Work at ACS

We at ACS have a deep connection to each other and our school. For many of us, it is not just a place of employment or learning. It is a second home where we share a set of values and expectations and enjoy mutual support and respect. The deep Lebanese and American roots of this unique institution date to 1905 when the faculty of the American University of Beirut established a school to educate primarily American expatriate children of faculty, missionaries and diplomats. Over the last 120 years ACS has evolved to become a vital and influential player in the Lebanese educational landscape as an exemplar of student-centered, inquiry-based teaching and learning and as early adopters of best practices and innovation. For instance, ACS was the first school in Lebanon to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) degree, the first school to adopt Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the first school to host a TEDx event.

Today ACS’s student body is over half Lebanese. Many of our students stay at ACS for the majority of their primary and secondary school education. As a result, ACS is not your typical international school; rather, it looks and feels more like a US independent school operating overseas.

ACS BEIRUT HISTORY

ACS Beirut provides a unique educational experience for children in grades Nursery through 12, one that is more student-centered and empowering than other schools in Lebanon. Our teachers don’t stand in the front of the classroom and dispense their knowledge to students. Rather, our teachers are experts in their subject areas who use that expertise to collaborate with students in their learning. They are guides, they are referees, they are thought-provokers, and they forge productive relationships with their students. To be a successful teacher at ACS requires the following:

• expertise in one’s subject area

• a willingness constantly to reflect on and tweak one’s practice

• a desire to collaborate with colleagues across the division and the entire school

• an ability to develop supportive, mutually respectful, collaborative relationships with students

• an awareness that parents are partners in the education of their children and that these relationships often require diplomacy, empathy, and the ability to listen

• a commitment to working with students outside of classrooms in activities, clubs, athletic teams, and field trips

• strength to articulate ideas and opinions but also to adhere to the mission, values, vision, and strategic direction of the school

Working as Staff

Our facilities, security, business, human resources, IT, and health teams play important operational roles. Without them, the school, quite simply, would not function. As a reflection of this, all children of faculty and staff are eligible for tuition remission as per our school’s policy. 

We know that well-informed staff are more effective staff. We provide opportunities for all team members to learn more about our academic program, pedagogical trends, and strategic initiatives. As important, we encourage ACS staff to get to know the students and to take advantage of opportunities to share their expertise and to volunteer at events. As always, we expect all employees to adhere to ACS core values and to incorporate these into their daily work and interactions with each other and all those in our community.

ACS strives to provide numerous and varied professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. These include regularly scheduled in-service days throughout the year, during which we focus on school-wide or divisional initiatives. We also utilize the expertise of outside consultants as needed to help us home in on a particular aspect of pedagogy, curriculum, or other topic in education. For example, Bridget Doogan recently completed a 4-day “Adaptive Schools” certificate program with 60 of our faculty members.

We send faculty and staff to relevant professional development conferences or more specialized programs. These can be initiated by the school or individual faculty members, and are approved based on the connection to our mission, pedagogical practices, and strategic initiatives. Decisions are made by the Professional Development Committee, which includes the Head of School and other members of the Leadership Team.

As a member of the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA), we benefit from the wide variety of online and in-person professional development opportunities that NESA provides.

ACS is located in cosmopolitan Beirut, a city of approximately 2.5 million residents once dubbed the “Paris of the Middle East.” Arabic is the official language but both English and French are spoken widely. Lebanon is known for its rich culture, delicious cuisine, splendid scenery, and the warmth and resilience of its people. Within an hours’ drive from Beirut one can access spectacular hiking and skiing, picturesque traditional villages, award-winning vineyards, and ancient archaeological sites dating to the Pheonician, Roman, and Crusader periods. Rafik Hariri airport is only a 20-minute drive from campus, and direct flights to Europe as well as Cairo, Amman and other Middle Eastern capitals, are easily obtainable.

ACS is fortunately located just meters from the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and next to the American University of Beirut, the country’s and region’s top university and hospital system. Within a short walk are a variety of cafes, shops and essential services, as well as the Corniche – a seaside promenade ideal for walking and jogging. The nearby neighborhoods of Achrafieh, Mar Mikhael and Saifi offer a sophisticated array of upscale boutiques, bistros and cultural venues within historical, pedestrian-friendly settings.

The Human Resource Department led by Director Jocelyne Diab Bitar is the campus resource center for professional services and information in the areas of recruitment, benefits, compensation, training and development, employment records, employment processes and transactions, personnel policies and legal compliance, and employee relations. Its goal is to provide prompt and comprehensive services to all employees, thereby supporting the school’s overall operations and mission.