NYCTeacher, whoa! "Environment of privilege"?
You need to understand something about international schools and clients. First of all, if you are going to a decent international school, money is important, but it is a meritocracy. Students succeed because of their your abilities. Teachers tend to vote with their feet at schools which are not really run this way. Also, schools I have taught at overseas have had students from "poor families" and students from "rich families".
How can this be, you ask? Often, some families are there because Dad was in the military, or trucking, or logistics, and was hired for his skills. The family is NOT rich, NOT privileged, and does NOT have a sense of entitlement.
At the same time, I have worked with "rich families" from the host country. Dad IS rich, the family IS privileged...but at an international school, EVERYBODY is relatively privileged. There aren't huge huge disparities being rubbed in fellow student's faces by others in the student body or by parents. The kids I taught from families like this were generally great kids. They were eager to learn and received no special privileges. Everybody got the same educational opportunities as everybody else, and nobody came out thinking, "I am a graduate of XXX School and I am so much better than you."
Living and teaching overseas (and as we diid, having your children educated in truly international schools) is so different from back in the US or Canada that I would advise you to drop all of your preconceptions and find out the truth.
If you are seriously looking to assist those students with needs in an international setting, do your homework on the schools you are serious about and ask questions about what you would expect.
But please, don't come on with "working in an environment of privilege" and assumptions about the kids and parents. I will let you in on a secret. Traditionally, international school kids HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVICED in special needs. It is only recently that there has been a boom in special needs services in international schools.
Not trying to flame you, but your comment just irritated me, as the parent of a GT kid (not a lot of support for them overseas either) and friends of families whose children have other special needs. Let me assure you that (a) it is not what you assume; and (b) your services ARE needed overseas.
Should I apply? When?
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vettievette
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:31 am
[quote="NYCteacher"]Thanks again for the insights. It really is helpful.
This information is actually making me rethink applying to the IS circuit though. While I came into (special) education not really knowing what to expect, I've discovered that what I find the most satisfying about the job is the social justice component, meaning that I get to help provide equal education opportunities for populations that are historically under serviced. I honestly don't know if I could tolerate working in an environment of privilege. They can always find someone else to pay to educate their kids right?
I understand that private schools have a business to run; and it just kind of reinforces why I think schooling should be public (not that the US system is working out so swell right now, but functional education systems are possible). Education was meant to improve society as a whole, not just benefit private citizens. I thing being taught among heterogeneous peers (in all senses of the word) is vital to becoming a productive and empathetic citizen. In college, it always amazed me how, as a white person growing up in the rural South, I had more genuine race and class interactions than white people in diverse cities like New York. (Why? I had a public education and they went to privileged private schools.)
Anyway, I'm just going on a rant now. I really do appreciate the information everyone. I guess I need to find another ticket to getting a visa overseas.[/quote]
As one who has been "in the trenches" in NYC - as a social worker for several years at one of the major non-profits at that - I find this statement judgmental and unfair especially from an outsider. I, too, wrestled with this for a very long time and dealt with plenty of guilt for leaving "my babies" when I decided to move. But there came a point in time when I knew it is simply what I had to do for myself.
Yes some of our kids at my current school are privileged and yes our schools overseas are established to benefit the children of diplomats, NGO workers, the military etc. These kids don't have a choice in what their parents choose to do and where they live - don't judge them for that. We also accept scholarship students from the local community and most of them receive 100% scholarships to go to university in the US/Europe/Canada.
1) somebody's got to educate them and they have needs too. You'd be surprised how many students - local and international - are marginalized in international schools because they have "issues" or learning difficulties. I have learned that kids - whether rich or poor - need help and sometimes life is tough being a kid no matter where you are or how much money your parents make.
2) I resent the notion that international schools (I'm talking about the really good ones because there are bad ones, just like in the public system) are just gleaming institutions of white privilege that do nothing to benefit society as a whole or the locality they're in. Take the time to read the statements of the good schools (there's plenty of them) and see the global social justice actions many of them authentically participate in. I know mine does - in spite of the oppressive government - and I am very proud of that. I also feel like, coming from where I'm from, I am able to provide a different perspective - and most often the students are highly receptive.
