Comments: I am one of the many teachers who was forced to leave CIC because of the Director of the school and my comments will obviously reflect this: Venezuela is an amazing country. It is beautiful and offers an incredible range of activities, from gorgeous Andes to pristine beaches.The first review does not paint an accurate picture of Venezuela. It makes the country seem dangerous and unstable, whereas this is not the truth. Safety concerns are the same for Caracas as for any other major city in the world: New York, Paris, Tokyo, etc. It is safe to go out at night as long as one uses common sense. The only shortages of goods occurred during the management-imposed work-stoppage in December '02- January '03, and even this was minimal.The exchange controls result in MORE value for the dollar, not less.

There is great unfairness as to local teachers' salaries, and the local staff has been especially hard hit with inflation because they are paid in local currency. The administration and board do very little to offset these hardships, and the local staff are forced to walk a very thin line as to demands because unemployment in Venezuela is high and the director will get rid of anyone who speaks up too loudly. However, the local staff are very professional and do not harbor "deep-seated jealousy". They merely want to earn what is fair and reasonable- they do not in any way blame the foreign hires (although they could because for the most part the foreign hires only concern themselves with themselves and not the good of the whole of the school).

The first review was more accurate on the description of the school itself. In general, students ARE unmotivated, there IS a real lack of academic standards, and the administration DOES refuse to support teachers. The elementary program is fairly strong, and the real problems arise in the middle school and high school areas. Most of the problems are a direct result of the leadership of the school. The director micro-manages, and does not allow, in any form, criticisms of the educational program. The director not only pushes out people who speak up (about local salaries, about the way staff are treated, about low academic standards, about unfair hiring practices, etc.) but makes sure they are blacklisted (blackballed) with other international schools.

The Board of Directors is a joke, at most meetings they are unable to even reach a quorum. Many parents are more interested in a good grade for their children than the quality of education received, and the administration bows to the pressure (for example, one policy stated that if a student didn't do the work AT ALL they would receive a 60%, not a zero, because it would otherwise mess up their average). There are a few terrible teachers and support staff who enjoy a cozy relationship with the head and therefore have job protection. For the most part, the teachers are qualified and professional and the terrible academic standards are not a result of the teachers, but in spite of them. Teachers absolutely receive incorrect information as regards to shipping and monies owed to them, and the Director tells different people different things. The rules change as he sees fit (with almost zero oversight from the "board") and there is no avenue to address these problems. Basically assume your contract is worth nothing unless you happen to get in good with the Director.

Morale at the school reached an incredible low during the last few school years, with the result being a high turnover of expat teachers. The problem is, and will continue to be, the Director (helped by the Board), who have fired most of the staff for two reasons: 1. teachers were developing friendships with the staff and 2. they can hire new staff for a lot less than they have to pay staff that have been there a long period of time. People were becoming too vocal, so the result was to clean house. The good news is that the director may have only one more year left before retirement. Hopefully, the school can do a good purging and recover its promise.

A comment in a previous review is simply outrageous. "Everyone who works and studies there is highly motivated, enthusiastic and comfortable about the school." This is an absurd statement that couldn't even be true of the most amazing school in the world. Everyone? And it is a well known opinion among many teachers at the school (there are some that would disagree) that the students are not motivated or enthusiastic about the school (maybe comfortable, because they know they will not be held to high academic standards).

The political problems are by no means "resolved", although that should not be held against the country or the school. The political nature of Venezuela is fascinating and multi-faceted. As far as ECA is concerned, of course they are "aggressively lobbying international companies to send their employees' children to their school." That malicious rumors" ideas sounds a little far-fetched. The reality is that ECA is in a better position because it has better academic standards (and their location in the city and better facilities also help). It's interesting to note that while CIC's enrollment has plummeted, ECA's has remained steady. There are many dedicated, hard-working teachers at CIC. If the Director leaves (which MOST of the teachers want but cannot speak up publicly or will lose their jobs) along with his small support network of teachers, and if the board ceases to be a joke and in a power play becomes a real force interested in improving academic standards, then CIC can become an excellent school. Right now, with Mr. Sargent at the helm, the ship is sinking. I hope he gets off before it is too late.