The International Schools Review Forum

There is a top American school that lists when teachers were hired. This school is in Western Europe in a very desirable place. A diplomat from the Embassy is on the board.

80% of the teachers are listed as being hired since 2011, 60% since 2012. A huge amount are listed as being hired since 2013. In a normal school, most of the teachers would be there since before 1995. As a profession teachers usually stay at their school until they retire.

How great can a school be if 90% of the teachers are different from when a student starts high school to graduation? I also consider it strange that they list such negative information on the website.

Even charter schools in the worst neighborhoods in the big cites do not have turnovers like that.

I am not sure about your definition of a normal school. I wouldn't want to work in such a school. It must be horrible trying to get those teachers who have been there since before 1995 to try something different.

I take it you are new to international teaching.

I completely agree with Pgrass. Good international schools have a turnover rate of about 20% per year, which, in my opinion, is healthy. Some international schools have 5 or 6 years limits (or a cut down on benefits) for overseas staff. International schools are different than schools in your native country, zangy.

There are definitely places that limit teachers to 3 or 4 years because of tax reasons. I can't imagine an international school that has teachers since 1995...

This is fairly common in most international schools. It is not like back home where people stay for 20 or 30 years in the same job.

I'd say there is a six-year teacher retention sweet spot. Teachers arrive, improve, plateau, and then move on.

From what I have read on this forum, the advice is to stay "where you want to be" by age 50, at which point, one should not plan to leave but build steps on the salary scale and avoid age discrimination?

Is the theory that a teacher at one institution is a dead weight, and if so, how many years does that perception hold? Additionally, in light of this perception, is it difficult for older teachers to gain the same step at their new school?