3) As much as I loved New York and working with the communities there, I was sick and tired of being poor in New York. As an employee for a non-profit, I did not have the luxury/benefits as many of my friends who work within the district. It definitely doesn't seem like it - but you do have nice perks like summer vacation, school holidays, and extra $ for summer school. For many of us (including my friends who came from the Deep South), this was our opportunity to travel and expand our own horizons. And as a self-identified proud woman of color who is in the privileged position to have a graduate degree - why not take advantage of the opportunity to go somewhere else on someone else's dime?
I find it quite noble to want to stay and be part of the solution in the United States - I have many friends who have done just that. But please don't judge those of us - or the good schools many of us work for - for choosing to take our talent/skills elsewhere. We still put in the extra time/hours and chase kids around to get them to to their best often thanklessly just like everybody else.
Rant over.
This information is actually making me rethink applying to the IS circuit though. While I came into (special) education not really knowing what to expect, I've discovered that what I find the most satisfying about the job is the social justice component, meaning that I get to help provide equal education opportunities for populations that are historically under serviced. I honestly don't know if I could tolerate working in an environment of privilege. They can always find someone else to pay to educate their kids right?
I understand that private schools have a business to run; and it just kind of reinforces why I think schooling should be public (not that the US system is working out so swell right now, but functional education systems are possible). Education was meant to improve society as a whole, not just benefit private citizens. I thing being taught among heterogeneous peers (in all senses of the word) is vital to becoming a productive and empathetic citizen. In college, it always amazed me how, as a white person growing up in the rural South, I had more genuine race and class interactions than white people in diverse cities like New York. (Why? I had a public education and they went to privileged private schools.)
Anyway, I'm just going on a rant now. I really do appreciate the information everyone. I guess I need to find another ticket to getting a visa overseas.[/quote]
As one who has been "in the trenches" in NYC - as a social worker for several years at one of the major non-profits at that - I find this statement judgmental and unfair especially from an outsider. I, too, wrestled with this for a very long time and dealt with plenty of guilt for leaving "my babies" when I decided to move. But there came a point in time when I knew it is simply what I had to do for myself.
Yes some of our kids at my current school are privileged and yes our schools overseas are established to benefit the children of diplomats, NGO workers, the military etc. These kids don't have a choice in what their parents choose to do and where they live - don't judge them for that. We also accept scholarship students from the local community and most of them receive 100% scholarships to go to university in the US/Europe/Canada.
1) somebody's got to educate them and they have needs too. You'd be surprised how many students - local and international - are marginalized in international schools because they have "issues" or learning difficulties. I have learned that kids - whether rich or poor - need help and sometimes life is tough being a kid no matter where you are or how much money your parents make.
2) I resent the notion that international schools (I'm talking about the really good ones because there are bad ones, just like in the public system) are just gleaming institutions of white privilege that do nothing to benefit society as a whole or the locality they're in. Take the time to read the statements of the good schools (there's plenty of them) and see the global social justice actions many of them authentically participate in. I know mine does - in spite of the oppressive government - and I am very proud of that. I also feel like, coming from where I'm from, I am able to provide a different perspective - and most often the students are highly receptive.
3) As much as I loved New York and working with the communities there, I was sick and tired of being poor in New York. As an employee for a non-profit, I did not have the luxury/benefits as many of my friends who work within the district. It definitely doesn't seem like it - but you do have nice perks like summer vacation, school holidays, and extra $ for summer school. For many of us (including my friends who came from the Deep South), this was our opportunity to travel and expand our own horizons. And as a self-identified proud woman of color who is in the privileged position to have a graduate degree - why not take advantage of the opportunity to go somewhere else on someone else's dime?
I find it quite noble to want to stay and be part of the solution in the United States - I have many friends who have done just that. But please don't judge those of us - or the good schools many of us work for - for choosing to take our talent/skills elsewhere. We still put in the extra time/hours and chase kids around to get them to to their best often thanklessly just like everybody else.
