Growing one’s network is a common theme in many of our interviews. We probably will not find a more connected person in the international schooling community than Laura Light!
Laura is the current Executive Director of The Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), which she joined in September 2021. She brings to AAIE many years of experience working alongside school heads and senior leadership, supporting the most critical task of recruiting teachers and administrative talent.
Before joining AAIE, Laura was known in the international school world for her leadership and dedication as the Director of Global Recruitment at International Schools Services (ISS). Before joining ISS in 2007, Laura was an international educator for many years, teaching in Kuwait, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Singapore, and London, as well as in Oregon, California, and New York. Her knowledge of international schools is deeply rooted in her upbringing as she is also a Third Culture Kid.
Laura has served on the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) Educational Board and is a member of the Diversity Collaborative. She understands the challenges faced, has an enviable network of longstanding relationships, and, already knowing so many in the international community, is a natural community builder and an assertive advocate for quality leadership in our international schools worldwide.
Laura greatly enjoys her work supporting international school leaders and values the interactions and experiences she encounters while traveling. When not on the road she resides in New Jersey with her partner, where they enjoy being in the outdoors or just spending time together.
The guiding question for the episode was, “What is the AAIE, and what are some Current Trends in International Education?”
We covered several topics and trends in this interview, including:
- Recruiting, especially around how educators and schools connect and the timeline for those connections.
- Strategies for recruiting
- Vetting schools
- What international schools can look like
- Curriculum
- School Leadership and Management
- Growing one’s network
- Leveraging regional associations of schools
This episode was recorded on September 18, 2023.
Laura’s Contact Information: LinkedIn
Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
For other regional
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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.
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