Hello All,
I am an experienced Administrator, currently working as a Principal, with over 15 years of experience in American curriculum and would like to make the move into International Education. I'm also in the final stages of finishing up my Doctorate in Educational Leadership and really would like a change by moving into the international arena. To be honest, I'm not sure what schools to target. I'm signed up with Search, ISS, & TIE and did a job fair in June with some success. My questions:
(1) What schools should I target keeping in mind that I LOVE warm weather and beaches. I've heard the middle East schools are easier to break into with the International experience and have made some contacts there.
(2) What are Tier 1, 2 3 schools and how do I find out what Tier a school is in?
That's it for now...any other information you can give to a TOTAL NEWBIE would be greatly appreciated!
New Administrator
1. Oman might be the place for you.
2. Ignore the silly tier system. It's completely subjective and not standardized at all. In 27 years of teaching, I doubt anyone would label any of the five schools I've taught in as "Tier 1" or "2," one or two may have been in negative tiers, but for the most part I've been very happy. Figure out what sort of package you would accept, and what sort of climate/culture conditions, and go from there. I do suggest staying away from for-profit schools as much as possible.
2. Ignore the silly tier system. It's completely subjective and not standardized at all. In 27 years of teaching, I doubt anyone would label any of the five schools I've taught in as "Tier 1" or "2," one or two may have been in negative tiers, but for the most part I've been very happy. Figure out what sort of package you would accept, and what sort of climate/culture conditions, and go from there. I do suggest staying away from for-profit schools as much as possible.
You may also want to look into DoDEA, the Department of Defense schools that are overseas. We have schools in Korea, Japan, Okinawa, Guam, Spain, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey, Bahrain, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, and that's not including what we have in the states.
If you've been an admin for that long, and are finishing up your PhD, we also are trying to hire some Asst Superintendent positions overseas.
Check out USAJobs.Gov, select Department of Defense, and then select Department of Defense Education Activity. Click the boxes for Full Time and Permanent and then Search. You'll see what we have available.
Good luck to you!
If you've been an admin for that long, and are finishing up your PhD, we also are trying to hire some Asst Superintendent positions overseas.
Check out USAJobs.Gov, select Department of Defense, and then select Department of Defense Education Activity. Click the boxes for Full Time and Permanent and then Search. You'll see what we have available.
Good luck to you!
@heyteach
I think this has been discussed before. Im sorry you havent been at one of the higher tier "better" schools, but pretending the tier system doesnt exist is crazy talk. Just because you dismiss it doesnt make it go away.
@Kaybee
While its possible you could be hired for an admin position with DODEA (DoDDS), there is a strong tendency to promote admins from within. That being said the recruiting time for admins is happening now.
Im sorry you were steered to the June fair, its a shame because that fair is the leftovers for international schools. The leadership fair is coming up next month, and now is the time that ISs are recruiting for admin positions.
ME schools are a good place to break into, but with your resume, you have to start there (unless you want to, the money is very good).
There is no objective definition of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3, and as such there is no "master list" of who is in which list, and to that end even if there was no one would agree on it. Youd have some consensus with schools like WAB (Beijing), and ISB (Bangkok), but there would still be a lot of disagreement. Though if your on the international school circuit long enough you get a feel for which schools are at which tier. School quality also has a lot to do with where you are a tier 2 school in Hong Kong, might be a tier 1 school in mainland China...
There is no "definition" of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3. Its all subjective, in general when teachers describe a tier 1, etc school from one another it comes down to
1) Compensation package
2) Work environment.
Historically the compensation package is the priority, not because of greed or anything, but because its easy to quantify. If your in Brazil, $30K is better then $28K. Schools that pay more for a given region tend to have more stable finances (a sign of longevity, given enrollment, and reputation), and have larger endowments, meaning they have been around long enough to develop efficiency and have well planed capitol projects. Better schools can charge more in fees, and be more selective in their admissions. This creates more "cash" on hand for salaries and benefits.
COMPENSATION:
Typically includes (in this order of importance/priority:
1) Salary (based on number of contract or teaching hours per week)
2) Housing (including utility costs)
3) Tuition (If you have kids. In addition if you have a non teaching spouse, how easy is it for them to find a job)
4) Transportation (Including Airfare, moving, and settling in allowances).
5) Insurance (Mostly how good the medical is)
6) Retirement (Including end of year bonuses).
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Working conditions is the far more subjective of the two. It means something slightly different to everyone. But can include as a general principal (and these get more "fuzzy" the lower I go):
1) Staff/Faculty/Parents:How qualified are your co teachers? Do they know what they are doing? Do the aids, secretaries try and help you? Is the PTA crazy helicopter parents? Are the parents really the ones running the school?
