Not sure about every campus, but friends worked at one of them, Honqqiao I believe. It wasn't a real international school, with lots of locals. They were trying to run IB when the majority of students lacked the necessary English proficiency. Heavy workload and lacking in resources.

Well I think 18,000 rmb is low for a Tier 2 school. Web and Wall Street - two ESL schools in Shanghai - pay close to 16,000 rmb. Some friends worked at a crappy Tier 2, borderline Tier 3 school and were paid, including housing, 24,000 rmb.

As I know people from several schools, I can tell you what they told me they make and a little about working there:

Dulwich - 31,000 rmb: they work you to the bone - 31 classes a week
Shanghai American School - 40,000 rmb: lots of work, some pressure
British International School- similar deal and situation as SAS
Concordia - 35,000 rmb: Christian ethos, well run
Shanghai Singapore International School - 30,000 rmb: school with good work-life balance

If you end up in Shanghai, you can go to a local real estate/rental office, state your budget and size of flat, and soon, if not that day, they will show you some places. What I noticed is that there is often little correlation between price and quality. The agent will show you a dump for 8,000 rmb and then a decent place for the same price. It's the agent's duty to show the flats of all the landlords, so be patient and keep looking. You can also have 3 different real estate agents all working for you.

If you want the Shanghai Dream you can live in the French Concession (where I lived) or Jing'an. These areas are within walking distance or short cab/subway rides to the best restaurants, cafes, bars, nightlife, you name it. Expect to pay 6000 - 10,000 rmb per month for a 2 bedroom flat. You can live a little outside the centre (say, 6 subway stops), but with decent access to everything, and pay as little as 4,000 - 6000 rmb.

It's a great city with lots going on. The air pollution sucks at times. Still, if you can make it happen, go for it. Most expats I knew, including myself, had a great time.

Eion_padraig: Thanks - the information you provided confirms my research about the situation in competitive places like HK and Singapore. Your third option is the strategy we'll take if she gets the offer. However, I am worried about getting lowballed on a "local hire" contract. An ex-colleague accepted an offer at an IS and ended up making $1,500 US less per month (the housing salary) than other teachers with the same qualifications as him. It didn't do much for his peace of mind, sense of justice, and morale.

I'm noticing that many HK Schools seem to be using the Schrole website when you apply on their school website. With Schrole, your referees are emailed when you initially apply, asking them to complete an online reference of you. So if you apply to 10 schools that use Schrole then your references are contacted 10 times, even though you may not be seriously considered for the position. Considering my references are available on Search and that I can provide letters of reference, isn't this superfluous and tedious? My referees are busy people and I'd rather not have them contacted unless I'm shortlisted for a position.

Of course on my OP I meant "August 2014" start.

Thanks people for the advice. My wife may soon have a job offer at a school in HK, so I'm thinking of going along and when my certification comes through in October, seeing what pops up when I'm there. At least we can eke out a living on her salary in HK while I'm looking. We can also keep an eye out for jobs in Singapore.

My situation: I have 5 years experience teaching MYP and DP English at an accredited international school. I have a B.A. in English, an MEd TESOL Degree, and am an IELTS Examiner. I quit my job to do the BEd this year and get certified. The certification isn't awarded until Oct. 2014.

The plan is to apply for HK or Singapore International schools for an Aug. 2013 start, but they want evidence of certification now. Is it even worth bothering to apply to these schools now? Should I just wait until certification is in hand and see what crumbs are available in October or wait and apply for the following school year (Aug. 2015)? Any advice would be appreciated.