Rant over.
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wrldtrvlr123
- Posts: 1173
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
- Location: Japan
Re: Reply
[quote="PsyGuy"]@wrldtrvlr123
Maybe since weve discussed the differences between SPED and Sp.Ed lite we need to define Learning Support? In that regard, ELL could be described as learning Support?
You dont know if those schools actually have an LS program or they just want an LS teacher on site, because it looks good on paper (and the website). Ive had schools contact me in the past as well. When i start to ask what they are looking for and what they have idetified as far as their needs and student population, they dont have any answers.
My experience in the "race" for LS and SEN programs a number of these schools just want to market that they has LS without actually investing in a real program.
@NYCteacher
There isnt an IS anywhere (DoDDS schools being the exception, but they arent really ISs) currently that provides SPED services in compliance with US/UK/AUS/CAN law. Among them SAS (Singapore American School) probabley gets as close as they come and even they make a point to inform their parents that they dont provide SPED services in compliance with US law.
The issue is simply this, money. ISs are private/independent schools, meaning that they have to generate the revenue themselves to provide the programs that they do. In absence of government funding, SPED programs are EXTREMELY expensive on a per student basis. You have a very small group of SPED students, and you have to provide them a lot of services. Thats not a sustainable business model. So to run a SPED program a school has to pay for it, and with the exception of some small embassy grants its the parents that have to pay for a SPED program. To put it in perspective The average tuition at a tier 1 school is about $10K, for a SPEd program your looking at an average inception cost of $220K (this is the cost of creating a program without any students), with a distributive cost of $55K/n4 (this means the program doesnt roll out with less then 4 students), thats a lot of money.
Top tier schools though have a reputation and mandate to provide for the communities they serve. The question is "what price point can a school serve its students to the satisfaction of the parents, and generate revenue on those fees?" The solution is SPED lite.
As you increase the degree of disabiltiy you drastically begin to decrease the number of servicing students. The reality is that students with severe needs require more care then just SPED, they reuire a whole host of medical, psychological, social and human services, that are outside the scope of an international "expat" assignment. Simply, parents are not going to be comfortable taking an international assignment with a child requiring such a degree of care. What you see in the majority of a SPED lite programs are (primarily) mild needs students and (secondary) high functioning moderate needs (including LD/ED) students. By restricting services to this class of the student population the school can serve community and still generate revenue, simply because the resources needed to manage this classification of students is much less expensive.
Schools accomplish this by 1) There nature as private/independent schools allows them to be selective of their admissions. They can simply say "were sorry we cant admit your child, as we are unable to provide the services their educational program will require". 2) They are largely self regulated. Typcially these programs have minimal governmental regulation and oversight (such as privacy issues). They get to create the program, can change it very quickly, and typically have a monopoly on this segment of the student population.
So whats a typical SPED lite program, this is my experience (and it differs from other contributors on this site. Its usually a large tier 1 school, with an american curriculum (which may also be an IB program). The SPEd department will consist of a LS (learning Support) or SEN (Special Educational Needs) coordinator, who will be part of the junior admin team. The coordinator will work closely with the school counselor, and serve as the point of contact for outside third . professionals (doctors, psychologists, social workers). The faculty will consist (depending on the size) of full time resource teachers who provide "pull out" service. they usually work in a resource classroom, and may work one on one of in small groups of students. Typically you will have 1 full time teacher for primary and another for secondary, though of course there could be more. In addition you will have a number of part time teachers (though could be full time) of teacher aids/assistants who will provide "inclusion services" (part time is what really saves the school money (part time means no foreign recruited package, and local hires are much cheaper. jane student might only need services for literature and social studies class. no reason to have an inclusion teacher in the classroom for art, PE, etc if its not needed).
