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Starting an English school in Russia: an interview with Jack Schwager - founder of Simply English Moscow

Bryan Woods

Updated: Jan 27

My name is Bryan Woods and I am a new contributor to the Russian Classroom Chronicles. I am excited to start off with an exclusive interview with one of the key figures in the Russian ESL world.

 

Today I had the opportunity to catch up with Jack Schwager, the founder of Simply English Moscow. Founded in 2011, Simply English is a well know ESL company specializing in bringing native English teachers to work in Moscow. The company, which started out with Jack and a few other teachers in a humble apartment in the north of Moscow, has grown to 60 teachers and staff over the years.  

 

English teachers in the red square in Moscow

I met Jack way back in 2010 when the thought of Moscow as a destination had not even cross my mind yet. We were young, adventurous and eager to see the world. I finally come to Russia in 2014, left in 2018 and came back in 2022, but Jack and I stayed in touch and I was lucky to observe Jack’s journey in the ESL world right from the start.

 


Bryan: Great to see you Jack! Judging by the view, you are not in Moscow.

 

Jack: Happy to see you Bryan. Yes, right now I am working in Bangkok, Thailand.

 

Have you left Moscow for long? Why Thailand now?

 

I am working on a couple projects now. One of them is hiring and training ESL teachers for a private school in Bangkok. I am here for 3-4 months and then I will be coming back to Moscow.

 

Let’s help the reader get a perspective on your journey. What inspired you to start an ESL school?

 

When I first came to Moscow in 2009, I started working as a kindergarten teacher and a private tutor. I quickly had more students than I could teach and the idea for an ESL school came up. I saw how the local, established schools were working and I thought that I could do it better.

 

You said that you felt you could do a better job than other, well established schools. What sets Simply English school apart from others in the industry?

 

My main focus has always been on the teacher experience. Teachers are coming to a new country, new culture, now work, so many new things and I wanted to make them as comfortable and settled as possible. Simply English was the first company to provide teacher housing, professional training, visa support and social events. In particular, I felt that the social aspect was crucial for teachers who are new to Russia. Other schools provided very little, if any, support and I just felt it was their main weakness.

 

Take me through that journey. What was it like building a business in Russia in 2011?

 

It wasn’t that different from starting a business in a western country, in fact, I would say it was easier. Of course, I was a bit apprehensive as it was my first serious business venture and I had to learn a lot of things quickly. As for doing that in Russia, my biggest challenge was improving my Russian so I could understand topics such as taxes and accounting. I have since started other companies in Russia and Europe and I can confidently say that the process in easier in Russia.

 

When you started the business, did you get a bank loan, investments or how else did you finance the start of the business?

 

Laughing. The beginning was very humble - it was me and two other teachers: Katy and Jimmy in a 3 room apartment in the north of Moscow. We didn’t have an office, Russian staff or anything else really so my initial investment was my savings and hours of hard work.

 

Simply English grew rapidly from that point on. What was driving this success?

 

Yes, we went from 3 teachers in 2011 to about 30 by 2014 and to a high of 50 full time native English teachers and 10 Russian staff. Looking back, its clear to me that this growth was down to the value I put in treating my staff and teachers well. Creating a fun, engaging and dynamic environment in the office went a long way. Above all, the teachers appropriated the way they were treated by the school. At the time, I didn’t know it, but it was all about building the right culture in my business.

This was also a period of phenomenal growth in Russia in general - many businesses were expanding, new schools, kindergartens, etc.  

 

Wow. Over 60 full time employees. That is impressive. How many teachers do you think you have hired in total over the years?

 

We have hired well over 1,000 teachers for Simply English, other schools in Russia as well as positions in Asia and Europe.


English teachers at a social event in Moscow, Russia
Simply English teachers during an event in 2016

 

One thousand teachers? That’s a really large number when it comes to ESL teachers.

