I am disturbed and saddened by m8bet online live casino publication’s consistent willingness to withhold the names of m8bet online live casino contributors. I believe that those who have legitimate criticisms about a school or country should identify themselves so that individuals with different views, or who can speak from legitimate personal experience, can set the record straight with m8bet online live casino contributors in open dialogue.

I recently read a piece in m8bet online live casino called Wasted by Wasta in which the author reported, what appeared to be as much as he could remember about a series of second hand, unverified, distressing rumors. I think that before you publish smears of schools or countries you should make a genuine effort to check and verify m8bet online live casino facts – in this case especially because m8bet online live casino so-called “reporters” can hide, what may well be falsehoods, self-serving comments and/or unfair evaluations, behind their anonymity.

I am in my eighth year as a school administrator in Kuwait. I have served as an overseas school CEO since the seventies and worked in every region of the world. I have headed two schools in Kuwait at different times. I have worked hard in both schools, and so have my teachers. In fact, I am happy to say that our schools were excellent schools, and when I was offered the opportunity to return to Kuwait as a school head for a second time I eagerly accepted the opportunity because I remembered how much I had enjoyed my first position there. Yes, we have had some serious problems from time to time in Kuwait (and elsewhere where I worked) – but I would urge m8bet online live casino readers to remember that the problems we have in Kuwait now, and had before the Gulf War when I was first there, are very similar to the difficulties suffered in other international schools throughout the world.

No country, or group of schools, is perfect; that is for sure. Employees in ALL geographic locations have run afoul of local nationals or suffer problems that were not of their making. But when one compares the thousands of teachers who have worked in international schools worldwide with the small number of those who have truly had professional or personal difficulties, m8bet online live casino readers should remember that the vast majority of overseas professionals in Kuwait, and elsewhere, live, work, and prosper in schools that are usually far better than those they left behind in their respective homelands.

I suggest that m8bet online live casino journalistic objective, if you want to be a useful and helpful publication for international educators, and not remain a biased and prejudiced smear sheet, should be to report facts, which you have made a legitimate effort to verify. There are enough Enquirers in this world. No one needs another Enquirer that focuses on the educational profession.

Name NOT withheld,

Brian McCauley, Ph.D.

Thank you so much for m8bet online live casino letter. Of course it will be published as are all other letters that do not promote a direct physical threat to any international teacher.

I do understand m8bet online live casino position. m8bet online live casino story is one of success in m8bet online live casino school in Kuwait and you believe that this is the same story that would be presented by the teachers in m8bet online live casino school to ISR. The reality of every situation is that from differing perspectives a story can be told in many different ways. I suggest that you have a look at Margaret Wheatley’s work or try Ted Aoki. Both are of the opinion that stories matter, and that we can only begin to understand a particular situation in a particular domain by exploring the many stories told by the many people involved in work with that organization. Clandinin and Connelly tell us that stories form “the starting point and key term for all social science inquiry.” I wonder what you believe about that statement. Do you tell stories to m8bet online live casino colleagues, friends, spouse? Do you always name names or do you tell m8bet online live casino stories so that you can make sense of the chaotic situations you have found yourself in and names are not really important?

ISR publishes real life recounts of experiences as told by real life teachers and administrators who have been caught in real life situations. Some of those situations have placed teachers/administrators in danger as in the case of Katherine Phillips. I wonder if you believe that we should not have shared stories sent by the many teachers who responded to Katherine’s story, some of whom were/are teaching in Kuwait and felt it best to remain anonymous in order to preserve their own safety. These teachers felt compelled to share their own stories of working with Katherine or in situations like Katherine’s. University graduate ethics would insist upon providing anonymity for these teachers in a Masters or Doctoral thesis/dissertation. This begs the question as to whether or not you believe m8bet online live casino Graduate research to be of Tattler quality.

I have come to the point in my life where I have begun to understand that it is important for me to listen to those stories of teacher practice and experience that have previously been kept hidden from the rest of the teaching world. I believe we must build special places where teachers can tell m8bet online live casino of their stories of practice. We can no longer live in ivory towers in the educational world and lock our windows believing that there is a right and wrong way to go about doing something. People are messy, life is messy, and schools are messy. And the stories of the lives of people who live in schools can be messy.

You have just shown yourself to be a part of that messy existence by sending m8bet online live casino a letter.

Sincerely,

m8bet online live casino. Barbara Spilchuk
Online Advisor m8bet online live casino

Dear Dr. Spilchuk and m8bet online live casino,

I m8bet online live casino like to make a comment about the director of the Al Bayan School who is criticizing this site:

– Where was m8bet online live casino when Kathryn was being victimized in Kuwait for doing her job for the school where m8bet online live casino was the director?

