Taking a Year Off
Taking a Year Off
How do international schools view taking a year off of working in a school in order to earn an MA in Educational/School Leadership? I could finish it by the end of the year off, but if I complete it as I work full time, it could take until 2021 or longer.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Taking a Year Off
Why not do it in summers and keep working and banking coin? TCNJ, Endicott, PTC, and others all offer programs.
Re: Taking a Year Off
Also Lehigh.
But even if you take the year off, schools tend to be understanding.
But why? Use summers and online and you won't have to live off savings for a year.
But even if you take the year off, schools tend to be understanding.
But why? Use summers and online and you won't have to live off savings for a year.
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sdakota
Re: Taking a Year Off
Quick question to add on to this topic. A lot of the university you all mentioned are mentioned frequently. Would it be a career misstep to go to a 100% online college for Ed Leadership at a for profit institution, even if it's cheaper than the rest mentioned?
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Taking a Year Off
sdakota,
yes. Well, if you are hoping to use it to springboard you to admin at a decent school instead of your present school, yes. If you are looking only for admin experience and don't care about the quality of the school, then no. But the problem then becomes, if you were an admin at crap school X, why would decent school Y want to hire you? Yes, there are always exceptions and caveats, but that's why they're called exceptions and caveats.
If you REALLY want a cheap masters, research and join a school that subsidized or fully covers your masters. There are some out there!
yes. Well, if you are hoping to use it to springboard you to admin at a decent school instead of your present school, yes. If you are looking only for admin experience and don't care about the quality of the school, then no. But the problem then becomes, if you were an admin at crap school X, why would decent school Y want to hire you? Yes, there are always exceptions and caveats, but that's why they're called exceptions and caveats.
If you REALLY want a cheap masters, research and join a school that subsidized or fully covers your masters. There are some out there!
Re: Taking a Year Off
Some countries will not accept online degrees or qualifications for visas.
Re: Taking a Year Off
I'd be interested in knowing which schools actually let you take a year off to go to school and return to the same job. It's expensive to have foreign hires and schools sometimes struggle extended medical or maternity leaves to make sure that classes are adequately taught. What schools hold your job for a year--do you get benefits still? It seems like schools would rather say "no, thanks" to the idea of a sabbatical and would rather ask a teacher to do the work on their own time for their degree, rather than go through the challenge of finding a qualified sub for just a year unless they absolutely had to.
Re: Taking a Year Off
Very few schools have official protocols for a sabbatical, but some will make individual arrangements if it’s sensible. A big enough school knows they will have an opening for HS English or some upper primary positions, every year without fail, so they can agree to welcome you back. Not necessarily to your exact position but to something similar. It’s harder if the school only has a small number of whatever sort of teacher you are. There won’t be anything available for you to take. And you had best be a valued teacher or why would they?
No, don’t expect benefits if you’re not working.
Some schools will pay for your masters if you meet certain criteria. It’s a better deal if you can get it.
No, don’t expect benefits if you’re not working.
Some schools will pay for your masters if you meet certain criteria. It’s a better deal if you can get it.
Response
You can do anything for up to a year without adversely effecting your marketability or utility. An advance degree would be seen as one of the more positive utility pursuits. You can spend a year reading on a beach or building a shrine to a dead goldfish, doesnt really matter. Beyond that your utility begins to decay and your resume starts to look dated. begins doesnt mean your doomed but you will have to be prepared to talk about it, and have acceptable responses.
I can understand the other contributors, and if this was an IT appointment it is valid. Its not a reasonable economic trade to forgo an entire years salary (IE average of USD$30K) to gain a fraction of that. Leadership is different however. Its not uncommon to find leadership salaries that are 2x-3x that of an IT in which case the sooner you move into that salary band the better you are fiscally, giving up multiples of an ITs salary while delaying the advance degree would not be prudent. This assumes you have such an opportunity moving forward, and that what opportunities you have arent diminished or lost by leaving, even if only for a year. If you dont have a reasonable expectation of moving into such a role and the Masters is just going to move you to a higher band on the IT scale at a few thousand USD for the foreseeable future, than doing the advance degree part time by distance learning is the economically sensible choice.
@sdakota
In general unless your going to an "Ivy" where you obtain your degree doesnt matter very much. Iss and ownership dont typically make significant distinctions between a for-profit online institution and a F2F brick and mortar state Uni. Unless you attended an Ivy its not something hey can really market, and few in ownership know anything about education. The other factor that matters is having a doctorate, as thats something an IS can market to parents, etc.
I do agree with @Sid that some regions immigration and labor ministrys will not accept online degrees. It depends what the transcript degree states. if you went to a clearly online Uni and thats the only form the Uni has than you may have problems. If the Uni is a more traditional brick and mortar Uni and you just completed the degree by distance/online and the Uni doesnt make a distinction on the transcript or degree than its not an issue.
