ITP - 94: DoDEA, HAM Radio, and a Life in International Teaching

Jacqueline: Hey everybody, welcome to the International Teacher Podcast. I’m here with Greg the Single Guy. Good morning, Greg.

Greg: Good morning.

Jacqueline: And I’m also here with Kent the Cat Guy. Hi Kent.

Kent: Hey, hey.

Jacqueline: And I’m also joined by a very special guest all the way from South Korea, Rich Walworth. Good morning and good evening, I think.

Rich: It’s morning somewhere, so that’s my usual address. Good morning.

Jacqueline: Good morning, Rich. Did you say South Korea or South Carolina, JP?

Jacqueline: I said South Korea. That’s why I’m wearing my hanbok. You can’t tell because the buttons are down here.

Greg: Hey now, it’s a family show.

Jacqueline: It’s a traditional hanbok that I bought in 1996, so this is coming on to 30 years. But it’s Korean silk, so you can see why it has lasted 30 years.

Greg: It’s gorgeous.

Jacqueline: And if you want to see what it looks like, everybody head over to Facebook and join our ITP Facebook group, because there I share the behind-the-scenes photo of each and every episode.

Greg: I’ve got a handbook from school already, but I don’t know what she’s talking about.

Kent: A handbook is not really that important to me, but…

Jacqueline: Hanbok means Korean clothing.

Greg: So Rich, did you go running out to buy your own traditional hanbok outfit when you landed?

Rich: No, I don’t have a hanbok, and I actually haven’t worn one, although I’m being threatened with wearing one during our next visit to Seoul.

This is actually my third time in Korea. The first two times I was here with the Department of Defense schools.

Jacqueline: Wow. I can’t wait to hear about that. So if you’re not in Seoul right now, where are you phoning in from?

Rich: I’m down in Seshan, which is way in the south and about a 90-minute bus ride from Busan, to the west of Busan.

Jacqueline: Are you in one of the major cities there in Korea?

Rich: Well, it’s not a major city. The population is about 100,000, but it is a big aerospace city. Recently we heard that the Korean Space Agency was about to move its headquarters down here, so it’s going to be picking up some interest in the area more than likely.

Jacqueline: So tell our listeners, what are you doing there now in Seshan?

Rich: Well, I’m a teacher. I teach middle school language and literature at Yongham International Foreign School. I also teach middle school design and DP physics.

Jacqueline: Rich, that is a mixed bag of MYP to DP.

Rich: I enjoy a mix. I actually teach some PYP stuff also—teaching library skills for the four/fives in PYP. I like having a mixed bag. I like having lots of preps. It keeps me on my toes and keeps me from being bored.

In my first teaching job back in the States more than 30 years ago, I was teaching one subject, and that got really old really quick—doing the same class six times a day, five days a week.

Since then, in every school I’ve been in, I’ve had multiple preps and teaching multiple levels almost always.

Jacqueline: Rich, tell us how you got to where you’re at. Did you train as a teacher? Have you been a teacher a long time? What was your original subject?

Rich: Well, I am a second career teacher, actually close to a third career. I served active duty for 15 years. Then I got out of the Air Force with an honorable discharge and worked in commercial radio for a little while. I worked for the U.S. Department of Education as a public affairs officer for a little while, and then started teaching.

Up until that point, I had taken about halfway through a Master’s of Education with Virginia Tech, but I had to leave that program to move to Kansas with family and didn’t pick that back up until substantially later.

I was licensed by the Department of Defense Education Activity. They are a licensing agency. So for the years I was teaching with DoDDS, I was licensed through the Department of Defense. I’m waiting for Wisconsin to process my new license from the States.

So there are some areas that require a license and some areas that don’t. The ones I’m looking at down the road want a license, so I said, okay, I’ll go ahead and do it.

Jacqueline: You mentioned something I just want to point out to our listeners. DoDDS is an acronym for Department of Defense Dependent Schools. Can you tell us a little bit about that system?

Rich: The DoDDS schools—there are two systems within DoDEA. DoDEA includes what used to be called DDESS schools, which are the stateside schools, and the DoDDS schools, which are the overseas schools. Nowadays, they’re all called DoDEA.

It’s drawn down quite a bit with the military drawdown, but it is just like a state Department of Education with curriculum standards. They use CCS and other standards agencies for their programs.

When I was there, we had somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 teachers all told. That number has dropped substantially as the number of schools has dropped.

The schools I taught at—Busan, closed. Seoul American High School, closed. Bamberg Middle High and Elementary School in Germany, closed. A lot of the schools I was associated with are now closed.

Greg: Wait a second, did you ever teach with Greg or was Greg a student?

Rich: No, I was overseas when I was a baby.

Greg: Now that is not possible.

Rich: It is a very small world, and I’ve run into a couple of my students later on. DoDDS is a very small world.

Greg: I grew up as an Army brat, so I would have been in those schools, but I was only one, two, or three years old when I was overseas in Germany.

Every time I go to a job fair, they have this line of like 400 people waiting to get into DoDDS.

