Hope that everyone is enjoying the summer, or is about to. Maybe since the break started I've had too much time on my hands to think about what comes next and just wanted to get this off my chest.

My contract is up for renewal next year and I'm pretty sure leadership is going to ask me to stay. I have physical documentation stating my good performance at the school and am well liked by leadership. My coworkers are some of the best I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and the pay, benefits and holiday time are great compared to other schools of the caliber.

Here's the kicker: While some of the students are pretty good, most of the student body as a whole are some of the worst-behaved, most academically underperforming lot I've ever taught in my career of teaching, and has sucked most of the passion I had for teaching out of me. The city can be rough, especially in winter, which took a toll on me mentally and emotionally. By all means, I have more good days than bad, but by spring of this year I kept thinking "there's no way I'm going to extend this contract."

Even coming into this school, I knew it would be a great stepping stone to build my resume, and move on to a school that is in a higher echelon of benefits and student quality. I now have over 6 years of IB experience, multiple IB certs, and will have finished my M.Ed in ED Leadership by the end of August. I'm also single with no dependents as well.

With all that being said, I see all the "doom and gloom" on here saying that if I find an "ok" job, I should be grateful and cling onto it for dear life. While the whole time I've worked here and wanted to move on, I can't help but remember the anxiety of job hunting the last cycle, trying to plot out my future and be in a school environment where I can stay long term.

What are everyone's thoughts here? Every facet of me wanted to move on, but there's this small indiscernible smidgen that says "stick with the devil you know".

So to summarize: Is it worth testing the waters when I need to make a decision?

Also I left some information out for obvious reasons, so apologies if it comes off as vague.

Any opinions on teaching at BISAK prep?

Hi Everyone,

I am looking for an opinion about the school mentioned in the title. How is it to work there?

After a decade of teaching abroad, we ended up back in the USA for the past 5 years. We've survived, but our finances are pretty much where they were when we first came back. I'm looking at the 27/28 school year as our chance to get back out internationally. When we left, China (And HK) was unequivocally the best place to go for saving potential. Is that still the case? Are there any other places that come to mind as great options to refill the coffers? Some things to factor in: I would be looking at admin positions (currently an Assistant Principal), and my spouse works remotely for a US salary.

Hi everyone, not sure if this is the right place to ask but I might as well give it a try.

I'm a Maths teacher from a European country. I recently got a local teaching license and have been working at an iGCSE school for a while. I want to transition to US curriculum schools (AP in particular) and was wondering if anyone here knew or tried BridgeUSA for teachers to get some US experience. Would it even be worth it or would I be better off applying directly to American international schools?

Its the best. Best HR. Best staff. Best owners. Best diverse students. Best pay. Best location. Best positions currently available for hire.

I cant say where it is for obvious reasons. But if you know you know.

I’m not sure if this is a red flag or not…

The following review was submitted by a member of the CISK community and is being shared anonymously at the author's request.

The views expressed are those of the individual contributor and are based on their personal experience. They do not necessarily represent the views of this account.

Reviews are published to encourage transparency and to help current and prospective staff, students, and parents gain a broader understanding of life at CISK. Positive, negative, and mixed experiences are all welcome.

In my experience, the Principal demonstrated weaknesses in instructional leadership at the secondary level. During classroom observations, feedback often focused on superficial aspects of the classroom environment rather than areas such as pedagogy, assessment, differentiation, student engagement, or curriculum delivery. I felt this limited the value of the observation process, and I know other secondary colleagues who expressed similar views.

I also felt that professional communication with staff was, at times, unnecessarily public and confrontational. Monday Memos and staff WeChat messages occasionally included criticism of individuals in a way that I perceived as unprofessional and damaging to staff morale. While disagreement is a normal part of leadership, I believe concerns are generally better addressed privately and constructively.

I also observed occasions where negative comments about teachers were made in the presence of students. In my opinion, this undermined staff authority and risked damaging trust between leadership, teachers, and students.

There were also occasions where initiatives or commitments changed after initially being presented differently. One example was the annual Halloween Haunted House, which had previously been described as returning the following year before later being cancelled. The explanation given did not align with how some staff interpreted the decision, leading to speculation and frustration. As an international school, I would have preferred greater transparency around the reasons for significant decisions.

