My ultimate goal is to teach in international schools, and I was ready to pursue certification in my home state of Pennsylvania. However, there seems to be an issue with doing so, insofar as keeping a valid teaching certification is concerned.

The Instructional l certificate is good for 6 years, and is non-renewable. It must be converted to an instructional 2 certificate after a minimum of 3 years of in-state-only teaching. My problem is that teaching jobs are difficult to come by outside of the ghetto, and that even if I did procure a position, I wouldn't want to stay here for 3 years just to make sure I get my Instructional 2 certificate.

Are all states like this, or are Pennsylvania license requirements uniquely difficult? I would want the option to each here should I decide to not teach abroad anymore, but the commitment up front (5 years minimum, assuming I landed a job right away 1+1+3. More realistically, it would take longer). Should I look to get licensed in another state, to get on the road faster? Do you have any better options to suggest? What do you think?

Thanks

About the schools being in some type of legal "Limbo", as one poster put it, I'm pretty sure most schools are, unfortunately, perfectly within their rights with their hiring practices.

First, most teachers are recruited outside of the host country. This would likely circumnavigate any issues from the start, as the actual hiring (where the alleged infraction would have transpired) is done outside of the jurisdiction of the country of the school.

Second, these schools are private organizations. Even in countries where there are such hiring legalities in place, such as the USA, if the hiring discrimination isn't something more controversial like age, race or sex discrimination, then its very likely that, as a private organization, it would be tough to argue against them that they are not within their rights to prefer couples.

Third, in most countries outside of the USA and EU, I would venture that hiring discrimination legislation would be rare. Therefore, complaining to anyone would be a non-starter.

Furthermore, I don't believe that the motivation to hire couples stretches far beyond the economic. I think that schools can further justify their preference by listing nice things like stability and more, but I suspect that the favorable economics of the teaching couple are at the root. Otherwise, I don't think that such a preference would make it so far as to be the official policy of the school. However, this is conjecture.

Anyway, I'll marry the OP. But we need to have nights off for girlfriends and boyfriends. Let me know! (fingers crossed).

I read somewhere here, mentioned in passing and in a random post that isn't worth digging up, that licensed ESL teachers are in demand in international schools. It was mentioned as being in high demand in the same breath as math.

In your experience, is this true?

Are there not enough licensed ESL teachers to fill demand?

Will I have decent job opportunity with a license to teach ESL and a M.Ed?

Just curious. Thank you in advance for considering my question.

Thanks. Yeah, I guess thats true about how many other cultures, particularly in Asia in my experience, don't want to acknowledge special needs of kids. I guess it implies weakness. Of course, I'm speaking in general.

I wonder what prompted the school in Beijing to go so far as to pay for a staff SLP?

I wonder where else there would be enough of a market to support myself full time as a contractor/ independent business?

I would guess it might be possible in Western Europe and Tokyo, with the sizable native English speaking populations there. But I would also guess that being bilingual might also be a necessity, especially in Europe.

I would love to find a market in South America to be able to set up as a contractor, or a SA IS school that would hire me.

Anyway, being that there is no certain job market for this in non native english speaking countries, than I'd have to be lucky to land a spot with an IS. Also, I have no desire to live in Beijing.

I was just curious if anyone ever had a Speech and Language Pathologist on Staff at their International School?

I was entertaining the idea of going back to school for a Masters Degree in SLP, and I was curious as to whether any International Schools either contract with or employ SLPs on a consistent basis.

I imagine that I could be a better applicant for any position, especially elementary ed, with a SLP license in addition to a teaching license. However, I was also curious as to whether, perhaps, the better funded schools might allocate cash for a full time SLP.

[quote="angelica1981"]

2. US private schools, at least here on the East Coast, are def. being effected by the economy. As I said, my own school has made recent lay-offs, but I am "safe" because I've been here 3 years. It seems that the new teachers are the first to go. Is it the same overseas? I would hate to leave for a new school/country only to be cut for financial reasons. What are your thoughts on this?

thanks so much![/quote]

Other people can probably address your questions better, but I can address at least the second. Schools abroad have the same financial pressures as the schools at home. Also, there is a wide variety in schools in terms of how they are run and by whom. Some are run very well, and others are not. Anyone can call their school an International School, and its a free market. Therefore, anything can happen, especially with newer schools. However, there are schools which have a history of being run well for a long period of time. Your chances of being cut midyear, or the school shutting down, is slim with these schools. If going abroad is a huge risk for you, just be sure to do your homework on the school before you accept the position. This will decrease your risk considerably.

[quote="RobSg"]Hi-
I've known may teachers who have taught overseas their whole professional life. You DO save more money overseas. No question about that. You have more money in the bank. No question about that either. However, you need to factor in the state teacher retirement plans that are also great. The money you save and put in the bank needs to be re-invested to give yourself a pension when you retire.

The question is can you save enough overseas that will give you about $50,000 a year in retirement for the rest of your life? If you can, it's great.

