The International Schools Review Forum

Hey girls,

Back again. It seems like a blink of an eye ago I landed but boy am a ready to recruit this year and blow this joint. At this time, I would probably say yes to anywhere except for eastern DR Congo and only because of the Ebola outbreak there, not the militant militias. I am all signed up for London and I can't wait to throw myself at the feet of anyone who will take me for my position or lower. Boo, I would take cleaning lady at a school in Sarajevo at present. But, my questions is about even further in the future. I started an MA program for Educational Leadership this fall and plan on being finished it by the end of my next contract (if I stay only two years), but just barely. As in, if I last two years at the next place, I will be finishing the program up in Spring of 2021 at the same time as I finish year two at my next school, which is a few months after the climax of the next recruiting season I will be going into after this one (if all goes according to plan). Is there any chance of me getting a mid-level or higher admin job if I recruit that time around? Or should I wait until 2022 when I will have had the MA for 9 months+ at the height of that recruiting season? I am eager to get into admin - can you tell?

The degree has little to do as an entry point into leadership. Your not going to get a newly minted Masters in Ed.Ld and have anyone jump all over you. What matters in leadership is leadership experience.There are 3 general avenues into leadership:
1) Grow In: You start at an IS as an IT, you work well with leadership, parents and ownership, and then when there is an opening you get the job because ownership trusts you and leadership and parents like you. This pathway is faster at lower tier ISs, where there is a lot of turnover and longevity often means your only one of the few staff to renew.
2) Work In: You get a M.Ed in Ed.Ld, you add a credential, you build some leadership or management experience and you work your way up into leadership. This may and often requires some work in DE. This is the pathway that accounts for the majority of leadership. Candidates were leadership in DE, and they were hired as leadership in IE.
3) Edge In: You make friends and build a network, maybe you marry into, but someone in ownership likes you and gives you the job, or someone in leadership helps you get into the job. This is the least common path into leadership.

You want to find some lower bottom tier IS, that has a lot of turnover (including leadership) and position yourself so that in 2-3 years your someone ownership likes and with your new Ed.Ld Masters you can move into a leadership position. Having an Ed.Ld degree for 9 months or 9 years means nothing if you didnt do anything in leadership with it.

your next school - wherever it may be - is the one you will know the best during your acquisition of your masters...i might be missing something, but in all likelihood, THAT will be the school you'd have a best chance transitioning into admin in...i mean, you might not love it, but by then you'd have seen the inner workings of the school and be working on your leadership approach through your masters. it would seem to me much easier to stay, if there was a potential for an opening. your new school will know you're taking it, and have to assume you will want that pathway eventually. as PG says, just because you have the paper doesn't mean you'd be ready for it necessarily.

but good luck!

v.

The person who gets the job is often the one who started doing it before it was even open.

Completely concur with @Sid, who summed it up perfectly if youre trying to grow into leadership.