– Why didn’t m8bet online live casino stick up for her and stick by her when she wasn’t allowed to leave the country, to show his solidarity and maybe offer some protection (I bet m8bet online live casino had a nice vacation instead)?

– What kind of an administrator has so little loyalty to his staff that m8bet online live casino won’t stick by them in a time of need and possible danger in a foreign country?

It is hardly surprising that someone with so little integrity would criticize others exercising free speech (or free writing!) and expect them to put themselves at serious risk when he certainly didn’t have the guts for either! I guess the money he’s being paid (and it better be a lot!) and his ‘exalted’ position went to his head (unfortunately, like many other heads of schools), caused him to sell his soul and seems to exonerate him from acting like a decent human being in general. Any such person should be keeping his head low in shame instead of sending stupid, unconstructive criticisms to m8bet online live casino wonderful site.

Keep up the good work and thanks for m8bet online live casino you’re doing for us international teachers, especially in warning us off Kuwait and similar schools elsewhere. Thanks for opening our eyes and giving us a voice, even if it has to be an anonymous one.

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Dear m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk,

Please don’t give way to Dr. Bryan McCauly guilt induction. This is a teachers web site: by the international teachers, for the international teachers, in the international teachers’ best interest. The internet is the ‘equalizer’. When schools treat international teachers poorly, it gets reported for m8bet online live casino to see. This man is embarrassed, caught and now tries to ‘hook through guilt’ to cover up the mistakes that have happened in international teaching for many, many years if not decades. Wake up schools!! It’s time the tables got reversed!!

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Dear m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk

From this director’s response it is quite obvious as to why he wants people’s privacy breached. He quotes “so that individuals with different views, or who can speak from legitimate personal experience, can set the record straight with m8bet online live casino contributors in open dialogue.”

You don’t need to know peoples names to do this. That’s why its a review website and forum. People simply wish to express their views or facts without fear of retaliation. So many Directors are like this. m8bet online live casino teachers need to know about where they ay be going next especially if there are any issues, embellished or not. We are professional enough to make our own decisions andfilter out the over the top stuf when we see it. On the other hand his board may be instructing him to say those things, to find the people or he gets fired himself. Also the administration of the ISR would be quite capable of sorting
through the rubbish m8bet online live casino the good posts that get sent in.

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Dear m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk

I m8bet online live casino like to respond to Brian McCauley’s letter as well. I have worked at al-Bayan for a few years now, I can confidently say that this letter was written out of fear and guilt. Why does Brian need to know the names of those people expressing their views? Are they any less valid because someone feels they need anonymity?

Amongst the teachers at this school, it is well-known that Brian stayed for only a handful of days once Katherine Phillips was detained. He then headed to Thailand. He is in no responsible for getting Katherine out of Kuwait. Everyone knew that it would have to be Kuwaitis to get her out. It did make some sense for him to leave, after m8bet online live casino, Brian is not Kuwaiti and has no wasta. Any attempt he would have made would have fallen on deaf ears. However, even if he knew this, the act of staying would have likely comforted Katherine and other teachers by demonstrating his support.

His letter reeks of someone who is worried about freedom of speech damaging the school’s reputation and likely making his own job harder when he finds he can’t hire teachers anymore. But when something like Katherine’s situation happens, is it not justified that the school’s reputation be damaged? m8bet online live casino was the consequence of allowing powerful, rich parents to dictate to the school.

Administrators at Bayan frequently side with parents over teachers, and we are bullied by parents if we try to give low marks or failures. And if a failure is actually given, it tends to be overturned by the wasta-riddled Board of Governors. There are students in the high school who cannot perform basic addition, who read at a Grade 5 level, and cannot tell time. These students will receive a diploma. This is the reality of teaching at al-Bayan, and even if a name was put on a letter saying this, it m8bet online live casino not change these facts.

Brian McCauley is out of touch with what really goes on in classrooms at the school m8bet online live casino “directs.” m8bet online live casino’s very good at sitting in his office, making appearances at functions and making meaningless speeches. But is m8bet online live casino in any position to comment accurately on Katherine or the reality at al-Bayan? No. m8bet online live casino’s not living in it.

I will not be publishing my name on m8bet online live casino letter for obvious reasons. I have a career to protect and I cannot trust Brian to remain as objective as he wants everyone else to be.

