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Name of School: American School of Pachuca
| City: | Country: |
| Pachuca | Mexico |
| Admin Contact: | Admin Contact Email: |
| teach.at.asp@gmail.com | |
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Overall Quick Rating: 
(57 votes, average: 3.60 out of 5)
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I also wonder why there continues to be teachers who have such strong feelings about this school that they feel it necessary to write false information to deter people who would likely enjoy their experience here from coming down.
There were never 3 permanent teachers in the first place. No foreign teacher is permanent. There were 3 long-term teachers (10, 6 and 4 years) and one left this year after missing so much work without calling in or notifying in any way that the school had to assign a co-teacher to his pre-school class. Another will leave at the end of this year because he does not meet the new requirements t teach at the school which are based on accreditation standards. He has no education background.
There are several others who plan to stay next year making it their third year. And according to the latest information, more than 70% of current teachers plan to return next year, meaning the school will be hiring far fewer new teachers than ever before. That is up from less than 40% 2 years ago. So things must be going ok…hot showers every day or not.
Obviously “NoSoFast and “RealityCheck” perhaps the same person (?) never took a college class in Philosophy 101. He never learned the difference between “Truth” and “Reality” so when he stated “I dont get why people post such completely false information here” it seems he is trying to sound like the gospel instead of being honest with himself or perhaps he is simply ignorant to the difference between truth and reality. I won’t try to mislead you that I can read minds….
He stated very specific true information about the Pre-School director. She is BRAND NEW and came after I wrote the comment that was intended for her predecessor. The new Pre-School director has been in her working role since the end of Jan. – beginning of February. It is now only March, one month later and she is the most qualified director there (even though her background is not preschoolers and she is not billingual) and I certainly wish her the best of luck and hope she makes a very positive impact on the school.
NotSoFast said that “the primary director has 5 years teaching experience and nearly 20 years of admin. experience and is completing a M.S. in educational admin…” He MAY indeed have 5 years teaching experience (not in the US or Canada where teachers have to have a state certification) but only taught a few months at ASP, 6th grade, before abandoning his class. If he does have 20 years in admin., what was his field in since he is presently working on getting his MS in ed. admin. NOW? He should not mislead a reader to think his 20 years in admin. was in education based on US or Canadian educational administrative requirements. His background in law is nice but how relevant? It’s not for me to be so presumptuous as to guess. The Vice Principal in primary is great and the biggest hope for the school in the future.
The secondary director may certainly have many years teaching experience in Mexico. If she has a masters in administration then why is she taking classes to lead up to a Masters in Admin. now? I know for a fact that she is not taking the classes voluntarily. It is a SACS requirement. The Vice Principal in the secondary school is terrific and also one of the biggest assets that the school has to offer. The only problem with him is that he does not want be working with the new recruits in mid-August when new teachers need the guidance from someone of his stature. (He does not start until the students due).
NotSoFast said “SOOOOOOOO….your comments are all way off! Many administrators are not even bilingual, all have …………and all have been at this school in admin for a while”
Hmmm, let’s count 3 level directors, 2 vice principals = 5 people. 2/5 are not billingual. 2/5 constitutes “MANY administrators are not even bilingual…”
This should give you some insight into NotSoFast’s point of view….sounds like a lawyer?????
And …..RealityCheck obviously has been living in a nice place with a comfortable sofa, working appliances and running water most of the time. That’s nice. My point was very simply that new prospective teachers ought to be informed that they shouldn’t expect to walk into living arrangements that include what he may have. Want to take a count as to how many teachers have comfortable sofas? Refrigerators that are bigger than a college dorm frig? Shades on their windows that aren’t broken. Mattresses that are acceptable? Yes, they ought to know how to light a gas pilot light because some do blow out from the wind but obviously no one showed them how to light them, duh………
Now we get the truth! 3 out of 5 administrators, according to this commentator, are GRRRRRRRREAAAAAAAAAATTTT! Wow…that is very different from a post a week ago saying administrators were the biggest problem!
Now, fact check, the secondary principal IS NOT required to take the M.S. course she is in. She already has a Master´s plus 7 years of admin experience (each year counts as 3 M.S. credits in educ admin as well under accred guidelines so this administrator is about to be triply qualified), and for local hires accreditation requirements say that is perfectly fine. She is, in fact, taking it because she wants to and it is being provided at a very low cost by an extremely generous professional development program. Truth? Reality?
