comptetence -- no guarantee of job security

[David]

I am excited to joing this forum and, like others, wish it had existed during my 11 years overseas. After 4+ years in my last school, with excellent evaluations and huge contributions to the program, I was "non-renewed". Having seen this happen to others of equal quality and in other settings, I wanted to do what I could to try to encourage international schools to implement more just and ethical practices. The following article was my effort to articulate the problem. I would appreciate your reactions, corrections, and ideas.

International School Teaching: A Tenuous Career
by David Addicott, former international school educator

Certainly the hazards of living overseas, where teachers may be subject to risks of health or safety, are readily identifiable and beyond the control of the schools we work for. But, we are also subject to professional risks, which are not so apparent and may be created by the schools themselves.

International schools, whether of the non-profit or proprietary sort, offer little in the way of job security. Generally there are no laws governing how international schools must treat their employees and, of course, there are no unions to protect the rights of their workers. For, that is what we are, workers; not partners nor shareholders. We serve at the pleasure of our school directors and principals. We trust that we will be treated fairly, that policies, where they exist, addressing the rights of teachers will be adhered to, because, when we are treated unfairly, there is little we can do. The process of seeking justice is likely to damage our own careers in a system where hiring by word of mouth is the norm.

Fortunately, being educators themselves, most directors and principals do try to treat their employees fairly and ethically. Moreover, most schools seem to have policies spelling out conditions under which contracts may be terminated and grievance procedures. There is one area, however, in which international schools, in my experience, fail to provide appropriate protection to professional staff: the non-renewal of contracts.

International schools generally employ teachers on 2 year contracts initially and on an annual basis after that. One would think, logically, that the decision to renew a teacher?s contract would be based solely on that teacher?s performance in the classroom and their professional conduct. Schools generally adhere to a system of teacher evaluation which stipulates the process to be followed when a teacher?s performance does not meet the standards of the school. It is understood, obviously, that if the teacher?s performance does not improve, his contract will at some point not be renewed. Many schools, however, reserve the right to simply not renew contracts without either identifing or addressing the shortcoming of the teacher.

This practice not only negates the purpose of teacher evaluations but undermines their use as well. Placing a poorly performing teacher on an ?improvement plan? should be done with the full intention and belief that the teacher will improve. After all the school has invested a fair sum in bringing the teacher on board. The non-renewal option, however, circumvents this process as long as the supervisor is careful not identify an area in need of improvement! Once the teacher is informed that they need to change some aspect of their teaching or professional conduct, the school would be obligated by their own policies to take the teacher through a prolonged process, presumably with the intent of retaining them if at all possible. By not identifying a problem and simply not renewing the contract, the director or principal can remove staff quickly and with no obligation to help the person improve. Not only do such administrators not need any reason to let a teacher go, it serves their purposes to not identify the reason, even if when one exists!

What?s wrong with this practice? From an ethical and humane standpoint, the practice of non-renewal without due process is simply wrong. The impact on the individual (or couple) is devastating and may include the following:
? loss of income necessitated by move, the cost of recruiting, and moving to the entry level salary in the new school.
? loss of self-esteem ? no matter how presented, non-renewal amounts to being terminated, being told you?re not good enough to work here -- a situation made worse when no reason is given and person is left wondering.
? any attempt to complain is likely to make matters worse by being branded as a complainer or trouble maker within the international school administrator community ? the advice often given is, ?you?d be wise to resign and take your good letter of recommendation.?
? friends, colleagues, and prospective employers assume there must be a problem ? the victim becomes socially isolated
? even asking a prospective school about their non-renewal practices would likely result in not being hired

How does this practice affect schools that practice it? Again, there are financial, human and programatic costs to the school, including:
? staff are infected with distrust and fear, lowering morale
? staff are less inclined to invest themselves in the school; the message to those who are left is ?don?t risk, don?t speak up, don?t invest yourself in the school, close your door and don?t volunteer for anything.?
? turnover of staff will increase as teachers seek more hospitable schools, resulting in higher costs and lack of program continuity

Why does this unprofessional, unethical practice continue when so many negative results occur? There are a variety of factors that conspire to maintain this practice, starting with the fact that the administrators hold all the cards (power) and there is nothing in place to restrain them, other than their own sense of fairness. Other factors include:
? Teacher evaluation and the process of helping deficient teachers to improve is difficult, time consuming and easily avoided.
? Administrators may be particularly reluctant to deal with conflicts, unpleasant personalities, complaining parents, or different ways of seeing things.
? Administrators may claim that the problem is simply the teacher?s personality, which can?t be changed, so nothing could be done.
? Administrators use the excuse, ?This is how things are overseas, get used to it? or ?This is how businesses work, it?s normal?.
All of these factors boil down to administrators simply not being willing to do their jobs and to treat their teachers with the dignity and respect they deserve. Teachers in this situation are virtually powerless, unless they are willing to give up any hope of teaching again in an international school. School boards, whether appointed or elected, are more likely to support administrators and not be interested in seeing policies in place to protect the ?rights? of teachers. Boards, like administrators, are more interested in being able to quickly get rid of ?problem? teachers.

