Meanwhile Overseas...

The State of the Union’s Schools

 

 

Last Thursday, President Obama called for $25 billion to modernize 35,000 of the country's aging school buildings as part of his $450 billion American Jobs Act plan. And regardless of the prospects for the passage of Obama's plan, it's worth asking: Does attending a run-down school affect students' achievement levels?

The average K-12 building in the United States is 40 years old, according to the nonprofit 21st Century School Fund; and the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation's public school buildings a D grade in 2009. It would cost at least $270 billion to bring the nation's schools into good repair, according to Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post.

And according to one analysis, the disrepair of the nation's schools is hurting kids' academic achievement.

The 21st Century School Fund released a report earlier this year claiming that an analysis of 20 studies showed "a positive correlation between the achievement of students and the condition of the school facility," after controlling for student demographics. The study found a correlation between shoddy school infrastructure and higher drop-out rates and lower attendance.

"How can we expect our kids to do their best in places that are literally falling apart? This is America. Every child deserves a great school—and we can give it to them, if we act now," Obama said last week.

But not everyone is swayed by that argument.

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chair John Kline (R-MN) blasted the plan,according to EdWeek. "More stimulus spending is not the right solution to our nation's job crisis," he said. "Common sense tells us that putting the federal government in the business of school construction will only lead to higher costs and more regulations.”

(Taken From Yahoo News)

 

MEANWHILE OVERSEAS ENGLISH AND INTERNATIONAL TEACHING JOBS ABOUND

 

Teaching abroad is a popular way to see the world and make some money. Whether you are a graduate right out of college, a retiree who is looking for adventure, or you have decided to make a change mid-career, teaching English overseas is easily obtainable. The following resources and tips range from how to find a teaching job to learning the differences between the types of schools to resources for travel and teaching. Read below to find out all you need to know to get you started on an adventure of a lifetime.

 

Teach overseas and enjoy fantastic benefits:

• Travel opportunities
• Excellent salary
• Housing expenses paid
• Flights and transportation paid
• Health insurance
• Small classes
• Wonderful teaching environment... and much more

If you are not a K-12 teacher but still want to find a way to live and work abroad, then teaching ESL (English as a Second Language), also known as TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) might be right for you. Educators Overseas recruits ESL teachers to teach adults or children at ESL and international schools around the world. Qualifications for ESL teacher are not as stringent as they are for K-12 teachers. And, a TEFL certificate, if you don't already have one, takes less time to acquire than a regular teaching certificate.

Educators Overseas ESL teachers must meet the following requirements:

• Native English speaker - ESL teachers must be native speakers of English (it can be as a second language). This is due to requirements by our client schools.
• Bachelor's degree - A four year Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required and additional certificates and degrees are always desirable.
• Some experience - Teachers must have at least a few months of experience teaching ESL to children or adults, whichever you are intend to teach overseas.
• Flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm - all of these qualities are essential to successfully living and working overseas.
• Excellent references - Teachers should be prepared to provide two references - one from an ESL teaching supervisor and one from a peer teacher.
• A TEFL type certificate is also required for ESL teachers. A TEFL is quite easy to get and native English speakers can do so online. A CELTA or TOEFL certificate are harder to get (they take longer and can only be done in person).

Don't have ESL teaching experience? You'd be surprised at how easy ESL teaching experience is to get... if you live in a English speaking country you will find that many churches, schools, and civic organizations are always looking for volunteers to teach English to foreigners.

Don't be discouraged, if you are educated...and even if you are not already formally trained as an educator...you may have other options. However, often the first obstacle is getting out of the US or UK. 

We at Paradise TEFL (a fully accredited and globally recognized TEFL program) strive for our students  to learn conversational English with the latest proven strategies and methods, but share up to date pedagogy and strategies as part of our teachers career development through the latest teaching paradigms.

Graduates with these additional certifications have the advantage of substantially increasing their marketability and employment status. This is a limited offer available only at the TEFL Chiang Mai location. Improve your chances of getting a good job with a higher level of pay by enrolling today.