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If
you were designing an international teaching contract,
what would
you consider the top most important points to be included? |
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Honesty
and clarity. If the contract sets out the facts in a clear and
easy-to-understand manner, employees will know what to expect
and they will not feel cheated or misused. Salary,
housing allowance, relocation allowance, job assignment, days
worked, work hours--all should be stated. |
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Salary that
is competitive depending on conditions, fair working conditions,
no tax,
transparent and pleasant relations with administrative staff, pleasant
environment, return flights paid, baggage, medical and housing
allowances. |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?22 |
1.
Comfortable, single housing that is within reasonable distance
of campus. 2. A salary that
allows
you to live comfortably AND save. 3. Flights in and out of the
country without being nickled and dimed. Flight is part of salary
even
if you decide to walk home. 4. Shipping allowed at beginning and
end of contract. 5. Medical insurance
that covers preventative care and reasonable deductibles. |
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Clearly
spell out the system of re-contracting, including the process
for termination or non-renewal. Also, include
how the payments will be calculated (local currency or USD etc.)
and whether there will be a regular calculation of the exchange
rate and a suitable method of keeping the salary at what was
originally
quoted, by altering it according to the exchange rate each month.
No teacher should earn less than the original salary quotation,
regardless of any fluctuation in currency. No contract should
be deemed a "fixed
term" contract unless the school is truly in flux and anticipates
a decrease in enrollment. |
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Shipping/relocation
allowance, flights, housing, salary, medical insurance, professional
development,
extra-curricular duties. |
22What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?22 |
In
addition to the usual dollars and cents, I would include a plan
for formative evaluation of teachers,
including expected visits and conferences with supervising administrator.
I have had zero observations in two years. |
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If
I were making a contract I would insure that future
changes to the contract would benefit all current faculty members. |
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Salary,
housing, commute, insurance, flights, kids' tuition. Evacuation
insurance! |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?2 |
1. Children's
education included
2. Great HOUSING
3. Good savings potential
4. Legal visas, medical checks etc. all paid for and taken care of
by the school
5. Healthcare that covers both local, international, and evacuation
6. Costs of relocation and yearly r&r covered by the school. |
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Shorter
and equal notice to leave both from employer and employee with
no penalties, longer
sick pay, pay rises covering the inflation rate,
proper job description and adequate job title. |
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Money, housing,
airport arrival/departure baggage allowance, labor law, medical
insurance, bonus at end of contract
completion, days off allowed, vacation, dress code, what other
costs the school does/doesn't cover, extra days required by staff
to be
in-school (amount), other things staff is required to do (clubs,
committees, writing curriculum). |
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1)
Consistency in value: Is the school taking the exchange rate into
account? 2) Housing: Is
the school paying for/providing adequate housing? |
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Salary payment
in what currency and on what dates, work hours, work load with
students, materials
available to use to teach with, internet connectivity, number of
children ESL vs. native English speaking. |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?2 |
Salary
scale and specific benefits for all employees. Make the contract
transparent for all. |
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Salary needs
to be sufficient and comparable to home. Housing - most people
prefer to live in
nice places, especially those with families. Medical. Flights home
annually. |
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Airfare,
housing, utilities, salary, paid time off to recruit, a generous
shipping allowance (not
just $200.00 cash), health benefits, dental benefits, education
for all my children, not just one or two, a clause that says if
I want to get out of the contract, a teacher must give 3-4 months
notice. |
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In
case of problems, take account of teacher's point of view before
deciding who's guilty. |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?2 |
Excellent
salary (by which I mean a salary that allows one to live comfortably,
save, and
be able to afford life, COLA, Air fare annually, retirement
plan, longevity bonus, sick leave buy-back plan, personal day buy-back
plan, full health coverage, housing with utilities, and tax relief. |
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Protect
teachers from being taken advantage of--should not be asked to
teach a 2nd subject
they are not comfortable with or substantial added classes per
week without compensation. |
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While a contract
must be clear and to the point it need not be full of negative
consequences.
Salary, housing, medical, pension, flights, etc. are all important
in making the worlds' nomadic teachers feel wanted and supported
in their new home. Strangely, schools don't also see that a shipping
allowance will get teacher to their new location with the teaching
materials that they feel comfortable working with. So it isn't
a single item which impresses me but the total package and the
schools
enthusiasm for my being there. |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?2 |
A salary that
allows for living expenses, twice yearly reasonable travel, and
10% savings. Clean, comfortable
housing and medical insurance that covers expenses equivalent to
national medical care in most western counties. Shipping allowance
that covers a reasonable amount of teaching resources and personal
effects. A generous bonus for renewal of contract and no absence
service. One significant professional development a year (course
or conference expenses). |
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Portability in pensions. Paid
time off to attend recruitment fairs. |
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1 )Housing
allowance and assistance to find appropriate and affordable housing
2) Fair and tax free salary scale with higher ranges for experienced
employees
3) Generous travel allowance rather than flight home.
4) Extensive and reliable medical plan including long term disability.