Rich: DoDDS has a reputation. Number one, it pays very well. It pays a lot better than most international schools I’ve seen, although one I taught at was close.

They are federal employees, and overseas they get a housing allowance, which is market-driven. Once the locals figure out what the maximum is, they charge up to that amount.

But a lot of things have been changing in DoDDS in the past 15 years, and not all of them are what old-timers consider good changes.

That’s one of the reasons I retired from DoDDS and went international. The changes were becoming untenable for my personal and professional values.

Jacqueline: One of the reasons DoDDS is contracting is because of the military drawdown, but are the armed forces trying to get out of the education business overall?

Rich: There have been rumors about that for a long time. It has happened in places like Puerto Rico, where private international schools took over.

There are newer bases in Eastern Europe where families are stationed, but there will never be a DoDDS school. Instead, local international schools meet the needs.

DoDEA also has a virtual school where students can get a diploma online.

Greg: I always thought if you got into DoDDS, it would be like the military—you sign up, they place you, and over time you get more choice. Is that true?

Rich: That’s the way it used to be. There hasn’t been a formal transfer round in a decade. People get stuck in locations, sometimes hardship locations, and can’t transfer out.

The only option becomes resigning or moving stateside.

That was one of the final straws for me. I was trying to get back to Europe and was told no—you’re staying here.

Jacqueline: Where were you stuck?

Rich: Pyeongtaek, in Korea.

Jacqueline: Rich, going back a little bit—did you train as a teacher through the armed forces, or is that where you developed your subject knowledge?

Rich: When I was growing up, I was blessed with parents who allowed me to explore a lot of interests. I had a chemistry lab, I built electronics, I had a telescope when I was 12, and I went to nature camps every summer.

So I came into the military with a strong science background. While I was in the military, I took a lot of evening classes. I’m a lifelong learner. I actually just completed my Master’s of Education a few years ago, and I’m looking at possibly doing another Master’s or even a PhD down the road.

Greg: That’s what you sound like.

Jacqueline: With that background, what made you choose the Air Force instead of going into something like engineering or science directly?

Rich: I started university in aerospace engineering, but after one quarter I realized I didn’t have the math for it. So I shifted into pre-veterinary medicine because I’ve always been a horse person.

After about a year, finances became an issue, and I needed something stable that would pay for things. So I enlisted in 1976 as security forces.

I later injured my knees and retrained into broadcasting and public affairs. I spent a lot of time doing radio and TV in different places around the world—Greenland, Iceland, Sicily.

Greg: Good morning, Comiso.

Rich: Yeah, I did radio and TV.

Jacqueline: I’m humbled listening to this.

Rich: In those days, Armed Forces Radio and Television Service had live studios at most major bases. We were live during morning drive, lunch drive, afternoon drive, and often overnight.

These days, most of that is automated and broadcast via satellite.

Greg: In the 90s, AFKN was how I watched all my American shows when I was overseas.

Jacqueline: And as an English teacher, you had to sit through all those public service announcements reminding people to learn the local language.

Greg: “Learn the lingo, gringo.”

Rich: That’s what we used to say in the Azores.

Jacqueline: Rich, how long did you spend overall in the DoDEA system?

Rich: Seventeen years teaching, plus 15 years active duty in the Air Force.

Greg: Were you ready to retire? Because it doesn’t sound like it.

Rich: I love teaching, and I’m not burned out. One of the reasons is that I don’t teach the same subject all the time. I change things up.

Teaching for me is a vocation. It’s what I am.

For example, in my design class, my students were building a robotic manipulator arm. After weeks of struggling, one group finally got it working and started cheering. Then another group got theirs working, and then another.

Moments like that make everything worthwhile.

Jacqueline: So are you trying to tell me that Canadarm is going to have some competition with Korea Arm in the future with all your students building these robotic arms?

Rich: Very possibly.

Greg: For all the listeners, JP Mint just made some kind of Godzilla motion over there.

Jacqueline: I thought Canadians had robotic loons and moose, not robotic arms.

Greg: So Rich, what’s next for you? If you’re getting your stateside license, are you thinking of moving back to the States at some point?

Rich: No, no. The Philippines is my home. There are just too many things going on in the States that don’t fit for me. The Philippines isn’t perfect, but it’s comfortable and reasonably easy to live there expense-wise.

Jacqueline: Have you taught there before, or did it choose you through travel?

Rich: I discovered it through a diving vacation, then moved there two years later and taught at the German School in Manila for four years.

That’s also where I met my wife.

Greg: You got one like that too, huh?

Rich: What I see next for me is moving into a position where there’s potential for mid-level to upper-level administration, but I don’t want to give up my classroom.

Anytime I interview for a role with administrative responsibilities, I make it clear that I need some teaching as well.

That’s what keeps me going—working with students, helping them discover the world and themselves.

Jacqueline: That’s powerful.

Greg: I would love to get back to Europe, but realistically, I know it’s difficult without an EU passport.

