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Historically,
what percentage of the teachers renew their contract for a third
or fourth year? If teachers
consistently stay beyond their initial 2-year contract, this
is a good sign. If they tend to leave, you should find out why.
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What
expectations are there for teacher participation beyond the regular
school day? For
example: after school activities, and weekend events such as
international day, carnivals, and fund raising activities. From
reviews on the International Schools Review web site it is clear
that some schools expect lots of extra hours and for no additional
pay. How would you feel donating Saturday mornings to raise money
for the new roof on the library at a "for profit" school?
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What
percent of the teachers are teaching in the area of their expertise? Ask
for a guarantee that you will be
teaching the subject you are being hired to teach. It happens
that teachers have signed a contract and upon arrival found their
assignment changed. Most contracts state what you will be teaching
in your area of expertise and/or in an area the administration
feels you are qualified to teach. In the eyes of the admin, speaking
English may qualify you for a surprise assignment as an ESL teacher.
If this is not acceptable, get it in writing.
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What
is the frequency of faculty meetings, committee meetings and
other meetings teachers must attend on a weekly basis? Our
reviews show that some schools bog teachers down with endless
meetings and committees. Some teachers feel they are being asked
to do the administration’s work.
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What
are the details on the round-trip shipping of personal goods? A
group of teachers report their personal goods were shipped piggy-backed
with the school's supply-order brought in through the US embassy.
Upon leaving, however, they discovered the embassy only ships
belonging back to the US for its own employees. In this situation
figure on four times the cost of getting your goods to the embassy
point of departure in the States. What seemed like ample money
for relocating now becomes far from adequate for moving back
home. This is a very real situation and worth clarifying at the
conference.
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How
safe is the area where you will be living and how safe is the
city in general? Some reviews
on the ISR web site report kidnappings, muggings and car jacking
of teachers. The standard director's reply to your questions
concerning safety may be, “It’s like any big city,
you need to take precautions”. This is true but in some
areas taking precautions means staying in at night or never going
out on foot due to a high crime rate. The State Department offers
safety information at http://www.ds-osac.org/ Do
your own homework on an area before signing.
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What
is the level of health care in the country? This
may not seem important during the excitement of recruiting but
it will be important should medical needs arise. Unless you’ve
experienced the developing world, you may not be ready for hospital
room supplies stored on bricks and boards, antiquated diagnostic
equipment, and gurneys with blood-soaked sheets in the hallway.
You just might not have the stomach for some places in the world.
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What
does the health insurance policy cover and what is the deductible? The
better international school health policies offer $100 deductible
per calendar year and worldwide coverage. These policies also
cover evacuation, should you need surgery or other interventions
better performed outside the host country. Dental and vision
may or may not be included. Some lesser policies offer only local
coverage. Others have a high co-pay and deductible, rendering
them useless outside the host country.
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Are
students admitted with little or no English skills? If
you’re new to international teaching, this may not seem
important at this moment. When you’re in front of a group
of kids and hardly a child knows what you're saying you may feel
differently. If you're an IB or AP teacher your job may be near
impossible in such situations, while the administration expectations
may be very high and unrealistic. Is ESL support available for
non-English speakers?
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What
are the nationalities of the student body? What is the percentage
of each nationality? Many
schools are comprised of an extreme majority of host national
students. This is not an international school. Likewise, a South
American school with a student body comprised of kids from immediately
neighboring countries will offer a far different experience than
a true international school with students from thirty or forty
countries. Depending on the type of international experience
you're looking for, the composition of the student body will
be of concern. Get the facts.
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What
will housing be like? Many
reviews on the ISR web site report housing is not adequate. If
you're a single teacher ask if you're required to share an apartment.
Find out if everyone is housed in the “teachers' condo” along
with the rest of the teaching staff? If you're a couple with
two middle-school aged children will you be given a two or three
bedroom place? It's worth your time to find out in advance of
signing a contract.
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How
long will it take to get to school? A
number of International Schools Review members report that teacher
housing is forty-five minutes to an hour or more from school
and in a poor section of town. Spending two hours commuting each
day through intense traffic may not be your idea of a cultural
experience. Most schools offer no transportation so you will
have to buy a car or take taxis.
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How
involved are parents and the PTO? A
complete lack of parent involvement can mean lack of interest,
which may translate to student discipline problems at school.
On the other hand, parent involvement can be excellent unless
their efforts become an obstacle to the teaching staff. Ask the
right questions and find out what the school-home atmosphere
is like. The PTO may have a direct impact on you if have your
own children in the school.
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What
do teachers do weekends and after school? Teachers
on the ISR web site report some areas of the world that seem
to be cultural dead zones, with all traces of ethnicity replaced
by malls and McDonalds. These locations may offer very little,
if anything, in the way of things to do. You may be able to enjoy
your time in such a location, but other teachers would wear out
their favorite DVDs in one semester. Interestingly, a very poor
country may have so much culture it permeates everything and
lures you to explore, explore, explore. Ask questions and read
between the lines.
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If You Feel the Need to Delve Deeper, See Our Article: |