What needs to be done? International school administrators should begin to police themselves, realizing that sound ethical treatment of staff is in the best interest of the school and of students. More specifically:
? Schools and their administrators should implement due process, ensuring that employees are not let go unless ample opportunity has been provided to meet the school?s expectations.
? These policies should be accessible to prospective employees, making these schools more attractive to potential candidates. School policies should make it clear that contract renewal can be expected when the teacher?s performance meets the school?s standards, barring situations requiring reduction in force.
? Organizations, such as ISS could provide an industry standard for schools to adopt, resulting in an ?ethical personnel practices seal of approval.?
? Accrediting bodies could evaluate the ethical practices in use in schools abroad and expect standards to be in place that protect the rights of teachers, similar to those in place in US public schools.

[Lurker]

Hello David,

Your article identifies a real issue that needs addressing. I think you answered your own concern when you stated that schools that practice "non-renewal" of contracts often end up causing so much distruct on staff that it has a snow ball effect where other teachers begin to look else where for employment.

One way to address this is to form some sort of International School Teachers Union that will negotiate on our behalf for pensions and protection from "just business" style administrators.

At my school, we have no pensions, must pay for our own work visas, and we are not even allowed to stay in school housing during the summer due to "costs". The list goes on for ever.

This site can go along way to highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly.

[mags]

Hi David,
Great to see someone address this important issue. As private bodies most international schools have overlooked the need to ensure that their administrators behave with professional integrity when it comes to treatment of staff. The focus is on policies to do with the students and their welfare. Accreditation bodies likewise are focussed on issues of academic integrity and student welfare.
One of the issues you do not touch on in your article is the use of teaching couples and unacknowledged policies persued by many administrations in employing them. Teaching couples often find themselves on what amount to 'spousal contracts' where the one member is employed on merit and at a level commensurate with their experience and qualifications while the other is taken on at a lower level - all the better if the couple have no dependents! This is done as a cost cutting exercise for the school but is extremely harmful for the professional growth and progress of the one partner. Teaching couples are a goldmine of expertise as usually they are of similar age and experience and hold similar academic and professional qualifications - the administration can now access this without due recognition of the one partner. Far from ethical practise.
A second issue has to do with professional advancement and promotion within international schools. Most administrators work with unacknowledged policies which lock overseas employees into salary notches and professional levels for the term of their contracts and many try to hold them to the same scales and levels on renewal of contract i.e. there is little ooportunity for advancement within the school. This forces staff to move in order to advance professionally. One is left seriously wondering what all the professional development programs, evaluations and appraisals are for in this instance.
A third issue is the one of gender. As a professional I have been horrified at the unethical behaviour of many administrators who favour men for higher level positions and make appointments based not on merit but on gender. I'd like to see some sort of 'equal opportunity employer' requisite in place before these schools are allowed to register with an employment/teacher recruitment agency. In my home country schools must demonstrate equitable treatment in terms of gender, race, religious persuasion etc.
I hope that you have access to people who can bring your article to the notice of those who hold the 'power' in terms of the registration and continued existence of many of the international schools out there. Administrations need to be held accountable not just to the school's owners, the students, the accreditation bodies etc. but also to the professional teaching staff they employ. They like all of us should be expected to behave and carry our their duties with integrity and professionalism.

[guest]

Hi David,
Administrations need to be held accountable not just to the school's owners, the students, the accreditation bodies etc. but also to the professional teaching staff they employ. They like all of us should be expected to behave and carry our their duties with integrity and professionalism.

I think the entire profession is being deprofesionalized. It is so important to choose the right "Head". International School teachers have no protection. Parents often see teachers as little more than servants in many countries we work in (Middle East in particular). Pay packages are extremely low - often below MacDonalds maangers (below $30,000 per year).

Contract renewal is more often based on school finances than any sort of obligation to the teacher to provide job security.

[maria]

I too am very glad this forum exists and wish it had been here 5 years ago when I first started to look at teaching overseas.
There really needs to be a was for international teachers to report poor directors who do not follow contracts or treat good teachers poorly.
I experienced such problems with directors who did not follow contracts AFTER I arrived in the country or who decided not to renew my contract because they wanted to save money.
What a shame considering I love teaching overseas !!!

We need to keep posting our experiences here so others can be more informed and aware of the realities they might face.

