As I’ve noted before, there are many different types of schools where teachers who wish to work overseas may seek employment. Schools with a religious orientation are one type. If you happen to be a religious person, these types of schools can offer an excellent opportunity for moving overseas.

Concordia International School Shanghai was founded in 1998. It provides educational services for students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Concordia is accredited by WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges). It is a Christian based school that uses an American curriculum with a selective admissions policy in order to keep high academic standards.

Concordia has over 1,100 students and 169 faculty and staff.

Mission
Students are seen as gifts from God, and they are educated using a holistic approach that provides them with academic, personal, athletic and spiritual challenges.

Facilities
Concordia has a purpose-built facility that consists of a campus with five buildings and a tech corridor that features a video studio and movie editing suite. Other facilities include a fine arts center, spacious classrooms, music and arts rooms, science labs, an Outdoor Learning Project, 2 gyms, playing fields and more. This school has outstanding facilities.

Curriculum
Although the curriculum is American-based, it approaches learning from an international perspective

image: Wechselberger

Extra-curricular Activities
Concordia has an extensive after school activities program for students from Grade 1. These are organized in six-week sessions three times a year. Activities include Roots and Shoots, dance, art, cooking, games, Chinese folklore, National Junior Honor Society, Model United Nations and athletics. Older students can compete in sporting events with other schools in China as well as with international schools from the Philippines and Korea.

Technology
CISS has a great attitude towards technology. That is, they don’t just see it as one more class, but rather as a way to enhance and transform learning. Classrooms have desktop computers and students from Grade 7 to Grade 12 have MacBooks.

Professional Development
Concordia offers teachers a variety of opportunities for professional development including co-teaching, workshops, in-services, and a $1,470 annual allowance for PD activities.

Faculty
Concordia wants teachers who are below the age of 62, have a love of children, a commitment to professional development, outstanding classroom skills, membership in a Christian church, teaching experience, an interest in sponsoring after school activities, evidence of the use of technology in the classroom, good health and a Bachelor’s Degree. The school hires singles, couples and couples with children. Jobs are listed online. Applications must include an application form, a cover letter, a resume and letters of reference. The school prefers to have face-to-face interviews, but will use Skype if necessary. You can fill out an employment application online. Make sure that you have contact information about your references handy when you prepare to fill out the online form. Concordia attends the Search and Northern Iowa recruiting fairs.

The school has both local expatriates on their faculty as well as overseas hires. The difference is that a local expat hire is a person who is already resident in Shanghai perhaps as a spouse of someone who is working in another field. They have a different benefit and salary package than do overseas hires. Benefits for overseas hires are: teachers pay only 15% of gross salary for local taxes, the school pays the rest; medical insurance, a retirement plan, tuition for dependents, housing, home leave allowance, relocation allowance, medical evacuation. Salaries begin at around US$54,000 for teachers with a Master’s Degree and 2 years experience. A salary schedule is included on the website. This school pays quite a nice salary.