5) Generous in and out shipping allowance
6) All basic utilities paid except LD phone charges
7) Length of service bonuses and signing/resigning bonuses |
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Livable housing
allowance, better moving-in allowance, a good orientation booklet. |
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Accommodation that includes utilities being
covered. Internet access should be included in this. Annual return
airfare that is covered in full. Shipping allowance that enables
you to have your 'home' with you, rather than a couple of suitcases!
Good medical access and insurance. Insurance needs to be valid
in our
home countries during the summer breaks also. A salary that recognizes
years of experience beyond the typical 9 years. |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?2 |
Benefits that facilitate
the transition - shipping, settling-in allowance, and transportation
allowances
should be enough to make the new employee comfortable. Salary should
be equitable and fair in terms of the candidate's experience and
the "market value" for the community of international
schools. Sick and personal leave should be included and all contract
protocols (termination, evaluation, contract renewal) should be
clearly articulated.
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Keeping
the 'basics' (good salary, shipping, flight, etc.), but making
sure that a cost of living
annual adjustment is included in the contract. This is a small,
simple, and fair way to retain teachers. |
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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, salary
table and position on that table, quality of housing, school transport,
lunches etc. ALSO: clear definitions of each benefit. |
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Any issues involving
money need to be clearly spelled out: allowances, benefits, salary,
etc. |
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1.
Salary - cost of living, ability to save needs to be factored
into the calculation
of a fair salary
2. Retirement package or scheme
3. Housing - single housing, safe area, relatively close to the school
4. Flights - it's not always possible to get direct flights from
different points in the world, but reasonable consideration of the
route home is essential (i.e., not many stops or low cost airline)
5. Signing bonus - if you extend your contract
6. Work conditions - reasonable teaching load; low class sizes; available
resources
9. Mentoring program - returning teachers are recruited to mentor
incoming staff. The mentors should be honest and not minions of the
administration staff.
|
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Contracts that
are legally binding. |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?2 |
That the
contracted amount is paid in actual US dollars, or the exact equivalent
to it. That all taxes, fees
and "additional costs" be made clear. Any time
off for personal days, including recruiting not be tied to perfect
attendance bonuses. |
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Salary and
any coordinator or HOD stipends, number of working days + number
of "extra" days
(PD) or number of hours expected outside the number of working
days, an outline of the health insurance plan, r/t plane ticket
w/ option of equivalent of cash, baggage allowance, settling in
allowance, housing allowance or housing for single person (shared
accommodation for a single person should not be mandatory), probationary
period where school or individual can leave w/out unreasonable
repercussions for 6-week period |
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Mental health days for schools
that have students with serious behavioral issues. |
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Specific
expectations of teachers, like a normal American union contract. |
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A translation
summary into English of all of the details and the laws of the
country that
pertain to the contract and would take precedence over the written
contract. |
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Salary (with
no minimal taxes); a top quality medical plan; strong emphasis
on professional development;
a shipping allowance that increases to the equivalent of an apartment's
worth of goods (over time - five years); full return airfare each
summer. |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?2 |
Housing-Flights
home each year - Emergency leave - Investment options. |
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I think a
contract should have a salary that is comparable with
others
in the area, allow
for a minimum of 25% savings, and should include a yearly flight
home, at least $1000/year for shipping, housing and utilities fully
paid all year round, medical insurance should also be fully paid
and be a good plan ie. without huge hassles for reimbursements.
It's also good to have a 'no absence' bonus or allow for a certain
number of sick/personal days. |
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Fair and transparent wage
scale - accurate description of duties - length of school day and
calendar - medical
insurance - retirement plan - assistance with housing/shipping/visas
- annual flight home - bereavement leave. |
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1. A pay package that
allows for savings of at least 25%
2. Internationally accepted medical coverage
3. Housing that is spacious and is completely paid for by the school
4. Moving allowance equivalent to at least $4,000
5. 5 weeks of vacation spaced throughout the year or school starting
in early September and ending in early June with 4 weeks of vacation
6. Round-trip home airfare each year of the contract
7. A retirement payment equal to 15% of the teacher's salary
8. An annual allotment for professional development
9. A commitment to refrain from asking the teachers to come in on
weekends and evenings except 4-6 times/year
10. 10 Days of sick leave/year or a bonus at the end of the year
if a teacher uses less than 3 days of sick leave. And, personal necessity
leave of up to 10 days for family emergencies
11. Insurance that pays to return the teacher to their place of origin
if there are natural disasters or political upheavals
12. Free tuition for up to a maximum of two children and 1/2 tuition
for additional children
|
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Benefits
in many ways are more important than salary. In Japan at the moment
the exchange
rate is quite unfavorable, which is why an improved benefits packet
would do us more good than salary (which anyway has been frozen
for years). Housing should be covered. Insurance should be paid
in full. Annual fares after initial contract. |
What
Would You Include if You Were Designing a Teaching Contract?2 |
Absolute
clarity and precision. Duties, responsibilities, work hours, obligations
clearly stated. |
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