Should I rely on the reviews on ISR when making a decision?
Should I rely on the reviews on ISR when making a decision?
I have been looking through the reviews of different schools in ISR. Most of them are so negative. Is it representative of the world of international schools generally that so many schools have so many problems?
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Zsejanko
It's a matter of combining your OWN thorough research ( the internet is such a powerful tool ) and the reviews on here ( despite being so negative ). I would also look for certain inconsistencies or similarities in reviews for a school. For example, I noticed that there was a school on here with 3 bad reviews. The first two reviews had the SAME SCORES...which means that those two reviews were more likely written by the same disgruntled person. I would look for how the paragraphs are written...to note writing style to see if the reviews were all from the same author or not. When I was job junting around January time, I listed down the schools that I was interested in and ranked them ACCORDING to what ISR reviews state. Then I did my OWN personal research on each school...interestingly enough, many teachers write blogs on Blogger and other websites without realising that their blogs are open to the public. Whether it was intentional or not, I found out A LOT about the schools, the working climate specifically, the student body character etc, which of course, made me reassess or eliminate certain choices on the list.
ISR is quite powerful though in changing one's initial opinion about a school. I would DEFINITELY be wary of schools that have had reviews stretching over 10 years with the same negative comments in regards to administration. Interestingly enough, a school on here contacted me last week for an interview. I read the reviews and despite it being a high-paying school with amazing benefits, the reviews were baaaaaaddddd. So, when I received the interview, I decided to form my own opinions...and lo and behold, ISR reviews were quite accurate. The interview process was one of the strangest / weirdest I have ever been through. Needless to say, it made the decision so much easier for me as another school ( one of the best in Japan ) offered me a contract with a salary that I have never ever had in my entire life ( in a good way ).
However, for schools that have received a meagre 1 - 2 reviews, I would take it with a bit of grain of salt and do some more research. Ultimately, it depends on how the schools match up to one's expectations ( despite damning reviews on here ). For example, one school on here received the most horrendous reviews but certain people still want those schools ( based on forum replies ) because of the salary package it offers.
ISR is quite powerful though in changing one's initial opinion about a school. I would DEFINITELY be wary of schools that have had reviews stretching over 10 years with the same negative comments in regards to administration. Interestingly enough, a school on here contacted me last week for an interview. I read the reviews and despite it being a high-paying school with amazing benefits, the reviews were baaaaaaddddd. So, when I received the interview, I decided to form my own opinions...and lo and behold, ISR reviews were quite accurate. The interview process was one of the strangest / weirdest I have ever been through. Needless to say, it made the decision so much easier for me as another school ( one of the best in Japan ) offered me a contract with a salary that I have never ever had in my entire life ( in a good way ).
However, for schools that have received a meagre 1 - 2 reviews, I would take it with a bit of grain of salt and do some more research. Ultimately, it depends on how the schools match up to one's expectations ( despite damning reviews on here ). For example, one school on here received the most horrendous reviews but certain people still want those schools ( based on forum replies ) because of the salary package it offers.
Both posts offer good advice. You really have to be a good critical reader to read these reviews. One thing I look for is whether the reviewer relies a lot on hearsay or rumor, rather than relating personal observations. And when they do relate personal experience, I look at just what they're complaining about--one person resented the fact that he was handed a cardboard box to use as a trashcan. Nit-picky stuff that most professionals can deal with easily raise red flags.
Glowing reviews by admin are usually easy to spot. They sound like ads; teachers tend to focus more on classroom experiences.
Glowing reviews by admin are usually easy to spot. They sound like ads; teachers tend to focus more on classroom experiences.
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Zsejanko
Re: Kind of
[quote="PsyGuy"]I've written this before but the reviews here tend to be a "dumping" ground for everyone having a bad experience. what's more important is the reviews over time. if a school has a rep for several years of bad reviews then I'd be wary. Another thing to watch for in the negative reviews are cultural complaints, some teachers just dont assimilate to a new culture very well and become very unhappy when things arent done the way they are in their home countries. Lastly, you have to read tone. A lot of the positive reviews are done by admins in a response to the negative reviews.[/quote]
Yes, I would definitely have to agree with Psyguy on here about " tone ". I forgot to include it in my response. I have become quite critical in reading the reviews on here and the "tone" is a dead give away that it's an administrator writing it. Here are some pointers on the "tone":
WATCH OUT FOR ADMINISTRATOR TONE :
a) It starts off with " No international school is perfect" ( setting off the context for which the "pro points " are going to be explained )
b) Certain "statistical-like" details are provided
c) The paragraphs are broken down in a way that makes the reader feel that they are reading a " pamphlet " about the school!
