The American School of Dubai is an independent, co-educational day school for students from Pre-K through Grade 12. ASD was established in 1966 and it is accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges.
ASD has over 1,300 students that represent over 44 nationalities. About 76% of the student population are North American.
Mission
The ASD mission is to help students achieve their maximum potential and become responsible global citizens by challenging them intellectually in an excellent educational environment.
Facilities
The school moved to a new campus in 2010 in order to accommodate increased enrollment and upgrade school facilities. They have a Library Media Center with over 20,000 volumes, wireless coverage, extensive IT facilities, athletic grounds and more.
Curriculum
ASD uses an American-style, college preparatory curriculum that is similar to those found in North America. The school has three sections: elementary, middle and high school. High School students can take AP courses in a number of subjects. The school has detailed course descriptions online.
Extra-curricular Activities
ASD offers a variety of after school activities for students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. These include arts and crafts, sports, community service and academics. Older students have options for the National Honor Society, the National Junior Honor Society, Habitat for Humanity, basketball, soccer, tennis, swimming, karate, drama and much more.
Technology
ASD is committed to integrating technology into the curriculum. The Middle School and the High School use a 1:1 laptop program. Students use MacBooks or MacBook Pros.
Professional Development
The school offers teachers a professional development allowance and has an active PD program with a number of options for teachers.
image: shahram sharif
ASD recruits teachers who possess the following qualities: excellent content knowledge, the ability to inspire students, classroom control, excellent communication skills, a sense of humor, a love for children, a demonstrable understanding of and support for the school philosophy, innovative and varied instructional techniques, a collaborative teaching style, and a willingness to participate in professional development. Teachers are expected to support the school’s 7 habits for a Positive School Climate.
Salaries start at US$ $35,000 to $41,500 and top out at $48,700. The school uses a salary schedule and awards one step for each two years of experience up to five steps. Benefits include professional development funding, tuition for up to two dependents, a retirement program, housing and utilities, medical and disability insurance, settling-in allowance, shipping allowance, transportation and annual leave allowance and no local taxes. Additionally the school provides a cost of goods and services allowance that runs from $8,732-$9,223 per year for a single teacher, $10,345-$10,950 per year for a married couple with no children, and $11,252-$12,801 per year for a married couple with children. All in all not a bad package.
Job openings are listed on the school website. ASD attends the major recruiting fairs and an interview at one of the fairs is a requirement for employment.
About Dubai
Dubai is one of the emirates in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai is the second largest of the emirates after Abu Dhabi. The climate is generally quite hot with not much rain, although it does have a short wet season. The emirate is located in the Arabian Desert.
Although Dubai is an oil producer, its economy has been considerably diversified over the past twenty years or so. It is becoming a tourist destination and a travel hub in the Middle East. The airport is quite impressive. I once spent ten hours in transit with a group of students returning from an international mathematics competition, and we had no problems filling the time. Dubai is also becoming a hub for IT and financial services.
Because of the large expatriate population, Dubai is a multicultural city. You can hear a multitude of languages spoken in the streets, and there are many restaurants featuring food from around the world.
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