The International Schools Review Forum

Hi,

I was wondering what people thought of this and if it was normal because, well, maybe it is. A few years ago I worked at an IS, a very good school for the most part. Any way, around March I started to get nervous, wondering if I was doing a good job. I wanted to come back for a second year and was literally losing sleep over it, wondering if I would be invited back. So by April I worked up the courage (I can be shy too) to ask the head of school if the school wanted me back. Within a week she got back to me telling me I would be coming back.

I thought that is what any teacher would do to secure their future. Apparently not. On the last day of work (the 30th of the month) I learned that admin meets up with everyone, 1 by 1, and tell them if they are coming back or not for the next year. Of course, I already knew. But I watched as some teachers would exit the office dejected (others relieved) depending on the fate. Is it normal for a school to wait until the very last day of the contract to let employees know if they are coming back or not? I assume I did something abnormal because no other teacher asked before the last day but I think it is unfair because it gives the teacher 4-6 weeks to scramble and try to find something before the new school year starts. Usually by July 1 it is way too late to secure anything! At another school I worked at in the country they at least let you know about a month ahead of time, sometime in May. I suppose the first school might give the reason that if people find out their fates a month early they might mail it in or just quit. I can actually see both sides, to be honest.

I do not see any edit function. I should specify that the last day of school is June 30th and/or the last Friday of June every year. I had asked about my fate in April. I realized the way I worded the story might be confusing as far as the time line.

I wonder why people sign on for that. Aside from the one year contract, which would give some people pause, I would think that people would do what you did and ask. Or else they would start looking elsewhere?

The school will keep doing that until they see a need to change, so if it works for them, why not? It would never work for me as a teacher!

That is absolutely not normal

Its normal for a certain tier and category of ISs that need to minimize possible repercussions of dismissing ITs at the last moment. There is also a certain amount of ego involved however, and many ITs would just presume that they would be able to stay as long as they wanted. As @Thames Pirate commented, the IS is going to keep doing this if it works for them, and they have no need to change. As long as ISs can do X and still maintain a health pool of applicants, why should they change, the institution doesnt have to care.