More important of greater value is your plan to get a leadership credential whether a NQ for leadership in the UK or a state credential and to a lesser extent a curriculum organization credential is more marketable thn the institution on your Masters (assuming its not one of those Ivys).
@mamava
I am unaware of any ISs that offer a paid sabbatical or even a benefits eligible sabbatical or other PD leave of absence for a year long length of time. The small number that do are international academies of DSs in regions with strong tenure and labor union rights.
While I agree with @Sid that an IS and an IT can make an agreement for rehire, its not a sabbatical and your not entitled to return to the position, its little more than an ISs leadership reasoning they like you and if a suitable vacancy is available they would be happy to give you first consideration for the position but its not yours by any type of right.
The "why would they" argument and position is more accurate. Upper tier ISs have no problems recruiting quality ITs and lower tier ISs wont care enough to make such an agreement.
You arent going to get benefits unless they are regulated and required, and in those cases its more social insurance benefits that arent really tied to your IS.
The most accessible means to have access to a leave of absence that long is to take advantage of a maternity/paternity leave to coincide with your program attendance.
I can understand the other contributors, and if this was an IT appointment it is valid. Its not a reasonable economic trade to forgo an entire years salary (IE average of USD$30K) to gain a fraction of that. Leadership is different however. Its not uncommon to find leadership salaries that are 2x-3x that of an IT in which case the sooner you move into that salary band the better you are fiscally, giving up multiples of an ITs salary while delaying the advance degree would not be prudent. This assumes you have such an opportunity moving forward, and that what opportunities you have arent diminished or lost by leaving, even if only for a year. If you dont have a reasonable expectation of moving into such a role and the Masters is just going to move you to a higher band on the IT scale at a few thousand USD for the foreseeable future, than doing the advance degree part time by distance learning is the economically sensible choice.
@sdakota
In general unless your going to an "Ivy" where you obtain your degree doesnt matter very much. Iss and ownership dont typically make significant distinctions between a for-profit online institution and a F2F brick and mortar state Uni. Unless you attended an Ivy its not something hey can really market, and few in ownership know anything about education. The other factor that matters is having a doctorate, as thats something an IS can market to parents, etc.
I do agree with @Sid that some regions immigration and labor ministrys will not accept online degrees. It depends what the transcript degree states. if you went to a clearly online Uni and thats the only form the Uni has than you may have problems. If the Uni is a more traditional brick and mortar Uni and you just completed the degree by distance/online and the Uni doesnt make a distinction on the transcript or degree than its not an issue.
More important of greater value is your plan to get a leadership credential whether a NQ for leadership in the UK or a state credential and to a lesser extent a curriculum organization credential is more marketable thn the institution on your Masters (assuming its not one of those Ivys).
@mamava
I am unaware of any ISs that offer a paid sabbatical or even a benefits eligible sabbatical or other PD leave of absence for a year long length of time. The small number that do are international academies of DSs in regions with strong tenure and labor union rights.
While I agree with @Sid that an IS and an IT can make an agreement for rehire, its not a sabbatical and your not entitled to return to the position, its little more than an ISs leadership reasoning they like you and if a suitable vacancy is available they would be happy to give you first consideration for the position but its not yours by any type of right.
The "why would they" argument and position is more accurate. Upper tier ISs have no problems recruiting quality ITs and lower tier ISs wont care enough to make such an agreement.
You arent going to get benefits unless they are regulated and required, and in those cases its more social insurance benefits that arent really tied to your IS.
The most accessible means to have access to a leave of absence that long is to take advantage of a maternity/paternity leave to coincide with your program attendance.
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shadowjack
- Posts: 2140
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am
Re: Taking a Year Off
Mamava, when I talk about schools subsidizing or paying for masters, it usually means SUNY Buffalo, with instructors coming out to offer courses so it is not online 100%. Most countries accept a blended model, but some will not accept 100% online.
So you work and take courses - no year off.
So you work and take courses - no year off.
Discussion
@SJ
SUNY is one Uni that provides such programs its not the only one, youre just as likely to find the IS partnering with a UK Uni for a Masters program.
SUNY is one Uni that provides such programs its not the only one, youre just as likely to find the IS partnering with a UK Uni for a Masters program.
Re: Taking a Year Off
Thanks for all of your responses.
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jesatlarge
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:31 am
- Location: China
Re: Taking a Year Off
My current school in Malaysia has a full pay, one year sabbatical policy. However, I know of only one person who received it in the last 10 years. The school also has a one year leave of absence policy, with a guaranteed job open return. This is given to applying teachers who the admin seems to value highly. I also know of someone who got a one year, half pay sabbatical from AES in Delhi. So some schools do have this stuff.