Where you will see the major differences is in documentation, procedures and classroom issues. Basically, no ARD committees, or endless amounts of paperwork. Before a SPED student is admitted the administration will send the application and supporting outside reports to the SEN coordinator, who will conduct a screening interview with the parents/student. Depending on the services the school provides, if the student can be accommodated by the schools service plan then they will privide an IEP or Action Plan to the parents (through senior administration) describing what services and limits the school will provide and what the fees will be (sometimes parents just leave). If the parents accepts then the student enters the standard placement path, with modification for the students IEP (for instance some students are served for some classes by being placed in a higher/lower grade classroom, though the IEp may indicate no more then one grade lower).
At this point the students SEN teacher will likely have a conference with the parent either prior too or shortly after the student is placed. On the first day the SEN teacher will meet with the student and introduce them to their inclusion teacher(s) and go over the students schedule, etc. the students general ed teachers will be notified, and any special instructions given. Heres where one of the big differences is, typically the general ed teacher has a much more limited purpose in the classroom with the student. The support (inclusion) teacher or resource teacher does the heavy lifting. Usually the student has outside instruction/tutoring time. You may be asked to give the resource teacher a copy of an exam to be administered, etc. The interruption in the classroom is very minimal.
The second main difference is paperwork and documentation requirements. The general ed teacher will typically not be required to do any more paperwork then what they already do for there non SPED students. The SEN teacher will typically do a weekly report, but its a brief report, a few observation, and an update on the students progress. Thats really it.
Usually every couple months the SEN coordinator will review the progress of the student and schedule a conference with the parents, which may often be a telephone conference. They will discuss the students progress and possible modifications to the students IEP. Thats about it. There are no ARD committees and rules and regulatory procedures. The SEN faculty may have a monthly meeting, though once a term or 8 weeks is more common.
Generally speaking chronically, the hot diagnosis are Dyslexia (which include a lot of other mild learning disabilities) and ADHD (which include a lot of other emotional disabilities). Acutely, the SEN department will see acute depression (life events) and muscle skeletal injuries (broken bones, etc).[/quote]
----------------------------------------
Well, I didn't say the majority of IS had a real SPED/SPED lite program, just that they had at least one learning support teacher.
Two examples. In Beijing, virtually every decent to half decent school had at least one LS staff person (not ELL person). Even down to places like BISS, Kinstar and BIBA.
If you did a "search" right now for LS jobs you would see around 90 jobs and although there are some tier 1 schools, the rest are far from a who's who of IS.
As for the duites involved, it will vary greatly but will be in the ballpark of what you describe in most places. We used to joke at ASIJ the LS people worked with kids who were only reading AT grade level.
Maybe since weve discussed the differences between SPED and Sp.Ed lite we need to define Learning Support? In that regard, ELL could be described as learning Support?
You dont know if those schools actually have an LS program or they just want an LS teacher on site, because it looks good on paper (and the website). Ive had schools contact me in the past as well. When i start to ask what they are looking for and what they have idetified as far as their needs and student population, they dont have any answers.
My experience in the "race" for LS and SEN programs a number of these schools just want to market that they has LS without actually investing in a real program.
@NYCteacher
There isnt an IS anywhere (DoDDS schools being the exception, but they arent really ISs) currently that provides SPED services in compliance with US/UK/AUS/CAN law. Among them SAS (Singapore American School) probabley gets as close as they come and even they make a point to inform their parents that they dont provide SPED services in compliance with US law.
The issue is simply this, money. ISs are private/independent schools, meaning that they have to generate the revenue themselves to provide the programs that they do. In absence of government funding, SPED programs are EXTREMELY expensive on a per student basis. You have a very small group of SPED students, and you have to provide them a lot of services. Thats not a sustainable business model. So to run a SPED program a school has to pay for it, and with the exception of some small embassy grants its the parents that have to pay for a SPED program. To put it in perspective The average tuition at a tier 1 school is about $10K, for a SPEd program your looking at an average inception cost of $220K (this is the cost of creating a program without any students), with a distributive cost of $55K/n4 (this means the program doesnt roll out with less then 4 students), thats a lot of money.