2) Admins Management Style: Biggest reason for a school to go down hill. Does the admin back the teachers? Are they just a spokesperson for the owners? Do they yield to parent pressure? Do they value faculty input? Do they care?
3) Organization: Does the front/back office run efficiently? Do you get reimbursed in a timely fashion? Are salaries paid on time? Is the school relationship with the local immigration bureau good, can they process visas, permits, etc quickly?
4) Resources: Do you have a projector? Access to computers, internet? Can you make copies when you need too. What about textbooks, are they old and out dated, do teachers even use them? Whats the library look like? Whats the cafeteria look like (do they feed the teacher lunch?) Do you have a classroom/department budget, or do you have to ask for everything?
5) Academics: Do they have a curriculum? Do they use the curriculum? Does the department share a common curriculum or does everybody teach what they know and prefer? What are the assessment/grading policies and procedures?
6) Community: Are the people nice, friendly, helpful? What's there too do in the area? Is it safe? Clean? Is transportation easily accessible? Availability of shopping/groceries? Medical Care? This could be a long one....
JOB SEARCH:
Most 3rd tier schools advertise on TIE Online, Joy Jobs, and with SEARCH. You can also find them on Daves ESL Cafe (They advertise everywhere, except the "selective" recruitment agencies, such as ISS)
Tier 3 schools either pay very well because the only reason someone would work there is the money, or they pay enough to get by. Most of these schools are in the middle east or africa. There are some very "beautiful" schools that Dante could use to deepen the levels of hell a bit, and the only reason they have faculty is because 1) The money, 2) Desperate teachers who cant do any better. Of course one issue that i see common with Tier 3 schools is related to "safety" either the regional culture is very very rigid, with serious consequences for what you might consider "minor rule infractions" or the region/area could become quickly hostile and dangerous...
Your typical "ESL School" is right around the border between tier 3 and tier 2 schools.
"Elite" (also called prestige or premier) schools are a subset of tier 1 schools, that represent the top school(s) in the region.
An "elite" or "premiere" international school is simply the top (or contested top) tier one school in a region (or city). What differentiates them is they usually have the best reputation in an area as "THE" school, and you see that in a compensation package that is substantially higher then the other tier one schools in the area, as well as in their staff support, resources, and facilities.
For example; ISB (Bangkok) is typically seen as the elite school in Bangkok. ISB (Beijing) is usually tied with WAB (Western Academy of Beijing) in Beijing/China. SAS (Singapore American School) is seen as the elite school in Singapore. ASP (Paris) is the elite school is France. IS Frankfurt is usually (lot of debate on this) considered the Elite school in Germany. ASIJ is well thought of as the elite school in Japan.
"Elite" status is only comparable to other schools within a region. Local economies, costs of living, cultural differences make global comparisons unhelpful. For example; most european schools dont provide housing, and taxes are high so even though salaries would rival many that you would find in a place like China, the savings potential and lifestyle you can live are very different (and often better in asia).
Elite doesnt equal easy. Elite schools typically expect a lot from their teachers. Some teachers thrive in that environment, some dont.
Why a separate category? well there is typically a substantial and significant increase in work and compensation between the "elite" school and the other tier one schools.
I guess thats 4 levels. is there a lower level, some people throw tier 4, and lower levels around, but i have to think that is really just an individual adding insult to injury when they call a particular school a "tier 4" school.
I think this has been discussed before. Im sorry you havent been at one of the higher tier "better" schools, but pretending the tier system doesnt exist is crazy talk. Just because you dismiss it doesnt make it go away.
@Kaybee
While its possible you could be hired for an admin position with DODEA (DoDDS), there is a strong tendency to promote admins from within. That being said the recruiting time for admins is happening now.
Im sorry you were steered to the June fair, its a shame because that fair is the leftovers for international schools. The leadership fair is coming up next month, and now is the time that ISs are recruiting for admin positions.
ME schools are a good place to break into, but with your resume, you have to start there (unless you want to, the money is very good).
There is no objective definition of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3, and as such there is no "master list" of who is in which list, and to that end even if there was no one would agree on it. Youd have some consensus with schools like WAB (Beijing), and ISB (Bangkok), but there would still be a lot of disagreement. Though if your on the international school circuit long enough you get a feel for which schools are at which tier. School quality also has a lot to do with where you are a tier 2 school in Hong Kong, might be a tier 1 school in mainland China...
There is no "definition" of Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3. Its all subjective, in general when teachers describe a tier 1, etc school from one another it comes down to
1) Compensation package
2) Work environment.
Historically the compensation package is the priority, not because of greed or anything, but because its easy to quantify. If your in Brazil, $30K is better then $28K. Schools that pay more for a given region tend to have more stable finances (a sign of longevity, given enrollment, and reputation), and have larger endowments, meaning they have been around long enough to develop efficiency and have well planed capitol projects. Better schools can charge more in fees, and be more selective in their admissions. This creates more "cash" on hand for salaries and benefits.
