Topic: New Sathorn International School

[Uncle Che]

Here is a post I rescued from the old board, don't know relevant it is, but with a little discussing, we can find out the truth.

New Sathorn International School

This school should have been here a long time ago. It is common knowledge at both the sister school ... the school itself and in the international circuit that the teachers there are mistreated. I got interviewed after being referred by a friend that works in it's sister school. I am glad I did not get accepted... thank God I did not have enuf education credits...

Here are some well hidden facts... hardly denounced by the staff there...

so I guess my friend must be misleading me

The general (nickname of the Kor. boss) has misplaced... lost... or used-up the providence fund promised to the teachers... apparently he came in one day and announced at a prayer meeting that the fund was disbanded... some teachers have not been repaid their contributions according to what I last heard... There is a word for such a deed... embezzlement...

the August holidays were cut short by 10 days...

all the teachers were put back on probation... even if here in Tland ... once you pass probation you are in... the only way U can get fired without a warning is for gross misconduct... and not being asked to resign a new contract...

It actually seems like the teachers working there fear for their jobs and I am surprised at the fact that there are hardly any posts here denouncing the injustices suffered by the teachers there...

[logically_speaking]

NSIS is a new school just finishing its second year, there are administrative procedure problems, yes, but they are whims of the owner usually softened by the farang admin. 
 ???Providential fund- all money put in by teachers was refunded, school matching funds were not... legal problems with set-up originally a (US) 401K type plan.
Mistreatment of staff?  After what i've seen elsewhere, no... Most schools in Thailand with the exception of the big three, do not have substitutes on call and need to cover classes sometimes greatly inconveniencing others, but this is a situation you must accept in international schools in Thailand, the qualified pool is small. Other mistreatment issues are a muff, personality clashes abound in an environment where people from disparate countries come together for their own idiosyncratic reasons. 
August holidays? a scheduling error, not uncommon in new schools just getting their feet under them, Will someone say they are cut short again? The school year begins a week earlier this year than last, but this is not 'cutting holidays short'
Probation- yes, again all staff, including admin are on probation again, a technicality one does not need to worry about unless one plans on sloughing off when they are 'assured' of work for another year
--Pay raises seem to have been general this year at at least inflation matching rates.
Financial dealings with the school are a but muddy as no department has a separate budget under present rules, this does cause trouble when looking to equip a classroom.  Most purchases are ok'd if they are not seen as outrageously expensive for a small school. 
Teachers who consistently do their job well and have all the proper qualifications are treated quite well, even the non-westerners, though i can't speak to their wages, comparable i'm sure to the cost of their education.
No one here 'fears' for their job, Hirings and firings are not personal.

There is no reason to not work here if you are qualified and intersted in education, There is no set curriculum, which upsets some, but it allows a certain freedom to others who know how to design curricula,and look forward to an opportunity to grow with a school.

I work at NSIS, but not in Admin, i am a teacher with years of experience and have learned well that in private schools in Thailand it is 'court rules' if you don't like the rules you are welcome to seek employment where the rules are more suitable to your self. 
Morning hallelujah meetings (good time to zone out with a coffee) aside, this school is doing well for its size and age.  New students continue to sign up and the elementary school is growing rapidly. 
So, if you are interested, join us.

[nous]

The school, like the testiomonial value of the last post, is a paradox.  For as many reasons I'd tell potential newcomers to sign on, there's an equal number of reasons to stay away.

Admittedly, there are some fundamentally senseless characteristics of the school which annoy some and force others to silence the voice of a rational conscience.

Take, for instance, the open-plan library from which books regularly go missing, sometimes for months on end.  Or perhaps consider the puchase of a pricey red-plate "VIP" van for shuttling around god-knows-who, while the school's technological infrastructure is seriously lacking what it needs to fulfill not only the demands from students, but also from teachers (i.e. basic printing needs and basic network access).  There's a short list of long-established problems that under 10,000 baht would solve; these remain unattended to.

