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What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
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There
are no horizontal steps on my current pay scale. As a 12th year
teacher, I am paid the same as the first year teacher on my team
(whom I mentor). A copy of the pay scale is not given to new hires,
I didn't know this until I received my contract for year 2 and
the increase was 4% (of salary, not housing, etc.) for the country
mandated cost of living raise. Also, I have only major medical
(accident and emergency) insurance in the country of the school
only. Lastly, no retirement. |
22 |
We
do not get the end of contract payment required by local law. |
22 |
When
I signed my contract...it had the basics in it...but not all
the added policies that I was
agreeing to as a member of the faculty. Teachers need to ask to
see the handbook of policies of their school before signing their
contract as when you sign that contract, you are agreeing to abide
by all them |
22 |
Lack
of re-signing bonus, no consistency from year to year in resigning
offers and bonuses
- low pay, low housing allowance, no annual flights, no flight
home at
end of contract extension - no amendments to counter lower salaries
due to decreasing value of local currency and US currency |
Medical
insurance is poor. |
What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
We
must let the school know before
Christmas that we will be leaving the next year, low pay, housing
allowance not proportionate to the rent in town, therefore no
possibility
to
move out of the
school accommodation, no promotion possibilities and no payment
or title for responsibility jobs. |
No
room for a pay increase after 1 year. Locked in. Money was presented
verbally in my currency but written
in the country's currency...the amount is less. There is a part
that says "teachers may be asked to perform other duties which
they must" (that could be anything). Missing dress code. Although
hired by a director who left the school after hiring me I have
to obey contract and the school doesn't honor it because the director
is new. |
| It was misleading. |
22 |
The contract is generally
very good. They have just increased our shipping, which was probably
the only other part of the contract which needed addressing. Housing,
however, is a major issue. Some members of staff have much better
housing than others. The school decides who gets what housing,
and the quality is highly variable. This leads to bad feelings
amongst staff members. My housing is extremely dark and depressing
and there is no outdoor living whatsoever. Some members of staff
are leaving because of this. |
22 |
There
are many vague clauses which the manager could not explain. *The
new contract (which I
have not signed) is different and states that the teacher can be
told to leave without compensation if she
arrives in September and the work "is reduced". *It is
a fixed-term, one-year contract with a clause that says the teacher
may not resign during the school year - so they have an "out" but
we do not. *The "medical insurance" is only access to local
clinics, not international hospitals. *The contract gives the employer
the right to renew it by June of the following year - this is too
late for us to apply elsewhere. *The owner can transfer the teacher
to any of his schools! *Housing is now to be shared. |
22What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
I work in a country with a
poor exchange rate versus the dollar; the school advertises one
salary, but given the exchange rate and the high cost of living,
you make far less than what is advertised. |
22 |
Last year with another school
there was not sufficient funding for health insurance. I was misled
into thinking there was a group insurance rate. |
22 |
Low
pay (around 30% less than other schools here), no medical insurance,
no shipping allowance,
no days off for recruiting. |
We do not get copies of our
actual contract because it must be written in Arabic but no one
at the school will translate it for us. Specifically, I have heard
that some information in the Arabic written contract is not what
we are informed about resigning dates. |
What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
Medical
could be better, especially since we live in a country with VERY
high medical costs, more dental.
Housing allowance needs to be improved and the 'gap' between administrators
and teachers needs to be lowered - too much hierarchy is fostered
by the HUGE pay and benefit differences for admin at ALL levels. |
22 |
I
am a licensed teacher from the United States and I have two masters
degrees plus two classes
taken at the PTC. Because I live in the country I am not allowed
to have a housing and airfare allowance. I am qualified so I should
be compensated equally, no matter where I was hired. |
Salary, not adequate to live
well in current situation. School is cutting salaries and benefits
and increasing work loads of already overworked staff and faculty. |
What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
I
was
not given the contract until I had been working for about a month.
According to the board notes which I did not
get a full copy of---teachers who break contract were to pay recruitment
and previous travel fees though this was not in the contract. Also
it was quite vague about teaching load or what one was asked to
teach should one be asked to teach a different subject or more
classes per week. Some expat teachers were on a higher salary scale
with more benefits and the current scale for expats was lowered
several steps when the school was in "dire straights".
I did not find this out until the second year. Was never given
proper explanation of health benefits, in fact, lied to about
certain coverage. |
Pay
scale has been manipulated by some employees; limited retirement
package; taxes of country are not explained
in detail and the taxes are very, very high; was led to believe
I could live well on the salary when in fact I can't |
22 |
Current
housing in city is very expensive and the supplement covers less
than half cost. |
22 |
The
salary has devalued by over 20% since I got here. It is also
about half what the rest of the schools
in the country pay. There is no pension and we have to pay a significant
portion of our salary towards accommodation. No support for living
in the countries and dealing with local problems. Poor shipping
allowance. |
22 |
Salary
and financial benefits are very poor. Housing is atrocious, and
shared if you are single. No shipping
allowance. Flight arrangements are controlled by the school and
not most direct route, but cheapest one for the school. Overall,
very poor and not a contract one would consider renewing. Very
little support with visa or other documentation related issues.