 

The biggest reward has been to be able to impact so many people’s lives. I have met many teachers over the years who became good friends and others who wrote letters of appreciation for the impact I had on their lives. We had teachers who met their future partners, started families, and settled in Russia and its been really great to see that.

 

Now let’s talk about the difficult times. What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in starting and running an ESL company in Russia?

 

By far the biggest challenge was covid. Schools shut down without any clear idea of when they would re-open while many teachers left for their home countries. Travel was restricted so we couldn’t recruit any teachers from abroad. It was a disaster that many schools didn’t recover from. Simply English became a non-profit organization and our priority was to just keep going. We had to cut about half of our office staff and move to a smaller office.

 

That is really tough but you must take some comfort in having overcome that crisis. What do you feel the future of ESL teaching in Russia holds?

 

We are living through some turbulent times with a lot of uncertainty in Russia and around the world. I think there is a bright future for English teaching in Russia but we need to be patient and appreciate what’s here now. While we can’t control outside circumstances, we can focus on ourselves and those close to us to make a better world.

 

On a lighter note, what professional development opportunities does Simply English offer teachers to help them grow and improve as educators?

 

We offer teachers the opportunity to grow into academic roles by becoming a Director of Studies. Another opportunity is to work in HR as a hiring manager. Several of our teachers have moved on to office positions throughout the year. Other passionate teachers stray in that role but move to one of our elite schools with better hours and a higher salary.

 

What are the highest paid ESL positions in Russia now?

 

Sadly, not with Simply English (laughing). No, listen Bryan, if you want to make the highest possible income in the ESL bushiness in Russia then it is without a doubt in a governor(ess) job. Some of those families are offering silly money for relatively little work. For example, one position I was recruiting for was offering 800k Rub (APPROX. 8,000 USD) per month for about 15 hours of teaching a week.

 

800k? How do I apply?!?

 

That particular position is an exception to the rule but if you are a native English speaker with at least a year or 2 of experience and you don’t mind you working with young children, you can make a lot of money. Generally speaking, these positions pay 400k-600k Rub (APPROX. 5,000 USD) per month for a full time position. At the same time, school positions pay in the 100-300k Rub range.

 

That’s a massive difference in pay and it must make hiring extremely difficult for you?

 

Not really. Look, being a governor is not for everyone. Spending all day, every day, with the same kids - cleaning up after them, singing songs, and dealing with their temper tantrums is not for everyone. There are so many variables but usually it is NOT and easy job! Also, the family you work for can be unpredictable with their schedule, expectations, etc. You can make 500k one month and 50k the next.

Teaching at a school or a kindergarten like the positions we offer is a much more traditional classroom experience which most ESL teachers are looking for.

 

In your experience, what does it take for an Expat to be successful in Russia?

 

You definitely have to be an adventurous person with an open mind and be ready to adjust to different circumstances. It will help a lot if you learn even just some basic Russian. You need to be hard working, energetic, and outgoing as most of your opportunities will come from meeting and  interacting with new people. Also, be prepared for the cold weather and not seeing the sun for months in a row.

 

What do you see the future holding for you and Simply English?

 

Much of my focus in the past 2 years has been working with companies in Africa and Asia as a business consultant and trainer. I have developed a Professional Development Program to up-skill employees and help companies plant the seeds for their corporate culture. I work with middle and upper management to ensure that they understand their culture, what changes they want to see and how to implement them. As for Simply English, my main focus is for the company to continue operating as a non-profit organization while we navigate these unpredictable time.

 

Simply English founder Jack Schwager
Simply English founder Jack Schwager

Thank you for joining me today Jack for this interview. You promised a continuation soon and I am looking forward to it. I hope the new year brings success to you and your team.

 

Thank you Bryan. It was a pleasure catching up with you for this blog piece. I wish you the best in your teaching in Moscow and hope to meet up soon.

 

You can check out the Simply English School website here and also connect with Jack on LinkedIn here.

 

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