he was 19 inches long and 6 pounds 12 ounces.  He is such a sweet little man.

Curtis shortly after he was born.

Little guy is so different from Xander in so many ways.  He has darker hair and lighter eyes.  He is a night owl whereas Xander likes to sleep through the night.  Like Xander he was very aware and alert from birth.

We are so happy to have our new little addition to the family.

Xander has taken time to get used to being a big brother.  I introduced them shortly after Curtis was born.  Xander waved to his new little brother and then proceeded to ignore him, occasionally he would pat him on the head.  For awhile the only time Xander would acknowledge his brother is when Curtis needed something.  Xander would point this out to us.

Recently Xander has discovered that Curtis has thick soft hair.  He likes to nuzzle his brother.  Last night when Jane was taking care of the boys on her own Curtis started crying.  Jane was busy getting something for Xander so he went to the fridge and opened it up.  Jane tried to tell him that she was working on it when to her surprise, Xander handed her Curtis' bottle and said, "Baby."