The hypocrisy of 'international' schools

[guest]

Are there 'international' schools out there that are willing to hire teachers that are non-native English speakers (although bilingual)? I would think schools that call themselves international schools would want to hire the best teachers they can find, even if their first language is not English...teachers who in some ways might mirror their student population.

Obviously, I am writing this because my spouse is not from the U.S., Canada, UK, New Zealand, or Australia. However, he is a trained teacher in his country with a graduate degree in the U.S. It seems like his only choice is limited to teaching a foreign language, which he is doing now.

I have heard the excuse that it's all about the parents and making them happy. Is this really the case? There must be some schools out there who are TRUE international schools. If there are, tell me some. BTW, I shoudl have prefaced this email by saying that I feel it is important that non-native speaking teachers have a decent command of English. My beef is with schools at fairs that won't even look at you because you don't have blonde hair and blue eyes and 'look' American.

When I went to an ISS job fair, I recall being given a paper highlighting hiring practices (no discrimination based on this and that, etc. etc.). Why do they even give that info when they know darn well that many, if not most of these, schools do discriminate.

[mnolan]

Once my wife and I were interviewed for a job at a small international company school by a well known recruitment company. I was appointed principal because I was a male while my wife had the credentials. This was done in the USA. Evidently the rules appear to aplly when it is in advantage of the hiring authority

[Guest]

Something you may not understand about 'international' teaching is that hiring practices typically reflect the philosophy and operational practices of the school. An accredited international school usually has the acronym AIS followed by the name of the city (American International School - City) and operates with an American based curriculum. A school that is accredited by NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges), for example, will send out governing bodies for visitation and - of the school program and certificated staff. Typically at least 50% of the staff must be American (or Canadian) certificated teachers. These schools typically have experienced licensed superintendents and operate as schools, not businesses. The majority of the student population reflects western passport holders. Labeling all these Americans abroad (teachers and students) as having blonde hair and blue eyes, as you suggest, is an amazing assumption.

National schools, community schools or privately owned schools typically don't operate using the AIS model nor are they beholden to an accreditation committee. Typically, these are the schools that you may read about on this site with regards to personnel problems. They are also the schools that have high numbers of students from the host country.

By the way, there is a difference between being bilingual and biliterate. It is one thing to speak 2 or more languages fluently, and quite another to be able to read and write those languages with automaticity and fluency. I don't see any AIS school descriminating in the hiring practices against a certified teacher who is biliterate as long as one of the languages is English.

[OP]

"How about the More well know American schools ASK and AIS? I hear good and bad and recently a lot of bad? Also I hear race is an issue in Kuwait. I have a British friend with a black wife and he has been told by British Curriculum schools in Kuwait they could not hire him because his wife is black and while it is unfortunate Kuwait is racist? Know I some African American who worked or have worked at ASK or AIS and never heard such stories? I also hear Asians are ridiculed etc.. a friend in the country I live in who is British-Chinese , said her children were often ridiculed etc.. and this was in one of the better British schools in Kuwait! Are such things really true?"

Guest #2, This just came from the other thread, the same day you posted your message. Discrimination is alive and well in many countries.

I am not a newbie to international teacher, although I am a newbie to marriage! Since marrying a non-native English speaker (who is bilingual AND biliterate, than you!), I have noted that directors shy away from hiring us. I was pleased to finally get one honest director who told me that parents would have a problem with my husband because he has an accent (even though I work with Brits and Australians and Americans from the deep south and Boston who have thicker accents than my husband's).

I know all about these accreditation teams too. I have been on one! I would like to see some change in the hiring practices, that's all. Do I want to see less that that 50% U.S. (sometimes) certified teachers? No. However, what's wrong with hiring a bilingual and biliterate teacher who is not from the UK, Australia, Canada, etc. once in a while.

Please tell me some schools where race or ethnicity won't be an issue? Or give the names of directors. They are the ones who actually do the hiring and have these hiring philosophies. Another thing I have noted in my time overseas is that many of my colleagues and bosses ae married to spouses from non-native English speaking countries and/or have adopted children from other countries. What comes around, goes around, I guess. It would be a shame it their sons/daughters faced these discriminatory hiring practices when they are adults.

Please send some names of schools that don't have these hiring practices, please.

[Guest]

Like I said in my last post, the number of certified American / Canadian teachers has to do with accreditation guidelines. In order for the school to be accredited (so that high school students can receive a legitimate diploma that awards them college admittance, for example) a certain number of the staff must represent the curricular philosophy of the school (American International School).

I've worked abroad for 12 years at 3 different schools and have not witnessed the descrimination mentioned in your post. But then again, I'm a certificated American teacher and my husband has blonde hair and blue eyes. Perhaps I don't see it because it doesn't directly affect me.

[Guest]

The International School of Islamabad needs a well-qualified elementary P.E. teacher. Ask your husband to contact the school at www.isoi.edu.pk. Despite the name, this is an American school but I think your husband will be well received.

[Schehrazade]

In the real world, life is not fair....if you can't out gun them, try to out flank them......

[Internatioanl Educator]

Discrimination is so wide spread and blatant in the international teaching arena that it is rediculous. Race, age, sex, naional origin, and everything else they can think of. Some of it is based on legitimate country laws and the rest comes from the American recruiters and the school boards that back them up. There is definitely the problem with "looking" American as well.
For the person who asked about Kuwait. 50% of Kuwaities are "black" but they treat asians, especially Indians, badly.
For the person who mentioned Islamabad, The male director will desciminate but the female (Rose), will not. Of course, the male will make the final decision. If you are a couple where one person is white you will have a good chance of getting hired.

Hearing/Reading all of these postings is very inspiring. It is really time to start a Union!!

[ozy]

I was quite shocked when I read that most international schools would not consider hiring non-native English speakers with an excellent command of English.I am one of those who is multilingual (but not native speaker of English) and interested in working in international arena as a school counselor. I am a certified K-12 school counselor in Nebraska and currently teaching in a public school.

I will truly appreciate your inputs regarding my chance for being hired by an international school.

Thanks in advance...

Yeshim