at the QSI school I work at, we have two married couples where only one of the couple teaches at the school. The other two are stay-at-home spouses. However, they are hired as a teacher with a trailing spouse- so only 1 salary, etc not two. (Which makes sense, as only 1 of them is working).

I've only been overseas since August, so I don't miss too much yet other than convenience/snack foods. But I know I'm eating healthier now, so I don't mind too much. I will probably do an airport stop at the dunkin' donuts once I hit DC though.

Apart from that I haven't found anything that I miss so much that I'd want to go home just for that. Everything is just fleeting cravings and then they are forgotten later. Perhaps it's only because I haven't been over here long enough yet?

I am in Eastern Europe, and if I reply "I'm from the United States", they don't know what I'm talking about- most people get a confused look until I say "America". Then I get "OOOH okay". So I think it depends on location as to whether to say America or not- in latin America/South America I know its a big faux-pa (sp?), but in other parts of the world I think that's what they use as well.


....One of the things I've noticed since being overseas is that Americans are louder than many other cultures. In fact I've been told that they stereotype Americans as being loud and overly enthusiastic about things. Not sure if that is everywhere, or just here though?

[quote="redcats"]Hi,


Anyway, this is my question:
Would my prelim expiring affect my eligibility to work at international schools?
Let's say I got a job teaching at an international school this year. Would that mean I'd only be able to keep the job for two years, until my credential expires?
Or is what matters that I got credentialed in the first place--do they care about expiration dates?

Thanks![/quote]

Hi,
I came from California and if your district won't offer you the Induction program b/c you are half time, you could pay for the clear credential and do the program through a University near by you. It would mean you paying for it, versus getting it free through your district, but if would get you the 5 year Clear and then you wouldn't have to worry as it's just paying the fee to renew every 5 years.

I'm only in my first year overseas, but from what I understand, you do need to keep your credentials current.

Here is a blog I found when I searched for you on google: http://www.coocolms.com/Cooc_in_Kyrgyzstan/Welcome.html

There are a few others you could find as well which might help you see what the school is about. As for everything else, I cannot say, I work at a different QSI school in Eastern Europe, sorry. I can say that I haven't heard anything negative about the school there.

[quote="wrldtrvlr123"][quote="PsyGuy"]
Its more like a 1/3, or 1,311 IB schools are in the USA of the 3,334 IB schools world wide. Thats a pretty ethno centric view of yours. An IB school in the USA would be an International school to someone who isnt from the USA.
[/quote]

Ummm, but aren't a majority of U.S. IB programs (or at least a huge chunk) in public schools?[/quote]

I think, yes. Almost all of the IB programs of are within public school districts, so they are not international schools. There are a handful of private international schools that offer IB in the US, but I do think majority of the IB programs in the US are not international schools and would not be viewed as international schools in any way. In an article about the IB program expanding in the US: ..."But it is now offered in more than 700 American high schools — more than 90 percent of them public schools "

[quote="trebleclef"]Thanks for the insight...very helpful. We are considering offers from a QSI school in Eastern Europe, and an IS in Eastern Europe, as well.
With our family of four, it comes down to quality of life and cost of living.

mrspepper, we registered with ISS initially, but are not attending any fairs this year. My husband and I sent out joint applications/CVs/letters to many, many prospective schools and have had three interviews so far. ISS was helpful in the constant posting of available positions, but one could find those positions almost as easily with diligent research. I[m not sure if I had to do it over again that I'd pay the costs associated with ISS.[/quote]


Which QSI school in Eastern Europe? I'm at one of them myself, and due to the exchange rate, I live very comfortably on my salary, as do my coworkers. We have on family this year who is transferring to another QSI school next year. They have 3 kids and were able to do great vacations- one dog sledding in Sweden, another skiing in the Alps, etc and still have money for the summers travelling in the states. I wouldn't rule out QSI completely- focus on the school, because each QSI school is different and some are great. I just wanted to throw in some positives because most of the postings about QSI seem so negative.

Hi, I can't comment too much about the Middle East area, but I can tell you that I brought my dog with me from the US to Eastern Europe. In my interview I asked about the logistics of bringing her and would that be okay. They even did some searches online and checked to be sure that the school/housing would be fine with it. So if bringing your dog is important- do the research and don't hesitate to ask about it. Also, it does take about 6 months to be sure everything is in order to take pets to some countries- so as soon as you know, get started on the paperwork (especially the rabies vaccine). But as a single person, having my dog with me makes it so much easier- it gets you out and about and interacting with people (it seems nobody can resist coming up and talking/petting my little dog!) and just makes it so you have company after a long day. Also, there are some good moving companies out there that specialize in moving pets- so if you do get a position in the middle east or asia or somewhere that might not be as easy, you can always search around and look into that too.

