Info on Shenzen AIS, Shekou IS

Post Reply
lemonlily
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2014 2:25 pm

Info on Shenzen AIS, Shekou IS

Post by lemonlily »

Any info on Shenzen AIS or current info on how things are going at Shekou Intl Schol (not QSI)?

Shenzen has a crummy website with not much information and pages that don't work and there is only one review on the paid side.

Shekou looks great, but some of their reviews raise some red flags for me. Just wondering if things are turning around there if anyone has heard.

Looking at these two schools because I like the area. Didn't see many other schools in Shenzen...

I am also looking in Shanghai/Hong Kong/other decent cities to live in in China. Does anyone know of some Tier 2 schools that are actually really decent to work at? I haven't really built up my resume enough to get into a top tier yet, so I don't think it's worth my time applying to them minus a few for shear chance. However, I have worked at two really shitty schools the last two years overseas and I am tired of being in a bad environment. I understand every school has problems, etc etc and everyone sees things differently. Just wondering if anyone can offer any schools that are lower tier but tend to have happy staff. I am looking at China right now, but I am also interested in South East Asia.
shadowjack
Posts: 2140
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Post by shadowjack »

Lemonlily,

just curious. Your last two posts, did you get them through a job fair, or personal search, tieonline, joyjobs?

Not to slam joyjobs, but I never look there. It is like Daveseslcafe - if you are into teaching English mainly, to me (note those words), those are the places to go.

If you are serious about teaching, Brits might go to TES, but most people I know either do Search, ISS and/or tieonline. Others I know go to UNI, or AASAE (sorry if I messed up the acronym).

I think I am going to start a new thread - what are YOUR preferred job search methods/sources....

If you haven't been using Search or tieonline (I use a combo of both when I am on the market), you might be doing yourself a disservice.
gengrant
Posts: 67
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 11:54 pm

Post by gengrant »

SIS is (still) considered the "premiere" IS in Shenzhen/Shekou, by virtue of being the oldest school and not having great competition - QSI, a Canadian IS, a British IS (Green Oasis), and the ubiquitous American IS, as well as a new Chinese-related IS.

SIS has a relatively new director, who by all accounts has been labeled a tyrant by those who are currently working under him - he is new to the leadership role and rules with an iron fist (or so I've heard). There's not many good things to say about him on the paid side of this site. I had some good friends who left SIS because of him, among other reasons.

SIS is the only school in the area offering any semblance of IB - other schools in the area claim to offer or are "poised to offer" IB, but they are shams.

The American IS has been floundering for years in Shenzhen/Shekou - they have had new directors every year they've been around - they've just built (finally) a new campus - refurbishing an older building - so things may be turning around for them - they have few students and little to offer.

The local Chinese Foreign Language School just opened an International division - Shen Wai International School that's supposed to rival the other IS's in the area - but they are only in their second year and are already claiming to offer IB as well.

The Canadian IS (ISNS) is a sham school - located on same campus as a Chinese High School - claim to be offering IB as well, but not an IB school.

Green Oasis is the British school, but is not certified by the city/provincial gov't, so not sure if they are legal - someone else might know more about them.

The QSI school is the largest one in the QSI system - well over 1000 students - but bursting at the seams and lacking quality leadership from the looks of it.

Every IS school in the city seems to have an issue with it's leadership.

Shenzhen/Shekou is a great place to live and work, if you can get past the day-to-day politics of school management.
lemonlily
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Jan 10, 2014 2:25 pm

Post by lemonlily »

shadowjack, yes I am registered on TIE and follow jobs there. I check probably ten times a day. Haha. I am not registered with Search. Don't plan on going to fairs.

In the past, my last two jobs just kind of fell in my lap. They were passed on by other teachers who interviewed and liked it, but received a better offer, so they referred me. Although, my current job was on my list to apply to anyway and listed on TIE, and then I just got pushed through straight to the principal's personal email.

I was just wondering if there were some known lower tier schools out there that still have a good reputation. I'm honest about the fact that I not quite up to par yet to make it into a really good school, although, I dream about it,

I have 2.5 yrs teaching exp, 2 of which have been in Intl schools and a Masters. But, that's still pretty low on the totem pole. I am also Elem. I have posted on this site several times before, but I just changed my user name because I posted about what school I work at before under my old name, and I don't want to be tied to that.
shadowjack
Posts: 2140
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Post by shadowjack »

Lemonlily, if I can offer you a piece of advice, it would be to sign up for Search.

Not because you are going to a fair, but because their database is the best one around for teachers. It breaks down schools by a ton of different statistics, many of which you can set for your job search. Many schools do not advertise on TIEonline, but DO post on Search.

There are many Search members who never go to fairs, but who use the database to get positions.

Honestly, I think you are doing yourself a disservice by not signing up - and if you sign up, it is good for three years or until you get a job - and you get a free fair out of it :-) (let's say you are teaching in Malaysia - the BKK fair is only an hour's flight away!).

Just my opnion, but I love Search's databse.
Post Reply