Not an admin, but my 2c, at least for secondary level:

Content knowledge is more important to a point, after which it has diminishing returns. If you're teaching DP/AP/AS Math, having a strong command over that content trumps curriculum-specific stuff. But if you have someone with Math BA + 2 years IB vs. someone with a Math PhD and 10 years teaching university level math, the Math BA with IB experience would *usually* win out IMO (at an IB school anyway). There's also schools where this is not the case though.

Most of your points are well-taken, but regarding UPe vs. ACE, I believe ACE is regionally accredited while UPe is not, I think that's a noteworthy difference no?

About 'obfuscating' online degrees...won't any school/government that has a policy about online degrees check the transcripts, which would identify them as online classes anyway regardless of what the diploma says and whether or not there's a brick and mortar uni? I mean the timeline of my Masters will overlap with my working period in China, I think most people will assume it's done online just based on that.

Too late to edit my reply, but:

Another option I've been looking at recently is the American College of Education M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. About the same cost as Portsmouth MSc and is approved for principal licensure in a handful of states. Slightly shorter completion time as well (17.5 months vs 2 years with Portsmouth). Even if a Masters is a Masters outside of the Iveys, this *seems* like it would make more sense from a CV narrative standpoint with my background. I still need to take a closer look at the course listing though.

Thanks for the reply PsyGuy. Regarding the Portsmouth option, wouldn't it raise any eyebrows that my education and work experience is entirely from the US + US-aligned international schools, and the Masters would be from a British institution?

Background about me: Licensed math teacher from the US with 7 years of teaching experience (3 domestic, 4 in China), 3 years teaching AP courses. Although I'm licensed my undergrad degree has nothing to do with Education nor Math. I am currently enrolled in Harvard Cert. of School Management and Leadership. Single, no dependents. Looking to stay in China for a while based on the current job market, but not completely opposed to other options.

I've taught at a proper (Tier 2.5-ish) international school in China, but am currently working in a bilingual school which pays better than the international school I worked at but is not a better school in any other sense (the package is of course substantially lower than the Tier 1s here). I chose to work here precisely because I wanted to be somewhere that still pays reasonably but has a workload that allows me to pursue a Masters. I would like to move into administration eventually, but am not in a rush to do so.

My first consideration is Portsmouth's MSc in Educational Leadership and Management. My second is Sunderland's MA in International Education. They both take 2 years through distance learning and are about the same cost. The Portsmouth degree is obviously more aligned with a track to administration. I think the Sunderland degree would have more utility towards getting a teaching job at a Tier 1 or fringe-Tier 1 school in China. I think on balance, I would be better off getting experience teaching at a Tier 1, but the calculus of everything isn't that clear to me.

What do you think about these options? Which do you think is better for someone in my situation?

Addendum: I've seen Oxford MSc in Teaching and Learning touted on this forum. The problem is, even though much of the program can be done through distance learning, they have required in-person seminars on Sept. 30, Nov. 25, Jan. 20, March 2, and June 15. I don't know how that schedule is workable for anyone outside the UK. But if anyone has more insight into this option, I'd also be interested in hearing about that.