Teacher Recruitment: Western Hemisphere

Teacher recruitment for schools falls into two main categories namely: public and private. Public schools are operated by the government or church organizations. Private schools are run by a variety of organizations and are either for-profit or non-profit. They use a variety of curricula.

Curricula

Knowing the various curricula that the different schools use is very important. This knowledge is also useful if applying to international schools. The shortlisting process usually requires teachers to have experience with the curriculum. However, some schools are willing to train after recruitment. You can prepare for the interview by researching the curriculum used. Below is a list of the most used curricula.

Country Based

• The National curriculum: developed by each country’s education ministry. For example the Jamaican, Kenyan, Chinese national curricula and so on. For this reason, it generally isn’t taught outside the country.
• The American curriculum: each state mandates its own curriculum. But, some states use the  Common Core for Language and Math. The elementary school covers Preschool to Grade 5 while Middle School covers Grade 6 to 8. High School has Grade 9 (or Freshmen), Grade 10 (or Sophomores), Grade 11 (or Juniors) and Grade 12 (or Seniors). Some of the private schools outside the United States use this curriculum. I started in the American public school system on a J1 visa.
• The British Curriculum is adopted by many private schools outside the United Kingdom. Primary school covers Key Stage 1 (Early Years and years 1-2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6). Secondary school covers Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11). The final stage is for the Key Stage 5 and covers Years 12-13.
• The Canadian curriculum is similar to the American in that it differs based on the province. Each province has their own curriculum and educational ministry. International schools mainly use the: British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta or Nova Scotia-based curriculums. Here is a list of schools worldwide authorized to use the Canadian curriculum.

International Based

• International Baccalaureate (IB), has three levels. Primary Years Program (PYP) which generally covers Early Years (Preschool) to Grade 5. Middle Years Program (MYP) which covers Grade 6 to Grade 10. Finally, the Diploma Program (DP) covers Grades 11 and 12.
• The International Primary (IPC) is for students aged 3-11. While the International Middle School curriculum (IMYC) is for students aged 11-14.  Both are similar to their IB equivalent but, IMYC leads to IGCSE for secondary school.

Teacher Recruitment Season

This happens year-round but is dependent on the needs of the school. Despite this, there are peak seasons. This is generally November to March with the late-season being from April to June. It is possible, however, to get last-minute positions in July/August.

The school year runs from August/September to June/July in the United States and the Caribbean. In Latin America, it runs from January/February until December.

Recruitment Websites

Most of the teacher recruitment platforms listed below are free to enroll and apply. It is important to note that preparing for a work visa will have associated costs. However, some schools will reimburse a part of these costs. Also, most schools provide help with the relevant paperwork for you and your dependents.