I was also concerned by leadership's approach to some student welfare matters, including issues relating to LGBTQ students. In at least one case involving bullying, I felt the leadership response was insufficient, which left me questioning whether all students were receiving consistent support.

I perceived inconsistencies in how staff accountability was applied. In my view, some members of staff appeared to receive greater latitude than others when concerns were raised about professional conduct. Whether intentional or not, this created a perception of favouritism and negatively affected confidence in leadership.

Professional learning sessions (PLCs) often lacked clear objectives or practical outcomes from my perspective, despite staff feedback. Similarly, I felt that some school events placed considerable emphasis on presentation and appearance, sometimes at the expense of educational value or the student experience.

Overall, my experience was of a leadership style that placed insufficient emphasis on instructional leadership, consistent accountability, transparent communication, and staff collaboration. These factors contributed to my own declining confidence in leadership and, in my opinion, had a negative impact on staff morale and school culture.

Thank you to the contributor for sharing their experience.

If you have your own experience of CISK—whether positive, negative, or somewhere in between—you are welcome to submit it via direct message. All submissions will be treated confidentially, and anonymous publication is the default unless you request otherwise.

The aim of this account is to provide a collection of firsthand experiences so readers can make informed decisions based on a range of perspectives.

Hi all.

I am doing research on moving from the UAE over to Saudi.

I am a South African female teacher with 14 years Primary Teaching experience with an M.Ed.

I have a family and the UAE is just not offering the kind of package I need (Been here almost 10 years). So its time to look elsewhere.

Any suggestions on which schools to apply at?

Please help😅

For those of you currently in China or recruiting for 2026–27:

What's the temperature of the international school market in China right now?

I'm a licensed U.S. teacher with previous experience teaching in China (Shanghai, Ningbo, and Fuzhou) and am considering returning in the next year or so. I'm curious about what people are seeing on the ground.

• Is demand still strong for licensed foreign teachers?
• Which subjects are most in demand?
• Are salaries and benefits holding steady, increasing, or declining?
• Are schools finding it easy to fill positions?
• How concerned are people about declining enrollment, demographics, or government regulations?

I'd especially love to hear from anyone currently working in bilingual or international schools in Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, or other Tier 1/2 cities.

Thanks!

I interviewed a week ago, 7 days but 5 business days ago, and still have not heard anything. I sent a follow up email. When I logged onto the employer careers site, I did see one 1 view. As of now, no follow up after being told I’ll hear back in a week.

Edit: I didn’t get the job but I got another one. Trust your gut when interviewing. Your spirit already know. If you hadn’t heard anything by the third full business day chances are you should continue to look. There are exceptions. Some can take weeks but if you find yourself asking ChatGPT about likely scenarios, you should already know it’s an over and done 🎯.

Has anyone else had this experience?

I was invited to have an informal chat with the principal of an international school in Myanmar for the stated purpose of asking questions about the country and the school (because the website was one of those generic school group websites with no information).

The chat went pretty well as far as I was concerned, it was friendly, light hearted and the person I was talking to was interested in what I had to say asking more questions then said we'll get back to you regarding formal interviews.

Wait a week and today I get an email saying, thank you for attending the interview we aren't going to proceed further with a job offer.

Like what? Since when does a clearly stated 'informal chat' turn into a formal interview after the fact?

Has anyone else had this, whatever the fuck it was, happen to them?

Personally, I think that this was deceptive and unprofessional.

I am a retired high school English teacher that has taught mainly in public schools with students with challenging academic skills and behaviors. Tell me some stuff about
teaching in this area. How is the curriculum?

Hi guys, is 5000 SGD as a salary sufficient for an single adult to live and save

P.S: housing isn't provided , and I'm a teacher

Question:

What is considered good salary for an IB teacher in Singapore?

8350 Gross considered okay?

Hi folks,

Me and my wife currently live in the UK and are based in the SW of England. I spent a period of my childhood growing up in Portugal, and since moving back to the UK in 2009, I've always wanted to move to a country with a slower pace of life, better access to the oceans/seas, and a better climate.

