Saigon South International School is another option for those folks who want to live and work in Saigon. SSIS is accredited by WASC and is a member of EARCOS and MRISA (Mekong River International School Association).

SSIS is a college preparatory Pre-school to Grade 12 private school that uses an American style curriculum. Students work in an inquiry, project based environment and teachers use a variety of instructional techniques to help students achieve.

SSIS has a 10:1 student-teacher ratio.

Mission

The mission of SSIS is to prepare students intellectually and personally to live a good life as a global citizen.

Facilities

SSIS is located in the new city center of Ho Chi Minh City – Saigon South. The campus is a new, state of the art facility with large classrooms, art rooms, a media center, 3 computer labs, a cafeteria, a music center, a library, science labs, a dance studio, a double size gym, and an Olympic sized swimming pool. Additionally there are playgrounds and sports fields outside the classrooms.

Curriculum

SSIS use an American style curriculum with is standards based and is a fusion of American and international standards for the content areas. SSIS believes that the use of benchmarks and standards ensures that students will study an integrated, sequenced curriculum.

As you might well expect, the core courses are mathematics, science, social studies and language arts. Specialist subjects are art, music, PE, host country studies, library, computer integration, and swimming. An education at SSIS will prepare students for entrance into universities around the world. SSIS offers AP courses for High School Students.

Extra-Curricular Activities

SSIS has Balance in Life as one of their core values. Their extra-curricular activities is a manifestation of that belief. Activities are offered throughout the year and include sports such as basketball, softball, volleyball, swimming, soccer and cross country. SSIS is a member of MRISA and they take part in international competitions sponsored by that organization. In addition to sports, students can also take part in activities such as cooking, dance, martial arts, music, movie club, book club, debate, and more.

Technology

SSIS is a school that believes in integrating technology throughout the school in order to enhance students’ educational experiences. The school has 170-networked computers that are connected to the internet. SSIS adds new computers and new technologies to its supply every year. There are three IT labs. The Media Center, the Science Labs and the library all have computers as well as all classrooms. The school provides technology training for staff and students so that all of them are current with the most recent trends in technology and education.

Professional Development

SSIS is committed to lifelong learning in both staff and students. To this end, they strongly support professional development. PD at SSIS may take the form of local and international workshops, EARCOS conferences, university coursework, AP workshops, and outside consultants. Additionally, the school has a program called Teachers Teaching Teachers Professional Development where faculty shares their skills and knowledge with their colleagues.

Employment

SSIS is looking for candidates with:
•    Two years teaching experience
•    A passion for excellence
•    A positive personality
•    A collaborative team player approach
•    A flexible attitude
•    A commitment to the mission and values of the school

The school has information about compensation, a profile for teachers, an orientation booklet and more, but it is all password protected. Why is that?

AISG was founded in 1981 and was originally known as the American School of Guangzhou. AISG is an independent coed day school that serves students from Preschool through Grade 12. The school has a 180-day academic year. AISG is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is registered with the People’s Republic of China as a School for Foreign Children. AISG is a member of the East Asian Regional Council of Schools, the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools, and the Council of International Schools.

There are over 100 teachers in the school from around the world.

The school has over 1000 students from approximately forty nationalities. Many of them come from families connected with the international business and diplomatic world. Class sizes range from 17-20 in the Elementary and Middle Schools to 8-22 in the High School.

Mission and Philosophy

AISG has a simple, yet wonderful, mission  - to nurture students to aspire and achieve. Great, I love this one. Working around that, AISG believes that all individuals have intrinsic worth, that individuals have the responsibility to work for the good of the community and to respect themselves, that learning is most effective in a secure, healthy and positive environment, and much more. Take a look at their beliefs online.

Facilities

AISG has purpose built facilities. The school is located in several sections of Guangzhou. The Elementary School is located on Ersha Island. Some of the facilities here are: a gym, a computer lab, a library, an art room, a music room, a playing field and fifty classrooms.
The Middle School and High School are located in Science Park and has room for future expansion. The Middle and High Schools are housed in a brand new facility with room for expansion in Science Park, northeast of the city center. In addition to the facilities equal to those at the Elementary School, this campus also has three art rooms, three music rooms, and a theater. The campus is wireless.

Curriculum

The school has four divisions: Preschool, Elementary School, Middle School, and High School. The Middle School uses an American curriculum. The High School uses IB and AP courses as well as an American curriculum. Graduates from AISG earn an American high school diploma and/or the IB Diploma. Mandarin is a Second Language option at all grade levels.

Elementary School

AISG uses the PYP. Following that, they work with inquiry-based activities and have a modified U.S. and international curriculum. There are grade level standards and benchmarks. Students at AISG are being prepared to become the leaders of tomorrow.

The core subjects are Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. These subjects are taught by the homeroom teachers. Specialist teachers are in charge of teaching art, guidance, computer, library, Mandarin or Extra English, Music and PE.

Middle School

Teachers in the Middle School use a variety of teaching strategies and forms of assessment. Lessons are designed to involve students in learning and be challenging.

High School

The High School curriculum is based on the US model along with the options of AP classes in Grade 10-12 and the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11-12. All students at AISG earn at least a diploma equivalent of an American secondary school diploma.

Extra-curricular Activities

AISG offers a range of extra activities that supplement the academic program. These activities are organized along age groups and are supervised by the AISG faculty.

Some of the extra-curricular activities offered at AISG include volleyball, basketball, soccer, rugby, badminton, drama, music, and the Model United Nations. AISG also sees community service as an important part of its program. Some community service activities are Habit for Humanity and working with mentally challenged adult.

Professional Development

The AISG website only mentions that PD opportunities exist as one of the benefits of employment. I couldn’t find anything more specific on the site.

Employment

AISG are looking for teachings with the following qualifications:

•    Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree
•    Teaching Certification
•    Three years teaching experience
•    Willingness to participate in extracurricular activities
•    Interest in living in a dynamic Asian setting
•    Previous overseas teaching experience an asset
•    Previous IB or AP experience an asset

If you are interested in applying to AISG, send your resume and a cover letter as Word attachments to jstucker@aisgz.edu.cn. Resumes should include at least three references with telephone numbers and email addresses.

AISG will hold interviews at the following fairs:

• ISS Bangkok January 6-10, 2009
• Search Bangkok January 10-13, 200
• Search Hong Kong January 16-18, 2009
• Search Cambridge February 5-8, 2009
• ISS San Francisco February 8-12, 2009

Vacancies will be posted on the school website as they occur. They will also be posted on the web pages of:
ISS
Search
TIEonline

AISG will begin hiring in advance of the recruitment fairs, and some of the listed positions may be filled before the fairs begin.

Salaries and Benefits

Base salary for qualified teachers runs from $31,751 to $73,904. Specific salary will depend on years of experience and advance degrees.

Benefits

•    Professional development opportunities
•    Sick leave
•    Personal days
•    Health insurance
•    Life insurance
•    Disability insurance
•    Daily transportation to and from school
•    Tuition waver for faculty children
•    Shipping allowance
•    Settling-in allowance
•    Housing allowance
•    Transportation to and from Guangzhou
•    Annual home leave
•    Retirement plan

About Guangzhou

Guangzhou has a population of 12 million and sits alongside the Pearl River.  As Canton, the city has a long and colorful history, especially as a center of international trade, culture and intrigue. Hong Kong is only two hours away.

Guangzhou is filled with interesting things to do. In addition to traditional attractions such as markets and historical architecture, there are a many modern activities such as fitness clubs, cinemas, art galleries, zoos, restaurants, bars and pubs, and nightclubs.