Top tier schools though have a reputation and mandate to provide for the communities they serve. The question is "what price point can a school serve its students to the satisfaction of the parents, and generate revenue on those fees?" The solution is SPED lite.
As you increase the degree of disabiltiy you drastically begin to decrease the number of servicing students. The reality is that students with severe needs require more care then just SPED, they reuire a whole host of medical, psychological, social and human services, that are outside the scope of an international "expat" assignment. Simply, parents are not going to be comfortable taking an international assignment with a child requiring such a degree of care. What you see in the majority of a SPED lite programs are (primarily) mild needs students and (secondary) high functioning moderate needs (including LD/ED) students. By restricting services to this class of the student population the school can serve community and still generate revenue, simply because the resources needed to manage this classification of students is much less expensive.
Schools accomplish this by 1) There nature as private/independent schools allows them to be selective of their admissions. They can simply say "were sorry we cant admit your child, as we are unable to provide the services their educational program will require". 2) They are largely self regulated. Typcially these programs have minimal governmental regulation and oversight (such as privacy issues). They get to create the program, can change it very quickly, and typically have a monopoly on this segment of the student population.
So whats a typical SPED lite program, this is my experience (and it differs from other contributors on this site. Its usually a large tier 1 school, with an american curriculum (which may also be an IB program). The SPEd department will consist of a LS (learning Support) or SEN (Special Educational Needs) coordinator, who will be part of the junior admin team. The coordinator will work closely with the school counselor, and serve as the point of contact for outside third . professionals (doctors, psychologists, social workers). The faculty will consist (depending on the size) of full time resource teachers who provide "pull out" service. they usually work in a resource classroom, and may work one on one of in small groups of students. Typically you will have 1 full time teacher for primary and another for secondary, though of course there could be more. In addition you will have a number of part time teachers (though could be full time) of teacher aids/assistants who will provide "inclusion services" (part time is what really saves the school money (part time means no foreign recruited package, and local hires are much cheaper. jane student might only need services for literature and social studies class. no reason to have an inclusion teacher in the classroom for art, PE, etc if its not needed).
Where you will see the major differences is in documentation, procedures and classroom issues. Basically, no ARD committees, or endless amounts of paperwork. Before a SPED student is admitted the administration will send the application and supporting outside reports to the SEN coordinator, who will conduct a screening interview with the parents/student. Depending on the services the school provides, if the student can be accommodated by the schools service plan then they will privide an IEP or Action Plan to the parents (through senior administration) describing what services and limits the school will provide and what the fees will be (sometimes parents just leave). If the parents accepts then the student enters the standard placement path, with modification for the students IEP (for instance some students are served for some classes by being placed in a higher/lower grade classroom, though the IEp may indicate no more then one grade lower).
At this point the students SEN teacher will likely have a conference with the parent either prior too or shortly after the student is placed. On the first day the SEN teacher will meet with the student and introduce them to their inclusion teacher(s) and go over the students schedule, etc. the students general ed teachers will be notified, and any special instructions given. Heres where one of the big differences is, typically the general ed teacher has a much more limited purpose in the classroom with the student. The support (inclusion) teacher or resource teacher does the heavy lifting. Usually the student has outside instruction/tutoring time. You may be asked to give the resource teacher a copy of an exam to be administered, etc. The interruption in the classroom is very minimal.
The second main difference is paperwork and documentation requirements. The general ed teacher will typically not be required to do any more paperwork then what they already do for there non SPED students. The SEN teacher will typically do a weekly report, but its a brief report, a few observation, and an update on the students progress. Thats really it.
Usually every couple months the SEN coordinator will review the progress of the student and schedule a conference with the parents, which may often be a telephone conference. They will discuss the students progress and possible modifications to the students IEP. Thats about it. There are no ARD committees and rules and regulatory procedures. The SEN faculty may have a monthly meeting, though once a term or 8 weeks is more common.
