Dasman Model School in Kuwait
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rdb333
Dasman Model School in Kuwait
Has anyone worked in this school during the 2005/2006. I'm being ffered a Special Ed. position and I'm looking for some insights of the school.
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Teacher in Kuwait
Dasman Model school
I worked at DMS for many years and have many friends still working there. It is a good school for Special Education. A good group of staff there - although the Head of SEN lacks vision and is not much of a leader. The classrooms are well resourced and the students are very pleasant. If you want to know more you can contact me:
ESLinKuwait@hotmail.com
ESLinKuwait@hotmail.com
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Kadra Jama
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:16 pm
- Location: Canada
Dasman model School?
Hi everyone,
I am a ceritified teacher in Canada and would like to know if anyone who recently worked in this school liked teaching there?
It is one of the offers I got and wanted to ask around.
Thanks! :)
I am a ceritified teacher in Canada and would like to know if anyone who recently worked in this school liked teaching there?
It is one of the offers I got and wanted to ask around.
Thanks! :)
Re: Dasman model School?
Posted twice so I deleted one.
Last edited by freetoobe on Mon Apr 16, 2012 1:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Dasman model School?
I do not know if you got any response but I do work at DMS. It is NOT the premiere school they would like to think they are. DMS has a reputation for letting all the kids in who got kicked out of the good schools. You would be hard pressed to find a good review about the school. I have been told over and over it is the school that is the issue not Kuwait. However Kuwait overall is a lifestyle you love or hate. It is a harsh and dirty city (with trash, dust and wild cats and dogs.) The people in general here are fine but foreign women are very much stared at and often times followed or have comments made when out in public. The housing is very far from school in one of the least developed and dirty parts of Kuwait. There is no close shopping or even grocery stores except the very dirty and crowded "7 Eleven" or bacalas with limited items. Taxis will run you about 4-12 dollars (one way) from Mabhoula Where the apartments are) depending on where you go. You have to think about living as well as working here.
DMS is a low end Kuwaity Private school that offers low pay and few benefits compared to other similar schools in kuwait. Even if you stay in Kuwait many foreign and western hires leave either during their contract or at the end of the contract and go to other schools.
As with any where you go all is not good and all is not bad but overall admin is poor and the board is very much in charge of the money of this for profit school.
This info may be a little late but still to be considered since you are not here yet. Kuwait labor law allows you to end a contract before you start it with out penalty as long as you have not actually worked on the contract or cost the employer any money yet.
DMS is a low end Kuwaity Private school that offers low pay and few benefits compared to other similar schools in kuwait. Even if you stay in Kuwait many foreign and western hires leave either during their contract or at the end of the contract and go to other schools.
As with any where you go all is not good and all is not bad but overall admin is poor and the board is very much in charge of the money of this for profit school.
This info may be a little late but still to be considered since you are not here yet. Kuwait labor law allows you to end a contract before you start it with out penalty as long as you have not actually worked on the contract or cost the employer any money yet.
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Kadra Jama
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:16 pm
- Location: Canada
Wow! Thanks soo much for the feedback. I have accepted the offer but might reconsider it. How are the highschool students? The special needs section? How is the housing? Suitable to live in?
How many expat teachers are working in the school vs non-expat teachers?
Do they usually abide by their contract? How is the new superintendent?
Thank you soo much for all the advice.. I have a lot to think about :)
Kadra
How many expat teachers are working in the school vs non-expat teachers?
Do they usually abide by their contract? How is the new superintendent?
Thank you soo much for all the advice.. I have a lot to think about :)
Kadra
Really
OK, I have to ask, after hearing all that you "still" are looking for a reason to go??? I mean imagine your standing on some train tracks and someone yells "look out the trains coming!!!" Are you really going to ask:
How far away is it?
Is it a big train?
How fast is it moving?
Are there people on the train?
Is the train clean?
Are there bathrooms on the train?
Is there a conductor on the train?
Where is the train going?
When will it get there?
When the only thing you should be doing is GETTING OUT OF THE WAY...
*Splat*, this is how train wrecks happen, and you should of seen it coming...
How far away is it?
Is it a big train?
How fast is it moving?
Are there people on the train?
Is the train clean?
Are there bathrooms on the train?
Is there a conductor on the train?
Where is the train going?
When will it get there?
When the only thing you should be doing is GETTING OUT OF THE WAY...
*Splat*, this is how train wrecks happen, and you should of seen it coming...
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Kadra Jama
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 10:16 pm
- Location: Canada
OK
Well your comment asked about how nice the apartments were? I mean thats like saying "Hey we have this job in Hades here, its got all the bad things that go along with a job in Hades, but wait we have NEW apartments"? Would that make a difference?
Specific answers will vary depending on experience within a department. But here are the general answers:
How are the highschool students? They are much better this year but still our worse behaved. They expect good grades wether earned or not and in general it is the practice that everyone passes all their classes even if they dont actual attend or do any work. This pattern has been in existence forever but individual teachers choose how much effort they want to give to fighting the system or just playing along. Keep in mind highschool is going to have an almost completely new staff this year because of their issues with admin and students.
The special needs section? The special needs kids are among the best behaved and have the greatest expectations on them from their teachers. SN students pay the highest tuition (double what all others pay)and have the least amount of admin support. They also have a "psychologist" who miss places and demonstrates no evidence of qualification in placing or testing the students. The superintendant is a micro manager who wants to control SN without any qualifications of knowing anything about Special ed.