The city has a number of medical and dental clinics that cater to the expat population. This is a great benefit because if you become ill or have persistent dental problems, having to travel somewhere else to get them taken care of can be time-consuming, expensive, and painful.

So, this is a blog about international education. It’s about international education because that’s where I’ve been for the past 19 years. But as most teachers know, education is very similar all over the world. So while I discuss educational issues, along with the school reviews that are probably the main reason that people come to this blog, in the context of international education, the ideas are germane to educational systems around the world. And, actually, I guess that’s what makes it international. Well, enough of that, back to TED.

TED is a both a conference and an organization. The acronym stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. The conferences go back to 1984 and the scope of the conferences has expanded over the years to include development issues, global warming, education and much more. Speakers are brought in each year to discuss an idea in 18 minutes. It’s fun watching speakers keep their eye on the clock, and after watch a half dozen talks, it seems that all the speakers have amped up on caffeine before they made it to the stage because you’ll see and hear some of the quickest talking in the universe.

So TED is a conference where some of the most creative people on the planet show up and over four days give these 18 minute presentations on an idea or a concept or an experience that has changed them or changed others around them or can change others.
These talks are interesting, generally quite funny, and designed to make the audience think and hopefully act.

If you go to the TED website, you can find over 200 talks available for downloading in either video or audio format. Everything here is under that Creative Commons license, so you are free to download the talks and use them. As the TED website says, their mission is to spread ideas.

The first talk that I’m only briefly going to discuss (because I think that you should follow the link and download it for yourself) is by Ken Robinson – actually Sir Ken Robinson. If you don’t know who Ken Robinson is don’t worry because neither did I before I was given a link by a friend to his TED video.

Ken Robinson is an author, former university professor, and speaker who specializes in creativity. He’s been an advisor to arts and education commissions, foundations and organizations around the world. He’s published several books and has a new one coming out early next year.

His TED talk is about how schools fail to recognize, develop and nurture creativity. It’s very humorous and hits straight at one of the problems with educational systems, as they currently exist.

This is a talk that all of us who are involved in education need to hear. Download it, you won’t be sorry.

I do get a few comments, but most of them are folks listing their qualifications for a job at one of the schools that I’m reviewing. Please note that I am not a hiring agent, and I have no connection with the schools that I review. This is a completely independent blog and posting qualifications here is absolutely a waste of time. Additionally, not to be overly critical but most of the comments by folks looking for employment are phrased in such a way that no one would hire them. I had a comment recently that said, “I’d like a job in ur school. Email me.” Seriously, I hope that the person who posted this was not really looking for a job.

To be very honest about this, and I hope that it helps someone, you cannot just send an email with a few sentences about yourself and then finish it by asking, “Do you have a job for me?” No one would answer this type of email even if it was sent to the right place.

Finding a teaching position in an international school takes a lot of work: you need to have an impressive resume, relevant work experience, and strong writing skills. Please read what is on each post about finding employment and follow those instructions. If you cannot do that, you will never find a position overseas.

All this being said, what I’m writing about today is Education. I capitalized the world Education today because I want to say something about what that word, that concept, that process, that institution, that we call Education means to us.

My friend here at the little school where I currently teach (and by the time this blog gets posted, I may not still be teaching there as my retirement is about to actually happen)) just returned from a trip to Singapore to take a look at several schools that are using the IBO’s PYP approach to education. When he returned, the first thing he told me about was the technology that the schools had as technology is one of my fascinations and has been one of the two main things that have supported me over the past 14 years – that is I’m what’s known in the education business as a computer teacher (I’m going to write more about that specialty next month when I get settled down in Bali).

Back to what Stephen told me.

The second thing that he told me after telling me about the great technology that these schools had was that he viewed these great YouTube videos about education, and in his excitement, he began reeling off quotes and statistics from these two videos. Not feeling well, I only took in a bit of what he was saying, but some of it went like this (and my apologies to Stephen if I’ve processed his words in slightly altered form from the way there were presented) – education is only educating part of the child, a kindergartner today will be retiring in the year 2065 (on a personal level, my youngest child will be retiring in the year 2058), the technologies that we will be using in ten years haven’t been invented yet, education is still working on the industrial model. There was a lot more, but this excerpt will suffice for today’s post.

So, first, you should view these videos if you are a teacher, if you are a parent, if you are a student. You can find them at You Tube. My connection here won't let me in, but you can put in "Schools Killing Creativity" and "Shift Happens" to see the videos that I'm discussing.

Second, and this was my immediate response to Stephen, I’ve heard this before. I’ve been a member of EARCOS  for the past five years and before that SEATTCO. I’ve attended probably 10 conferences over the past 19 years that those organizations have sponsored for teachers and administrators working in the East and Southeast Asian region. I’ve heard this before. It appears that I said that up above so why am I repeating it. Well, if you’re giving a speech, repeating yourself is an effective way to get your message across. If you’re writing, it can also be an effective way to impress your point on your readers because we tend to read articles like these by skimming – where’s the interesting information? That’s what the reader asks.

Well, the interesting information here is that I’ve heard it before – and so have thousands of other teachers and administrators. The interesting question that follows is - so what? Is anybody hearing what’s being said. Well, obviously some people are, because the world is changing: companies get smarter in designing products, marketers get smarter in selling the products, artist and writers get smarter in creating their works. And back to Education (the capital E education).

Are the people who work in Education, who play with it and who think about it, are they getting smarter? Well, the answer is a qualified yes and no. There are schools around the world that are getting it, that are redesigning curriculum, that are retrofitting schools, that are thinking about what it is that we do in Education and how we do it. That’s the qualified yes. The qualified no? Most of us are not. We’re still thinking in the old way, structuring our schools in the old way, and teaching the old way. I can think of a few schools that aren’t, and I’ll discuss those in later posts. But, more than the number of schools that are what I’m going to loosely call visionary (it’s probably not best word to use, but for lack of a better one at hand, I’ll use that designation for now), there are a growing number of teachers that are coming to have a visionary approach to teaching and to our profession.

These teachers are beginning to move things and shake up the foundations of our fossilized institutions and our fossilized mindsets. But, it’s a long haul and there are a whole assortment of obstacles in the way. Just offhand a few of them are school boards, parents, teachers and administrators. Who did I leave out? Students.

Where do we go? How do we go about it? Those are the big questions. The first big question is obviously the most important. I’ll discuss this more next in later blogs when I get a chance to get settled in Bali once again and have my physical library and my virtual library at hand. But until then, what is it that you think about this?

CCS was built with Australian standards in mind; classrooms are 850 square feet and are quite bright. Each classroom has air-conditioning that the teacher uses at his/her discretion as the buildings are insulated against heat and humidity. The school has an IT lab with one computer per student. All computers have internet access, and CCS sees IT as an important part of a students education. Additionally, CCS has a science lab, a music room, a library, and a Multi-function Hall that they use for PE.

Parents who wish to enroll their child in school, need to make an appointment and should bring their child with them. Expats who wish to enroll their child before they arrive in Bali can contact the school and fill out an e-application. Canggu has a waiting list at all grade levels, and priority is given to siblings of current students. CCS is

Children are enrolled in a grade based on their age as of August 1. The school website has a very informative placement schedule which shows equivalent grades in other national systems compared to the CCS grading system. And just a note for that small group of parents who have “gifted” children who just have to be placed in a higher grade than their age dictates, the school website specifically says that higher placements will not be done. The school has set a maximum limit of 22 students in Year 4 and below, and 24 students in Year 5 and above. This is a fairly large classroom size for international schools. Generally schools limit classroom size to 18 if at all possible.

