Change. It can be exciting. It can also be tough. And it happens a lot in international schools. How do we successfully navigate the twists and turns of the change process? At first, new ideas and the buzz around implementing them can feel electrifying. But here’s the catch: often, the people involved, the processes, and the long-term sustainability of these ideas—whether they’re initiatives or programs—don’t quite make it past the starting line.

So, Why Does This Happen?

Audrey and David have been through countless new initiatives in schools over the years, and we have sometimes wondered what makes some changes "stick" while others fall flat. That curiosity led us to Dr. Jim Reese. Many of you may know Jim, either as the previous facilitator behind the Harvard Project Zero Summer Institutes or as a trusted consultant in your own school.

Jim lives in Washington, DC. After a long career teaching in international and U.S. public schools, he now works as a consultant with schools, museums, and educational organizations. Jim has had a long-term affiliation with Project Zero, a research group at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

In 2004, Jim co-authored an article about managing change in a school to help ensure that it lasts. The article was called "When Change Has Legs: Four key factors help determine whether change efforts will be sustained over time." Each "leg" refers to one aspect of the change; all four are required in order for the change to last.

Our guiding question for the episode was, “What are proven ways to bring about sustainable change in international schools?”

The Four Legs of Sustainable Change are:

• Frameworks — The structures that guide and support learning
• Leaders — The people who champion and drive the process
• Community — The collective buy-in and engagement of everyone involved
• Institutionalization — Embedding change so it becomes part of the school’s DNA

Resources mentioned in the episode:

When Change Has Legs

Harvard Project Zero

Edtech Co-Op Podcast interview with Jim (2015)

Professional Development Collaborative at Washington International School

Jim's Contact Information: LinkedIn

Categories: PD | Leadership | School Change

This episode was recorded on April 14th, 2025.

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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.

Let’s be honest. Teaching and learning have changed somewhat over the years, but schools as institutions can still “feel” very similar to how they did when my grandfather was a school superintendent back in the 1940s. So what are some ways we can reimagine school? It takes a real visionary to think outside of this rigid box, wouldn’t you say? Our guest on this episode, educator and author Paul Halford, is one such visionary. Paul guides us through his perspective on reimagining schools.

Paul Halford has worked in education for over 50 years including 35 in management. His diverse career included Catholic, Jewish, Anglican, Islamic, government, international and alternative schools. He has twice been nominated for National Excellence Awards. In 2004 and in 2006 his schools received National Awards for Excellence and Improvement. He has led International schools in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia.

Our guiding question for this episode was: “How do educators and schools go about reimagining themselves?”

In this show, Paul covers several topics, including:

• Paul’s reasons for writing his book, My Educated Life: Lessons from Leading and Reimagining Schools
• Schools’ search for legitimacy
• Paul’s early career working at a parent-designed alternative school in Australia
• The importance of trust, care, and hope in schools, as modeled by school leaders
• Leadership tools to promote trust, care, and hope
• Connections to the work of school change pioneer Michael Fullan
• The process of reimagining schools moving forward

Resources mentioned in the episode:

My Educated Life: Lessons from leading and reimagining schools by Paul Halford

Michael Fullan The New Meaning of Educational Change

This episode was recorded on March 20, 2025.
Categories: School Life | Leadership | Change

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

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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.

Where do new schools come from? Our research and guest insights reveal that new schools are regularly emerging, with many others planned for construction in the near future. What does this mean for you as you seek to be an informed international educator while navigating the recruiting process?

What are some “under the hood” aspects of startup schools you should be examining? What are the advantages and potential disadvantages of working at a newly-established school?

With these questions in mind, we reached out to Greg Parry, an expert in starting schools. Greg leads Global Services in Education (GSE), a company he founded that collaborates with investors, developers, and school management providers to design, build, and manage new schools.

Greg is a visionary leader, educator, and acclaimed author with an exceptional track record in the field of international education. From his home country of Australia to the United States, India, Africa, Myanmar, China, South America, South Korea, Japan and the Middle East, Greg's insights have transformed education systems and elevated learning outcomes. He has trained teachers and principals worldwide, focusing on critical thinking, language development, and leadership. Greg's expertise in school start-up projects, curriculum development, and effective leadership strategies has solidified his authority in the field.

For this episode, we focused on a few guiding questions:

1. What do international educators need to know about the rapid growth of new international schools?
2. Who are some of the major players, and what criteria should educators consider when evaluating these schools?
3. What are some current trends in international education?

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Global Services in Education (GSE)

Global Services in Education Blog

Greg’s TEDx Talk

Steps to Setting Up a New School

Five Trends That Will Redefine International Schools in 2025

Educators Going Global: Profiling Schools, Cities and Countries

Greg's Contact Information:

LinkedIn

This episode was recorded on April 9th, 2025.
Categories: Recruiting | Leadership | School Life | New Schools

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information and consider joining our Patreon community at patreon/educatorsgoingglobal!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.