[quote="MMMC"]That's great news! The blogs I've read seem positive as well. We may end up there so I want to cover all bases before I move my kids. I like the fact that the organization is straightforward. No school is perfect but I think this school may work for us. Is transferring as easy as it seems? Ultimately, we'd like to settle somewhere with warmer weather. Thanks again for your help. Any one else is welcome to share.[/quote]


Transferring is pretty easy. Mostly it depends on your certification area and what is available...they send a survey out each year if you want to transfer and where would you like to go. There are some places that are hard to get into b/c people never leave, but for the most part you can transfer easily. Transfers are usually figured out in December/early January. Many of my friends are transferring to different schools next year and they are all happy with the moves, though I will miss them!

Hi.... Uhm, I think I read in the handbook that they only credit up to 7 years of teaching outside of QSI. I know its common in districts in the US to only credit 5-10 years of teaching outside the district too. You might lose some years in the transition it looks like.

Hey... uhm, I haven't heard too much about Shekou- one of our teachers transfered from there. She enjoyed her 2 years, she said it was very cheap... but they went to Hong Kong regularly for respite from the China wall. They also had some issues with visas and things like that, but that was the country and not the school, the school got everything figured out for them. The parents are very demanding and it's a much larger school than the one I am at. There is a very large expat community there which also makes things enjoyable. Overall the teacher just wanted to change schools because she wanted to see other places, not because she disliked where she was. She was able to save plenty and live comfortably, but it was also made easier by the fact that you couldn't really do online shopping :-P.

Yes- QSI has a set salary schedule and it is not negotiable... they pay a set salary based on how many years you've taught plus an end of the year bonus and an overseas allowance. If you sign for a second year, you will get a second bonus the following October. They pay for housing and shipping allowance and all visa fees and global/local healthcare. You set it up when you arrive as to what will go to your US account and what you will keep in local account. Its fairly straightforward and transparent. If you have an MA you get 1000 extra per year. Its definitely not the most amount of money but its decent- in many locations you can still save, travel, and pay US bills and live comfortably locally. ...At least that is my experience in my school and as a single person.

I would say it would be cheaper to do overweight baggage fees. We have a family of 5 who came over and did that... the reimbursement didn't pay for all of it, but it definitely paid for a lot of it and so it wasn't too horrible out of pocket. Plus you have your stuff right away... sometimes shipping it takes much longer and you have to do without for awhile which is not fun... we have a family who shipped their stuff and their "box" as we called it took 2 months to arrive after they did!

Hi... I'm not in Kiev, but I am at a QSI school at a neighboring country to the Ukraine. The weather is long winters- they start in October and go for a long time... though this year has been mild... only the occasionally 20s so far, it's been 30s for two months though. Other than that Eastern Europe is pretty easy to save... though the exchange rate in Ukraine is 1.00 USD for 8 UAH right now. I can't comment on the prices there. The school there is fairly large and is split into different sections for elementary and high school. A few of our students transfered from there and they were really happy with the school and the extra curricular. Kiev is a capital city and everything that it entails... there are a few blogs of QSI teachers in Kiev if you do some google searching. Travel is pretty easy in and out via train or plane. I'm pretty happy here in Eastern Europe- I like it, winter and all... but it's not for everyone.

I've heard mixed things about Shekou- they run from horrid reviews to great- check the paid section, there are plenty on there.

[quote="FlTravelers"]My wife and I have decided to seriously attempt securing a teaching position overseas. However, we do have 4 children. Our 2 boys will be four next year and the girls will be 6. We can be flexible on things like dependent travel and similar benefits if that kind of thing can be negotiated. But before we spend a great deal of energy and resources in a job hunt, what I am wondering is, is 4 dependents too many to make a successful run at teaching internationally?

If not, are there any regions/schools in particular that would be a posibility?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.[/quote]


Hi, as a few other people have stated, I would look into QSI. They allow for you to have 4 dependents and would be a great way to get your foot in the door in international teaching. I am at one of the schools in Eastern Europe and I am very happy at my school. The entire staff, local and expatriate are super nice and accommodating. We have one family that has three children who works here and they were given a beautiful 4 bedroom apartment. QSI finds housing for you, and if you do not like it, you are able to move. One of the teachers had an apartment that had a pipe burst, and they moved her into a new apartment immediately. I've been very happy with the school- both professionally and personally. I feel like you get what they say you will get. Though some of the schools are in harder areas and you have to deal with more hardships- I know of someone in the caucuses who has to deal regularly with no hot water or no water, but I personally haven't had to deal with that where I am.

My only other comment, is with 4 children- look at the ages of the kids and then look at the school size- you can have a bit of a choice with QSI, but some schools are small and therefore lack kids at certain levels, which might make it hard for your kids socially. So keep that in mind while searching.
Good luck!!