Pretty much a "once we've got you, you're on your own" treatment. |
22What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
1)
We signed a two-year contract, only to be told after our arrival
in the DR
that the board has decided to only issue 1 year contracts. They
then
took
it upon
themselves
to copy our electronic signatures onto a 1 year contract. 2) The board has put a 30 notice clause into the contract by which either party can be released from the contract with no grounds, by giving 30 day notice. 3) The health benefits are only local. 4) No shipping, housing, transportation or even settling-in allowance. 5) The pay is subsistence level and does not even come close to compensating for the cost of living here. |
Salary,
relocation $, teaching hours. |
22 |
No Pension. No Dental, No Job security. |
22 |
Very
poor pay scale, utilities benefits are limited and designed for
single teachers. No room for salary improvement
since scale is limited. Shipping allowance and travel allowance
are insufficient. |
22 |
The keeping of the last month's
salary if you break the contract. You worked all year for that
salary and should be paid for your work. |
Salary
for beginning teachers was still 18,000 for beginning teachers
and 22,000 for experienced
this year, shipping allowance for personal AND professional was
a grand total of $200! NO teacher flats and no help or even suggestions
finding one. Most flats shown to beginners by independent agents
were VERY dirty and dumps at extremely inflated prices, we learned
from locals. Usually the owners spoke only Arabic and new teachers
were at a disadvantage when trying to negotiate. |
22 |
Contracts are obsessed with specifying salary,
housing, flights and settling benefits but often 'forget' what
is equally important: 100% payment of child tuition, number of
contact hours per week + additional for extracurricular activities,
meetings and the like, the title and specification of the position
and its duties, days off, sick leave policy etc. |
22What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
It
is a "fixed-term" contract and
we had to initial sections of it agreeing that we may not be re-hired
at the end of it for any reason. It has been used as an unfair
method to terminate people without any due process or even an attempt
to redress any possible weakness in a teacher. It has been altered
slightly for next year, but still allows the school full latitude
for an unfair dismissal. |
22 |
I
would like better insurance. We are provided with very basic insurance
and pay out of pocket for better coverage. Benefits for dependents
- our school does not provide medical coverage or airfare for kids.
No shipping allowance. We have to pay taxes on our annual tickets
home. Low housing allowance. |
1.
I am employed at one of the lowest paying schools in Kuwait.
The school doesn't want to
recognize that salaries are low or to raise them (will cut into
profits) 2. The cost of living has dramatically increased in Kuwait
and salaries do not reflect the cost rise. I.e., my dinar does
not go very far
any longer. 3. The Canadian Dollar is very strong against the KD.
Consequently I do not make anywhere near what counterparts make
in Canada. 4. Live-out allowance has not changed in 10 years.
With dramatic inflation the stipend does not go far. 5. School
housing is inadequate - it's very far from the school, in an
unsafe location, and full of insects. 6. Acquiring a driving
license required "influence" from
a friend of mine. The school would not help expedite the process.
Resident visas took a long time to process as well. 7. Flights home
are on the cheapest airline and usually involve several stops.
It's not very pleasant when you have to go to the other side
of the world, literally. 8. No retirement scheme. |
22 |
The
salaries were not taken into account when assigning housing.
I ended up being placed in
a place that takes up 1/3 of my salary. I was given a rent range
for a 2 bedroom and figured that they would find something in the
middle. Instead I placed in a house that almost exceeded the maximum
dollar range for a 2 bedroom. Also the transportation allowance
was inaccurate and did not enable me to buy a car as I was told
would be possible. Basically, they hadn't adjusted the allowance
for inflation. |
22 |
Items
not listed that were promised in the interview. |
22 |
Flights
home every two years, children not included in flights or medical
insurance. |
22What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
Only three sick days. Days
missed before and after weekend count double. |
22 |
Salary
is low compared to cost of living. Flights home are only beginning
and end of contract.
Medical is local but seems to do the trick if you don't get sick.
No shipping allowance. Sick days minimal (3 days). |
22 |
Framework
for evaluation is not clear and there has been no assessment.
My contract was not renewed based
on my "chemistry" with a small clique on staff. Not much
you can do about that I suppose. |
22 |
All
of the American and British Schools in the Middle East are horrible.
They are owned by Abushakra. He
breaks contracts, lies, threatens to fly you out of the country
that night if a parent with money is upset, has "watchdogs" watch
every move you make outside of work, and has a violent temper.