Primary principal “abandoned” his class by being promoted? Hmmm…perception? Truth? Reality? Being offered more responsibility to be more involved with and make a bigger positive impact on the school is abandonment? Oh, and to terminology, August through December as a 6th grade teacher is 5 months, not a “few.” Oh and the 20 years of educational admin. experience were in the US….but why does it really matter when we are talking about a bilingual school in Mexico that is a far cry from any US school, and always will be just by virtue of its unique culture, location and history?
The teaching staff, except perhaps you, is largely far more qualified (an average of 5 years of teaching experience and more than half with a Master´s in eduction) and seemingly more satisfied now too, though with limited resources there is work to do.
Helping teachers adapt to a new environment is part of any foreign teaching experience and any administrator´s responsibility. So perhaps not wanting to do that is not the best attitude to have. Further, having someone who has taught in various countries on the admin, in the mix with those who have only a background in the US or CAN, might be a good thing, you think?
Let´s go back to the comments about admin being hired because they are bilingual. Which? Who? Not a single current administrator was hired for that reason. They were hired for experience, educational background, commitment to the school, and vision, or some combination of the above. And by any measure, 40% of admin staff not being bilingual would be many.
Oh, and the school picks up all teachers at the airport, takes them to their housing, SHOWS them how to light their boiler, and provides them with about $2500 pesos worth of groceries, new sheets, pillows, etc. Add to that among the highest salaries of any non-urban bilingual school in Mexico, a great professional development program through the M.S., all health costs covered, a good year end bonus, a nice bonus at Christmas and Easter, more than 6 weeks of paid holidays during the school year and 6 more at summer, a teaching load of between 24 and 28 45-min. periods per week in classes of 16 to 22 kids, $600 for travel, free internte campus-wide, $40 a month per teacher to spend on classroom materials at your discretion, and things aren´t really all so bad.
If you don´t like your shades, new ones cost about $5 per window in Pachuca – and will be installed for free by the school. A new mattress is about $85, and the school already bought you new sheets and a mattress cover when you arrived. Invest a little bit of your own money in your own happiness and stop griping. And take care of what is in your housing so that things don´t get destroyed for the next teacher who comes along, so maybe (hard to imagine not) she will have a better attitude than you!
Or even better, move along already.
Find a school that gives you a fancy condo on the beach or something (there may be a few around if you look hard enough)…but make sure BEFORE YOU TAKE THE JOB (duh!) that your fridge is big enough for you and your sofa is soft enough for your sensitive bottom. Interviewing 101…ask what you need to know BEFORE you take the job!
Griping here doesn´t do anyone any good, and if you don´t like where you are or what you are doing, don´t you think it is time for a change? Seems as if it would be good for you, your colleagues, the students, and the school.
We would like to chime in on some of the comments made above:
1. Housing is ok, not excellent. We are teachers in conservative traditional Mexico, not kings or CEO´s, so what do you expect. The furniture yes leaves a lot to be desired, but hey, the house and furniture are free. For a little money you can easily upgrade, the school lets you find your own place and covers rent if not happy with what they provide, and if you stick with the school a while, in your second year or even earlier you can often upgrade furnishings or housing. Loyalty means a lot here, as does patient, kind persistence. Waltzing in as if better free furniture is an entitlement won´t get you very far.
2. We can all easily take potshots at each of the admin., as we are sure they can take potshots at us. What´s the point? But the truth is, they all do bring something to the team. For example, not sure how anyone can say that than a person who has far more experience teaching English as a Foreign Language than any other admin., has lived in and studied extensively in Latin America, speaks the language, created and managed a bilingual English program for 3 years, and is half way through a M.S. in admin., is not qualified or was hired just for bilingual skills. The truth is it doesn´t matter much – as long as they have the best interests of the school in mind, and are generally hard working, committed and loyal, they can all add something valuable to the team. Together, the reality is that even with their flaws they are a pretty string team that has move the school forward tremendously and we should give them credit for that, not take cheap shots.
3. As teachers, we should applaud anyone who is furthering their education, no matter what the motive or why the timing. Questioning why anyone is enrolled in a Master´s really is unbecoming of an educator.
4. Teachers here do not have easy jobs, and there is a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork, but that is part of working in Mexico. Those who succeed will focus on what is wonderful about their experience here, not sit around and complain. But that is generally true anywhere.