CCS is not one of the cheapest schools in Bali. It is interesting that on their very nicely presented website, their fee information is two years old which makes me wonder if it has been increased since then. However, based on the 2006-2007 academic year, the cost for a Pre-school student is $3,300 per year; $5,000 per year for students in Grades 1-6; and $6,000 for students in Year 7. They also have a late fee of 5%, but also have discounts for families with more than one child: 5% for a second child, 10% for a third child, and 15% for a fourth child.

In addition to the tuition, there is an annual building fee of $250 for Pre-school students, and $500 for Grades 1-7. New students pay a one-time registration fee of $300 for Pre-school, and $600 for other students.

The school website has an excellent Pupil-Parent Handbook in pdf format. If you are interested in this school either for your child or as a possible place of employment, I suggest that you download it.

Employment for Teachers

Prospective teachers are required to have a teaching credential, excellent language and writing skills, a commitment to professional development, and an understanding of the use of ICT use across the curriculum. It is advantageous for the prospective teacher to have updated first-aid qualifications, and training in ESL.

While the curriculum is based on the British National Curriculum it has been adapted for international use. Students in Years 2-6 take the SATs. Other assessment is school-based. CCS has an after school activities programs and teachers are required to sponsor one activity per week.

The school has a number of specialist teachers on staff. They are currently in an expansion mode so they are expanding their staff. You can find out about available positions on the school website.

Teacher contracts are generally given for a two-year period. Salaries are based on a teacher’s qualifications and experience and thus are not listed on the school website. Benefits include: assistance with airfare and relocation, a housing allowance, medical insurance, and a long-term bonus that is paid after four years of service at the school. Applications should be emailed to the school. An application should include: Full name, date of birth, residential address, contact details, professional experience, educational background, professional development, and the name of three referees. Interviews are done in Bali or London. If it is not possible to have a face-to-face interview, a telephone interview or video conference is possible.

First, I am not a recruiter. Please, please note that and do not post resumes here. I have absolutely nothing to do with employing teachers anymore, and most of my friends who are in those positions are retiring now or have already retired. This site is meant to serve as an informational site for those teachers who want to work internationally and are looking for information on international schools and international teaching.

Second, I came across a site the other day through my StumbleUpon app (I love that thing; I have come across some great sites because of it) that offers reviews of international schools written by teachers who work at, or have worked at, the school being reviewed. This is a pay site.

Now, I have nothing against pay sites, and I have nothing against writing for money. (In fact, I hope to have two eBooks out over the next four months – one on the practicalities of moving to Bali, and one on international teaching.) But, I have some reservations about charging for other people’s opinions on schools. But, besides the pay issue, I do have some real problems with anonymous reviews of schools – whether positive or negative. If they’re positive, they could be written by the administrators of the school and be somewhat skewed, and if they’re negative, they could be written by a disgruntled former teacher.

Anyone who has worked in education for a period of time knows that some teachers can be real whiners, and I’ve worked with several (and I’ve gone through a few whiney periods myself). So, is it fair to a school and the school administrator to have an anonymous negative review posted by a teacher who is unhappy because of some issue that may be purely personal and not indicative of the general school environment?

I did read through all the free reviews (the site gives you limited access before you pay and get full access), including two of one of my former schools. I happened to agree with both of them, but I can think of several teachers at the same school who might have written negative reviews because of issues that affected only them. I understand, also, that some administrators take criticisms very personally and can be vindictive. So, how does a teacher go about voicing their complaints about a school or administrator openly without fear of retribution? I know on some teacher websites criticisms are voiced clearly but with vague references to the school in question. Those in the know can figure out which school is being reviewed, but for the new teacher…?

I’d like to hear from other teachers on this issue. Please feel free to contribute and, if you really need to, you can do it anonymously.

More from the Middle East this week. I’ve never had a chance to get to Abu Dhabi, but there’s just something about what I’ve heard of it that is enticing. Well, here is a school with an impressive sounding set of values and programs that is located in…Abu Dhabi.

ACS was established in 1972 and is a non-profit school accredited by the Middle States Association. There are over 800 students from 46 nationalities studying at ACS. 45% of the students are American. There are 81 teachers on the staff and two-thirds of those have a Master’s degree. The student-teacher ratio is 9:1. The Elementary School moved into a new building in 2001. Administratively, ACS has a superintendent and three principals.

The Mission

The Mission of the American Community School of Abu Dhabi is to empower and inspire each student to define and shape his or her future, pursue his or her dreams and contribute to society. This mission will be pursued in partnership with parents through an integrated, college preparatory, American curriculum.

Core Values

We Believe That:

* Diversity with respect is a strength

* All people have equal intrinsic value

* People are responsible for their choices, actions and the consequences that result

* Transforming dreams into reality requires courage, initiative, and commitment

* People flourish in loving, caring relationships

* Learning empowers

Elementary School

ACS has over 400 students from 30 countries in grades KG through 5. The school uses an American based curriculum. Students have language arts, math, science and social studies with their classroom teacher and an assistant. Specialist teachers provide instruction in art, Arabic, music, technology and PE. After school activities supplement the academic program. The Elementary School emphasizes a close relationship with parents, and they are invited to participate actively in a variety of classroom and school roles. The Viper Values (my guess is that the school mascot is the viper) are also emphasized: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Fair, and Be Honest.

The Middle School

The Middle School has over 200 students from around the world. Students take a core set of courses along with electives. The core courses are Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, Technology, and Health. Electives include Technology, Drama, Art, Band, Choir, and PE. Middle School students must also take a foreign language. These include French, Spanish, Arabic as a Native Language, or Arabic as a Foreign Language. Students from Arab countries must take Arabic in one form or another. Students take a standardized test annually.

Progress reports are issued four times a year at mid-term and report cards are issued each term as well. We used the progress report format at Lahore American School, and I thought that it was an effective way to keep parents informed and to make sure that there were no surprises at report card time.

High School

The high school program is college prep. ACS Abu Dhabi is an IB World School. Students in the IB program are also required to complete the ACS graduation requirements. Additionally, ACS also offers two AP courses: Calculus and Chemistry. All students from Arabic speaking countries are required to take Arabic in years 9 through 12. Muslim students are also required to take Islamic Studies and need to take the Ministry of Education examination so that they can have the UAE equivalency for their graduation. Students need a minimum of 25 credits to graduate.

Facilities

ACS has an 8 acre campus. There are 60 classrooms that include a science lab and an infirmary. The school has a Mac lab (yes!) and students can access it before, during and after school. The computers are networked and connected to the Internet. The school is committed to using technology and has 380 computers for its 800 students which is an excellent ratio. Based on the website, technology is used by both faculty and students. The Library/Media Center is available to students during the same time periods as the computer lab. ACS has two athletic fields and a Fitness Center. The school also has a pool and has very strict guidelines about its use. There also is a Theater that is used for drama, music and student assemblies.

Activities

ACS has a wide range of activities where students travel to other schools for athletic and academic events and competitions. These include: basketball, softball, debate, fine arts, swimming, soccer, track and field and more. ACS also has the National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, and several publications that students can write for. ACS is a member of the Eastern Mediterranean Activities Conference. The EMAC sponsors athletic, arts and academic activities around the area. Some of the cities that ACS students recently traveled to for EMAC activities include: Cairo, Dubai, Amman, Athens, Damascus, and Kuwait City. The school pays for ¼ of the cost of the airfare for these trips.

