Search Associates - white people only?

[goblinhunter]

Recently a friend informed me about a wonderful school in Japan with a MyP coordinator role.
However - the school only recruits through Search Associates.

I then chose to register. To my shock, I was rejected, despite having post graduate courses from Harvard, the full package from the UK (NPQs/Masters/PGCE QTS), no kids and professional qualifications that even headteachers lack.

I asked for more details and they refused - only telling me that it is unlikely I will get a job. I have international experience and qualifications. My references are fine since I also have other job offers from other institutions but would like a change from my region. A quick Google Search shows a few messages from Whistleblowers who talk about racist gate keeping, but I don’t want to give up hope just yet. I am aware that some schools want a ‘face’ that sells what people think of when they think of the UK but it is a little frustrating.
Is it worth applying to these schools informally through contact forms and LinkedIn, rather than using Search?

[Michelle]

The requirement for teaching through Search is a teaching credential and at least two years teaching in grades k through 12. It appears you lack the qualifications to be hired. Your degrees and background hold no weight in the International School arena. That's just the way it is. Good luck. Discrimination is most certainly alive and well in International Schools. At Search? I doubt it. You just simply lack the qualifications. Good luck in your job search.

[goblinhunter]

Michelle wrote:
> The requirement for teaching through Search is a teaching credential and at
> least two years teaching in grades k through 12. It appears you lack the
> qualifications to be hired. Your degrees and background hold no weight in
> the International School arena. That's just the way it is. Good luck.
> Discrimination is most certainly alive and well in International Schools.
> At Search? I doubt it. You just simply lack the qualifications. Good luck
> in your job search.

I have 9 years of experience in those areas. So your point is invalid. Do you work for them by any chance?

You’re telling me someone with 9 years of whole school experience, multiple masters, no kids, well under the visa limit, and good references from what people would consider to be top schools is unqualified?

Of course, I expect no response from you - it seems to be a common theme of denial and yet there is not a single person of colour speaking out to defend them. Even their own former recruiters have articles online whistleblowing against them.

Shameless.

[tangchao]

Are you sure about your references? They are able to submit confidentially so they could have said something about you that they would not have said on an open reference.

[Michelle]

Maybe you forget to tell Search you had a teaching credential and years of experience in K-12 education just like you did here? I'm thinking you have an attitude. And like the previous poster just said, maybe one of your confidential references told it like it is. Unfortunately, parents in some parts of the world feel they are paying for a White, English speaker to teach their kids. There are plenty of reviews on this site where teachers talk about the discrimination they suffered and the hands of students who saw them as just another servant. Hell, many of them treat White teachers that way. It's sad but true.

[Heliotrope]

You seem highly qualified, so it's likely either some negative references or racism.
Not much you can do about it I'm afraid, but it's sad if they chose not to accept you as a candidate for this reason.
I would definitely approach the school through other channels, as otherwise you wouldn't land the job anyway. It's worth a try.

Be aware that it's not all of Search, as the associate assigned to you has the authority to accept or deny you. Another associate might have accepted you if you would have been assigned to them. I did hear other reports of other perfectly qualified teachers being denied by Search for no obvious reason other than the color of their skin, so sadly you're not the first and likely not the last to whom this happens.
Also, I know for a fact that plenty of great schools are perfectly happy hiring a non-White teacher, so this associate is mistaken if they think no school will pick you up.

Hope it all works out for you.

[milesaway]

Of course I think racism has played a role in you being denied their services...
You are definitely qualified, and it sounds like you might be from the UK this might have also played a role in you being denied. They can't charge you the high fee that they normally charge others because of the laws in the UK prohibiting search firms from charging fees. I also think that if you told them you were interested in a specific role, at a specific school...they weren't going to waste their time helping you...they can't charge you the fee and you are only interested in one role at one school.

I would contact the school and send your information to them, explain that you tried to register with Search but were denied...even tell them you think you were denied because you just wanted to apply to this position.

[expatscot]

Michelle wrote:
> Maybe you forget to tell Search you had a teaching credential and years of
> experience in K-12 education just like you did here?

The OP did tell us:

goblinhunter wrote:
> the full package from the UK (NPQs/Masters/PGCE QTS)

PGCE is the teaching qualification and QTS the teacher registration from England. Search are well aware of this (and I'd be very surprised if any of the associates weren't aware of this as it's a basic requirement.)