At the risk of dignifying comments that don´t really deserve to be, I´d like to make a quick personal response to some of the attacks/sniping of this single disgruntled teacher, who I doubt is even on my staff in primary or knows me or my work very well:
1. I am certainly qualified for my position, though I am not saying I am the perfect administrator and I have never met one yet. Also, remember it was not me who made the hiring decision that put me here. The general director hired me for the spot, based on more than 2 years of working together. In fact, this was not even what I asked to do! But that´s another story.
Being an admin. is much more than just supporting teachers, though that is clearly among the most important duties. At the same time however, we have to deal with lots of other constituencies (parents, students, other departments, etc.)and pressures (legal issues, financial issues, etc.) and balance it all, so perhaps you should take your perfectly teacher-shaded glasses off before you begin to look at whether someone has the requisite skills, experience and capacity to serve as a senior administrator. I deal well with parents and students, for example, in large part due to having lived and worked in Mexico for 3 years and having studied Latin American Studies in college and (sorry you think it is irrelevant) speaking Spanish fluently. Not everyone needs to fit a certain mold, particularly when we are not in the US or Can, which is why even SACS makes exceptions for people who do not have the traditional profile but offer something important to a school.
As for the law degree, lawyers are leaders in many fields and the degree teaches you analysis, advocacy, negotiation, writing skills, organization, and more….none of which are bad qualities to have learned in this environment.
And my educational admin. experience was for 10 years in law school administration in the US, working with student community service, study abroad and extra-curricular programs and career counseling. Not bad areas to have knowledge in for this position. The second ten years were in educational non-profit admin (5+ yrs.) and in creating and managing a bilingual English program with 25 foreign teachers and 1000 students (4 yrs.). Again, not a bad fit for what I do here.
2. I do have a fairly decent house, now in my 3rd year here. But I found it on my own, I pay something out of my salary every month for it, and I bought the new persians and my mattress with my own money rather than complain. The sofas are from the school, semi-comfortable but made better by covering them with pillows and big Mexican blankets. I also have more seniority, and that is kind of how life works. Teachers who stay a second year inevitably get nicer places…a third year, even nicer. The school values dedicated, loyal, non-whiny employees and rewards will come for those who do their work and stay positive.
3. If you have housing concerns, take off your mask and come see me. We will take care of what we can, assuming you can be patient and polite. I have solved teachers housing problems at 3 in the morning, on Saturdays and Sundays, in the middle of work days, etc. I am always available to help make your housing situation better – from coming to light your gas to getting you a new mattress if possible. In fact, I have been responsible for 3 mattresses this year and we put new persians in more than half our properties, not to mention I got two people full-sized refrigerators. Again, and it may be hard for you, but it is all about being polite and steady as you request things, and understanding that we do have financial constraints and other things to take care of.
Wow, regardless of how you feel about ASP, these comments are completely inappropriate and unethical. A school administrator should not have multiple identities (Scott, notsofast, funnyhow, and who knows how many others) representing himself as a teacher. Anybody who has ever met this administrator knows who he is. Specifically bashing teachers is inappropriate for an administrator and even more absurd when talking about long time teachers. A teacher working at ASP for 4 or 6 years was clearly a valuable commodity to the school, so why criticize them now? Anyway, such extreme praise for any school kinda lacks credibility, don’t you think? It’s unnecessary to personally attack somebody with an opposing view point. This site makes the school seem like a viper pit when I always thought 1 of it’s redeeming qualities was a good social network. For my part, I think Mary Indy is pretty right on, but of course everybody is going to have a slightly different experience. From what I can tell, the administration and too much parental influence have always been the main complaints. The students in the higher grades can be problematic but are nothing compared to public schools back home. Some people love it, others not so much.
A few misquoted remarks were made above that I would like to clarify. I never said that I thought that there were 3 great administrators. I said one brand new one has potential but it is too soon to tell. Two are definitely very respectable.
I suppose the primary level director sounds defensive above because he has been out, ill, for 8-10 weeks of the school year. As he stated above, he does deal well with parents and students, for example, in large part due to having lived and worked in Mexico for 3 years. Interesting comment. How can he do that not being around???????
That brings up the comment I’d like to respond to about the school doctor. “All health costs are covered.” When I first signed a contract with the school, I enquired about the specific health insurance plan. I was never told that it is not a health insurance plan but a doctor on the school campus. I don’t know his qualifications but I would not suggest a new person come to Pachuca and expect the same thing that a US or Canadian health plan covers. I did have one bad experience with the school doctor because he perscribed a medication that conflicted with a perscription I was taking and I did tell him about it. I do suggest that this is not a school for anyone with reoccurring health problems that might need a higher level of care. Yes, the doctor at the school is fine for a stomach bug or a simple cold.
