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Academia Cotopaxi, American International School

Jul09
2011 2 Comments Written by admin

The Academia Cotopaxi is a private, non-profit, co-educational day school for students from Early Childhood through Grade 12 that was founded in . It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education. It is an IB World School with authorization to use the PYP and the IB Diploma Program.

Academia Cotopaxi has approximately 490 students that represent 25 nationalities. There are 62 full-time teachers in the school; 38 of these teachers are U.S. citizens.

Mission
The school mission is to provide a college preparatory education in a safe and international school environment where students learn to become responsible global citizens.

Facilities
The school moved into a new 15-acre campus in 1991. It has 75 classrooms, 2 libraries, an auditorium, a music complex, an indoor pool, a gym, multipurpose sports fields, 2 cafeterias, 4 computer labs, 3 art studios, 4 science labs and a theater.

Curriculum
Academia Cotopaxi uses a college preparatory U.S.-style curriculum that is inquiry-based with English as the language of instruction. Students in the primary school use the PYP, while students in Grade 11 and Grade 12 can study for the IB Diploma. ESL is offered for students who need to improve their English language skills.

Extracurricular Activities
The school offers a wide range of activities including sports, music, art, academic activities, drama, chess club, hip hop dancing, karate, and more. Academia Cotopaxi is a member of the Ecuadorian Sports Association for American Schools in South America and the Caribbean Area International Schools Sports Association. Senior sports teams play in competition with other members of these associations.

Technology
Academia Cotopaxi has 4 computer labs; the school has wireless internet access. The student/computer ratio in the school is 2.6:1. Tech tools include Smart Boards, digital projectors, laptops, digital cameras and other devices. The school integrates technology with the curriculum.

Professional Development
The school offers professional development activities in a variety of formats: in-services, visiting consultants, university courses through the State University of New York, online courses, summer study and regional conferences. Academia Cotopaxi has a PD committee that distributes funds to teachers for PD activities that they consider most beneficial to improving student learning.

Employment
The minimum qualifications for new teachers are three year’s experience, a Bachelor’s degree and teaching certification. However, the school prefers teachers that have an advanced degree, overseas experience, an understanding of the principles of differentiated instruction, IB experience, demonstrated success with technology integration, knowledge of computer applications, coaching experience, and an ability to speak Spanish. Initial contracts are for two years. Applications are available online. Openings are listed online. Interested teachers can send a resume, a photo, copies of diplomas and certification, and contact information for three referees to Dr. William Johnson at director@cotopaxi.k12.ec

Salary and benefits schedules are available online. Teachers are given credit for up to eight years experience on the salary schedule. Salaries for new teachers run from $24,383 for teachers with the minimum three years experience to $37,733 for teachers with eight years and a Ph.D. Salaries are subject to Ecuadorian taxes. There’s also a little cost-of-living sheet on the site to give prospective teachers an idea about what they could save during their tenure in the school.

Benefits include a re-signing bonus that’s quite attractive after the third year, shipping allowance, round trip airfare to Quito, a settling-in allowance of $2,000, free dependent tuition, health insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, a housing allowance of $8,000, retirement plan of 5% of base salary with teacher matching funds, a discount card for the local supermarket, interest-free vehicle loan, bereavement leave, maternity and adoption leave, personal leave, recruitment leave, medical leave and medical leave severance pay. All together not a bad package.

Posted in international education organizations, international schools, international teaching positions, south america - Tagged , , , , ,

The American School of Quito

Jul08
2011 Leave a Comment Written by admin

The American School of Quito (Fundacion Colegio Americano Quito) is a co-educational, non-profit day school that was founded in 1940. It provides educational services for students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. The school is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education and Culture. It is an IB World School with authorization to use the MYP and the IB Diploma programs.

There are 2,240 students studying at the school.

Mission
The school’s mission is to provide an excellent education in an environment that promotes liberty, responsible and democracy.

Facilities
The school has 162 classrooms, 11 special classrooms, 11 music and art classrooms, 8 science labs, 7 computer labs, 2 kitchens, an auditorium, a stadium, a multipurpose building, courts and sports areas, and a drama classroom.

Quito Ecuador market

image: JukoFF

Curriculum
The school has two sections: the national school and the international school. The international section has about 400 students with about 80% coming from Ecuador. It’s known for its United States’ style of education with small class sizes and individualized learning. The curriculum is based on standards and benchmarks with the Middle School using the MYP and the senior students using the IB Diploma. Graduates can obtain three diplomas: the IB Diploma, a United States diploma and the Ecuadorian Bachillerato Unico.