How is the housing? Suitable to live in? The apartment itself is nice. The location is literally one of the worse places to live in the Kuwait. We have a 30-45 minute bus ride one way every morning and afternoon. The neighborhood is filthy and full of trash from the dumpsters, construction and all the other imigrant workers who live with 10-12 men in one apartment smaller then ours. It is not good for walking or even being outside. The dumpster cats and wild dogs add to the unpleasantness. We have had three fires since the year started and we have no fire alarms or extinguishers so it is by word of mouth and phone call that you find out your building is on fire. The resturaunt below the apartments literally had an explosion and caught the building on fire. So far only one apartment has had fire damage but still a little unerving.
How many expat teachers are working in the school vs non-expat teachers? the school is more arabic staff than western. As with anyone each person has their contributions and lack of contributions.
Do they usually abide by their contract?
Contracts in general are worked out. This year we had about 12 people flee in the night of get fired before contracts were done. We have a large amount of staff completing their contracts and leaving and a group of teachers breaking contracts (some are telling the school others are just leaving and not telling)
How is the new superintendent?
Andy can be a kind person. Depends on his mood and if he is having a bad day as to if everyone has a bad day. I will say he seems to be making a better effort to make positive comments on his emails. However note that he is very keen on calling people in the office and blindsiding them with disciplinary actions. More "negatives" come to us on emails and notes from the HR and PR about what we will be in trouble for then what we are doing right. Due to past problems Andy actually has very little control or decision making power in finances or school wide decisions. The board and HR are really running most of the real decisions anyway.
Please know that there are good people here and in the end we have to help eachother because often times we do not get any support from the admin. Money is tight and profits are high. Individual attitude is what makes your time here good or bad.
A note about Kuwait: it is expensive to live here. Although you can find things to do there is a great lack of entertainment here. Shopping, eating and hanging out at peoples aprtments is your big day out. Most people try to get out of the country and travel as much as possible.
Thank you soo much for all the advice.. I have a lot to think about :)
Kadra[/quote]
How are the highschool students? They are much better this year but still our worse behaved. They expect good grades wether earned or not and in general it is the practice that everyone passes all their classes even if they dont actual attend or do any work. This pattern has been in existence forever but individual teachers choose how much effort they want to give to fighting the system or just playing along. Keep in mind highschool is going to have an almost completely new staff this year because of their issues with admin and students.
The special needs section? The special needs kids are among the best behaved and have the greatest expectations on them from their teachers. SN students pay the highest tuition (double what all others pay)and have the least amount of admin support. They also have a "psychologist" who miss places and demonstrates no evidence of qualification in placing or testing the students. The superintendant is a micro manager who wants to control SN without any qualifications of knowing anything about Special ed.
How is the housing? Suitable to live in? The apartment itself is nice. The location is literally one of the worse places to live in the Kuwait. We have a 30-45 minute bus ride one way every morning and afternoon. The neighborhood is filthy and full of trash from the dumpsters, construction and all the other imigrant workers who live with 10-12 men in one apartment smaller then ours. It is not good for walking or even being outside. The dumpster cats and wild dogs add to the unpleasantness. We have had three fires since the year started and we have no fire alarms or extinguishers so it is by word of mouth and phone call that you find out your building is on fire. The resturaunt below the apartments literally had an explosion and caught the building on fire. So far only one apartment has had fire damage but still a little unerving.
How many expat teachers are working in the school vs non-expat teachers? the school is more arabic staff than western. As with anyone each person has their contributions and lack of contributions.
Do they usually abide by their contract?
Contracts in general are worked out. This year we had about 12 people flee in the night of get fired before contracts were done. We have a large amount of staff completing their contracts and leaving and a group of teachers breaking contracts (some are telling the school others are just leaving and not telling)
How is the new superintendent?
Andy can be a kind person. Depends on his mood and if he is having a bad day as to if everyone has a bad day. I will say he seems to be making a better effort to make positive comments on his emails. However note that he is very keen on calling people in the office and blindsiding them with disciplinary actions. More "negatives" come to us on emails and notes from the HR and PR about what we will be in trouble for then what we are doing right. Due to past problems Andy actually has very little control or decision making power in finances or school wide decisions. The board and HR are really running most of the real decisions anyway.
Please know that there are good people here and in the end we have to help eachother because often times we do not get any support from the admin. Money is tight and profits are high. Individual attitude is what makes your time here good or bad.
A note about Kuwait: it is expensive to live here. Although you can find things to do there is a great lack of entertainment here. Shopping, eating and hanging out at peoples aprtments is your big day out. Most people try to get out of the country and travel as much as possible.
Thank you soo much for all the advice.. I have a lot to think about :)
Kadra[/quote]
just curious
Have you made a decision? We had a meeting yesterday and Andy said all positions were filled. He also let us know he did not aprecaite anyone who had anything to say about DMS posting it online. I will give him the credit of being human. In our evaluations I do think sometimes we forget admin is people with feelings too. It is not a personal vendetta against Andy or anyone else. I just wish I knew what to really expect before I came here. It does not mean I would not have come I would have just had a more realistic perspective. All of lifes experiences good or bad can help you to grow as a person and educator. I have met some excellent teachers and made life long friends. We have to have a good sense of humor to stay here too long.
Hope you at least feel informed in making your decision. And whoever wrote evaluation #20 about DMS was clearly just trying to earn some Andy points. It was a sweet gesture anyway.
Hope you at least feel informed in making your decision. And whoever wrote evaluation #20 about DMS was clearly just trying to earn some Andy points. It was a sweet gesture anyway.