[New guest]

David, thanks for your well thought out and clearly written expose on the lack of job security at international schools. I've worked at half a dozen international schools with precious few having or following clear due process when initiating a dismissal. In the past I have supported several teachers who have been singled out for a variety of reasons for dismissal. My efforts on their behalf were initiated without any concern for their performance as a teacher, but due to the unprofessional methods employed by the administration. There are ways of helping an individual who is not teaching at their full potential besides firing them.
This past year my office mate and I were dismissed by an administrator who is infamous around the world and on the ISR website as a hatchet man. He had never done an evaluation of either of us, never attended a practice or one of our games, never joined one the field trips we organized. Without any due process we were given the option of a favorable recommendation for our resignations. Neither of us gave in and are currently pursuing a lawsuit in local labor court. We have both asked the court to force the school into giving us our jobs back. We are very fortunate to live in a country that has labor laws. So many of the points you make in your article are absolutely true and I have lived with them during the past year.
Well done !!!


It is not our job as teachers to evaluate our peers

[wounded]

David,

Please let me respond to your statement: "Organizations, such as ISS could provide an industry standard for schools to adopt, resulting in an ?ethical personnel practices seal of approval.?

In reality, what is needed is an agency to monitor ISS and their practice of allowing schools with a track record of abusing teachers to continue to recruit at their conferences. I live in fear of the director from my last school that threatens to destroy my teaching career, even here in the States. And all because I wouldn't date him. ISS has little interest in hearing what I have to say and feels comfortable in preventing me from recruiting at any of there conferences. It appears ISS is only interested in money.

I believe we need an agency to protect us as you suggest but ISS is not it.

Sincerely,

Wounded

[Samantha]

I'm sorry about your non-renewal. I don't understand why they would not renew you since your evals were great. In your article you discussed why a principal would prefer to non-renew a teacher rather than deal with improving performance, but your sitation seems different.

I agree with regarding accountability of administrators. As a teacher in American public schools looking to go abroad, I currently feel a sense of protection by the district policies (to a certain degree anyway). But I would like to see some kind of safety net in place for teachers overseas.

[Guest]

I cannot begin to thank everyone who has contributed to comments regarding the accountability of international schools to its teachers.

I agree with everyone who has faced problems with administration, sexual harassment, professional sabotage, and lack of recourse for these schools that continually operate and recruit from other organizations such as ISS.

What can be done? A class-action lawsuit against ISS or other similar organizations (American-governed) that continually allow these incompetant schools to recruit teachers despite knowing that problems exist. I, for one, sought out ISS when I experienced severe sexual harassment from my administrator only to be told, "we can't help." Yet, this same school arrives at ISS each year and puts on a show to attract more naive teachers like myself. Many teachers have attempted to seek help from ISS, filed complaints and yet, ISS takes in lots of money to keep these dysfunctional schools in business.

Although I worked for an "American" school, I have NO legal jurisdiction to file a claim against my former school or the non-American administrator who was the perpetrator towards me because it is a private school not bound by any American laws or regulations. What can an international teacher do in these schools but keep quiet, close their classroom door, and ride out their contract so they can leave and hopefully secure a new job in a better school.

There is something wrong with this system and I believe that a revolution is brewing, as seen by the many messages posted on this board.

[Samantha]

I read all of your responses. Thanks for posting them! As a teacher in an American publich school system with the traditional safeguards and protections, it seems risky to me to teach in a school where the administrators answer to no one.

How have these experiences changed the way you approach the job hunting process? Do you still teach overseas? If so, what criteria do you use to try to place yourself in a school where you will be treated fairly?

[guest]

Is it that much different than any other private school in America?

[someone]

I am curious...does anyone know if the organizations that accredit schools (SACS, WASC, etc) have any stipulations concerning dismissal of staff and/or plans of assistance? I understand that not all schools are accredited, but for those that are, this could be a logical place to start?

[Guest]

Most international accreditations are a joke. The same people going around to each others schools and handing out bits of paper. Just 'jobs for the boys' and a chance to travel and fleece parents.

[Bid]

Anyone knows if indeed there is a possibiliy of starting a union in a context such as international schools (where schools are located in different countries)?

[International Educator]

Good news!
Schools that recruit in the US as well as schools that have Americans on the Board are governed by the equal employment opportunity commission and thus US labor laws. Check out the site www.eeoc.gov for information. If the school receives funds from the Office of Overseas Schools they also can be held accountable. In addition, accrediting agencies have ethics clauses and may be a source of help.
So, start complaining even if it is anonymously!!
It is time.
Also, UNI and Search have been known to bar schools with too many complaints. So get the pen and paper out.
Why are we acting like victims. Take back control.