@goblinhunter - what I'm not clear about is whether you were not accepted for registration by Search, or whether you were (and your profile is 'active') but they would not put you forward for the role? If it's the former, then it is likely to be something in your references which is causing the problem.

As others have suggested, unless the school is only looking through Search it's worth applying directly - if only because the school will be able to avoid paying the Search fee if they recruit you!

[Innsbruckave]

Michelle wrote:

> I'm thinking you have an attitude.

I love this- what a Gaslighter YOU are!

[Thames Pirate]

Yeah, this sounds like gatekeeping. It could be either racism or the one school thing, but most likely the combination--the latter being the ostensible reason to cover for the former.

I would contact the school directly and explain that you are interested in their school, but that Search wouldn't take a candidate only interested in one school. Don't be afraid to make a few phone calls and don't rely just on electronic communications.

[Innsbruckave]

So…….Michelle is an admin and they talk like that???
They speak so insensitively. Do you know any people of color or know what that experience is like when looking for jobs overseas?

My last school has hired black and brown people but has said out loud that they don’t try to because local parents in Thailand don’t like the brown teachers. They are racist. And it’s common in Asia, the reluctance to hire brown people. I’ve been here, in E. and SE Asia, for almost 27 years. It has been and is still really a problem.

[tangchao]

Well we can see things haven't gone her way and she's immediately calling people racist. I'd avoid her like the plague.

[Innsbruckave]

tangchao wrote:
> Well we can see things haven't gone her way and she's immediately calling
> people racist. I'd avoid her like the plague.

What do you mean? Are you talking about me? I happen to be white and only suffer a bit of ageism, but I have black friends and acquaintances who have been openly discriminated against in hiring, or if hired are treated poorly by the parents so the teacher leaves if they don't want to deal with it. It's a fact.

This is the definition of racism: a person who is prejudiced against or antagonistic towards people based on their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalized. From the Oxford Dictionary.

A school owner who says she doesn't like to hire black people because her clientele (local parents) doesn't want their children being taught by black people means what to you?

[goblinhunter]

milesaway wrote:
> Of course I think racism has played a role in you being denied their
> services...
> You are definitely qualified, and it sounds like you might be from the UK
> this might have also played a role in you being denied. They can't charge
> you the high fee that they normally charge others because of the laws in
> the UK prohibiting search firms from charging fees. I also think that if
> you told them you were interested in a specific role, at a specific
> school...they weren't going to waste their time helping you...they can't
> charge you the fee and you are only interested in one role at one school.
>
> I would contact the school and send your information to them, explain that
> you tried to register with Search but were denied...even tell them you
> think you were denied because you just wanted to apply to this position.


I didn’t mention this at all. I just chose to apply as you normally do. I also mentioned that I’m teaching abroad right now - so I would have to pay the fee.

Seems strange as a colleague of mine who hasn’t even got anything above a bachelors and a QTS has been using it for years. They have the same experience as me.

I think it’s quite telling that you have these accounts with almost zero other posts rushing to defend and insult me, from my own experience with a school who is now recruiting using Search, and who openly admit to discrimination due to the attitude from parents; it’s safe to assume that my assumption is correct.

[goblinhunter]

tangchao wrote:
> Well we can see things haven't gone her way and she's immediately calling
> people racist. I'd avoid her like the plague.


I could doxx myself but your account is new, so I don’t want to rub in my success at the direct approach, but I do want to ask why you won’t comment about reasons for rejection? Because there are none. They don’t want to put in the effort to convince a school to take on someone who isn’t white.

..applying for search associates has no visual or audio element. They can’t judge my personality and say I’m a basket case and reject me as my references are great, and I’m more than qualified. They do ask for my photograph though :) I suppose looking at many Search Associates staff lists and seeing only one or two teachers in hard to fill spots is another damning point you won’t consider. From my own experiences, I know some incredible schools who discriminate openly due to the perception that a British person can only truly be ‘white’ - but to see it from a company like this is shameful.

it’s weird to see people who don’t seem to know what the signup process is and blame me for supposedly missing details. You are assigned a recruiter and they ask for your CV multiple times, you provide all previous schools - if my references are bad, then why have I been offered other positions are schools people on this site salivate about?

No reason was provided, I asked them to elaborate, and I was given a reason that I wouldn’t be competitive. This matches what was said by the SearchAssociates whistleblower, who said that they’re told it’s not worth wasting time on people of colour. I suppose this explains the white teachers who are principals with only a TEFL.