He is scary! Low pay and benefits. Housing poor. Lies about what
is in the contract. His schools are business oriented. If parents
have the money to pay HE lets them pay extra so their child
can
stay no matter what. |
22 |
No
shipping allowance. Salary is supposed to be the equivalent of
US dollars but isn't. Additional
costs to employee for trips to and from school for non-teaching
compulsory attendance at functions without compensation -- placed
under "other duties as assigned". Personal days
are tied to attendance bonus and can't be taken in a row so
that personnel can't take time to go to recruiting fairs without
losing this bonus. |
22What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
There
is no settling-in allowance. The shipping allowance is far too
low. The medical aid is insufficient. The
teaching hours are longer than any school in the region. Increases
are arbitrary and can only be negotiated every second year. No
transport. Class sizes - only verbal agreement. Other duties (non-teaching)
are vague and at management's discretion. |
22 |
Very
low shipping allowance and no flight home until two years are
completed. High tax rate. |
2222 |
No cost of living adjustment, although devaluation
has been over 12 percent. Travel home paid in local, non-convertible currency at end of contract, when one has no chance to spend it. No real faculty input on school council. |
22 |
Even though I am satisfied
with my contract, there are other factors to be considered, such
as the safety factors, friendliness of colleagues, effectiveness
of administrators, etc. |
22 |
Housing
allowance is below cost of what is available; shipping allowance
is minimal, no settling-in allowance. |
22 |
| Too vague: they say little so they can form policy about your employment as they go |
No
annual written performance review, penalties for leave, no family
emergency leave, no housing
that is clean, quiet, and near good transportation. |
| The shipping allowance is minimal and we only receive half airfare home each year. |
| There are dubious statements designed to fool host country authorities for tax advantages. |
| The salary is quite low compared to the other major school in the area and because it is paid in USD, many teachers have lost money on the conversion. |
What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
| Those with non-teaching
spouses and children don't get jack for them (other than 100% tuition
for kids (2). No airfare, no health insurance, etc. |
Very
poor shipping allowance for a location that has access to nothing;
flights home are extremely expensive;
five preps is more
than can be handled well; no real retirement outside of a token
amount each year; only partial utilities paid in a location where
everything is extremely overpriced. |
| 1. Should have dental and life insurance 2. Should come in at full experience level and education level. |
1.
Pay has not kept up with inflation. 2. Moving allowance is inadequate.
3. The medical coverage can be
cancelled unilaterally by the insurance
company. 4. There are too few holidays in the school year. 5. Teachers
are often required to be at school on weekend days. |
Salary
is lower than it should be for the region, there is no repatriation
package, the school makes no assistance with national tax which
results in near 50% loss in wages, it was not in the written
contract but
when hired I was told I would be teaching a certain age range and
when I arrived I was given younger students. |
| Housing is pathetic. |
Housing
is terrible for children, no place for them to play and no transportation
for school age children
to get home after school,
also no transportation for teachers, it is a 25 min. drive each
way. |
What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
| Disparity between single and couple benefits -salary not in line with cost of living. |
Poor insurance policy; inadequate housing
allowance; salary tied to the dollar which is falling, so our salary
is devaluing. Salary low compared to other international schools
nearby. Tax rate is higher than was reported. |
Actual teaching assignment can vary from what was discussed and
what actually is expected once the teacher walks in the school door. |
What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
| No cover of school fees. No professional development. No medical coverage for children and no flight coverage for children. |
Medical
insurance is through a local insurance company. Treatment in
country or work is covered well but treatment in country of origin
or any where else in the world attracts a hefty surcharge. |
1.
Shipping allowance was reduced once I was in country. The school
did not feel obliged to honor the shipping allocation in my contract.
2. Actual housing promised is inferior to housing promised at recruiting |
| I don't get paid for vacations, but this was only explained to me after having signed it. |
| Insurance - half paid, would like all paid as this increases substantially annually. Sick days (10 a year) do not accumulate. |
What
Don't You Like About Your International Teaching Contract ? |
My contract is good overall, but there are
many areas that are vague and hard to understand. Also, the information
about teaching assignment is very vague; when I first arrived,
I was assigned to teach areas outside of my certification and experience,
although this is not what I was told would happen at the interview. |
I
could write a book. This
school 'nickel and dimes' the teachers every step of
the way. Health insurance is virtually non-existent - emergencies
ONLY. The deductible in country is 500.0 and out of country 5,000
(still only for emergencies). There is NO shipping allowance. Nickled
and dimed again on flights in and out of this forsaken place. Housing
is shared (by people 30+). Teaching supplies are not ample. I could
go on but won't. |
| "Failure to comply with any order from an immediate superior" will result in immediate termination. |
| Salary is low=high relative to economy but very low for a person who has responsibilities in North America. There is no protection for worker in the contract. Everything is organized around protecting the owner of the school. |
| My salary is pretty low. I have signed a new one for the next academic year and I will get a 28% pay increase next year. |