PsyGuy wrote:
> I disagree with @Heliotrope , not strongly, because it sounds very
> reasonable in a sort of made for television way that depicts edus and
> students. My issue is that this is a crime, and likely in a region with
> heavy penalties just for drug possession, and that this type of behavior is
> a violation of the ISs policy somewhere. Not reporting it has serious
> negative implications for the IT and theres no benefit to the IT for, at
> the very least not report it to leadership. Assuming they word the report
> in such away as to not indicate they ignored the behavior in the past.
> Theres a lot of risk of serious downside consequences and no upside for the
> IT. @Heliotrope is arguing AGAINST CYA, and an IT should always be thinking
> and acting towards first CYA.

If I worked in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia and overheard two local students outside my classroom window say they think the prophet Muhammed made it all up and Islam is a bunch of nonsense, would I report this, knowing it might lead to a death sentence?
Hell no.
Nobody knows I overheard it (just like the OP, who says they saw it from their classroom window, and I'm assuming they were by themselves but the OP can correct me if I'm wrong), which means my ass and the OP's ass are both covered.

If the OP makes a remark to that student that they smelled an odor resembling cannabis in that area but that they haven't seen who actually smoked it but just wants to warn him that it is illegal since they know that that student hangs out in that area sometimes, and then say that should the student ever be tempted to smoke pot they should resist that urge given the strict laws in place, then that would still not put the OP at risk since they're not saying they actually witnessed anything illegal, but it could lead to positive change in student behavior (or at least be more careful about where they smoke it).
They could tell SLT that they have smelled pot, without needing to report specific students. Ass covered and no unnecessary victims.

newtothisgame wrote:
> I am inclined to approach one of them I know best and suggest they at least
> not smoke on campus.

This what I would do, sort of.
I'd tell them I'd smelled it but wasn't able to catch them in the act, but that is not allowed on campus, or anywhere (in their country).
I wouldn't tell them to smoke it elsewhere, I'd just tell them to not smoke it on campus.
I wouldn't try to be relatable by saying you're actually ok with smoking weed or that you have done it yourself (although it would convey the scary idea that smoking pot might lead to a career in education), just simply state that if someone catches them in the act they will have a big problem. Nearly getting caught might scare them enough to stop doing it at school.

popgirl wrote:
> Heliotrope wrote:
> > Some schools will try to obtain a certain accreditations because they think it's
> the
> > better one and having it will reflect their commitment to education to parents
> and
> > other schools.
> > Sometimes a school will go for the easiest one, just so they can say they're a
> certified school.
>
>
> So which ones do you think denote quality ?

Lots of great schools have one or more of the following: WASC, CIS, NEASC
But that doesn't mean that if a school has one of these that it's definitely a good school. It just makes it more likely than if they don't have any of them.

popgirl wrote:
> so why might a school choose one over the other ?

Some schools will try to obtain a certain accreditations because they think it's the better one and having it will reflect their commitment to education to parents and other schools.
Sometimes a school will go for the easiest one, just so they can say they're a certified school.

tangchao wrote:
> Just make sure you have a reference already.

Part of checking the references can also be a call or email to your last employer, so getting a reference before you take legal action isn't a way of having your cake and eating it too.
It will however enable you to prove the bad things an admin might say about you in such a call/email are because of the lawsuit you brought against them, since they said different things in their written reference.

Aoibhneas wrote:
> Could you tell me the name
> of the biggest fair in Lomdon to attend ? thank you! Aoife

That would be the Search Associates Fair. You would need to be registered with Search to attend.

interteach wrote:
> I can't discuss actual schools, but my references were excellent and I've
> taken advantage of PD to improve my work, either through what the school
> offered or an allowance (if provided). I was pretty well set up to get
> interviews.
>
> A number of schools were known for being fast-paced and expecting a fair
> amount of work from teachers, but I enjoy that.

I actually meant the non-teaching jobs ("education-related work"), but I misread and thought those were the high-paying jobs.

interteach wrote:
> IB Math

May I ask what kind of high-paying jobs you landed, and how you liked them?

applecake wrote:
> Wondered if we were looking for a throwback to the 80s where we had family
> neighborhoods and kids biking in the streets reminicent to Stranger Things
> - which schools / cities would be best to take a closer look at?

This sounds a lot like how other teachers have described the housing compounds for some schools in Saudi Arabia (Aramco, KAUST, AIS Riyadh, AIS Jeddah, probably a few more).

I think there's an assessment-only pathway to certification. Not sure if this is true for all US states, but it's worth looking into. Then you'd only have to pay the exam-fees. Not sure what the qualifications for this is, but Google and learn.

Very few people visit this forum.
If I were you I'd post it on the main forum, you'll get more answer there.

You seem highly qualified, so it's likely either some negative references or racism.
Not much you can do about it I'm afraid, but it's sad if they chose not to accept you as a candidate for this reason.
I would definitely approach the school through other channels, as otherwise you wouldn't land the job anyway. It's worth a try.

Be aware that it's not all of Search, as the associate assigned to you has the authority to accept or deny you. Another associate might have accepted you if you would have been assigned to them. I did hear other reports of other perfectly qualified teachers being denied by Search for no obvious reason other than the color of their skin, so sadly you're not the first and likely not the last to whom this happens.
Also, I know for a fact that plenty of great schools are perfectly happy hiring a non-White teacher, so this associate is mistaken if they think no school will pick you up.

Hope it all works out for you.

How I would answer would partly be influenced by which school I'm applying to, in so far that it would determine what I would emphasize and what I might downplay. Know your audience.
Apart from that, I've noticed schools prefer you to use examples from your classroom to illustrate your answers, so don't keep it too abstract/theoretical but be sure to also use anecdotes that show how it played out in real life. Everyone can come up with a right answer, but if you show that you've actually walked the walk it will make more of an impression.

justme123 wrote:
> @Heliotrope- those are some great points. As someone who takes my health
> for granted, I didn't think about good healthcare facilities.

Yeah, imagine being at one of those mining schools in the jungle and suddenly being in need of an acute appendectomy.

> As for work-life balance, I agree with you. While many IE strive for T1
> schools, maybe having a lower stress job at a T2 or even T3 may be a smart
> move.

There are T1 schools where you can have a healthy work-life balance. I find that most of my colleagues at my tier 1 school who work till 5:30pm almost every day put pressure on themselves, and it's not admin who makes them work those long hours. My admin just care that you get the job done, and what they expect to be done isn't unreasonable at all. Those teachers feel they need to work many hours to be a good teacher. If you're efficient, you can get your work done and go home on time - working longer doesn't always equate to working better.

> My question is, when vetting a potential school, how do you go about
> finding out the school's work-life balance? Do you ask current faculty
> members?

Yes, and also teachers who left recently (last two years or so, sometimes longer if there haven't been major changes in admin).
And one opinion is not very useful, get a few. I used to find them using Facebook or LinkedIn, but nowadays I have a rather large network of former colleagues who have spread out over the world and now work at good to great schools, so I usually know someone at the schools I'm considering, or someone I know will know someone there.

> I am keeping my options open at the minute, applying everywhere. Signed up to Search
> (lovely people!) and will attend job fairs. Schrole s is pending, haven't heard of
> ISS, will search that now!

You could also try GRC and TES.