Students at ACS also have the opportunity for field trips. Students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 take extended field trips as part of the curriculum.

The salary schedule for 2006-2007

The school website sets out the salary schedule clearly. This is always a great benefit when a teacher is looking around for interesting places to work while still keeping financial issues in mind. While at first glance the salary seems fairly low, when you take into consideration the Overseas Hire Incentive mentioned below under benefits, things look much better.

Teachers are placed on the salary schedule according to past experience (believe it or not, some schools pay all teachers the same regardless of how long they have been teaching). The maximum step that you can enter the school at is Step 7 if you have nine years or more experience as a certified teacher.

Step 0 starts at $20,239 and Step 7 for a BA starts at $31,512 and maxes at $36,114 for teachers with a MA plus 30 credits. A teacher with 2 years of experience and a BA would start at $26,426 which is fairly low, but don’t forget the OHI.

Benefits

The first two years you receive 17.5% of the base salary as an Overseas Hire Incentive. For the third and subsequent years you receive 18.13%.

· There are no taxes

· Tuition and Fee Waivers

· Staff Development according to annual budget provisions

· Paid physical exam at the start of employment

· Shipping of 500 lbs.

· Beginning and End of employment airfare.

· Medical and Dental insurance

· Can be paid in Dollars or Dirhams

· Death Benefit

· Semi-furnished housing including major appliances and bedroom furniture along with a one time furniture allowance of Dhs. 12,000 per household which is paid over a three-year period. You will need to stay three years to receive all of this.

· Paid utilities

· Car loan of up to 24,000 dirhams to be repaid over a 24 month period

· Annual leave to point of origin

· All school holidays

· Sick leave – 15 days at full pay. 30 days at half pay. Teachers receive an additional 15 working days per year in the full pay category which is added to the total number of unused days.

· Personal leave – 3 days with pay. May accumulate up to 7 days to be used for a personal business trip.

· Leave without pay – 45 days

· Maternity leave after one year.

· Paternity leave

· Compassionate leave of 10 paid working days for immediate family members with paid airfare to point of origin.

· Emergency Evacuation (non-medical) – airfare to safe haven (as designated by the school and a per diem. In case of emergency closing of the school, you may be paid up to six months of salary and all usual benefits (airfare, shipping, etc.)

· Emergency Evacuation (medical) – paid airfare to the nearest appropriate medical facility. If the Superintendent decides that the family needs to accompany the patient, airfare will be provided for them as well.

About Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates of the UAE, and it is the largest. The city Abu Dhabi is the capital. There are approximately three million people living in the UAE. There is a large expat community in Abu Dhabi, and the city is known for all of the development that has gone on there over the past two decades.

This is one of the most complete school websites that I have ever reviewed. I keep asking myself what else could I want to know about this school and the city and country in which it is located? The answer? Not much, other than making sure that all the figures add up. They have some contradictory figures on the number of buildings the school has which puzzles me, but other than that, this website is incredible. The school emphasizes on its website the amount of energy that is around the school and all of the things happening there.

WAB is a non-profit English language international school. The school was founded in 1994. It is an IBO World School that educates students from Nursery to Grade 12 (ages 3-18). WAB has approximately 1,400 students from 56 countries and regions. There are approximately 100 students at each grade level. US citizens make up the largest block of the student body followed by South Koreans, Brits and Australians. There are 38 languages or dialects spoken as a first language – English is the largest, followed by Korean.

Mission and Goals

WAB’s mission: “to educate our children to reach their full potential in a warm and caring community that fosters excellence and responsibility.”

WAB subscribes to the IB program which seeks to develop students who are:

• Inquirers

• Thinkers

• Communicators

• Intellectual risk takers

• Knowledgeable

• Principled

• Caring

• Open-minded

• Well-balanced

• Reflective

These educational goals are common to all schools that use the IB program. Really, any good teacher will work to achieve these goals with their students, but with the IB people, this becomes something of a mantra. Well, more on IB in an upcoming review.

WAB is a high tech school. All students use wireless laptops as an essential tool in their daily learning. The Middle School works on a 1:1 laptop environment and most students own their own laptops; the rest borrow them from the school. High school students are required to have their own laptop.

The school is built on a park-like campus and is committed to developing its facilities, programs and reputation. WAB has six separate buildings ; Early Childhood, Elementary School, Middle School, HUB – Sports, Arts and Technology Center, Properties Department and the High School.

WAB Curriculum

Early Childhood

The EC program is based on PYP and Reggio Emilia approach.

Elementary School

The school uses the PYP for students from Kindergarten to Grade 5. WAB supports over 10 home languages with an after school program.

Middle School

WAB uses the MYP for students in Grades 6-8. The Middle School program is centered around these areas of development: intellectual development, moral development, physical development, social development, emotional/psychological development.

High School

The school uses MYP for students from Grades 9-10 and the IBDP for students in Grades 11-12. Students may work for an IB Diploma, a WAB High School Diploma, or a combination.

Counseling

The school provides academic and emotional counseling for students including career counseling.

China Engagement

The school actively integrates the study of the host country in its program. This has an academic component as well as a community service component. All students in Grades 6-12 participate in a week-long China Studies field trip to different regions of China.

Student Programs

WAB has an extensive lineup of programs that were developed to provide a balance between educational needs and intellectual, social, moral, and aesthetic needs. These include:

• After School Activities
• Interschool Sports
• Choir, Band and Drama
• Cultural and Academic Activities
• Student Council and Student Leadership Programs
• Recreation and Adventure Programs

WAB also works on developing a strong sense of community and a positive relationship with the community through a variety of outreach programs and special activities.

Facilities

The school has some impressive facilities that include:

· 3 Gymnasiums

· 1 Swimming Pool

· 1 Adrenalin Fitness Center

· 2 Astroturf sports fields

· 1 Athletics track

· Tennis courts (5)

· Indoor and Outdoor basketball courts

· Vertex Climbing Wall

· Theaters (3)

· Libraries (3)

· Computer Labs

· Science Labs

· Music, Dance and Drama studios

· Specialist classrooms

· Dining courts and cafes

Employment at WAB

WAB is looking for teachers who are upbeat, passionate about teaching and learning, interested in living in China and learning about it, working as a team at a school that values its teachers. WAB has 174 full and part time teachers from 18 nationalities. A number of middle management positions are available at WAB and include Grade Level and Department Leaders/Coordinators among others. These positions carry an annual stipend of $500-$3200 per year.

The majority of teachers are Australian with Canadians, Brits and Americans next. 153 of their teachers are overseas hires. WAB is very specific in what they are looking for in their teachers. The list below should give the prospective teacher a very clear idea of what it takes to be a successful candidate at WAB. Do you have what it takes?

• A good match in applicant’s skills and expertise and WAB’s needs.
• A good match to WAB’s educational philosophy and pedagogy.
• A good fit with WAB’s culture.
• The right chemistry and a good transition

Here is the general profile for what WAB is looking for as listed on their website.