Rob[/quote]

Exactly. Its all about cash flow. Depending on pure savings for a retirement, stateside or abroad, is a risky game. Its cash flow that matters, as it wont run out. Pensions provide this. Unfortunately, the majority of workers in the sates have no pension and will depend on their social security payments. Fortunately, teachers are an exception to this, but for how long? How long until new stateside teachers are handed the matching 401K? The problem with IS teaching is that you have no pension and, if you are not careful, will not be eligable for social securiy payments unless you have 40 quarters(10 years) paying into the system. Therefore, you have to be creative. Real estate and interent businesses are probably your best bet for cash flow. Real Estate is difficult, but many people LUCKILY buy right.

For those of you saving 30k per month, and considering that as doing well, I agree if you are not counting on that for retirement. Because you would have to do that for 30 or more years to equal what you would get in a pension each year, and even then you would be getting about 20k more per year on an average stateside teachers retirement pension. Also, who knows how long you will live or what life circumstances will lead you to deplete that account before you retire? Hope that you dont get the alzheimers.

I agree with the living life for now philosophy. You dont want to wait until 60 to start living.

So option 1 is just not to care. This is a legitimate strategy if you dont have kids. Just trust that life will eventually deal you the cards that will enable you to live a comfortable retirement somewhere. But I would plan on doing this in a much cheaper locale than the states. Or try to marry a local of a socialist country in which you will teach.

The second option is to have side businesses such as book writing or internet ventures.

The third option is real estate.

The fourth option is to teach in the states to get that pension.

I would rather bury my cash in a hole in the desert than to give it to a money manager or put it into the stock market. The odds are just too heavily weighted against you. Trust me, I know what Im talking about. The only exception to this would be to look into putting it into a swiss annuity, as they are very regulated, conservative, secure, and well managed. However, I would argue that buying a business or property in your retirement, that you can touch, see, and personally manage might give better returns. If you dont have the mind or the energy for it, then look into those swiss annuities.

[quote="ichiro"]dear hydrogonian,

The senator will probably be jumping all over your misuse of pronouns as evidence of your lack of teaching abilities.[/quote]

Ahh yes...I'll be sure to give all of my informal forum posts the Kings proofreading treatment next time..Thanks for the heads up :D (Note, the tone of this response is that Im laughing with you, not being bitter. That is of course unless you weren't joking. Then, Im still laughing.)

Or perhaps I have no hope, and I should apply to the next public school with an opening to begin the necessary path toward competency :roll:

[quote="senator"]
Let me give you the other side of the coin:

My wife and I returned to the U.S. (New England) in July 2008 after 6 years teaching high school math at an international school in China. I am now teaching math at a public high school in Massachusetts. While discipline and motivation issues arise more frequently than overseas, class sizes are a bit larger (INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS ALSO ARE INCREASING CLASS SIZES EVERY YEAR), and it takes more energy to get your students interested in the concepts, these are not more than any REAL TEACHER can handle. My belief is that unless you have spent some time in the trenches of public schools you are not a real teacher - sorry to all of the private school types.

I will save over $20,000 this year (which is more than a lot of the international school crowd will save or even earn), live in a beautiful home in a beautiful part of the country with trees, forests, ocean, and CLEAN AIR AND STREETS, and while I won't travel to Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, or any of the other wonderful and exciting countries I saw while working overseas, I could afford to during the summer. Instead I will explore the greatest country on earth - the United States of America - and enjoy experiences that are every bit as exciting and stimulating as those my wife and I experienced while in Asia.

So my point is life is what you make it. REAL TEACHERS can teach and thrive anywhere. So if you choose to work overseas, Great. Just stop tearing down the American school system because we all know that the problems of the international school circuit are just as numerous as those of her U.S. counterpart.

Note: People who have not taught for at least 5 years in the public school system and have no basis for comparison need not reply or comment. Thank you.[/quote]

Im new to this forum and joined because Im interested in international teaching. But I have to comment right off the bat, that Ive never heard such nonsense come out of a professionals mouth in my life. All this talk about what makes a 'real' teacher and what does not. Seriously, your an adult professional who teaches children? God help them. This poster is subjugating many fine teachers out there to his self appointed and unwarranted status as a 'real' teacher. I went to an exclusive private high school on the east coast and I guarantee that probably close to 100% of the teachers in that school would teach circles around this guy/girl. Were my very highly trained and very effective (50% of my high school class went Ivy League) teachers not 'real' teachers because they didnt teach in public schools for 5 years? Are you a real teacher because you have experience controlling large unruly classrooms? Is that the difference? Your opinion is juvenile and reeks of insecurity or some other related psychological flaw. Your making me rethink ever sending my kids to public schools if the schools hire people of this caliber.

Your comments about the US also scream that you do not have strong critical thinking skills. Your job is to teach kids on the proper way to think, not to repeat your patriotic hyperbole. For example, the USA ranks 13 in quality of life in the world. Not #1. So, therefore, your statement is not supported by fact. Yes its a great country to live in, but to make statements and opinions that are contrary to supporting facts, and to be overly emotional to the point that it inhibits your ability to be objective, is not a good personal trait for a teacher. I wouldnt let my kids spend another day in your classroom if I was to read the post that you wrote.