As far as $40 a month for teaching materials is simply incorrect. Teachers receiver 200 pesos which is equivalent today to US $14.
Hello! I have read all your comments as I have recently been hired to teach at ASP. I was told I would have a contract in 2 days. That was 2 weeks ago and haven’t heard from the school since. Just wondering if this is business as usual in Mexico or a problem at the school or an administration problem. I also now wonder if teachers receive salaries on time. Please help, as I do want to teach at ASP and do not understand lack of followthrough by admin toward prospective employees.
Thank you!
Lovtching
I heard the principal, Curt Crossley died. Can anyone confirm this?
Correct me if I am wrong…but I just heard that Curt Crossley, the primary level director, died on the 24th March 2009
Maybe that’s why you have heard nothing from the school regarding your contract.
Perhaps someone else can confirm this?
Correct me if I am wrong…but I just heard that Curt Crossley, the primary level director, died on the 24th March 2009
Maybe that’s why you have heard nothing from the school regarding your contract.
Perhaps someone else can confirm this?
Curt Crossley the primary school director apparently died on Tuesday 24th March, hence no response to your contract details Lovtching.
I tried to post this information once already today and the moderators decided not to publish my posting.
Check this link which includes comments about Curt’s demise from his cousin Lindsey Freer. http://mexicanfever.blogspot.c...../label/ASP
I am thinking of moving to Pachuca for a year to teach at the Universidad Politecnica in Zempoala. I’m bringing three young children. Can anyone tell me if this is a decent school for American kids, the cost per month and if this is a nice and safe area? I’ve emailed the school but haven’t gotten an answer yet.
Thanks.
Any updates? A few months ago before summer, ASP was proclaiming they didn’t have many openings as teachers are happy and staying. Now I see job posts all over the net for just about every teaching position. So is ASP growing?
On a post I read that foregin teachers were pay 2000.00 American dollars per month but now in this site I read that it only pays 950 pesos per month and that if you have a Masters might pay 1200 to 1500 pesos. Which one is true.
To all current and potential teachers,
My comments should be understood in the context of my role at ASP in 1998-99. I had been the assistant principal at the American Nicaraguan School in Managa, Nicaragua and acceped a three year position as Director General at ASP. With over 20 plus years in both teaching and administrative positions, both in the US and overseas and had been told that I was the eighth Director General in three years and it would be no easy task. I made sure that my contract stipulated that I would be the only one doing the hiring or termination of contracts, though I would still clear it with the Board.
The board is totally controlled by the President and what he wants he or she will get. My first job was to defend the board against certain parents who demanded that they be fired though the board had nothing to do with the past board, who all resigned when the money was gone from the budget.
During my time their I was instrumental in starting 17 major changes at the school, with the help of parents, teachers and the Board. On of the things I was most proud of was that we initiated a new style of electing the board members so that not all of them would have their term expiring at the same time. We also had in the works a brand new library that would be paid for by the parents and would go into a separate account that the Board could not touch. I also saw that the American flag flew daily, along with the Mexican Flag, though it would be flown a bit lower than the Mexican National Flag, which is the correct procedure, Curriculum was the end all. Each Director-General was told to make a new curriculum, with the Board and the OTA not realizing that you don’t come up with a curriculum at the drop of a hat. It takes teamwork from everyone and quite a bit of time to improve it. In reality, it was a gimmick to keep the D-G busy and not interfering with the Board. I refused to do it unless it was done right.
The major problem at the school at that time was disgruntled teachers who would go directly to a member of the Board and fill his/her ears with untruths and they would listen and then try to undercut what I was attempting to do.
By the way, to the person who said that SAC never came to the school until 2.5 years ago is totally incorrect. They came on two separate times in the late 80′s and 90′s and refused to come again since the school had so many problems that the school could or would not change. I am pleased if your current Director General can secure SAC’s blessings as he was my Assistant during my time there and he was invaluable, as was Hector.
I was given a beautiful home and a VW bug as my car and I found everyone to be just wonderful to me…the staff,the children and for the most part, the parents.
One of the hardest things to change, and as I look back on it now I think that I probably moved to fast to fix things…my gring upbringing, no doubt.
Money was always a problem as at the time the starting salary was between 7,500 and 9,000 dollars for the foreign teachers and a lot less for the nationals. I remember I went to UNI to recruit teachers and had 52 interviews and was able to hire only three, since most of the recruits at the fair was offered 2-4 times the amount we could offer.