Generally speaking chronically, the hot diagnosis are Dyslexia (which include a lot of other mild learning disabilities) and ADHD (which include a lot of other emotional disabilities). Acutely, the SEN department will see acute depression (life events) and muscle skeletal injuries (broken bones, etc).[/quote]
----------------------------------------
Well, I didn't say the majority of IS had a real SPED/SPED lite program, just that they had at least one learning support teacher.
Two examples. In Beijing, virtually every decent to half decent school had at least one LS staff person (not ELL person). Even down to places like BISS, Kinstar and BIBA.
If you did a "search" right now for LS jobs you would see around 90 jobs and although there are some tier 1 schools, the rest are far from a who's who of IS.
As for the duites involved, it will vary greatly but will be in the ballpark of what you describe in most places. We used to joke at ASIJ the LS people worked with kids who were only reading AT grade level.
Just to chime in... the school where I am headed makes service a huge part of its program. Students participate in service projects all over Asia, and some of these projects have led to the founding of a variety of charities that are still managed by students/former students. This focus on serving those in need is one of the reasons I accepted this offer. Parents who send their children to this school no doubt decided the same thing.
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BookshelfAmy
- Posts: 120
- Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:21 pm
Txteach, vettievette, shadowjack, I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on this issue. As I've mentioned before, I'm at a high-needs district in the south, and I can't help but feel guilty when I think about moving to an IS. I mentioned my job search this week to one of my coworkers, a person I consider to be a friend and mentor, and he shook his head and said, "You are good for this school." He was clearly disappointed in me. But... as important as it is to reach the kids on the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, isn't it equally important to help shape the minds of people with power? The kids who'll be going to top universities and leading the businesses and governments of the future? That's an opportunity to make real change...
Still, it's hard to think about leaving these kids. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions.
Still, it's hard to think about leaving these kids. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions.
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wrldtrvlr123
- Posts: 1173
- Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
- Location: Japan
[quote="BookshelfAmy"]Txteach, vettievette, shadowjack, I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on this issue. As I've mentioned before, I'm at a high-needs district in the south, and I can't help but feel guilty when I think about moving to an IS. I mentioned my job search this week to one of my coworkers, a person I consider to be a friend and mentor, and he shook his head and said, "You are good for this school." He was clearly disappointed in me. But... as important as it is to reach the kids on the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, isn't it equally important to help shape the minds of people with power? The kids who'll be going to top universities and leading the businesses and governments of the future? That's an opportunity to make real change...
Still, it's hard to think about leaving these kids. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions.[/quote]
------------------------------------------
I wouldn't over-think it or feel too guilty about moving on. It doesn't matter where you teach, as a SPED/LS teacher you would be working with students and families that desperately need someone that possesses compassion and competance in equal measure and can support them in an environment (at school and within the community) where they just do not fit in. It is very rewarding and I can't think of too many schools where you will feel that your efforts or not making a huge difference in a child's/family's lives.
If it still bothers you, then take a job in Asia or one of the many other places where there will be many opportunities outside of school to help a population less fortunate than the students attending an int'l school.
There are also quite a few niche int'l special needs schools scattered around the world that work with students that cannot get into most int'l schools for academic/monetary reasons and they can also provide a rewarding work experience (financially and spiritually).
Still, it's hard to think about leaving these kids. Thank you for your thoughtful contributions.[/quote]
------------------------------------------
I wouldn't over-think it or feel too guilty about moving on. It doesn't matter where you teach, as a SPED/LS teacher you would be working with students and families that desperately need someone that possesses compassion and competance in equal measure and can support them in an environment (at school and within the community) where they just do not fit in. It is very rewarding and I can't think of too many schools where you will feel that your efforts or not making a huge difference in a child's/family's lives.
If it still bothers you, then take a job in Asia or one of the many other places where there will be many opportunities outside of school to help a population less fortunate than the students attending an int'l school.
There are also quite a few niche int'l special needs schools scattered around the world that work with students that cannot get into most int'l schools for academic/monetary reasons and they can also provide a rewarding work experience (financially and spiritually).
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escapeartist
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:39 pm