COMPENSATION:
Typically includes (in this order of importance/priority:
1) Salary (based on number of contract or teaching hours per week)
2) Housing (including utility costs)
3) Tuition (If you have kids. In addition if you have a non teaching spouse, how easy is it for them to find a job)
4) Transportation (Including Airfare, moving, and settling in allowances).
5) Insurance (Mostly how good the medical is)
6) Retirement (Including end of year bonuses).
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Working conditions is the far more subjective of the two. It means something slightly different to everyone. But can include as a general principal (and these get more "fuzzy" the lower I go):
1) Staff/Faculty/Parents:How qualified are your co teachers? Do they know what they are doing? Do the aids, secretaries try and help you? Is the PTA crazy helicopter parents? Are the parents really the ones running the school?
2) Admins Management Style: Biggest reason for a school to go down hill. Does the admin back the teachers? Are they just a spokesperson for the owners? Do they yield to parent pressure? Do they value faculty input? Do they care?
3) Organization: Does the front/back office run efficiently? Do you get reimbursed in a timely fashion? Are salaries paid on time? Is the school relationship with the local immigration bureau good, can they process visas, permits, etc quickly?
4) Resources: Do you have a projector? Access to computers, internet? Can you make copies when you need too. What about textbooks, are they old and out dated, do teachers even use them? Whats the library look like? Whats the cafeteria look like (do they feed the teacher lunch?) Do you have a classroom/department budget, or do you have to ask for everything?
5) Academics: Do they have a curriculum? Do they use the curriculum? Does the department share a common curriculum or does everybody teach what they know and prefer? What are the assessment/grading policies and procedures?
6) Community: Are the people nice, friendly, helpful? What's there too do in the area? Is it safe? Clean? Is transportation easily accessible? Availability of shopping/groceries? Medical Care? This could be a long one....
JOB SEARCH:
Most 3rd tier schools advertise on TIE Online, Joy Jobs, and with SEARCH. You can also find them on Daves ESL Cafe (They advertise everywhere, except the "selective" recruitment agencies, such as ISS)
Tier 3 schools either pay very well because the only reason someone would work there is the money, or they pay enough to get by. Most of these schools are in the middle east or africa. There are some very "beautiful" schools that Dante could use to deepen the levels of hell a bit, and the only reason they have faculty is because 1) The money, 2) Desperate teachers who cant do any better. Of course one issue that i see common with Tier 3 schools is related to "safety" either the regional culture is very very rigid, with serious consequences for what you might consider "minor rule infractions" or the region/area could become quickly hostile and dangerous...
Your typical "ESL School" is right around the border between tier 3 and tier 2 schools.
"Elite" (also called prestige or premier) schools are a subset of tier 1 schools, that represent the top school(s) in the region.
An "elite" or "premiere" international school is simply the top (or contested top) tier one school in a region (or city). What differentiates them is they usually have the best reputation in an area as "THE" school, and you see that in a compensation package that is substantially higher then the other tier one schools in the area, as well as in their staff support, resources, and facilities.
For example; ISB (Bangkok) is typically seen as the elite school in Bangkok. ISB (Beijing) is usually tied with WAB (Western Academy of Beijing) in Beijing/China. SAS (Singapore American School) is seen as the elite school in Singapore. ASP (Paris) is the elite school is France. IS Frankfurt is usually (lot of debate on this) considered the Elite school in Germany. ASIJ is well thought of as the elite school in Japan.
"Elite" status is only comparable to other schools within a region. Local economies, costs of living, cultural differences make global comparisons unhelpful. For example; most european schools dont provide housing, and taxes are high so even though salaries would rival many that you would find in a place like China, the savings potential and lifestyle you can live are very different (and often better in asia).
Elite doesnt equal easy. Elite schools typically expect a lot from their teachers. Some teachers thrive in that environment, some dont.
Why a separate category? well there is typically a substantial and significant increase in work and compensation between the "elite" school and the other tier one schools.
I guess thats 4 levels. is there a lower level, some people throw tier 4, and lower levels around, but i have to think that is really just an individual adding insult to injury when they call a particular school a "tier 4" school.
Why???
@Heyteach
Why would you advise someone to ignore something that exists and impacts their objectives? Do you tell your students to ignore grades? Essays, papers, project work are all very subjective, do you not employ them in your classes or in your school? Are objective measures the only ones you value?
The tier system is subjective, but it has utility value. It collapses a whole host of various factors into a single value that allows someone lacking direct experience to quickly and easily compare schools within the same region.