Now, having left Pachuca over 10 years ago I can look back with a more detached and fair review.
The school was not bad, only a few teachers that spoiled the barrel for the rest. The children were like children all over the world…good most of the time and a problem once in awhile. I remember that one child, the son of a man who became the Minister of Education in Hidalgo had jammed a sharp pencil up the rectum of another student and the parents insisted that nothing should happen to his boy. I told him that if he had done that elsewhere his son would be locked up.
Yes, parents would try to take advantage of their position but for me it did not work. Nicefero and I worked closely together and he is someone you could count on. He has given his life to the school and deserves your support.
The city of Pachuca is beautiful to me and going into he mountains where the silver mines had been and still are was just great. I loved the dining establishments, espcially the Brazilian dining place and watching my first bull fight and my first soccer game.
I would spend 12-16 hours at the school working and enjoyed each minute of it. While there I had hired an American who had a MED from Nicaragua to be the assistant principal of the elementary school and a teacher from Nicaragua to teach at the school. When I left the Board terminated the assistant principals contract before she even came to the school even though she made a holiday trip to be interviewed by the Board.
The Boards were the main reason for much of the chaos at the school. The previous board had spent thousands of dollars having the water trucks lay down 10 tankers of water each week on the soccer field and they bought hundreds of dollars of children’s clothing at a botique in Mexico City.
In closing, if anyone wishes to write to me for any other details they can contact me at brigadier192003@yahoo.com
In all fairness I found my time in Pachuca to be a rewarding experience and one that I was fortunate enough to have. Under Nicefero the school will move forward at the pace it is comfortable with and unless the mature teachers are vibrant and energetic I would stay with the younger teachers. If you think everything has to be like it is in the States you should not apply to ASP. In spite of being one of the poorest states in Mexico the parents do care what happens to their school and students.
One of my more humbling incidents was when we had a school meeting and I addressed the parents and told them that certain members were causing problems for everyone and that while I could not throw them out the parents could. Some ladies in the back started shouting in my favor, “Viva Zapata, Viva Zapata.” I asked Niceforo what did they mean by shouting that and he said it was “you are brave like Zapata, strong willed and fearless.” I asked him what happened to Zapata and he said, “oh, he was shot and killed.”
Give your administration your loyalty and it will be rewarded. They are good people with good hearts and they will do the best job they can for you. If I was accepted I would love to come back as a teacher, but that is just a dream.
The last thing, the doctor was the husband of my personal secretary and he was good. What you may or may not realize is that to get rid of a Mexican national you have to pay a three month salary for each year worked and the school could not afford that much money for those that worked from 7-15 years at the school.
Respectfully,
Told to me by a Mexican friend who is a former student/employee of the Americana:
Well, ASP seems to be growing… with a penchant for attracting lunatics, the school continues to see a steady stream of foreign directors and teachers who have been deemed unfit for employment in the own countries.
Last month the husband/wife director duo fled the country after Secondary Principal Eric Yoak stabbed his neighbor who was playing music too loud at a party. A fight ensued and Eric was beaten by angry fiestagoers who taught the gringo a lesson. With the help of the school’s director Mr. Ramirez, Eric, along with his wife Larraine, fled the country several days later. The Mexican authorities waited outside of Yoak’s house for several days, until they realized he was not returning. Since August, a number of staff members have quit, though none of the stories were quite as sensational as the directors themselves.
For those who found this thread years after the last posting, and would like more information…
1. Notice that the fighting here stopped soon after Curt’s death. He was probably bipolar, and often used multiple personalities in emails to staff (as well as messages on this and other forums) to secure his power over dissenters. Many say he suffered from dementia along with severe stomach problems in his last months.
2. If you want an honest take on the school, go down and visit it for yourself. Examine the classrooms: are they leaking? is there any heating for those cold winter mornings? are there textbooks for the students? are the computers up to date and working? Ask the uncomfortable questions: can you show me an example of housing? how are we paid? may I speak to other teachers outside of school hours?
3. My personal opinion, after working both here and at other schools in the ASOMEX system: there are better schools out there if you are a professional teacher already. If you are just coming for the experience of living in Mexico and don’t already have established credentials in teaching, this school might look good on your resume and give you an idea of some issues that you face in private education in Mexico.
No school is perfect, but this one has some major issues that needed to be addressed. In the end remember that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, and the other wheels are just tossed off for a replacement.
How is APS today?