Market for teachers turns in February recruitment

There were smiles on the faces of most international school heads when asked how they were doing at the major job fairs held in February in London and the USA. This was a far cry from last year’s nearly universal frustration with the recruitment process.

The great majority of heads reported having better choices of candidates, and being able to complete their requirements before the end of the major fairs. We questioned several of the recruitment agencies to find out how this reversal came about.

Generally, the job fairs held in Boston, Canada, Iowa and San Francisco had 15 to 20 percent more candidates seeking international school positions. But the schools arrived with nearly 20 percent less vacancies than they had last year. This produced the “happy hunting” celebrated by most heads at the fairs.

Why there were more candidates is obvious. Nearly 40 states in the USA are facing serious budget deficits that threaten significant layoffs among teachers. And the RIF systems, which most public school districts are required to follow ensure that job losses hit mostly the youngest, most recently hired teachers. These are the most ideal candidates in terms of their ability and willingness to consider an overseas position.

On the school side, it seems that far fewer teachers are willing to leave their current schools, very likely because of the severe insecurity and financial issues being faced by public and private entities around the world. Most observers see a prolonged and deep recession that few regions, if any, will escape.

Nevertheless, there are still a significant number of great opportunities for international school employment. At tieonline.com alone, there are still over 600 open positions listed, although this has dropped from an earlier high of 1500.

Despite the current easing of recruitment stress, many wise heads acknowledge that the situation could be very different in two or three years. At the AAIE symposium on recruitment, many of the Task Force members appointed last year emphasized the need to spread the word in all Anglo-Saxon countries about international opportunities, as far more potential candidates are ignorant of this vibrant network than are knowledgeable.

The emphasis, it seems, will be on informing college and university students about the joys of international teaching. AAIE has produced a CD and flyer to advance this prospect.

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