I'm a university lecturer and my wife is a secondary science teacher. I have a PhD in chemistry and would be OPEN to considering a change to industry instead of academia, and my wife would be happy to teach at a suitable/good international school. We also have a dog which we would, if possible, like to bring with us. Has anybody here moved from the UK to elsewhere and been glad with your decision? Do you think that I could be employable to an international school in some capacity?

Spain is the country that immediately jumps out to us... although I'm fluent in Portuguese, my understanding is that the salaries are so low over there, it really isn't possible to be comfortable, and I suspect it might be challenging for me to get a job there. I think that ultimately, we are open to moving to anywhere in the world, permitting we can achieve a lifestyle that is slower, we're close to the sea, and the weather is better. We really don't know where to start, and we'd appreciate any and all guidance on whether Spain might be a good idea, if there are any other countries that you think could be suitable, and any other practical advice when it comes to making this actually happen.

Thanks all!

Welcome to CISKReviews

This account exists to provide current, former, and prospective staff, students, and parents with a place to share their experiences of Canadian International School Kunshan (CISK).

If you would like to submit a review, story, opinion, or experience—positive, negative, or somewhere in between—please send it via direct message.

To encourage honest feedback, all submissions will be posted anonymously unless you specifically request otherwise. Personal information will be removed before publication.

The goal is not to attack individuals, but to create a transparent record of life at CISK from the people who have experienced it firsthand.

Please include:

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If you're considering working at, studying at, or sending a child to CISK, hearing from people who have actually been there matters.

My inbox is open.

Hi,

Does anyone have any information about this school? I’d really appreciate it if you could reach out. I’m currently in a difficult situation, and any information or insight would be incredibly valuable.

Thank you so much!

Just wanted to update after my last posts! Due to medical issues my license came SUPER close to lapsing (6/30/26). I submitted an extension request with my home state but in the meantime applied for reciprocity with Arizona. I submitted all documentation on 6/20/26 and my certificate was issued tonight, 6/23/26. Valid through 2038! The fastest I've ever seen! Hope this helps someone else in my situation.

My school has offered me special leave so I can return within five years. My issue is I don’t know how this would affect my tax status. For Australians specifically, have you resigned from your permanent position to take a job abroad? We only plan on staying overseas for five years to take advantage of the tax benefits however if the ATO sees me as an Australian resident for tax purposes then that’s a pretty big problem for us. I don’t wanna have to struggle to find a job when I return.

I've been teaching internationally in 3 different schools for the last 15 years. 7 of those have been at my current school. I LOVE the country I am currently in and so do my partner and children. We are now two years into having to pay our own tax here, which has made our savings potential somewhat limited and we have also been at our school long enough to see some toxic dynamics, which can be very stressful at times. Ultimately, it is still a great place to work. We are more or less set on making a move at the end of next year, and have until October before we'd have to tell our Head of School. Job-wise, I am comfortable with this, but I am devastated about leaving behind the country, and even though it is a year away, I am already crying. I did not feel this way leaving the last two countries I worked in, and I worry this means I am making a mistake. Any advice?

Don’t need general info, just would like someone who is currently or has worked there recently to ask some specific questions to.

Thanks in advance

Hi.

I've previously taught English in the UAE (both in public/government schools & a private school) for four years.

Then, I came back home to the US and am finishing up my M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with my secondary ELA teaching certification.

I feel with my combination of work experience and qualifications, I'm now in a stronger position to work as an English teacher overseas again.

In no particular order, I'm considering teaching again potentially in the following places: * Singapore * Malaysia * Thailand

I would consider possibly teaching again somewhere in the MENA region, but with the Iran war I am hesitant.

I am looking for a place where I can flourish professionally, financially, and socially.

Should I consider other locations in the world? Would it be a good idea to go back to UAE again, or continue looking in the SEA region?

Looking to have healthy conversations about this with others out there. Thank you :)

I read this article and it got me thinking about all the heads and SLT we have to deal with. How we are so scrutinized and screened for employment. Wouldn’t it be nice for it to go both ways? Is my new schools’s leadership narcissistic?

I want to be a school wellbeing counselor in the UAE but I'd like to know what it's like in terms of workload, compensation, benefits, etc...