The International Schools Review Forum

Greetings.

Wondering if anyone has anything to say about this school and life in BSD City. I've been to Jakarta and didn't particularly like it but Indonesia is a great country. I'd like to know if anyone has anything to add other than what's on the pay portion of the site.

Thanks.

I only interviewed with them, but the principal was very shady (Paul Sebastian). Kept changing things about the salary, insurance, housing, and work hours, class assignments (which were substantially lower then advertised). Acted like he was doing me a favor offering me a position at all, since they were such a global top tier school (kept comparing themselves to WAB). The interview was entirely job negotiation. After saying I'd "think about it" emailed me a few hours later, with a slightly better offer, but he'd have to go with another candidate if I didnt accept that day. I wrote him back, saying I'd decided to pursue other opportunities. Wrote me back a few minutes later (literally a few minutes) stating i didnt know what i was doing, and wasnt familiar with the international school environment, and that id regret losing the position he HAD offered me.

Hey!
I don't know about the Principal, but know the director (an ex WAB, maybe that's why they compare themselves to that school) and the MYP coordinator (from another school)
They both are great, really the kind of people you'd want to work with.

The top tear schools have either massive ego or strategies to "filter the candidates". One Year, WAB didn't even have the job listed on the poster behing the sign up table... "we want people who want us, not just a teaching position"... ego? maybe, but hey, you got to fight for those top packages (hopefully and usually also top teaching experiences! not always true though!)
If something like that happens to you again (I mean a chance to get into a great school), go beyond the first impression and try to find some teachers from that school to talk to.

Now, I haven't taught in that school, and I have no idea how much impact this Principal has on staff moral! (don't I'd have liked him myself!)

nm

HaHa, you have got to be kidding. It is not going to be the new WAB, although they would like it to be.

The head, is a pretty respected guy, and some of the people he brought with him, but not all the admins are well respected at all.

You could do worse for a first time posting, but I wouldnt work there. Dont buy or oversell their hype.

It is an decent school with an ok package, but understand for whom you will be working:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinar_Mas_Group

(I'm not a wikipedia fan, but this is a great page to start your own research.)

I will say it is full of solid, energetic, young teachers. I think most move on from there after a few years to very choice schools.

BSD is...well...if are you single or into nightlife you will spend alot of time in a car getting to where you want to be. BSD is pretty much quiet, surburban Jakarta, in as much as one can be in quiet, surburban Jakarta.

The previous poster is right - it is a long way from town ... and traffic in Jakarta is an absolute nightmare. You will spend a lot of time in taxis heading out for entertainment.

The big difference between WAB and this school is that WAB was started by parents who were passionate about education. McBryde (the Head) had the freedom to create a school that was focused on the kids. This school is owned by business people. That rings alarm bells with me. Teachers I know who work there don't mind the place, but do not love it.

I'd look at this school as a place to get your foot in the int teaching door, or gain IB experience. I wouldn't consider it a long term school - esp. if i was single.

I know of this school also, they have promise but they also have some strange management decisions. The monetary package is ok, but the insurance is not that good and you get paid directly to Sinamas Bank, you guessed it, not convenient or easy.]

Other posters have mentioned, BSD is a long way from anywhere.

Does anyone know what is going on in this school now? they have vacancies, for 2015. II heard it improved, once the paul sebastian left...

but now? i am hearing bad things again...like they really monitor your personal/ outside school behaviour and the management is not eficient ..

does anyone know anything.
thank you

If you look at the reviews on the paid section of the site you will find some info. I know someone who worked there, and having heard his story, I would not consider even interviewing for that school....

The school was pulled from fairs last year by Search, visited by many of its accreditation agencies, lost most of its continuing staff from previous years after firing the head, deputy, two admins and a bunch of other teachers and instituting pretty much direct control by the daughter of the owner of Sinarmas Group. Beware.

shadowjack said : he school was pulled from fairs last year by Search, visited by many of its accreditation agencies, lost most of its continuing staff from previous years after firing the head, deputy, two admins and a bunch of other teachers and instituting pretty much direct control by the daughter of the owner of Sinarmas Group. Beware.


I did hear they had lost IB status, but has now been reinstated.
I suppose it depends whose spin you hear. an ex-colleague of mine, who is there now, says things quite differently, - he says they got rid of people who wanted money, but not prepared to put the work in or stick to deadlines. he loves it there, been there since August. I am trying just trying to find different views. i take all with a pinch f salt. thanks to all and for anymore comments that may come.

thekatabroad wrote:
> shadowjack said : he school was pulled from fairs last year by Search, visited by
> many of its accreditation agencies, lost most of its continuing staff from previous
> years after firing the head, deputy, two admins and a bunch of other teachers and
> instituting pretty much direct control by the daughter of the owner of Sinarmas
> Group. Beware.
>
>
> I did hear they had lost IB status, but has now been reinstated.
> I suppose it depends whose spin you hear. an ex-colleague of mine, who is there now,
> says things quite differently, - he says they got rid of people who wanted money,
> but not prepared to put the work in or stick to deadlines. he loves it there, been
> there since August. I am trying just trying to find different views. i take all
> with a pinch f salt. thanks to all and for anymore comments that may come.
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Well, maybe things are getting better, or maybe your colleague is still in that honeymoon period and still trying to convince himself he made the right decision. Since he wasn't there, who is telling him they people they got rid of were lazy, incompetent etc?

I know several people (all teachers, counselors etc) who left top tier schools because they believed in the vision of the former director and ended up leaving (by choice) due to the direct greed and incompetence of the owners. Obviously from the outside looking in none of us will ever know the exact truth but every account I've heard or read has put the blame for the decline squarely on the owners and they haven't changed. Be very careful about going there until there are more signs of a change for the better.

z

I do know some people who were there. They loved it and were shocked when all the bombshells dropped and had everybody running for the exits. They are amazing teachers whom I would hire in a shot.

So no, it wasn't cleaning out lazy incompetents.