* Experienced and qualified teachers

* Fits WAB's Philosophy and Values

* High level of professionalism and commitment to the school

* Child focused - warm, caring and supportive

* Team player – collaborative

* Ability to become part of a community and work with parents

* Flexible and adaptable

* Commitment to ongoing professional growth and development

* Skilled in IT

* Intercultural sensitivity

* General interest in China

* Stable in personal life

* Experience in school events and extra curricular activities programs

* Experience in coaching sporting teams and/or performing arts

* Experience in outdoor education & recreation programs

* Experience in school development

* Experience in and knowledge of inquiry based learning

* Able to balance high demands of work with personal recreational pursuits

* Preference to teachers trained in IBPYP, IBMYP and IB Diploma, First Steps programs

Pedagogical Profile

* IB – PYP, MYP or Diploma experience (or similar) - please see our IB pages for more information

* Inquiry-based and hands-on learning

* Using local context and environment to enhance learning

* Stimulating Classroom environment

Desirable Professional Experiences and Practices

* Multi-cultural approach or experiences

* Experience and/or training in working in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) environment

* Experience in meeting needs of individual students and differentiating teaching techniques

* Experience in inquiry approach to teaching and learning

* Experience in activity based and hands on learning

* High level IT skills and experience in integrating IT across the curriculum

* Experience with contemporary practices in English and Mathematics

* Experience with authentic assessment practices

Salary and Benefits

Initial Salaries run from RMB 20,709 to RMB 25,459. The maximum step on the salary schedule for new teachers is Step H for teachers with at least nine years of experience. The current maximum salary is RMB 29,938 for teachers with 11 or more years of experience. So I would be at the maximum after three years of teaching there.

Benefits include:

• Relocation airfare
• Shipping charges and insurance
• Housing – serviced apartment with basic furnishings, utilities, local phone calls, broadband. Teachers may rent on their own up to a maximum amount determined by their contract. Single teachers receive $1,000 a month.
• Settling in allowance - $200 on arrival
• R&R Travel allowance
• Travel Allowance in case of death

• Chinese Income Taxes
• Pension/Retirement Plan – the school matches your 6%
• Visa, Residence Permit and Expert Card
• Health Insurance – comprehensive with medical evac provision
• Personal Accident and Disability Insurance
• Professional Development
• School Fees – Dependent’s Tuition Support

A teacher at Step H would receive RMB 4,151 for travel allowance. This is at 7.70 per dollar.

WAB prefers candidates to send email applications. A form is online . WAB attend the recruitment fairs. Interview appointments may be pre-scheduled ahead of the fairs.

Generally it is difficult to obtain an international school position if you are a single parent, but WAB hires single parent teachers, which is a definite plus. I wish more schools did this.

Teachers at WAB generally teach 30 periods of 40 minutes each week. They have 10 non-contact periods for planning and meetings and preparation. Teachers are expected to serve on at least 2 committees per year. They are also expected to provide two after school activities per year.

So here it is: the biggest review of a school that I’ve done. This school sounds really interesting. They expect a lot from their teachers, but the support offered also sounds excellent. The pay and benefits are good, but certainly not at the top of the scale. I would guess based on my experience overseas that a teacher could save a good amount of money working here. If you want to spend some time in China, this school sounds like a definite possibility. What I find very impressive with WAB is the way that they lay everything out on their website. I like a school that let’s you know what they expect and what they will give in return. You should check out their impressive website.

]]> http://theinternationalteacher.wordpress.com/?p=32 Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:54:30 +0000 drbrucepk http://theinternationalteacher.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/hong-kong-international-school-2/ Hong Kong International School

Hong Kong is one of the most fascinating cities that I have had the opportunity to visit during my years overseas. I spent a week there just before unification with the mainland, and a week was nowhere near enough time. It’s a place that I would love to visit again if the opportunity and finances allow. I’ve always imagined that working there would be quite intense. HKIS sounds like a very complex school that would offer an active teacher many opportunities for professional and personal development.

HKIS is a Christian, co-educational private day school for students from 4-years through 18 years. It provides an American-based curriculum. There are over 2600 students on two campuses with over 40 nationalities represented. HKIS was founded in 1966. It is accredited by WASC.

The school has four divisions: Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Middle School and High School.

HKIS has a teacher-student ratio of 1:11. The school has more than 260 faculty members with 230 support staff. Teachers come from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., China, New Zealand, Austria, Honk Kong, and more places. Teachers are involved in extra-curricular activities and supervise educational field trips.

The Elementary School

The Elementary School has small class sizes, an emphasis on multiculturalism, cooperative learning, and project-based learning. There is a wide range of after school activities available.

The Middle School

According to the school website, middle school students at HKIS have some of the best school facilities in Hong Kong. These include: a state-of-the-art computer and video-tech lab, a swimming pool, a gym, an excellent library and a sports field. In addition to the academics that prepare students for the rigorous high school program, there is an extensive variety of activities for Middle School students to participate in.

The High School

HKIS offers a college-prep curriculum, and 90% of its graduates go on to college in the US or Canada with the rest attending university in Asia. In addition to its academic program, the school offers a variety of clubs, athletics and other activities for high school students. The high school focuses on self-motivation, collaboration, and interactive learning.

Professional Development

PD at HKIS has two key elements: It stresses collaborative planning and development of efforts and events that are supported by the budget.

Staff development is aligned with the school’s major goals. Examples are HKIS faculty-led training, weekend workshops, visiting consultants, faculty retreats

Employment at HKIS

Teachers need to have a minimum of two years experience at least a Bachelor’s Degree, certification. Experience overseas is a plus. The school is looking for not only Christian teachers, but teachers of other faiths as well who are interested in exploring the complex questions of faith and spirituality.

HKIS wants teachers who:

• Actively support the school’s mission statement
• Model and foster dialogue and understanding about religious and spiritual identity
• Are passionate about teaching students
• Who work with parents as partners
• Are qualified and experienced educators
• Demonstrate commitment to teamwork and effective communication
• Use the best research-based teaching practices and knowledge of curriculum

Benefits include a retirement plan, medical insurance, professional development support, housing, and relocation allowance. Salary information is not available on the website.

Applications must be received online to be given full consideration. HKIS attends Northern Iowa, Search and ISS fairs. Job openings are posted on the school website as soon as they become available.

]]> http://theinternationalteacher.wordpress.com/?p=31 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:52:55 +0000 drbrucepk http://theinternationalteacher.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/the-american-school-of-dubai/ American School of Dubai

Did you ever dream of living in the Middle East? The area is populated by some of the oldest and most exciting cultures on the planet. If you have, you may want to check out the American School of Dubai. It offers a good pay scale with excellent benefits. The area is developing some of the finest international schools and has been a center of international school activity for many decades.

ASD is an independent, coeducational day school for students from Pre-K to Grade 12. It is located in a suburb of Dubai approximately 15 minutes from the business center of Dubai. ASD was established in 1975. The school is accredited by Middle States.

ASD uses a US standards - based curriculum. It is a college preparatory school. ASD has a rigorous academic program. ASD offers AP courses for high school students. World languages include French and Spanish. The school has close to 1,000 students from the US and 44 other countries. 75% of the students are from North America.

The campus is located on 8 acres of land. The school has three main buildings, two pre-K villas, a two-story library, and elementary art center, and two gyms. There are 69 classrooms. There are four science labs, four computer labs, a large library, and extensive athletic facilities.

ASD employs 100 teachers. The majority of teachers are from North America. The average length of stay is eight years which is long for an international school. Generally this indicates that the teachers enjoy working at the school, although in the case of a school in an oil country, it could also mean that they have a number of employees who have spouses working on contracts with the oil industry.

The school year is 180 days and runs from 8:00 – 3:00 for all students except Kindergarten. The average class has 18-24 students. The student/teacher ratio is 11:1.

