{"id":7567,"date":"2026-04-02T14:46:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T03:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/?p=7567"},"modified":"2026-04-02T14:46:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T03:46:35","slug":"what-is-the-dream-professional-development-model-at-an-international-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/what-is-the-dream-professional-development-model-at-an-international-school\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the dream Professional Development model at an international school?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Working in international schools still offers something many educators elsewhere don\u2019t always get: access to meaningful, sometimes even adventurous, professional development (PD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in 2026, what \u201cgood PD\u201d looks like has changed quite a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, some schools still fly teachers across the world for training. Others bring experts in. And some rely heavily on in-house sessions. But now there\u2019s a third major player: high-quality online and hybrid PD, which has reshaped what\u2019s possible for both schools and teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The reality is that PD in international schools still varies widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some schools provide generous annual PD allowances, giving teachers autonomy to pursue their own learning goals. Others centralise decisions and prioritise PD aligned tightly with school initiatives. And some\u2014often due to budget constraints\u2014offer very limited access at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For teachers new to the international circuit, it can still be surprising to be sent overseas for training\u2014or equally surprising to find that everything is done in-house or online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\u2026 which approach is better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The old debate\u2014external conferences vs. in-house workshops\u2014feels a bit outdated now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What matters more today is ongoing, sustained professional learning, rather than one-off events. Research and experience both show that a single workshop (no matter how inspiring) rarely leads to lasting change in classroom practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, the most effective PD tends to include:
\u2022 Ongoing coaching or follow-up
\u2022 Opportunities to apply learning in context
\u2022 Collaboration with colleagues
\u2022 Time for reflection<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That could happen in-person, online, or through a mix of both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing hasn\u2019t changed:
Some of the most valuable PD still happens between sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeting educators in similar roles, contexts, or challenges can be incredibly powerful. Whether that\u2019s at a conference, through online communities, or even via social platforms, these connections often lead to:
\u2022 Idea sharing
\u2022 Future collaborations
\u2022 School visits
\u2022 Career opportunities<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, with today\u2019s global connectivity, networking doesn\u2019t have to be tied to expensive travel anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not all impactful PD needs a big budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the most effective learning still comes from:
\u2022 Visiting another school with a specific focus
\u2022 Observing best practices in action
\u2022 Engaging in peer coaching
\u2022 Joining professional learning communities (PLCs)
\u2022 Participating in online courses or webinars<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These options are often more practical, more relevant, and easier to sustain over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funding is still a major factor\u2014and often a sensitive one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools that require teachers to apply for PD funding can unintentionally create perceptions of inequality. Even with fair systems, it can sometimes feel like:
\u2022 Certain staff are prioritised
\u2022 Opportunities are unevenly distributed
\u2022 Decisions lack transparency<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, fully open PD budgets can be expensive and difficult for schools to manage strategically.

For many teachers, the \u201cideal\u201d situation is still:
\u2022 A clear annual PD allowance written into contracts
\u2022 Flexibility to pursue personal professional interests
\u2022 Some alignment with school goals, but not total restriction
\u2022 A mix of individual choice + collaborative learning<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because ultimately, investing in teachers\u2019 growth benefits not just the individual\u2014but the entire school community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps the biggest shift today is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc49 The best PD is no longer defined by where you go, but by how your learning continues over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On ISC we have a comment topic related to this topic in the Benefits Information section on the school profile pages. It is called: “Professional development allowance details.” There have been 848 comments submitted in this comment topic on 100s of international schools from around the world. Here are just a few of them:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There is no official budget. You can find your own once it aligns with the school goals for that year. You apply and then will head if it’s approved. Occasional opportunities come up where the divisional budget is used so you don’t need to apply for this…”
Bishop Mackenzie International School<\/a> (68 total comments)

“The professional development allowance is \u20ac500 per year and can be accumulated over two years. All PD requests must be approved by the principal and align with the individual\u2019s personal PGEP…”
American International School of Bucharest<\/a> (133 total comments)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“WIS actively supports ongoing professional development, including workshops, courses, and conferences relevant to your role. Funding approval is required in advance based on relevance, budget, and timing…”
Windhoek International School<\/a> (88 total comments)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There is no set PD allowance. The schools participate in regional QSI school PD every other year in person. QSI PD has been a mixed bag, but in recent years, it has gotten much better. Here, teachers are sometimes able to apply to and attend CEESA schools’ PD…”
QSI International School of Malta<\/a> (16 total comments)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Budget is always an issue (surprisingly!) if an expat genuinely reaches out to their respective leadership team, showing their interest in doing some certain PD! School runs some not-so-effective PD (just for the namesake at times – to have them on paper) which are not useful…”
Sampoerna Academy<\/a> (12 total comments)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is the PD benefit at your international school? Please log in<\/a> to our website and share what you know!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Working in international schools still offers something many educators elsewhere don\u2019t always get: access to meaningful, sometimes even adventurous, professional development (PD). But in 2026, what \u201cgood PD\u201d looks like has changed quite a bit. Yes, some schools still fly teachers across the world for training. Others bring experts in. And some rely heavily on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2161],"tags":[1320,2727,91,1546,2277,2728,2460],"class_list":["post-7567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-comment-topic-highlight","tag-aga-khan-academy-mombasa","tag-improving-as-a-teacher","tag-professional-development","tag-professional-development-allowance","tag-qatar-academy-sidra","tag-smic-private-school","tag-teacher-contract"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/success-2081167_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2flVT-1Y3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3815,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/new-survey-much-professional-development-money-use-school-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":7567,"position":0},"title":"New Survey: How much Professional Development money do you have to use this school year?","author":"ISCommunity","date":"September 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A new survey has arrived! 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