Qingdao Baishan School (Baishan School), the first private school in Shandong Province, was founded by Ms. Baishan Zhang in 1993 with a view of fostering the development of internationally-minded Chinese citizens. Qingdao is a beautiful seaside city located roughly halfway between Beijing and Shanghai, sometimes dubbed the Switzerland of the Orient because of the presence of a great deal of European architecture, a remnant of its 33 years as a colony of Germany and later Japan. The city has the largest bathing beach in Asia, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games held its sailing competition there! Home to Tsingtao beer, the city sponsors an International Beer Festival, along with the Sea Affection Festival and the Summer of Qingdao Festival. The combination of the azure sea surrounding Qingdao on three sides, its distinctive red roofs, and the extensive greenery around the city make for enchanting views.
Currently, there are 540 pre-kindergarten through Grade 8 students enrolled, the majority of whom are Chinese, with 17% from North America and the U.K. Students begin with the Montessori program and continue with inquiry-based learning through the U.S. Common Core curriculum. Students in Grades 9–12 have the option of boarding at Baishan School. The teaching staff of 87 consists of 80 teachers from China and seven from North America and the U.K.
Since the school was established in 1995, Baishan School has taken the lead in collaborating with an American English association to teach the English language alongside the Chinese National Curriculum. For the past 20 years, Baishan School has taken pride in its sister-school relationship with Annie Wright School in Tacoma, Washington, with which it runs a joint summer exchange program. Over the last decade, Baishan School has begun to merge elements of a U.S. curriculum with a Chinese national high school program to prepare students to continue their post-secondary education abroad. The school is currently seeking a collaborative partner with whom to develop a U.S. International High School Program for Grades 9–12, which will provide Baishan students with a U.S. high school diploma upon completion of the required courses.
Baishan School is interested in hiring singles, couples, and interns. Teachers must be native English speakers certified in an English-speaking country and must hold their academic degree in the subject they will be teaching. Outstanding newly-certified teachers are also welcome to apply. China issues work visas up to the age of 60.
The benefits package includes a non-taxed salary, a housing allowance, and annual airfare (for the employee only). Full tuition is waived for international staff children enrolled at the school. The school grants each teacher a stipend of 5,000 RMB per year for professional development. Local health insurance is fully covered, and other bonuses include daily transportation to school and hot lunch. Local employment opportunities are available for non-teaching partners. The Baishan School package allows for substantial savings or the opportunity for a family of four to live on one salary.
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