But there are the good things about the school.  The food has gotten better lately, if you can avoid the hair and bone shards.  Purchases will be made, occasionally, but you'll never hear any justification for the requests which have been denied.  There's a good sense of community amongst (most of) the teachers, which include some interesting characters.

My lukewarm outlook on the school basically posits this as advice for potential newcomers:  Your situation here will be one which is fairly malleable.  If you're the type who tends to do nothing but witch and moan, then keep your distance.  If restoring antique furniture or cars is your thing, though, then take on this school, as it's not exactly in tip-top shape, but if everyone pitches in, it can get there.

I myself consider myself to be a mixture of the two, which explains my apparent self-contradiction.

As they say in Thailand, "Up to you!"

[Appreciative]

NSIS is a new school just finishing its second year, there are administrative procedure problems, yes, but they are whims of the owner usually softened by the farang admin. 

*Yeah, we've got to crawl before we can walk.

 ???Providential fund- all money put in by teachers was refunded, school matching funds were not... legal problems with set-up originally a (US) 401K type plan.

*Hey, most schools in Thai don't even consider a providence fund. Cheers for NS! They're pioneering!

Mistreatment of staff?  After what i've seen elsewhere, no... Most schools in Thailand with the exception of the big three, do not have substitutes on call and need to cover classes sometimes greatly inconveniencing others, but this is a situation you must accept in international schools in Thailand, the qualified pool is small.

*Substitutes? cheers for the extra hourly pay!

August holidays? a scheduling error, not uncommon in new schools just getting their feet under them, Will someone say they are cut short again? The school year begins a week earlier this year than last, but this is not 'cutting holidays short'

*I appreciate the extra time to go sightseeing, he-he, no complaints!

Probation- yes, again all staff, including admin are on probation again, a technicality one does not need to worry about unless one plans on sloughing off when they are 'assured' of work for another year

*Cool, weed out the slackers!

--Pay raises seem to have been general this year at at least inflation matching rates.
Financial dealings with the school are a but muddy as no department has a separate budget under present rules, this does cause trouble when looking to equip a classroom.  Most purchases are ok'd if they are not seen as outrageously expensive for a small school.

* Wow, you guys pay 100k Thai Baht!...whooo...that's a dream!

Teachers who consistently do their job well and have all the proper qualifications are treated quite well, even the non-westerners, though i can't speak to their wages, comparable i'm sure to the cost of their education.

* Refer to last comment!

This year two elementary teachers were not invited back, not for any personal reasons, purely professional in conduct.  One is not fully qualified, the other has personal issues away from the school that detract from professional duties. 

* All the more for us!

There is no reason to not work here if you are qualified and intersted in education, There is no set curriculum, which upsets some, but it allows a certain freedom to others who know how to design curricula,and look forward to an opportunity to grow with a school.

* If you're a teacher, it's not hard to put together a Course Outline.

I work at NSIS, but not in Admin, i am a teacher with years of experience and have learned well that in private schools in Thailand it is 'court rules' if you don't like the rules you are welcome to seek employment where the rules are more suitable to your self. 

* I reiterate-all the more for us!

Morning hallelujah meetings (good time to zone out with a coffee) aside, this school is doing well for its size and age.  New students continue to sign up and the elementary school is growing rapidly. 
So, if you are interested, join us.

@Hallelujah. It's better than 30k monthly!

Brilliant post Nouse! You've used ya' nous!

Lead the way  New Sarthorn Inter. School!

[logically_speaking]

Self-edited post above. please note. Just the facts folks...

[nous]

* Wow, you guys pay 100k Thai Baht!...whooo...that's a dream!

It is clearly a dream, mostly since no teacher or coordinator makes anywhere near that amount.  What a lovely dream it is, though.

Thanks for your assessment of my post.  It's a shame your horribly confusing post contributes nothing worthwhile to the discussion.