u/Sell_Me_Sunday

Every day at student pick-up, what in theory should be a organized system, always ends up a semi-chaotic mess with all parents wanting to grab their kid(s) a.s.a.p. and then make their way through the crowd of parents who are still waiting.

Whenever I see it I always wonder if there isn't a better way. I understand space is limited, but perhaps a staggered system could work, with 10 minutes between each year group? Having the entrance not being the exit would be a no-brainer for me, but parents want the shortest way back to their car/bike.

How does your school do it? And does it work well?

My school does most things right, but there are four different websites/systems that parents have to use for different parts of their interaction with the school (applying for leave, fee payment portal, checking student reports, viewing the school calendar, ordering uniforms, receiving communications, etc.).

Does anyone know of a system that can bring all of these functions together into a single parent portal (accessible as website & app)?
Ideally, the parents would have one single login, and one place for everything they need.

Are there any integrated school management / parent portal platforms that can connect these different functions, rather than requiring parents to navigate several separate systems?

Or is a bit of a hodgepodge at every school?

I was updating my CV a while ago (as I do every now and then, I have no plans to leave my school yet). Then I thought that it might be a good idea to make my CV 'ATS-proof', as my current CV has two columns, and an ATS can have a problem with that (that's what I read at least).

I really hate the single column CV lay-outs though, from an aesthetic POV.
Of course, it's about getting an interview, not about having the best-looking CV in the reject pile because the ATS couldn't process it properly.
But it does make me wonder: how many schools actually use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to screen CVs?
I assume it's mostly schools that get hundreds of applications for each vacancy?

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I’ve been teaching at this school for years, and we’ve recently had a new Assistant Head appointed. He has decided to introduce a policy where he refuses to have 1-1 meetings with female staff, claiming it’s a sensible initiative to protect his reputation.

Personally, I think this is discrimination, and I’m seriously considering refusing to accommodate it. We all know that in the modern workforce, a woman's career progression relies entirlwy on equal access to leadership, and timely decisions. By forcing a third party into every single interaction with female staff, he’s effectively creating a hostile work environment and sort of sidelining us.

I’ve made it clear that I will not have my professionalism insulted, nor will I have my daily workflow gridlocked because of his personal anxieties. If a male colleague can get a swift 1-1 sign-off on a project but I have to wait 3 days for him to find a chaperone, that is systemic discrimination. My career and my hardfought reputation as a professional matter just as much as his.

I & several other female staff members have raised this, but his response has been a blanket refusal to budge, citing his own self-preservation. My response is simple: I am happy to do my job, but I’m not risking my career progression or accepting lesser treatment because a managwr can't behave professionally with half of his workforce.

Thoughts?

Working at the same school, having the same type of job, living overseas together, and sharing a (often overlapping, and relatively small) circle of (usually temporary) friends - how does that impact the relationship?
I can see it strengthening the relationship, but I can also see it making it feel like a pressure cooker.

Just wondering: are (in your experience) teaching couples are more or less likely to last? Or is there no difference?
And does anything change when you move back home together?

I’ve had relationships with a local partner, a non-teaching expat, and another teacher (just to clarify: no overlap). I didn’t really notice a difference in how these relationships developed and the dynamics, but my teaching partner worked on a different campus of the same school, so there was some geographical distance and, as a result, we had different co-workers. Not sure if that makes a big difference?

Made it into a poll because I like polls, but really hoping for some comments that will give more insight in how this impacts relationship dynamics, and possibly reading some do’s and don’ts for those romatically involved with a teaching partner.

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When i just started teaching, I knew I wasn’t going to get into a great school, and I was very keen to live abroad, so the location was a big factor in where I chose to apply. Too much possibly, although luckily (I did very little research) it was a pretty decent school.

Nowadays, when weighing ‘good school’ vs. ‘good location’, it’s probably 60/40 in what drives my decision.
I do like to really explore the city I live in in depth when I’m not working, so it’s definitely still a big factor, but I’ve also grown to appreciate cities that have less obvious appeal.
And since I’ve worked with a lot of good admin over the years, I have grown less tolerant of bad admin who can real impact a good school negatively.

How do you balance ‘good school’ vs. ‘good location’ when job hunting? And has that changed over the years?

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On another platform I saw this complaint from a teacher about their school:

I resigned with over 90 days notice (120 days notice) with a resignation date of 31st July clearly written on my resignation letter. The school decided to interpret this as 30 June so they wouldn't have to pay me for the summer holiday.

While I usually instinctively side with teachers in a dispute (also because school tend to be in the wrong, at least in the conflicts I read about), I have mixed feelings in this case.

This is not in Europe btw, but in a country where notice is given in October/November, and if I'm calculating correctly this teacher informed the school at the start of April they were moving on.

If a school told me in April that I'd be out of a job after the Summer (instead of November), I'd be angry. So I get that the school is very displeased. To deny someone their pay might be a bit extreme though. Also, as a teacher strictly speaking you can just point at the labor laws in that country, and say you did nothing wrong.
I would probably not have gone as far as not paying the last two months (assuming those Summer months usually get paid at that school if someone is leaving - there are some schools that don't), but IMO the teacher clearly didn't operate in good faith.

What do you think?
If you were in leadership, how would you have reacted?