Yes, a teacher can be happy anywhere and in a variety of environments, that has nothing to do with having a classification system. Your POV is that IF someone cold possibly be happy anywhere, then the data about a school is irrelevant. That's crazy talk, intelligent people don't ignore data.
Why would you advise someone to ignore something that exists and impacts their objectives? Do you tell your students to ignore grades? Essays, papers, project work are all very subjective, do you not employ them in your classes or in your school? Are objective measures the only ones you value?
The tier system is subjective, but it has utility value. It collapses a whole host of various factors into a single value that allows someone lacking direct experience to quickly and easily compare schools within the same region.
Yes, a teacher can be happy anywhere and in a variety of environments, that has nothing to do with having a classification system. Your POV is that IF someone cold possibly be happy anywhere, then the data about a school is irrelevant. That's crazy talk, intelligent people don't ignore data.
Advice
For an admin, early, early, early. Schools are recruiting admins now, they want the leadership team in place as much as possible before they recruit faculty, especially if you looking at a head position. Search started a leadership fair in KL that's in November, it was Ok this will be its second year, you should go if you can. Really the top admin positions will be gone by January. Aside from that the BKK fair is a very good opportunity for admins and junior admins (coordinators, etc). The SF fair might be convenient but its after the main recruiting season, It's the leftovers. The only schools that are still recruiting admins by then are third tier schools and some junior admin positions mainly counselor positions.
Isn't Search also conducting a Leadership Fair in Cambridge at the same time as the main fair- may have read that in the recent TIE newspaper? Not sure if it's new or not, or how it's different than the teacher recruitment going on at the same time.
Will be looking at junior admin/director position but can't afford the Bangkok Fair. Other than contacting schools directly, considering Boston.
Will be looking at junior admin/director position but can't afford the Bangkok Fair. Other than contacting schools directly, considering Boston.
Definitely start recruiting as early as possible if you want a good school. Our admins have already committed, or not, for next year and the posts are advertised.
While I agree that there are definite differences in schools, and perhaps schools can be categorized into levels such as Tier 1, 2 or 3, it should be noted that Tier 1 doesn't equate with happiness or job fulfillment. You can be getting the big bucks and have the nice compensation package but if you are working a job you don't enjoy, breathing in cancer causing pollutants or dealing with hair raising/life threatening traffic it doesn't matter whether you are in a Tier 1 school.
You need to have a well rounded view as you search for jobs.
While I agree that there are definite differences in schools, and perhaps schools can be categorized into levels such as Tier 1, 2 or 3, it should be noted that Tier 1 doesn't equate with happiness or job fulfillment. You can be getting the big bucks and have the nice compensation package but if you are working a job you don't enjoy, breathing in cancer causing pollutants or dealing with hair raising/life threatening traffic it doesn't matter whether you are in a Tier 1 school.
You need to have a well rounded view as you search for jobs.
Discussion
It's not new this year they did it last year. It's just an extra orientation session. The idea is that recruiters will/can recruit admin/leadership the day/night before sign up for the main teacher recruitment. It doesn't change the fair in any significant way really.
The issue though is timing, the SF and BOS fairs are only a week apart, and are just at the end of the prime recruiting cycle. That's why Search started the leadership fair as the first fair of the season, you want admins on board before recruiting faculty. For the good schools, when it comes to administration, BKK is pretty much the end of recruiting.
I agree completely that a tier 1 school doesn't equal happiness or life/job satisfaction. A lot of people feel that you have to give the pound of flesh for the tier 1 and elite schools to get that compensation package. The other side of that argument and no less valid is that you can be breathing in those cancer causing pollutants, dealing with life threatening traffic and safety risks, and not enjoy your job at a tier 2 or tier 3 school as well, AND not getting the money or compensation that comes with a tier 1 /elite school.
Whoever said money can't buy happiness, doesn't know where to shop. It's a lot easier being miserable if your banking coin, then being miserable and broke.
The issue though is timing, the SF and BOS fairs are only a week apart, and are just at the end of the prime recruiting cycle. That's why Search started the leadership fair as the first fair of the season, you want admins on board before recruiting faculty. For the good schools, when it comes to administration, BKK is pretty much the end of recruiting.
I agree completely that a tier 1 school doesn't equal happiness or life/job satisfaction. A lot of people feel that you have to give the pound of flesh for the tier 1 and elite schools to get that compensation package. The other side of that argument and no less valid is that you can be breathing in those cancer causing pollutants, dealing with life threatening traffic and safety risks, and not enjoy your job at a tier 2 or tier 3 school as well, AND not getting the money or compensation that comes with a tier 1 /elite school.
Whoever said money can't buy happiness, doesn't know where to shop. It's a lot easier being miserable if your banking coin, then being miserable and broke.