7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nComments:<\/span> TASOK is a small school (K-12 enrollment of 240) mostly serving the diplomatic, UN, and NGO community in Kinshasa, though there are significant numbers of students from Congo, India, and other African countries. Campus is fantastic: 40+ acres of green space where kids can roam freely, pockets of forest and bamboo groves, a 1-mile-plus running track around the perimeter, swimming pool, covered basketball court, tennis court, and the nicest soccer pitch in Kinshasa, which the Congolese National Teams sometimes use for practice. The administration at TASOK has gone to great lengths to improve the quality of the school this year. The director, Irene Epp, works hard and expects her staff to work hard as well. She is almost always fair to her teachers, and if one of us has a concern, the door is open and discussion is professional and geared toward finding a solution that suits all parties. The principal, Greg Hughes, is new to the position but has worked hard to bring consistent academic and disciplinary standards to the school, which were lacking in the past.Overall, the school is growing in terms of academic rigor, opportunities available for students, educational resources, and student population. Teachers typically have 5 preps that each meet 3 times weekly plus after school activities. Science labs are spacious and well-equipped for the most part, even if some of the materials are a little old. Internet connectivity continues to plague TASOK as well as most of Kinshasa. The parent community has been very supportive in recent years and raised a record amount of money for school projects this year. Students and teachers have had the opportunity to travel upcountry and to Kenya and South Africa for classes or activities. As long as Congo \u2013 specifically Kinshasa \u2013 remains calm, TASOK should develop into a solid school. It has tremendous potential.Unfortunately, TASOK\u2019s business office is its biggest shortcoming. Though heavily staffed for a school this size, records are poorly and slowly maintained. Ask for a current balance on your account, and you\u2019ll be told it will take a week to arrange, even with the latest accounting software in place. Current accounts run months behind. Relatively small projects have gone tens of thousands of dollars over budget with little or no explanation, meaning some educational resources had to be foregone in order for the school to stay in the black. The words that come to mind when dealing with the business office are \u201cbyzantine\u201d and \u201cpass the buck.\u201d My family waited until February to receive our shipping allowance for our arrival in country the previous August. Teachers leaving in June must wait until December or later to get the final portion of their paycheck that is withheld to cover unsettled bills, often only after repeatedly demanding payment.Kinshasa itself is a mixed bag. It\u2019s a fairly tough place to have young kids, though TASOK\u2019s campus makes up for that deficiency pretty well, and there are a lot of expat families from all over the world who bring their children, so there are plenty of activities for the kids once you\u2019ve met some people. Many of the locals are exceedingly friendly, but also a lot of people who see foreigners as nothing more than potential business opportunities. The live music scene here is great as long as you\u2019re willing to experience a little local culture \u2013 I personally love it. There are some good restaurants (the best chicken I\u2019ve ever had was at Mama Kolonels, a local eatery), but the choice is somewhat limited. Nightclubs are everywhere. Groceries are absurdly expensive. My family of 4 spends $300-400 a week on food, not including restaurants. Excursions are limited and expensive. Options include a Bonobo Reserve and hiking at Lac de ma Vallee 25 km away, Zonga Falls (~100 km), Kisantu Botanical Gardens (~130 km), caving at Kimpese (160 km), and camping at Bombo Lumene (140 km). The coast is at least a day\u2019s drive away on horrendous roads. Most expats choose South Africa, Kenya, or Europe to \u2018get away\u2019 on breaks.TASOK has been a great place to grow professionally. I have the freedom to teach the way I want, hone my skills, and try some new things. The staff is tight and gets along very well compared to other places I\u2019ve worked. We have a lot of fun together. TASOK is ideal for teachers breaking into the international teaching field or who are ready for some adventure \u2013 just don\u2019t expect safaris or big-game viewing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nReview 5) 20XX \u2013 20XX<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\nAcademic integrity of school\u00a0 (10 is top score)<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Effectiveness of administration<\/td>\n | \n4<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Academic and disciplinary support provided<\/td>\n | \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Director\u2019s involvement in academics<\/td>\n | \n9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Fair and equitable treatment by board and director<\/td>\n | \n2<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| School has adequate educational materials on hand<\/td>\n | \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Attitude of local community towards foreigners<\/td>\n | \n10<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Cost of living in relation to salary (10= most favorable)<\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Satisfaction with housing<\/td>\n | \n10<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Community offers a variety of activities<\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Availability and quality of local health care<\/td>\n | \n5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Satisfaction with school health insurance policy<\/td>\n | \n5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Family friendly \/ child friendly school and community<\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Assistance with visas, shipping and air travel<\/td>\n | \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Extra curricular load is reasonable<\/td>\n | \n9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Security \/ personal safety (10 = very safe in and out of school)<\/td>\n | \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nComments:<\/span> My husband and I worked at The American School of Kinshasa (TASOK) in DR Congo for two years (2005-2007). We were under contract for X amount of dollars. In June 2007, $2,500 were withheld by TASOK ($1,250 from each of our final paychecks) (see next paragraph). Also, in June of 2007, $1000 ($500.00 for each contract employee) was withheld from our pay for any \u201cunforeseen\u201d expenses, damages, etc. This is the regular practice. After we returned to the U.S. the $1000 was to be returned to us in October 2007. We are now in March 2008 and we have not been refunded any money.Our family traveled to Thailand for the Christmas holiday and the ISS job fair in January 2007. We purchased tickets from a local travel agency in Kinshasa and paid cash, as was always the practice, the norm, and the custom in Kinshasa. We were notified through the business office at TASOK FOUR months after the travel had been completed that the local travel agency said the airline tickets were never paid for.Initially, when this situation arose I immediately talked to the Superintendent of the school who told me verbally, \u201cthat this was not a TASOK matter, but between your family and the local travel agency.