ISR Invites Teacher Shortage “Task Force” to Endorse Basic Rights for International Teachers

June 5, 2008

Dear Jane,

Thank you for your response to our invitation to comment on the current international teacher shortage. We look forward to receiving comments from the task force and sharing them with the International Teaching Community.

In the spirit of resolving the international teacher shortage, I would like to take this opportunity to ask the Task Force to consider endorsing the recently completed Bill of Rights for International Educators. This document was created through the joint efforts of the more than 40,000 monthly visitors to the ISR web site. You can review this document at the following link.

https://www.internationalschoolsreview.com/nonmembers/bill-of-rights.htm

We feel the Bill of Rights is a reflection of the collective concerns of International Teachers. A review of the document will reveal it to be very realistic. Schools and organizations endorsing the International Teachers’ Bill of Rights should find that teachers will seek them out, while those that refuse to adopt and endorse such rights will essentially be saying, “Beware: We traffic in teachers”.

I can think of no better way for the members of the task force to make a statement than to lead the introduction of the International Teachers’ Bill of Rights to schools and related organizations.

Sincerely,

Ben @ ISR

Note: We are currently awaiting a reply

June 15, 2008
To: Jane.Larsson@vifprogram.com
Re: Teachers’ Bill of Rights

Dear Jane,

Some weeks ago I wrote on behalf of International Schools Review. I am now wondering if you misplaced that email which asked if your Task Force would, in the spirit of helping to solve the international teaching candidate shortage, adopt the recently created Bill of Rights for International Educators?

The Bill of Rights for International Teachers is an important document, and it is our belief your group’s endorsement will open the door for improved treatment of teachers and a solution to the candidate shortage. Your endorsement will make a firm statement.

To our knowledge, the people listed below make up the task force charged with finding a solution to the international teacher shortage. We do not have contact information for all members of the Task Force but ask that you please pass this email on to them.

We encourage our readers to write to agencies from which the Task Force was created as well as the individual members of the Task Force, appealing to them to adopt the International Teachers’ Bill of Rights and help establish a standard to which teachers are entitled.

Task Force Members

The Task Force is made up of AISH members (Academy of International School Heads) led by Bambi Betts; CEO http://www.academyish.org/, and members of AAIE (Association for the Advancement of International Education) headed by Mark Ulfers; President http://www.aaie.org/

Jane Larsson, Director of International Partnerships Jane.Larsson@vifprogram.com
Connie Buford, Regional Educational Officer for East Asia, Office Of Overseas Schools
Alan Travers, Placement Coordinator, Queens University, Kingston Ontario
Tracy Godon, Director of Overseas Placement, University of Northern Iowa overseas.placement@uni.edu
Dr. Jeff Gorrell, Dean, College of Education, George Mason University
Rick Detwiler, Superintendent, Graded School, Sao Paulo, Brazil rdetwiler@graded.br
Phil Stroup, International Education consultant in marketing
Niall Nelson, Chief Education Officer, GEMS niallnelson@yahoo.com 
David Willows, Director of External Relations, International School of Brussels
Charles Skipper, Director, Escuela Americana, El Salvador iss.recruiting@amschool.edu.sv
Brent Willis, CEO, Cott Company (former IS board member)
Lee Fertig, Director, American School of Barcelona, Spain lfertig@a-s-b.com
Ed Ladd, Director, American School of Doha, Qatar info@asd.edu.qa

We look forward to your reply and hope this can be the first step in working together to make International Teaching a positive experience for all involved.

Ben @ International Schools Review