Technology is integrated throughout the curriculum. All classrooms are networked. Computer instruction is provided at all grade levels. There are over 500 computers in the school. The school uses a traditional approach to computers with the usual computer curriculum – typing, word processing, computer graphics, use of email and the internet, etc.

Mission

The American School of Dubai, an independent, not for profit organization, offers what is best about American education in order to provide an educational experience designed to promote the maximum potential of it's students. The school will challenge and assist students to become intellectually adept, thoughtful and ethical contributors to a global society.

ASD Beliefs

· Education is a shared responsibility of the administration and faculty, students, parents, and the school community.

· A safe and secure environment that is marked by respect for the rights of others and acceptance of personal responsibility is conducive to effective learning.

· Education must encompass the development of the whole individual: academic, aesthetic, creative, social, physical, and emotional.

· Students are individuals whose learning is influenced by age, prior knowledge, background, experiences, personality and physiology.

· The learning environment and educational process should recognize and accommodate different abilities, learning styles and interests. Education is most effective when the learner is actively engaged in the learning process.

· Education should provide meaningful and relevant experiences that are valuable beyond the classroom.

· The students' school experience should foster self-esteem and self-confidence, which are integral components of the successful learner.

· Education encourages each student to develop positive character traits and assist them in understanding themselves and how their values relate to the world in which they live. Education should foster independent thinking to encourage creativity, thoughtful decision-making, critical analysis, and an appreciation and understanding of differences in opinion.

· The school experience should promote positive interpersonal relationships where students can work cooperatively with a partner, group, or team to become caring, sharing individuals, aware of the concern of others.

· The establishment of realistic, yet challenging, expectations and the learners responsibility for their achievement promotes excellence.

· Education should encourage responsible citizenship and global awareness.

· Education should instill in students a desire for lifelong learning.

· Well-planned change and purposeful institutional and personal renewal will lead to continuous improvement and enable the educational community to adapt to a rapidly changing world.

There are extensive extra-curricular activities offered at all grade levels including athletics and the arts and sciences. Older students may participate in the Eastern Mediterranean Activities Conference. The EMAC includes athletics and the fine arts. Students may travel to other countries to participate in these activities.

The Elementary School

Elementary students have specialized instruction in Arabic, art, computer, music, library, and physical education. There are also special needs classes in math and reading, along with assistance for mild learning disabilities.

The Middle School

Like all high quality schools, ASD recognizes that the Middle Years are a special time in the life of a child. Recognizing that, they have tailored their program to best help students develop academically, emotionally and socially. Students begin each day with their advisor. The academic day is divided into learning blocks based on a six-day rotation. Students have core classes as well as electives. The program is academically rigorous but also recognizes the strong role of the electives such as art, music and drama in the overall development of a child into a balanced individual. The school offers extensive after school clubs and sports. The Middle School also offers Week Without Walls; this is a week-long educational travel experience. These types of programs are common in the international school world.

The High School

In addition to an excellent academic program that offers what ASD considers to be the best of American education, the high school also recognizes that education is more than just mastering the “core” courses. They have a strong athletic program and compete in the Dubai Coast Conference and the Eastern Mediterranean Activities Conference. ASD also has a performing arts program and a community service program for high school students.

Teaching at ASD

If you are a teaching candidate for ASD, this is what they are looking for in their teachers:

· Preferably a US or Canadian teaching certificate

· Recent teaching experience in an American or Canadian school

· Experience in the teaching position preferred

· Experience in coaching or supervision of extra-curricular activities

ASD attends Iowa, Search and ISS fairs. An interview at one of the fairs is required for employment.

Salary and Benefits

Minimum starting salary is USD$ 32,000

Maximum starting salary is USD$ 38,500

Maximum salary on scale is USD$ 47,900

One step on scale for each two years of prior experience up to initial step 5 on schedule.

The school offers a cost of living allowance adjusted yearly. This years allowance is between $8,404-$9,878 for a single teacher. This amount is paid in Dirhams.

ASD offers an impressive list of benefits. These are:

· Professional Development up to $1,200 per year.

· Dependent tuition free for up to two children

· Retirement is 18.2% of base salary if employee contributes 11.2%

· Life Insurance

· Medical Insurance -school pays 80%, employee pays 20%

· Dental – same as above

· Long term disability

· Housing allowance or housing is provided

· A settling in allowance of $8000 – 10,000 paid in Dirhams

· Transportation

· Initial airfare from home of record. At end of second year, home leave is paid.

· Shipping – initial amount of 800 pounds of air freight; final amount up to 1,200 pounds

· Immunizations, initial medical, and visa costs are paid for.

· Taxes – no local taxes

About Dubai

Dubai is one of the emirates in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is the second largest of the emirates after Abu Dhabi. The climate is generally quite hot with not much rain, although it does have a short wet season. The emirate is located in the Arabian Desert.

Although Dubai is an oil producer, its economy has been considerably diversified over the past twenty years or so. It is becoming a tourist destination and a travel hub in the Middle East. The airport is quite impressive. I once spent ten hours in transit with a group of students returning from an international mathematics competition, and we had no problems filling the time. Dubai is also becoming a hub for IT and financial services.

Because of the large expatriate population, Dubai is a multicultural city. You can hear a multitude of languages spoken in the streets, and there are many restaurants featuring food from around the world.

ASD has a very attractive website where you can find additional information. If you are interested in applying to ASD, there is an application online.

A new series of studies suggest that there is some foundation to these beliefs. These studies were presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association.

It’s long been argued by studies of elementary students that students in classes with 20 or fewer students do better than students in larger classes. The results of a study in the United Kingdom of both elementary and secondary students show that students in smaller classes are on-task a greater amount of time than students in larger classes. The UK results show that this is especially true for lower-achieving students in secondary schools. For an increase of every 5 students, on-task time decreases by nearly a quarter. The British researchers, however, did not come up with a threshold (such as 15 or 20 students maximum in a class) like some studies. That is, their studies suggested that any decrease in class size helps.

However, a study done in Hong Kong of 7,000 students did not show any significant increase in on-task time related to a reduction in class size. It has been suggested that this is due to Hong Kong students being on-task most of the time as a rule. The study showed that one-to-one teacher interaction with individual students was just as frequent in classes of 20 – 25 as it was in classes of 32-37. The author of the study, Maurice Galton of the UK, said that this is because Chinese teachers have a system of keeping track of who they interact with on a class roster. He did note, however, that more students were likely to ask for extra help outside of class in the lower size classrooms.

So, here are two studies which give somewhat opposing results.  Is this the result of cultural differences in the students or teachers or parents? What does this say about the arguments for smaller class sizes? What do you as teachers and administrators think?

The International School of Kuala Lumpur is one of the leading schools in Southeast Asia. It has a large student population, excellent facilities, and is located in a very interesting and culturally rich country. The school has been around for a long time so it is well established, and it offers an attractive salary and benefit package. Many times when I write a review, I think “My I’d like to work there.” Well, ISKL is one of those places where I would like to work. The school, the region, the culture of Malaysia – everything is interesting, exciting and offers great challenges. If you want to work in a large school with a diverse population of students and teachers, this may be a place for you to check out carefully. After going through the entire rather extensive website, the only thing that I find worrying about the school is the rather large class sizes, even though the school claims on the website that they have small class sizes. 20-22 students in a class seems fairly large to me. I happen to be one of those folks who like to put the maximum at 15-18, but it sure isn’t 30-33 like you might find back in the States. So let’s take a look at the school.

ISKL was established in 1965 and was the first fully accredited international school with an American-based curriculum in Malaysia. It is a private, non-profit, parent-governed school that is accredited by WASC. ISKL is located in the heart of the city.