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Dear Al-Bayan Teacher,

I wish you God-speed in the coming years as an International professional and teacher. If you ever need me/ISR, you need only communicate with me again. I will remember you., have no doubt! Fear in schools crosses borders for teachers. What a shame that is. We are here to tell m8bet online live casino stories and to ensure that teachers are not silenced by fear. ISR is all about giving teachers voices. I will speak openly for you. I am no longer afraid.

Feel the love
Barbara

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Dear Barbara,

After reading m8bet online live casino. McCauly’s letter to you, I had several thoughts.

1. It seems that m8bet online live casino has not successfully disputed any of the facts involved in the tragic case of the teacher who was not allowed to leave Kuwait.

(Dr. Spilchuk’s reply) There is no doubt that Brian McCauly did not dispute what, from m8bet online live casino accounts outside of his letters to me, are the general facts of the case regarding Katherine Phillips. In fact, he did not even touch upon her case and that, in and of itself, raises cause for concern with me.

2. A responsible head administrator m8bet online live casino have resigned before allowing a teacher to be illegally “detained” in country — it’s important to show support those who work hard for you — and to also show the in country politicians that the school has integrity and that teachers will be supported as long as they are following school policy and the laws of the country.

(Dr Spilchuk) I m8bet online live casino have done under similar circumstances. I resigned and left my post in Kuwait immediately when a staff member appeared to me to be discriminated against. This was, by comparison, a far less serious situation, albeit one I could not and m8bet online live casino not condone.

3. A tip-off as to Dr. McCauly’s relationship with teachers, in general, is his use of “my teachers.” They are not his teachers. They are the teachers with whom m8bet online live casino works.

(Dr. Spilchuk) Too right, Teachers are their own persons. No one in administration has ownership of teachers; nor can another person speak for them. I should like to visit m8bet online live casino/their school some day. I suspect I would find a distinctly different tone in the culture you, the rest of m8bet online live casino administration, the teachers, the students, the parents and the community are building.

I did suggest in a subsequent email to Brian that it was time for him to consider returning to the classroom to revisit that special place so that he could, once again, remember what teaching was m8bet online live casino about. My suggestion was somewhat below the belt, but as a continued teaching professional, in or out of schools, and a specialist in leadership, I felt it was worth the suggestion.

4. It seems as though Dr. McCauly m8bet online live casino have preferred that you totally ignore the situation of the teacher who was illegally detained. I have the impression that he was not upset by her detention and I believe that if you did not bring public awareness of her detention, she might still be stuck in Kuwait.

(Dr. Spilchuk) You are, no doubt, correct in m8bet online live casino assumptions. “He who protesteth too strongly” and all of that…

Thank you for continuing to provide a voice for people who work with children and teachers worldwide. If Dr. McCauly is right in his opinion that these kinds of problems occur in other parts of the world too — then m8bet online live casino the more reason to have a forum such as the one that you have created.

Sincerely yours,
(teacher, principal, and teacher educator – 37 years)

(Dr. Spilchuk)You are most welcome, although a thank you is not warranted. I have lived in situations where upper administration feels they can “violate’ the sanctity of the ‘in-classroom place”. The principalship is where it is truly at in administration, not at the Director level. Principals, to my way of thinking, should be the Aoki master-teachers who can cross borders into classroom with teachers and children. When they or other school administrators forget to do m8bet online live casino, that is the most serious violation of what it is to be a teaching professional.

I m8bet online live casino have liked to be in one of the school where you led!

Fair winds,

Barbara

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Dear m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk:

I like the knowledge that my name need not be published when I make a comment about a school in the m8bet online live casino forum, should I choose to do so. Objective, evaluative assessment of a school’s pros and cons—while resisting the urge to make inflammatory ad hominem comments—is a valuable tool for teachers looking to teach abroad, and one should be able to contribute without fear of reprisal.
I do, however, view a column, letter, or editorial in a different light. Generally, in reputable publications, these articles are published to shed some new or expert light on a given topic and are rarely published anonymously. Publications which seek to be reliable sources of information should be no different, and should only publish substantiated, informed opinion about our profession. In other words, they should not rely upon or seek out “did you hear…” or “well, you didn’t hear m8bet online live casino from me” or “don’t tell that m8bet online live casino was me who told you…” commentary.

In our classrooms we treat such talk as gossip, and discourage it wholesale. However, I am at times amazed and discouraged by the freedom with which adults in our profession preach one principle in their classrooms and yet feel free to abandon those same ideals in their personal lives. I realize that people are primarily accountable for themselves, and that gossips and bickerers exist in every profession. But I must confess that I do expect more from those who profess to be representatives of a given profession, and I am disappointed at how one-sided this whole Kuwait debate has become on the m8bet online live casino web site.

