The International Schools Review Forum

Hey Everyone,

Before I ask my question I think it might be helpful to write a little blurb about my background.

After graduating with my B.A in English I taught for 2 years at a cram school in Taiwan. I loved my experience there but I realized I wanted something a little more professional and with greater stability. However, I didn't have my teacher's certification yet. So, I applied and got into a great lateral entry program called "The New Teacher Project." It is very similar to its sister program Teach for America. Basically, I teach in a "high-needs" school for a year while doing coursework on the side, and at the end of the year they award me a teaching certificate. I have just survived teaching my first month, and while it is very difficult, I am enjoying my time here. My two year goal is to get back to teaching abroad, this time at an international school.

My questions:

1. TNTP and TFA are both looked on quiet highly here in the states because of how selective their application process is and the rigor of their coursework. Do you think these programs carry a similar weight when applying to a school internationally? Will schools even have heard of the programs?

2. A nice perk of TNTP is I get to do my Master in Education at Johns Hopkins next year. JH has a great name but the tuition comes in a just about $17,000. Will a degree from JH be worth the steep price on the international school market or should I settle for a more modestly priced state school? I think in North Carolina (where I am currently living) tuition would be about 5,000 - 8,000)

Thanks again,
Will

helloiswill wrote:

> 2. A nice perk of TNTP is I get to do my Master in Education at Johns
> Hopkins next year. JH has a great name but the tuition comes in a just
> about $17,000. Will a degree from JH be worth the steep price on the
> international school market or should I settle for a more modestly priced
> state school? I think in North Carolina (where I am currently living)
> tuition would be about 5,000 - 8,000)


From what I've read around on here where you get your masters is of little importance compared to what you're getting a masters in (Educational Leadership, Instruction, etc). Internationally (unless they're an alumni) there won't be much of any difference in someone seeing you got a M.Ed. from the University of Virginia compared to a M.Ed. from say, Virginia Commonwealth University. If you want to make a career in the states the JH degree might get your foot in a few more doors, but for an international career I don't think it's worth it.

Helloiswill,

I have not heard of TNTP, but I have had very positive experiences with Teach for American alumni, just hired two for this school year.

In regards to the Masters', in my experience, what school is not that important. What you learned through your program and how it will make you a better teacher is more important. My advice, save the money, and pick a program closer to home that would excite you.

Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it.

Both TNTP and TFA carry little weight in IE, unless your admin or recruiter was an alumni of the program. In general traditional academic ITT/EPP programs are more desired than non-traditional "practical" ACP programs.

Unless you go to an "Ivy" where you get your degree from matters very little. JH might carry a little more status as it has a bit more name recognition overseas, but outside medicine its not going to help much and an Education degree student isnt going to have meaningful access to alumni (not that many parents would know that). I dont think it would be worth the price, a M.Ed from Harvard, Yale, OxBridge, would be worth the money.

The focus of the degree only matters when considering adding an administrator or other student specialist (such as library or counselor), which if they lead to certification would be more valuable than an MAT or Generalist M.Ed.

@PsyGuy

"Unless you go to an "Ivy" where you get your degree from matters very little"

Thanks for the info. I had heard similar things about graduate schools. I guess JH is one of those programs that is right on the cusp of being "Ivy" and I wasn't sure exactly how it was viewed abroad. Maybe I should look into applying to an "Ivy" school. Still, I feel kind of odd doing that when JH program is ranked #1 for a Masters in Education in the US.

Parents of overseas students, the ones paying tuition dont care about rankings. They care about status, since in many Asian regions its not how well you do in university its which university you go too since those alumni are going to be the ones offering you a job. Thats what those parents care about, Status. If the school doesnt have status it doesnt matter how good the education is.