\u201d We should deal with it on our own, as the local agency is an independent company. After this conversation, I received in writing on June 4, 2007 a letter stating, \u201cthat it should be clearly understood by all parties that I (Superintendent) consider this to be a question that does not involve The American School of Kinshasa and that TASOK can not and will not accept financial liability in the matter.\u201dOn June 6, 2007 just days before we were to leave for the States, after satisfactorily fulfilling our two year contract, we were then told by the Superintendent that TASOK had taken $1,250.00 from each of our paychecks to pay the local travel agency and TASOK would pay the other half of what the travel agency said is the outstanding balance.Now we are in MARCH 2008 and we expected to receive the $1000.00 for money that TASOK withheld until OCTOBER 2007 in case any outstanding bills or charges came to the school after we returned to the US. We received an e-mail in January, after numerous attempts to contact TASOK, saying, \u201cgive Monica and Tambwe a change [sic] to reconcile your account after payment to (the travel agency) and we will send you the balance with a statement showing exactly what we are reimbursing to you.\u201dToday is March 4, 2008 and we have received no funds or explanation.<\/p>\nMary & Gary Swanson.<\/p>\n \n\n\n\nReview 4) 20XX \u2013 20XX<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\nAcademic integrity of school (10 is top score)<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n | \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Effectiveness of administration<\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Academic and disciplinary support provided<\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Director\u2019s involvement in academics<\/td>\n | \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Fair and equitable treatment by board and director<\/td>\n | \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| School has adequate educational materials on hand<\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Attitude of local community towards foreigners<\/td>\n | \n9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Cost of living in relation to salary (10= most favorable)<\/td>\n | \n5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Satisfaction with housing<\/td>\n | \n9<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Community offers a variety of activities<\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Availability and quality of local health care<\/td>\n | \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Satisfaction with school health insurance policy<\/td>\n | \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Family friendly \/ child friendly school and community<\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Assistance with visas, shipping and air travel<\/td>\n | \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Extra curricular load is reasonable<\/td>\n | \n8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Security \/ personal safety (10 = very safe in and out of school)<\/td>\n | \n6<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\nComments:<\/span> TASOK is a small school of 200 students on a fantastic 40-acre hilltop campus in Kinshasa. The student body is a good mix of American, Indian,and African students. Families are generally very supportive of school activities. Classes are small, and discipline is rarely an issue with our students. The current administration does a good job of letting teachers teach without micro managing us. However, their communication with staff is lacking \u2013 I frequently find out about school activities from students or only at the last moment.Technology is a constant issue here. We have 2 computer labs, but not all classrooms have internet access. There are no computers in individual classrooms, though there are internet-capable PCs in both upper school and lower school libraries. There are some very capable IT people in our community who have managed to do a lot with limited resources, and teachers have identified technology as a priority to the school board.School facilities are very nice for a student body as small as ours. The pool, basketball court, and soccer field are in constant use by both students and families associated with the school. The playground and tennis court are well-loved and frequently used also. There\u2019s a 1.25 mile running\/walking trail around campus that ducks through bamboo forest, and some pockets of rainforest remain around the lower campus.Teacher apartments are nicely equipped, have screened porches, and all have either wireless or wired DSL internet. Electricity cuts happen from time to time \u2013 as is the case almost everywhere in Africa \u2013 and water goes out sometimes as well, but there are arrangements for dealing with that in place on campus. There is a fleet of aging Toyotas and a couple of new Suzukis that teachers can use for a small rental fee (much cheaper than buying a car here).The teaching community here at TASOK is pretty tightly knit, but everyone\u2019s into their own thing. Some people are actively involved in the church community here, others are into more of the development issues facing Congo. There\u2019s a HUGE international presence in Kinshasa \u2013 UN, embassy, and NGO staff are prolific here.Kinshasa is one of the more expensive cities in Africa. My family of 4 spends about $225 a week on groceries and food. We can eat dinner at one of the Indian, Chinese, or Middle-Eastern restaurants in town for around $65-70.There were pillages in 1991 and 1993 (14 years ago) but nothing since. Kinshasa and DRC just underwent their first democratic elections in 40 years, and tension levels in town since then have declined noticeably. There is still some lingering street crime and security issues, largely due to remnant poverty associated with the war that ended a few years ago. The local population is incredibly friendly and hospitable if you make the effort to get off campus and meet \u201cregular\u201d folks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nReview 3) 20XX \u2013 20XX<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\nAcademic integrity of school (10 is top score)<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n | \n7<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Effectiveness of administration<\/td>\n | \n1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n| Academic and disciplinary support provided<\/td>\n | \n 3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | | | |
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