The International Schools Review Forum

Next year my wife and I will be entering our third year at what I would rate a lower Tier 2 American school in Taiwan. Our current school is more a national school than an international school and struggles with an identity crisis, resources are limited, and the package is low for Asia – but it is accredited, teachers are all certified, and the course offerings are reasonably rigorous (a bit of AP; no IB). It has honestly been a good starter school for my wife and me – this is our first international teaching post as a teaching couple, and it has definitely served our resumes well in getting our "feet in the door" of the international teaching arena – but we're ready to see if we can make the "leap" to a top-notch, Tier 1 international school in Asia.

As such, we're thinking to do an "exploratory" phase this Fall and contact some Tier 1 schools just to see if we get any bites. We're honestly not sure if we're qualified enough yet to be of interest to Tier 1 schools – but we figured it was worth a shot. We understand that the recruiting process is getting earlier and earlier – particularly for the Tier 1 schools. Ideally (in a perfect world) we would indeed get bites and actually have things wrapped up (i.e., job offers) by November/December, though if this doesn't happen we would plan to attend one of the hiring fairs in Bangkok in January.

Based on research (websites and forums like this one) and networking with other international teachers, I've begun to create a list of Tier 1 schools in Asia. So for better or worse, here is my list so far (no particular order):

Shanghai American School
International School Bangkok
International School Kuala Lumpur
Western Academy Beijing
Taipei American School
International School Manila
American School in Japan
Jakarta International School
Hong Kong International School
American School in Guangzhou
Singapore American School
International School Beijing

Any thought, comments? Are there any on the list that shouldn't be? Suggestions for schools to add to the list?

Any insight/guidance/advice would be very welcome!

The list looks fine. Some things are a bit subjective when attempting to classify schools. Maybe I missed it, but what are your areas of specialization and what experience/education do you have beyond the 3 years in Taiwan? Those could make a difference in attracting the attention of the upper echelon schools.

I would also encourage you to pursue some of the so-called 2nd tier schools in major Asian cities. New International in Bangkok and BCIS in Beijing spring to mind. BCIS in particular is a solid school that offers a package comparable in many respects with WAB and ISB. Those types of schools may not have the prestige of the big names but would be a move up for your resume and your finances while also widening the field for possible opportunities.

I think you are missing a step here. Given your international experience (1 school, no IB) in what you describe at a lower tier 2, I would be targeting schools who are high 2/low 1.

Some examples:

International school Phnom Penh
Prem Center Chiang Mai
International School Ho Chi Minh
Vientiane International School
Bali International School
Saigon South Intl School
UNIS Hanoi
Mont Kiara Kuala Lumpur

The list goes on

SCRATCH MONTKIARA IS off that list.
Pay is mediocre, taxes are high, living in the area is as expensive as living inthe U.S., rents climbing. NO ACADEMIC INTEGRITY as students stael and cheat with impunity. This school is definitely living off its once respected past.

Not to dash your hopes, but if you have no IB experience then your chances of getting into a top tier international school are very very slim. Also, these schools most likely will not be hiring in November/December. Many schools don't require teachers to give notice until December, which is why the first job fairs are in January, where most of these schools do their hiring.

Thanks for all your insights. Much appreciated! Some very informative points and realistic perspectives that will aid us as we embark on this recruiting effort…

As requested, a bit of background in case it helps other posters chime in on where we should most likely direct our energies and the potential schools we should consider looking into come this Fall...

My wife and I are both 40 years old, no children. I have 5 years of teaching experience, both in international schools - 3 years at my current school in Taiwan, and 2 years at a large school in Latin America (a good school; I would rate it upper Tier 2, lower Tier 1). Between these schools while in the U.S., I worked as an engineer – I hold a Master’s degree in electrical engineering. My certification is Secondary Math, but lately I have begun to teach more and more technology/computer classes, in fact the balance of my teaching is now more tech/computer classes than math classes. Not sure how that will play to bigger schools; we'll see. I have taught math through almost all the secondary grades (6-10, and grade 12 Statistics) but overall probably have more experience in Middle School.

My wife has 12 years overall teaching experience; 9 years in public schools in southern California and the 3 years here in Taiwan. Her certification is in Secondary Language Arts and she has taught exclusively in 7th and 8th grade, largely 8th grade Language Arts. She currently teaches 8th grade Language Arts and ESOL. She has a CLAD (Crosscultural Language and Academic Development) endorsement as well on her California teaching credential. While teaching in the States, because she had enough University credits in certain subjects, there were a few years among those 9 where she taught a class of 8th grade Science and a class of 8th Grade Social Studies.

Any further thoughts/schools/insights would be greatly welcome. Thanks in advance!

I do agree with durianfan. Experience in IB is totally necessary. I attended the January Bangkok Search fair this year and I had to always mention my IB experience just to secure an appointment for interview. A lot of schools also want both MYP and DP experience. Maybe look for a tier 2 school first that will be willing to hire you even without IB experience just to gain it. I hope that helps! :)