ISKL uses an American based curriculum. The school offers Advanced Placement courses and the IB Diploma for high school students.

ISKL has over 1400 students from 54 countries. Over two thirds of the faculty have Masters and Doctorate degrees.

ISKL participates in the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools. Member schools are located in Jakarta, Bangkok, Manila, Taipei, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The organization hosts activities in sports, fine and performing arts, The Model United Nations, the Leadership Convention and other cultural events. Students at ISKL are encouraged to participate in school activities.

Class sizes range from 16-22 and all classrooms are carpeted and air-conditioned. The libraries have over 40,000 books, periodicals, and reference materials. The libraries also have online computers and professional librarians to assist students and teachers. Each campus has several fully-equipped science labs. Classrooms have computers and labs are available at both Melawati and Ampang campuses. The school has both Mac and Windows machines. Every computer has access to the internet. Students have their own email accounts and communicate with their teachers and each other on class projects.

Both campuses have theaters and swimming pools. Other facilities include music rooms, dance studios, drama studios, and indoor cafeterias.

ISKL is a member of IASAS (Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools) which includes Jakarta, Bangkok, Taipei, Manila and Singapore. IASAS sponsors sports, arts, and cultural joint events for member schools.

The Elementary School

The Elementary School faculty is dedicated to educating the whole child using a balanced approach. ESL programs and Special Learning Needs are offered, as well as individual and family counseling. Special features of the Elementary School are:

• An international community dedicated to the needs of all students
• An excellent educational program
• A strong relationship and sense of cooperation with the home
• A well-defined set of beliefs
• A  purpose built facility for elementary student

Students in Elementary School may take part in an extensive list of after school activities. These include sports (such as soccer and baseball) and arts (such as drama). In addition to school sponsored activities, there are also activities available that are organized by professionals from outside the school community; these are available to students for a fee.

The Middle School

The middle school program is organized around Core and Encore teams of faculty and students. The program is designed so that teachers and students work together in teams of “learning communities”. The day is block-scheduled and activities are shared by members of each team. The middle school uses portfolios for student-led parent-teacher conferences. Middle school students have a wide range of elective and exploratory classes to choose from in addition to the core subjects. The school has a Student Council. French and Spanish are offered as foreign languages. Home Groups meet each day and consist of balanced groups by gender, age, and nationality.

The High School

The High School offers Advanced Placement courses as well as the IB Diploma. The curriculum is university prepatory. Students are required to take a core of five courses: mathematics, science, social studies, English and a foreign language. In addition to the core cores, there is a variety of elective courses available for students to choose from. The program emphasizes critical thinking, developing sound research skills, the application of knowledge to new situations and global awareness.

Technology at ISKL

ISKL is another school that utilizes electronic communications to create an interactive, informed school community. The school provides comprehensive Information Technology resources to meet the challenges of the 21^st century. These technology resources enable students to acquire the skills necessary to become the leaders of tomorrow. They have an electronic bulletin board service which provides an easy and effective way for members of the ISKL community to interact. The BBS (the Bulletin Board System) is used to :

• Schedule meetings
• Place announcements and the school bulletin
• Write and respond to e-mail
• Read special updates by departments
• Access the Friday Flash
• Access minutes to Board and PTA meetings
• Access information on cultural events
• Read the latest IB news

Teaching at ISKL

The requirements for a teaching candidate are a BA or MA in the field related to what they will be teaching, three years of recent experience, previous overseas teaching experience, and a teaching credential.

ISKL prefers teaching couples with no more than two children.

The school website notes that the salary is competitive which means that it should be in the range of Singapore American School, Jakarta International School, and the International School of Bangkok since these are the comparable schools in the region.

ISKL offers excellent benefits. These include:

·  Temporary hotel accommodation upon arrival and final departure from Malaysia.

·  Relocation allowance to defray initial set-up cost.

·  Air transportation to Malaysia (and on repatriation) and shipping of personal effects.

·  Heavily discounted tuition fee at USD500 per year per child for full time faculty. Busing fee is also discounted.

·  Home leave at the end of the initial two-year contract and annually thereafter.

·  Tax allowance for overseas-hired (head of household) teachers.

·  Monthly housing allowance.

·  Global medical and hospitalization insurance and outpatient reimbursement after deductible, long term disability insurance, personal accident coverage and an annual medical screening.

·  Provident Fund/Retirement Scheme (ISKL contributes 17% of your salary to the fund: teachers are required to contribute a minimum of 11%). The accumulated total is available to teachers upon leaving Malaysia.

·  Monthly transport allowance.

·  Re-signing bonus after completion of Year 4, 6 and 8.

·  Stipends available for additional activities.

·  Interest-free computer loan available.

·  Professional development fund allocated annually, cumulative up to three years.

·  Up to 50% reimbursement on accredited university course tuition.

An application form is available online. 

About Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, one of the most dynamic of the Southeast Asian countries. Malaysia is a multiracial society. KL is home of the Petronas Twin Towers which was the tallest building in the world at one time. KL is one of the key cities of SE Asia. It’s known for it wonderful restaurants, modern shopping malls, new transit system, tropical weather, and varied nightlife. KL has a population of about 1.6 million.

ISKL has an excellent website. The website has testimonials from parents and students. This is an important part of researching a potential place of employment. Take a read and see what these folks have to say about ISKL.

Bangladesh is one of those countries that I had a chance to visit some years ago, but missed out on because of circumstances. With my love of Indian and Pakistani cultures, Bangladesh seems like a perfect place for me to teach. The school is mid-sized which allows for some variation in terms of interaction with students and teachers, while being small enough to get to know just about everybody. The salaries are well within the range offered in the region and are more than enough to life comfortably and save money as well. The salaries in Lahore during my years there were just about the same, and I was able to save over 40% of my salary and still support my family back in Bali.

The American International School/Dhaka was founded in 1972 and is located in a suburb of Dhaka. The campus is 4.5 acres. The educational program is college preparatory and offers Advanced Placement courses and the IB Diploma. The school website notes that AIS/D is comparable to a top suburban school in the United States. AIS/D is accredited by CIS and NEASC.

AIS/D is dedicated to creating “Independent Learners” and “International Citizens”.

The International Schools Assessment standardized test is given each year to students in Grades 3-9.

There are approximately 700 students from over 40 nationalities at AIS/D. Americans and Indians are the two largest nationalities represented.

AIS/D has excellent facilities. All classrooms are air-conditioned, and have internet access. The cafeteria serves hot lunches daily; there is a 250 seat auditorium; a medical clinic; two playgrounds; an athletic field; a computer lab; a science lab; a heated pool and three gyms. 

Mission

AIS/D provides a program based on American educational principles to students from an international community.  We create an academic and social environment that challenges students to achieve their potential, become life-long learners and contribute to a changing global society.

Vision

Preparing students to become stewards of a just and sustainable world

The Elementary School

The Elementary School is committed to developing the whole child – academically, socially and emotionally. Elementary school teachers seek to help students develop into international citizens who value life-long learning. AIS/D believes that fun should be an integral part of each child’s educational experience.

Students have written reports in January and June that detail their progress for the semester. 

AIS/D has a very extensive After School Activities Program which lasts for six weeks each term. Students may choose up to four activities per week to participate in. Each activity lasts one hour.

The Middle School

AIS/D recognizes that Middle School students are in the process of undergoing significant changes physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. The Middle School teachers structure their programs around this fact of life. They seek to help students develop long-lasting, trusting relationships with their peers, parents and teachers. The school focuses on developing the idea of service within the Middle School.

