Ready to Make the Jump - Seeking Advice/Info

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ExploringIS
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2021 1:31 pm

Ready to Make the Jump - Seeking Advice/Info

Post by ExploringIS »

Hello all. I have checked in on this forum here and there for years as my wife and I have debated making the shift from teaching and admin in the US to International Schools. I tried some keyword searches for my questions and didn't come across much so I apologize if these questions have been answered in previous posts. Really, I'm just looking for some info on a couple topics to start with. Some quick background info: I am currently a middle school principal (going into my second year) with four additional years of MS and HS admin experience after a ten year teaching career. My wife has taught MS Math for ten years as well. I am looking for a leadership position and she would continue to teach math. With that being said:

1. If we are looking to apply for positions starting a year from now, what should we be doing in the interim besides researching schools, regions, cultural differences, etc. to prepare for the hiring season and possible move?

2. How would you describe students and parents in South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan (in general terms)? Extremely supportive of teachers and staff? Moderately so? Not very supportive? Essentially, we're trying to get a better idea of what behavior in the classroom and communication with parents looks like.

Thank you all for supporting each other on this forum! I have found it incredibly helpful and informative over the years.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Youre in a difficult position as its unlikely youd be satisfied with third tier ISs, meaning your really at worst looking at a floater third tier IS or preferably an upper tier IS. I dont see anything about having IB experience which is going to quickly and greatly reduce the number of 2nd tier ISs which really means based on your brief discussion on "researching" ISs and locations, really comes down to comparing first tier ISs and regions rather than the entirety of IE.

First, get out of lower secondary (middle school). There are dedicated lower secondary leadership but they are a fairly small number compared to whole secondary, primary or whole IS senior leadership vacancies. A lower secondary leader really says you have no experience with upper secondary or primary. You could spin that if you had more leadership experience, but youll be recruiting with a thin two years in senior leadership. This could be enough for an upper third tier, but again, your not likely to be happy with third tier.
Your spouse is even in a more crucial situation, because lower secondary is essentially algebra. There isnt anything in their experience that says they can be successful at calculus. Nor do they have any experience with SLL and external exam schemes. Its one thing to be able to teach higher secondary subjects its another to know how to teach to the external exam schemes that define student success.

Second, without higher level maths teaching experience, your spouse despite their experience, is looking more and more like they have to stand on your resume instead of their own. On their own your spouse will: (A) find more marketability, albeit a smaller pool of vacancies and ISs as a primary maths specialist. (B) Expanding into and adding some form of competence in teaching science which is common for a primary specialist IT or in the early grades of lower secondary.

Third, many campus leaders in US DSs tend to be heavier on the academic (teaching and learning) competencies and really lite on the business aspects involved in executive leadership in IE. Most early career leaders are only starting to develop their leadership, teams and management experience, which is to say that theyre bridging from the academic competencies into the management competencies, but they tend to be very under prepared for things like budgeting, finance, advertising, capital projects, and communications. In a small IS which is where I see your greatest marketability that is all going to fall on you and your likely to stumble your way though it as you will be in an unfamiliar business system and relatively under prepared prepared to do those things. There is just a lot of tasking done at the central administration office in DE that a campus leader doesnt have to contend with and thus doesnt get experience in.

Fourth, can you switch campuses or jobs, either of you for the upcoming year in your district, specifically can you get into a campus that has IB? If you cant, can you shadow a leader at the IB campus? Can your spouse do some cross teaching in maths on any basis involving an IB classroom or an IB campus? Can you do anything IB outside of training that involves IB experience in anyway that you can spin into you having IB experience? In the first tier IB isnt crucial, but in the second tier IB is very predominate. Without IB anything, your sitting in the very big pool of ITs who have no experience and trying to convince a recruiter that what they do have experience in is transferable. Third tier ISs will buy that argument but upper third tier ISs wont. At fairs you will have pre-screeners going down the line looking at your resume for X years of IB experience and if you dont have that they just dismiss you with a "no thank you".

Fifth, are you just open to those three regions of Asia: South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan? JP is a really desirable area, and JP has a lot of ETs that would bury a body to get into IE. SK has a small upper tier an almost non-existent middle tier and then a modest third tier. The SK IE market is just overwhelmingly small. Taiwans IS market is just micro small. Theres 1 maybe 2 ISs that are first tier a few more second tier, and then a third tier thats predominately TW DS academies.

Sixth, what are your logistics, such as dependents (kids are career killers)? Do you have any expensive medical conditions that would limit your locations? Do you have any really firm expectations as far as living requirements (such as a 5LDK apartment or air quality)?

There really isnt a lot you can do, since your looking for positions next year that means your recruiting this year and with COVID this is better than last year but not the greatest time to be looking. You really dont have a lot of options that you can get done quickly. That leaves either moving a mountain to do one of the things above or doing something on the scale of an ASP that might give you a nominal benefit. Otherwise the only realistic option you can do is having your spouse add a science credential.

Compared to US students those populations are generally highly respectful of edus. Whatever problems you do have will seem like such a blessing compared to what your leaving, student behavior and behavior management are almost non-issues.

Parents will at the least appear supportive in front of you. They will not cuss you out with profanity to your face. Parents will go behind your back to undermine you with leadership but more likely with ownership and other parents, who are very likely part of a network that has someone whose ear they have with ownership. If youre competent, responsive and their child is getting good marks/grades then you wont have a problem with parents.
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