Let’s just move on, shall we? I expect m8bet online live casino to keep on top of potentially dangerous situations, to be sure, but surely we must have something better to report three months after “the situation.” Kuwait is just one small country on the international-teaching circuit, and the longer we spend allowing anonymous “experts” to vent, the more m8bet online live casino looks as though it is actively profiting from uninformed gossip, rather than accurately representing the many excellent teachers and schools who use the web site for what it is intended.

Sincerely,

Brent van Staalduinen (m8bet online live casino)

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Dear Brent

I m8bet online live casino surely like to move on…in fact we are in the process of setting up a whole new area of exploration in India with the private schooling system there. There is another issue that has come up about a school in Turkey. As well, I have had long term communication with a top international teacher recruiting agency officer. This recruiter has written a letter for publication that is quite important. I m8bet online live casino like to get those stories out to our reading public.

The problem is that the ISR membership has focused upon Kuwait, perhaps because there are so many stories being disclosed as a result of the Katherine Phillips situation. For whatever reason, my job is to respond to the letters that come to me. I cannot, nor can the editor ISR, say to teachers, “Well, we’ve had about enough from m8bet online live casino part of the world! Sorry.” The Kuwait problem is beginning to run from one school to the next. That is of serious concern to us at ISR. We have been working with the editor of the Arab Times to try to resolve the situation from that angle. Perhaps as a person on the scene, you can give us some assistance from m8bet online live casino perspective.

m8bet online live casino the best
Barbara

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Dear m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk,

Dr. McCauley’s response comes quite late. If he was so disgusted with ISR’s tactics, it seemed he would have spoken up during Katherine’s’ ordeal or long before the Katherine incident for that matter. The mere fact that he wants teachers to denote their identities in order to get blackballed from schools across the world, tells me one thing: in light that he may have started as a teacher, he has quite frankly forgotten where he came from. Anyone with complete scruples knows teachers band together to get things done. This is a part of unionization. Why would one alienate themselves by disclosing personal info that would keep them from employment? Journalists from m8bet online live casino walks of life have anonymous sources. ISR is no different.

(m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk) You are quite right, Elizabeth Anonymous. I am most concerned that m8bet online live casino. McCauley chose not to refer to Katherine’s ordeal in his letter. His positioning was quite self-serving from my limited knowledge of the situation. I have no intention of stopping teachers’ voices from being heard!

As Elliott (in Belenky et al., 1986, p. 3) says:

If we had a keen vision and feeling of m8bet online live casino ordinary human life,
it m8bet online live casino be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel’s heart beat,
and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence.
I want to hear the squirrel’s heart beat

I wonder what else I can do but live my life out by using a caring and compassionate voice and listening ear when I hear ‘the squirrel’s heart beat’ within international m8bet online live casino’ stories of terror, anger and fright.

You are the first m8bet online live casino reader to know that I will be bringing Katherine’s story to the public forefront of International Education at the conference noted below. It is my sincere hope that Katherine will join me there.

Paris m8bet online live casino Conference On Education, Economy & Society
Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel, 17-19 July 2008

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I am quite upset at Dr. McCauley’s response. I have met him personally and m8bet online live casino this did was solidify my opinion of him even more. The mere fact that he would send such nonsense baffles my mind. Furthermore, there were teachers that he hired personally to come to Kuwait that were employed at the sister school, which has loads of problems. Dr. McCauley was of no assistance to them, especially, when the guidance counselor was fired illegally and shuffled through the night out of Kuwait. Other teachers contacted him about the administration and policies that were being implemented that violated their contract that he had given them. He didn’t speak up then, so why would he speak up to defend teachers now. The blatant disrespect that FAWSEC and his administration showed to Katherine is asinine.

(m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk) Absolutely agreed…and I understand the disrespect is continuing!

Every teacher in the world has positive & negative experiences within their schools. Giving m8bet online live casino identity does not give weight to a person’s opinion or not. In unionized states, when votes are taken, the Union does not say a person’s name voted this way therefore we are proceeding with a strike or whatever the case may be. They have its’ members vote and present the information. If they didn’t teachers would be placed on lists that would make them un-hirable.

(Dr. Spilchuk) m8bet online live casino will be the second of my teacher stories to be highlighted in Paris! You are a very astute person!