Rich: Yes, although the challenge isn’t always visas. Sometimes it’s insurance costs. Once you’re over 60, insurance premiums can triple.

That’s where I have an advantage. I have lifetime Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage, so it doesn’t cost the school anything.

The challenge is getting past the initial screening so I can explain that.

Jacqueline: That’s a huge advantage.

Greg: So Rich, let’s talk a bit about your international experience overall. Where have you lived and worked since leaving the Air Force?

Rich: I’ve maintained my residence in the Philippines for about 10 years now.

In 2018, I left to work in Sudan for two years. I was there during COVID and the beginning of the revolution. I got out between phases of the conflict.

After that, I was in Tanzania for four months and Kenya for two months before returning to the Philippines for about 10 months.

Then I went to Fiji for a two-year job, and now I’m here in Korea.

Greg: Fiji—that’s a nice place to visit, but expensive.

Rich: Very expensive. Diving there costs about four times what it does in the Philippines.

Jacqueline: Everything has to be imported to Fiji, so that makes sense.

Greg: So Rich, with all that moving around, what have your schools been like? Mostly international schools or host country schools?

Rich: The one in Fiji was technically international, but less than 10 percent of the faculty were true expats. Most were local or returning nationals.

The student body was also largely local.

The other schools I’ve worked at have been international. Even the one I’m at now, while it’s classified as a foreign school under Korean law, we actually have a higher percentage of expat students than locals.

Greg: That’s interesting.

Jacqueline: So let’s talk about your personal life a bit. How long have you been married? Do you have kids, pets?

Rich: I have a stepdaughter and a son. My son is here with me, but my stepdaughter is back home because we haven’t finalized the adoption paperwork, so Korea wouldn’t issue her a visa.

My wife is here with me.

I’m also a cat person. You might hear her in the background. The cat, not the wife.

Greg: That’s only if JP has her on mute.

Kent: You’re able to travel with your cat to all these places?

Rich: The one I have now, I found here. I was doing playground duty and this cat kept trying to get into the school. I sat down, and the cat came over, laid on my feet, and basically said, I’m yours.

Greg: That’s how I met Kent.

Jacqueline: What about traveling with pets in general?

Rich: When I was teaching in Cuba at Guantanamo Bay, I rescued a kitten. She traveled with me from Cuba to Italy, then to the States, Korea, and the Philippines.

She was with me for 16 years before she passed away in the Philippines.

Greg: That’s a good run.

Jacqueline: You really are the perfect ITP guest—diving, cats, Korea.

Greg: We’ve got the full Venn diagram covered.

Jacqueline: Rich, can you talk a bit about challenges as you’ve gotten older in international teaching, especially with interviews and working with younger administrators?

Rich: One challenge is getting past the age factor. You have to convince schools that you still have value to offer.

I’ve worked with directors who were significantly younger than me, and sometimes that created discomfort or even tension.

But I emphasize what I bring—experience, flexibility, and a wide range of skills, including extracurriculars.

For example, I run a ham radio club with my students. They’re actually building their own transmitters.

Greg: In the age of TikTok, kids are still interested in that?

Rich: Surprisingly, yes. Especially when they understand its real-world applications, like communication during natural disasters.

Jacqueline: That’s powerful.

Greg: Let’s talk about logistics a bit. With all your moving—diving equipment, ham radio equipment—what does your shipping footprint look like?

Rich: When I was in DoDDS, I shipped the maximum—18,000 pounds—from duty station to duty station.

When I retired, I shipped about 600 kilos back to the Philippines in balikbayan boxes, and another 200 kilos through government shipping.

The rest went into storage in the States.

When I left for Sudan, I went with two suitcases and about 150 kilos of shipped items—mostly books, some electronics, and my piano.

Jacqueline: Your piano?

Rich: It was an 88-key Yamaha. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it out of Sudan.

Greg: So what are the must-bring items now?

Rich: My coffee pot and coffee—I’m a bit of a coffee snob.

I usually bring a beer mug as well.

Beyond that, it depends. I try to bring some electronics, but sometimes there just isn’t room.

Jacqueline: Final question—do you have a police or customs story for us?

Rich: Yes. This goes back to Fiji.

I needed a police clearance to get my Korean visa. I paid the fee and even paid for express service, which was supposed to be done in two days.

A few hours later, I got a call from the police saying they couldn’t give me the clearance and asking me to come down to the station.

I realized they were expecting a bribe to release the document.

I refused. Eventually, after about three months and intervention from my school and the Korean embassy, the clearance was finally issued properly.

Greg: That’s a good lesson.

Jacqueline: Any final words of wisdom for listeners?

Rich: Be upfront with schools. Be clear about what you want to give and what you want to get.

Also, be honest with yourself—especially about your health and your ability to live in different environments.

Don’t take a job out of desperation. Do your research, ask questions, and understand the risks.

Greg: That’s solid advice.

Kent: Rich, thank you so much for joining us.

Rich: Thank you.

Greg: And thank you to our listeners. We’ll see you next time.

All: Thank you.