d) The review is one ( if not the only ) positive review on the page of a handful of reviews
e) Rebuttal points are too specific ( You have to ask yourself, how does one, mere, tiny teacher KNOW about the details of what the administrator does BEHIND closed doors ? For example, one post on here - clearly from an administrator - talked about the reasonings as to why the bonuses were decreased from this percentage to that percentage and how the decrease actually helped the school. How would the teacher know the specific ways in which the decrease HELPED the school? Did that teacher have statistics....or is that "teacher" simply an administrator with all the statistical details on hand, explaining away the heinous act? )
WATCH OUT FOR "DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE" TONE : Although this is obviously much easier to spot, one still has to take it with a small grain of salt.
a) As Psyguy aptly mentioned, watch the cultural tones. Is the person "pro-Western world"? Do they use dichotomy words of " us " and " them "? Is the complaint focusing on the cultural aspects of the country, the people, rather than the school itself? Cultural differences obviously aggravate the situation or make it look worse than it really is.
b) Spelling or grammatical errors.....I am sorry to judge someone with spelling or grammatical errors but if the reviews mistake " they're " for " their " or " there ", then I would have to wonder about the teacher's calibre. Although this might be excusable for other professions, I am a little bit more critical when it's coming from a TEACHER.
c) Is the review solely negative? A good review doesn't have to be one or the other alone. I think that a fair review is when the good, the bad, the ugly and the workable are all provided. Even a personal critique on what should / could be done would be helpful bc this shows that the reviewer actually took some time to think about the written post....and not necessarily written out of anger. ( However, some schools are so absurd that a post written out of anger could be well worth it ).
Yes, I would definitely have to agree with Psyguy on here about " tone ". I forgot to include it in my response. I have become quite critical in reading the reviews on here and the "tone" is a dead give away that it's an administrator writing it. Here are some pointers on the "tone":
WATCH OUT FOR ADMINISTRATOR TONE :
a) It starts off with " No international school is perfect" ( setting off the context for which the "pro points " are going to be explained )
b) Certain "statistical-like" details are provided
c) The paragraphs are broken down in a way that makes the reader feel that they are reading a " pamphlet " about the school!
d) The review is one ( if not the only ) positive review on the page of a handful of reviews
e) Rebuttal points are too specific ( You have to ask yourself, how does one, mere, tiny teacher KNOW about the details of what the administrator does BEHIND closed doors ? For example, one post on here - clearly from an administrator - talked about the reasonings as to why the bonuses were decreased from this percentage to that percentage and how the decrease actually helped the school. How would the teacher know the specific ways in which the decrease HELPED the school? Did that teacher have statistics....or is that "teacher" simply an administrator with all the statistical details on hand, explaining away the heinous act? )
WATCH OUT FOR "DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE" TONE : Although this is obviously much easier to spot, one still has to take it with a small grain of salt.
a) As Psyguy aptly mentioned, watch the cultural tones. Is the person "pro-Western world"? Do they use dichotomy words of " us " and " them "? Is the complaint focusing on the cultural aspects of the country, the people, rather than the school itself? Cultural differences obviously aggravate the situation or make it look worse than it really is.
b) Spelling or grammatical errors.....I am sorry to judge someone with spelling or grammatical errors but if the reviews mistake " they're " for " their " or " there ", then I would have to wonder about the teacher's calibre. Although this might be excusable for other professions, I am a little bit more critical when it's coming from a TEACHER.
c) Is the review solely negative? A good review doesn't have to be one or the other alone. I think that a fair review is when the good, the bad, the ugly and the workable are all provided. Even a personal critique on what should / could be done would be helpful bc this shows that the reviewer actually took some time to think about the written post....and not necessarily written out of anger. ( However, some schools are so absurd that a post written out of anger could be well worth it ).
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overseasvet2
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:50 pm
reader beware
I'd just like to reiterate that one has to read the posts with a grain of salt. I've seen posts for two schools where I worked that contained inaccurate information; the posters' voices came through loud and clear so I knew they had had their own issues with the administration. A school that is a good fit for one person might not be for another. It depends a lot on where you are in your life - are you looking for a school with mostly young singles? Do you have a family and want the school to take on more responsibility than just providing for your child's education?
If you can try and get info on the the schools with the best reputation in each country and concentrate on them, you should be fine. We've been to 4 top tier international schools and have enjoyed our experience at each one although each was very different. (I will say the first was simply the best in the city - not on par with the other 3!)
Don't expect things to be like home - be flexible and open minded and enjoy learning about the local culture and you'll be fine no matter where you land. I believe most teachers (and administrators) are in the business of doing their best for kids and if you can find a collegial experience in a nice country, it's win, win, win.
If you can try and get info on the the schools with the best reputation in each country and concentrate on them, you should be fine. We've been to 4 top tier international schools and have enjoyed our experience at each one although each was very different. (I will say the first was simply the best in the city - not on par with the other 3!)
Don't expect things to be like home - be flexible and open minded and enjoy learning about the local culture and you'll be fine no matter where you land. I believe most teachers (and administrators) are in the business of doing their best for kids and if you can find a collegial experience in a nice country, it's win, win, win.