Edit: no ChatGPT (or Claude, etc.) was used to write this post.
Some have suggested/assumed that I did, and I guess I can't prove I didn't, but while I don't mind if other people use AI to structure their thoughts, I don't use it myself for something like this. I'm perfectly able to write a mediocre post myself.

Whenever tiers are discussed it’s always (rightfully) mentioned that there are no official criteria for the different tiers. Still, most teachers value the same things in a school, so maybe we can come up with a comprehensive list of criteria/factors that most will agree upon. Just for the fun of it.

So, based (mostly) on what was discussed in the comments of the recent 'Tier One Schools’ post and an excellent interview checklist posted by u/associatessearch, I've compiled a possible list of tier 1 criteria.
The criteria listed below basically combine what was said by some of you in the comments of that post, with just a few additions of my own, and some that were mentioned elsewhere. It is not a finished list, just a start of one.

Let me be clear: for me the different tiers (usually 1, 2 and 3) are just shorthand to compare schools. It's just an easy way to make clear how a school would be ranked for most (but not all) teachers.
For example 'in the top 5%' (tier 1), 'the next 25%' (tier 2), and 'the bottom 70%' (tier 3).
So the criteria below would describe a lot of things that would make a school great. At the same time, I’m well aware that not everyone aspires to work at a tier 1, for example because there are tier 2 or 3 schools with a better work-life balance. “I work at a tier 1 school” certainly isn’t the flex some think it is.

Back to the list. I wouldn’t say a tier 1 school should check all of these boxes. I'd say it should check most, but I wouldn’t be able to say how many and which of the criteria are absolute musts.

It’s not a coincidence that a great savings potential is at the top of the list, since that is what most people would rank highest, but I think to be truly happy at a school and for it to be an excellent school, there’s a lot more that a school should offer than a high salary. Still, let’s be honest: there are few (if any) tier 1 schools that don’t offer a good savings potential for the region.

It would be interesting to hear what you all think.
Hopefully some of you can suggest some additions, removals or tweaks.

Some questions:

• Which of these criteria are non-negotiables for you to call a school tier 1?
• Which don’t you really care about?
• Which of these boxes do the most tier 1 schools (or ‘schools widely considered as tier 1’) fail to check?

So here’s the list:

A tier 1 school meets most of the following criteria:

Package

(1) Comprehensive compensation -:- A salary that allows for high savings potential for the region, but also proper housing or an ample housing allowance, yearly flights home, full tuition waivers for up to 2 dependents, and comprehensive health coverage.

(2) Transparent pay scale -:- Clear and fair salary structure.

Structure & student body

(3) Non-profit status -:- Decisions are not driven by profit motives. Obviously, non-profit doesn’t mean anything if the board is dysfunctional, and some for-profits are better than some non-profits.

(4) Transparent and effective governance -:- Clear organizational structure and decision-making processes, and a board that does not meddle in day-to-day operations.

(5) Proper accreditation -:- Accredited by CIS, WASC, NEASC, or equivalent accredting bodies.

(6) Diverse, international student population -:- A sizeable contingent of non-host country students with no single nationality dominating; the language on the playground is the same as the language of instruction (English for most international schools).

Leadership

(7) Low administrative turnover -:- Stable, consistent and visible leadership team that knows the school and its teachers.

(8) Principled administration -:- Admin serves the school's needs and does not yield to parental pressure when issues violate academic integrity or the school's mission.

(9) Well-managed operations -:- Clear, sensible policies that override emotional decision-making; SLT, faculty, and families are all held accountable to these policies, including strong safeguarding measures that ensure child protection.

(10) Mutual trust -:- Teachers trust admin to keep their word and to prioritize the needs of the school and the students. Admin treats teachers as trusted professionals who can do their jobs well without the need for micromanaging. Teachers' input is appreciated, not discouraged.

(11) Balanced support in conflicts -:- If a parent has an issue with a teacher, admin investigates fairly rather than automatically siding with the parent.

(12) Mission-driven culture -:- The school actively embodies its stated mission/vision and values rather than just paying lip service to them.

Faculty

(13) High teacher retention -:- Staff stay for years by choice, creating institutional memory. I admit you also don't want a school with close to no turnover, especially if this is because teachers can't be fired, since this can lead to stagnation/atrophy."

(14) Attracts strong candidates -:- The school draws quality applicants and doesn't scramble or compromizes to fill positions.

(15) Meaningful professional development -:- Professional Development opportunities that are substantive and relevant, not just box-ticking exercises.

(16) Teacher well-being -:- Staff well-being is a consideration in administrative decision-making.

(17) Managable workload -:- Workload is high but reasonable and commensurate with the compensation. Duties, clubs and other activities beyond classes are limited and clearly defined.

(18) Adequate resources -:- The school provides all the resources a teacher could reasonably expect or request.

(19) Responsive support services -:- IT, HR, Counseling and EAL departments are efficient and helpful.

(20) Quality onboarding -:- A well-rounded, thorough onboarding process for new teachers.

Miscellaneous

(21) Professional network membership -:- The school is part of a regional network of international schools (e.g., IASAS or similar associations).

(22) Career-enhancing reputation -:- Having the school on your CV positively affects your candidacy for future positions due to its reputation within the international school community.

(23) The food in the school cafeteria is decent.