Students have core courses at this level. At AIS/D these are: Math, Science, PE, Social Studies and Language Arts. There are a variety of courses that rotate on a quarterly basis. These include: Art, Drama, Health, Speech, Computers, and Music. Students are also required to take either French or Spanish. Additionally, there are a variety of electives that students may choose from.
 

The High School

The High School offers a broad range of subjects including IB and Advanced Placement. Graduates go on to many of the most prestigious universities around the world.

There is an extensive extra-curricular program and the school participates in the South Asian Inter School Association Conference. This includes athletics as well as activities such as the Model UN and SAISA Math. High School students also take part in service programs such as Habitat for Humanities.

Teaching at AIS/D

Faulty members need to be involved in either an inter-scholastic activity or an extra-duty activity. Interscholatistic activities include sport or other activities that are sponsored by the AIS/D students. Stipends are included. Extra-duty activities are things like Student Government, United Nations Day, Cultural Convention, etc. A stipend is included.

AIS/D uses international job fairs as its primary means of teacher recruitment. They attend Search, ISS and Iowa job fairs. Personal interviews are required for employment so candidates are urged to attend one of the job fairs. Occasionally interviews can be arranged outside of the fairs. Candidates should contact the school before the fairs so that the administrators will have time to examine their files. You should send an email to the Superintendent with the following: a personal statement of educational philosophy as well as the reasons for your interest in AIS/D; the specific position for which you are applying; a resume along with personal references; a digital photograph.

AIS/D has an excellent professional development program. Each teacher is allotted $750 per year which they may use for professional conferences, university course work, distance learning course work, and summer workshops. Additionally each division in the school has a PD budget which they can use for staff development activities.

Salary and Benefits

Salaries at AIS/D are in line with most mid-size schools in South and Southeast Asia. AIS/D uses a salary schedule which can be found online. Starting salary for teachers with 2 years experience is $30,780 and the maximum starting salary is $47, 795 for a teacher with 13 years experience and an MA +30. The school administration decides where a teacher starts on the salary schedule based on their previous experience. Initial contracts are for two years.

AIS/D offers excellent benefits. These are:

• 10% of base salary relocation benefit
• 7% of base salary pension benefit
• Medical insurance
• Disability insurance (school pays 75%, employee pays 25%)
• Shipping at beginning and end of employment
• Travel at beginning and end of contract
• R & R after first year round trip airfare to Bangkok
• Longevity Bonus - $3,000 for extending first contract for additional two years; $1,000 for extension of one year after initial contract; one additional two year extension after first two year extension
• Annual home leave – after first two year contract
• Transportation in Dhaka
• Housing along with major appliances
• Furnishing allowance - $300
• Utilities – up to $3,500 per year for gas, water, and electricity
• Fee waivers for children of teachers
• Medical examination
• Immunizations
• Emergency evacuation
• Holiday leave for regular school holidays
• Sick leave – 15 days per year
• Personal leave – 2 days per year with pay
• Recruitment leave – 3 days with pay when leaving AIS/D
• Severance – reimbursement of 60 days accumulated sick leave not used at $25 per day
• Maternity leave – 60 days
• Paternity leave – 8 days
• Sabbatical leave – after six years, one year at half pay, but must return for two more years
• Bereavement – 10 working days for serious illness of family member
• Taxes – teachers are exempt from Bangladeshi income taxes

About Dhaka 

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh, the country formed from what was previously called East Pakistan and before that was in the Bengal part of British India. It has a population of around 11,000,000 including the metropolitan area. Dhaka has all the problems that go along with being the 11^th most populous metropolitan area of the world, but it does attract a fair amount of foreign investment and is the center of education in Bangladesh.

Bengali is the national language and most residents of Dhaka speak Bengali or one of its dialects. English is also spoken by many residents especially in business establishments.

The majority of Dhaka’s residents are Muslims although there are Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities as well. While there are many traditional markets left in Dhaka, the rising middle and upper classes usually shop at the new malls being built around the metropolitan area. Dhaka has an active cultural scene, and if you’ve been to Pakistan or India, you’ll recognize many of the foods, dances and music.

Jakarta International School is one of those giant schools in international education with a reputation for excellence. JIS is located in Jakarta, Indonesia. The school was founded in 1951 and serves over 2,500 students from more than 60 countries in grades Pre-K to 12. JIS is accredited by WASC and CIS. It offers the IB Diploma and Advanced Placement Programs.

JIS occupies three campuses: Pattimura Elementary, Pondok Indah Elementary, and the Middle School and High School campus which is adjacent to the Pondok Indah campus. All campuses have extensive facilities including pools, gymnasiums, science laboratories, computer labs, libraries, and more.

Approximately 300 teachers from more than 20 countries teach at JIS. Teachers remain at JIS for seven years on the average which is longer than most international schools and probably has something to do with the excellent salaries and benefits that they offer. Plus, as crowded as Jakarta is, there’s a lot to do there.

JIS is highly cognizant of parent concerns regarding security as Jakarta often has large demonstrations particularly aimed at Americans. JIS has the latest high tech security system including a Director of Security.

The Elementary Program

The Elementary Program places a strong emphasis on language arts and mathematics. Additionally, well-balanced programs are provided in science and technology, social studies, fine arts, physical development, and Indonesian language and culture. Elementary students have specialist teachers for computers, art, library, and physical education. Students in grades 3, 4 and 5 also have specialist teachers for Indonesian language and culture.

JIS offers a wide range of after school activities for students in elementary school. These activities run from 1:55 to 2:45 and include dance, art, drama, athletics, and music. Additionally there are parent-led activities after school and on the weekends. Parents need to provide transport for students after these activities

The Middle School

JIS says that the difference between its Middle School and others is its commitment to helping students in their transition from childhood to adolescence. JIS uses a curriculum that emphasizes the process of learning with age appropriate experiences. They plan their program so that students are prepared for the future. Teachers work to offer Middle School students opportunities for creativity, courage and compassion as well as participation and collaboration. The school celebrates diversity and promotes interaction within a multi-cultural community.

The Middle School uses block scheduling with Core classes lasting 90 minutes and Exploratory classes lasting 70 minutes. Core classes are English, Math, Social Studies an Science. There are many Exploratory and Elective courses including music, technology, Mandarin and many others.

The co-curricular program are designed to be inclusive and assist students in developing confidence, social skills, individual interests, and can-do attitudes. Some examples of the program are; school exchanges, awareness weeks, UN Day, field trips and others.

Students are organized into small groups within their grade level and assigned a team of teachers who work with them throughout the year.

Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Graders are offered ESOL for those that need it.

The High School

JIS has a wide selection of courses for high school students. Students may take IB courses to complete the IB Diploma and/or they may take Advanced Placement courses and receive an International Advanced Placement Diploma. JIS has counselors who will work with students and their families to design the best program of study possible. In addition to the academic program there are many co-curricular offerings in sports, the arts, and other types of activities.

JIS has high academic standards for its students and works to prepare them for college and beyond. Teachers employ a variety of teaching methods to match students’ individual learning styles.

Students in Grades 9-12 take at least six classes daily: five academic courses and one non-academic elective. While classes are taught in English, JIS offers ESOL for students that need additional help with English.

Each student is expected to be computer literate, complete a one-semester Health course, and complete at least one course in the fine or performing arts. Final exams are given for each course and students must take them at the required time.

Employment