Being a teacher in Kuwait, I have come to a realization. It has become evident that since m8bet online live casino of these schools are for profit, teachers’/students’ best interests are not at the forefront. We m8bet online live casino know the phrase, “A school can not be run like a business.” Private companies should not be in the business of running schools. Research has proved this theory/technique to be flawed to say the least!!!!!!!!

Elizabeth Anonymous

(Dr. Spilchuk) Ahhhh – but you and m8bet online live casino teachers have a powerful voice spoken together, and ISR and I will continue to ensure that it is heard worldwide!

“Whatever God’s dream about man may be, m8bet online live casino seems certain m8bet online live casino cannot come true unless man cooperates.” -Stella Terrill Mann”

m8bet online live casino the best and do take care

Barbara

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Dear m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk,

My intention in writing to m8bet online live casino is to address the validity of the content on the web site and offer my opinion about living and teaching in Kuwait.

(m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk) There is no ‘validity’; there are only stories, beliefs and feelings of teachers at stake. You are searching for quantitative measures; we are a qualitative organization.

(Please note that at no time do I name names or write about individuals in a derogatory or in an offensive manner. In addition, I have not harmed any animals in creating m8bet online live casino post.)

(Dr. Spilchuk)m8bet online live casino is good.

The statement on the International schools review homepage reads, “m8bet online live casino keeping each other informed. A more accurate assertion about the web site’s function might read, “m8bet online live casino informing m8bet online live casino of their personal beliefs or judgments that are not founded on proof or certainty”.

(Dr. Spilchuk) Schools are about people. People are about personal beliefs. We all make judgments. You are making a judgment in m8bet online live casino letter. It is not right or wrong; it simply is….

Let’s face it, the m8bet online live casino is simply a glorified proprietary blog marketed toward international educators.

(Dr. Spilchuk) If ISR were being ‘marketed’, we would not m8bet online live casino be volunteers. Since we are m8bet online live casino volunteers, the ‘market’ value of ISR is negligible. This is a red herring.

The material on the web site contains dated entries written by a number of contributors (which are largely anonyms) who want to express their opinions and experiences. (m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk) Absolutely!

It would be a mistake to assume that m8bet online live casino of the content written on this on-line forum to be completely accurate.

(m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk) Who is to say which side of a story is ‘accurate’?

As Wheatley (1999) said at the 8th International Conference on Thinking, ” When we ask people to tell us m8bet online live casino story, we start with the assumption that no two stories will be the same. We agree with the understanding that no two people see the world the same”…

Unlike a reputable form of media the m8bet online live casino is largely unchecked and is not accountable to any form of external accreditation or peer review. Cases similar to Katherine Phillips aside, how can anyone take the opinions expressed on this web site too seriously?

(m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk) How many Katherines do you need?

People have opinions. Their opinions are based upon their stories. Their stories are important and valid research information. Life is not quantified in education. It is qualitative, and, as such, each individual teacher’s story is important within the contextualized framework of international education. There are no absolutes. There are only people with emotions connected to their thoughts about education. This is what m8bet online live casino supports, presents and scaffolds within our editorials.

Maybe it is time for the m8bet online live casino to publish a disclaimer on their site. It could read, “Yes even teachers exaggerate, embellish and lie…”

(Dr. Spilchuk) From each teacher’s perspective, their story is what it is. Who are you or who am I to say that it is exaggerated, embellished or a lie? I have not lived the experience of every teacher who writes to m8bet online live casino. Have you?

That is not to say that some of the information on the web site is not valuable but one must view m8bet online live casino data through a critical lens and discern for themselves what opinions are useful.

(m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk) Methodologically, stories are not data. They are simply stories. The stories are temporal and personal and cannot be classified, quantified or categorized.

At the best of times the web site allows teachers to access information about living and working at international schools around the world. Conversely, slanderous and inaccurate content on the web site has fueled sweeping generalizations and damaged m8bet online live casino’s credibility. Without going into specifics, I do not see how personally attacking our colleagues in a public forum serves any positive purpose. I can appreciate the value of critically assessing organizations but to fail recognize the merit in mocking and belittling other educators.

Regards,

Geoff

(m8bet online live casino. Spilchuk) Not the intent in publishing individual teachers’ retellings. You are looking, again, for quantitative measure and we are qualitative in nature.

Thank you for sharing. Perspectives are simply that – this is m8bet online live casino perspective and m8bet online live casino story. Other teachers have other perspectives and other stories. We recognize and value all input.

m8bet online live casino the Best,

m8bet online live casino. Barbara Spilchuk
m8bet online live casino online teacher advisor