17. Advice from a Legend: Bob Gross Provides Advice for Aspiring International Educators

International head of school Bob Gross joined us from Minnesota for this episode. 

Bob Gross is a retired superintendent of schools now living in Minnesota. Bob spent 35 years in public education as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. In 1999, he was appointed the superintendent of schools at Singapore American School in Singapore. In 2006, Bob was named International Superintendent of the Year. 

From 2007-2012 he worked with the Office of Overseas Schools with the US Department of State, calling on international schools in Western and Eastern Europe. From 2012-13 Bob served as interim school superintendent at the American School in Abu Dhabi. In 2013-14, he served as interim school superintendent at the American School in Vienna. Bob’s last international school assignment was as interim school superintendent at the International School of Basel in Basel, Switzerland.

Our guiding question was "What advice would you give to US-based teachers who might be considering trying international teaching?"

We started with the question of whether to go global or not. Bob listed steps to begin the recruiting process and what school leaders look for in candidates. 

Bob also offered insights on candidate communication with prospective schools and some do’s and don’ts when attending recruiting fairs. Another topic was managing schools and what an interim head of school does. We finished with a few insights on teaching in various regions. Bob shared super helpful tips, so have a pad of paper and pen in hand!

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• COIS - Council of International Schools (does fairs) and does accreditation
• US Office of Overseas Schools
• International Schools Services
• Search Associates
• Global Recruitment Collaborative

This show was recorded on October 13, 2022. 

Categories: Recruiting | Transitions | Trends

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.