The Tribune

THE Lyford Cay International School in western New Providence wants to increase the number of Bahamian teachers it has on staff and is hoping to recruit more local teachers at a job fair at the Meliá resort next month.

LCIS is a fully accredited international day school offering an educational programme that aims to inspire, challenge and transform students, a statement from the school said.

LCIS is the only school in the Bahamas to offer three International Baccalaureate programmes. Upon graduation, LCIS students move on to top colleges and universities around the world, with 100 per cent of students being accepted to their first-choice school, the school added.

“One of the most important factors that leads to student success at LCIS and beyond is the school’s exceptional teachers,” the school said in a press release. “LCIS teachers come from many different countries and backgrounds, which allows the school to foster a community that is committed to both cultural diversity and collaboration.

“Still, LCIS boasts a group of dedicated Bahamian staff. Fifty per cent of LCIS staff are Bahamian, helping to make the school’s concurrent commitment to place-based education possible. Bahamian teachers bring important skills, talents and perspectives to the classroom and function as a valuable part of the team. The same is true for Bahamian staff working in areas such as administration, accounting, marketing and development; local professionals are found at every level of the organisation.”

LCIS said local teachers choose the school due to the quality of the teaching and learning experiences.

Renae Moxey, who has taught at LCIS for nine years, said “smaller class sizes, modern and innovative methods of teaching and constant training” were what initially led her to apply. These factors alongside a competitive salary and benefits package, including pension, medical insurance and a tuition discount for teachers’ children, make LCIS the ideal place for driven Bahamian educators who see a future for themselves in an environment guided by academic and professional excellence, the school said.

Six new Bahamian staff members have joined LCIS in the last year alone.

Both Ms Moxey and Dorenda Davis, an instructional technology specialist, agree on the qualities that make a teacher successful at LCIS. They list excellent communication, time-management, organisation and collaboration skills as just a few of the qualities LCIS looks for when hiring teachers. A passion for excellence and student success, they claim, completes the profile of an LCIS teacher.

Ms Davis noted that in the six short years that she has been at the school, she has benefitted greatly from LCIS’s approach to professional development.

“There are almost weekly opportunities to learn something new through meetings, mini workshops or training sessions. Through the financial support provided by LCIS’s professional development programme, I have had the opportunity to present at conferences locally and internationally, with my next goal being to present at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference – an event set to host thousands of educators from around the world,” she said. Asked what she would say to other Bahamian educators interested in a career at LCIS, Ms Davis offers encouraging advice: “I would say to give it a shot and apply. Some teachers express trepidation about working at an international school, and are concerned about whether or not they can measure up. To such teachers, I would say to feel confident in your training. I was trained at the College of The Bahamas and the University of the West Indies.”

LCIS principal Stacey Bobo also looks forward to increased interest in LCIS from Bahamian teachers.

“We are always looking for excellent Bahamian teachers, whether trained locally or abroad. We are simply looking for teachers who are committed to high levels of professionalism and who want to push themselves and their students to be the best in our progressive educational environment,” she said,

LCIS will launch its local recruitment programme next month with a hiring fair at the Meliá Nassau Beach on November 23 from 6-8pm. The school looks forward to receiving applications from reflective Bahamian educators with vision, creativity and passion to help students discover and fulfil their potential.

To register, teachers can send their résumé and cover letter to jobs@lcis.bs.