Extracurricular Activities
The school has a variety of activities for students including the National Honor Society, Model United Nations, drama, art, Habitat for Humanity, soccer, basketball, tennis, band and more.

Technology
The school has seven computer labs. ITC is taught as part of the curriculum.

Professional Development
Teachers are expected to be involved in professional development activities.

Employment
The school is looking for teachers that have at least two years experience, a Bachelor’s degree, a teaching certificate and are native English speakers. Most teachers are hired at recruiting fairs in the United States. An application form is available online. For more information, interested teachers can contact the Human Relations Department at lstacey@fcaq.k12.ec. A teacher’s manual is available online.

The salaries are said to be competitive. Benefits include round-trip airfare, housing allowance, a installation allowance, medical and life insurance, a retirement fund, bus transportation to and from the school and a discount card at the largest supermarket in the city.

About Quito
Quito is the capital of Ecuador. It’s located at around 2,800 meters and has a population of about 1.4 million that makes it the second largest city in Ecuador. The city is known for its writers, painters, musicians and poets. Quito is a World Cultural Heritage Site. It has preserved much of its colonial architecture. Quito has a subtropical highland climate with cool weather year round.

Posted in international schools, international teaching positions, south america - Tagged , , , , , ,

The InterAmerican Academy

May09
2011 2 Comments Written by admin

The InterAmerican Academy is located in Guayaquil. It is an independent, non-profit day school. It provides educational services for students from Nursery to Grade 12. IA was founded in 1979, and it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as well as being recognized by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education.

The school has over 200 students. About 40% of the students at IA are Ecuadorian along with 25% US citizens and the remaining 35% from a number of other nationalities.

Mission and Goals
IA believes in developing students in the context of a multicultural setting so that they value community service and become responsible global citizens.

Facilities
IA has a 27,400 square meter campus in the suburbs of Guayaquil. The school has 31 classrooms, a library with over 15,000 volumes, a computer and media lab with 35 computers, playing fields, a covered multi-purpose court, a playground and a cafeteria.

Curriculum
Like many other international schools that use American in their name, IA uses a curriculum that is a mix of the American and the international. Students that graduate from IA go on to excellent universities in the United States, Ecuador and other countries

The average class size is 15. The core program is English, math, science, social studies and Spanish. The specialty courses are art, computers, music and PE. ESL is provided for those students who are not yet fluent in English. The school also has a Learning Resource Center for students with difficulties. AP classes are offered in the high school. The school has 26 full time teachers, counselors and administrators: 11 are from the United States. Class objectives are available for downloading on the school website.

Extra-curricular Activities
IA offers a variety of activities including: soccer, basketball, volleyball, swimming, photography, karate, chess, theater games, National Honor Society, Student Council and the Model United Nations.

Professional Development
Staff development activities are planned throughout the year.

Technology
Computer classes are taught as a separate subject. Internet access is available at the school.

Employment
IA post openings on its website. It attends two placement fairs: the University of Northern Iowa Fair, and the AASSA Fair in Atlanta. Resumes are accepted throughout the year. Interested teachers should send a CV, a letter of interest, a copy of teaching certification and contact information for three references to recruiting@interamerican.edu.ec

Teachers are offered an initial two-year contract. While teaching couples are preferred, the school will consider single applicants. IA is looking for teachers with the minimum of a BA, teaching experience in a multi-cultural setting, overseas experience is preferred and a willingness to sponsor after school activities.

The salaries at IA are said to be competitive (which doesn’t mean much money as South American schools generally pay less than schools in Asia). Benefits include round trip airfare,  furnished housing and $3000 settling-in allowance, excess baggage of $300 per teacher and $200 per dependent coming and going, free tuition for children, contract renewal bonus of $2,000 after the initial contract and $3,000 for each year after, visa assistance, sick and personal leave, medical insurance, matching retirement funds of 5%, Spanish lessons and a grocery store discount

About Ecuador and Guayaquil
Ecuador is bordered by Peru, Columbia and the Pacific Ocean. The Galapagos Islands are also a part of Ecuador. The capital of Ecuador is Quito. Guayaquil is the largest city.

Ecuador has a varied climate. The coastal area has a tropical climate, while the highlands are temperate and dry.

Guayaquil is the largest city and is the main port of Ecuador. Guayaquil’s population is approximately 2.5 million.

Guayaquil has a number of historic sites that will be of interest to the expat new to the country, including the Palacio Municipal, the Mercado Artesanal, and the Parque Seminario.

Posted in expat employment, international schools, international teaching positions, south america - Tagged , , , , , ,
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