TIE is your best option. It is relatively cheap and most schools there will interview via Skype if you cannot attend a fair (which can be costly).

Although schools like to be done with recruiting early, the reality is that they seldom are. There are always positions that open up late in the year. Just being out of grad school may be a problem, but here in China, I believe that to qualify for a foreign expert certificate, you must have teacher certification plus 2 years experience OR a masters degree. I think legally, a school in China can hire you with a masters in education. Perhaps someone else on here can speak to that more authoritatively.

Best of luck

Just to add in my two cents worth. It depends on if you have signed a contract or if you verbally accepted an offer. I was in a situation where I had accepted a verbal offer from a school and then waited 2 weeks for the contract to be emailed to me. Upon reading the signed contract from the school, it wasn't what had been promised in the interview. After emailing back and forth over the next few days I ended up politely turning down the offer. Luckily I had kept applying for jobs in the mean time and landed a job I have been very happy in for the last year and a half.

So, my advice is, if you accepted and signed a contract: then I feel you should honor it. If the agreement is verbal, it still needs to be confirmed by the signing of the contract. I have heard of cases where schools have taken back a verbal offer and I see no reason why it shouldn't be ok for teachers too.

Happy Lunar New Year to all those teaching in the Middle Kingdom or wherever else it is celebrated!!!

May good fortune and prosperity be your companions.



Feel free to post any tips for celebrating the Chinese New Year!!! This will be my first proper one in Shanghai!!!

Iambog,

If that includes an apartment, then that is a fair package. If that is an accommodation allowance built into the salary then it is on the low end of the scale. This is what I was told by a co-worker who just transferred to our school in Shanghai from the one in HK

I have answered emails of that sort. On a forum such as this you could always just post a query stating that you have an offer from school x and ask if anyone on this board works there or knows someone who has. You may get a variety of responses but that would be normal.

What you need to remember is that the reviews in here need to be taken with a large grain of salt.

I work at the Yew Chung Secondary school in Shanghai, and am in my second year here. I have signed an extension for another two years. I am here with my wife and children and the kids love the school and the city.

That being said, I have no knowledge of the Chongqing school. I too have read the negative reviews on here, I am a bit surprised by them because what is written in them bear no relation to my experience here.

Just to add my 2 cents worth. I teach at one of Concordia's competitor schools. Concordia is a good set up. They are an american curriculum school with good standards and results. I know a few of the teachers who work there and they are all very happy working there. Turnover is low, most teachers stay for multiple contracts. That being said, it is a Christian school in every way. Bible verses posted in each classroom, etc. If you are not Christian, you may not find it to your liking, as the religious viewpoint permeates every aspect of school life.

Anthony,

I am in a similar situation, teacher with a trailing spouse and 3 children. To be honest, the lower tier schools won't touch you because you would be an expensive hire. But, if you fill a need that a higher tier school has, you would be a very attractive hire in the far east, especially in China ( where I am at present). International schools here are expanding rapidly, and they don't seem to mind hiring teachers with families. In my job search, I was offered a number of positions at schools in various locations in Asia, and chose my present school based on its academic reputation ( since I send my kids here too!!). I am starting my second year in Shanghai, and my kids love the school and the city. You should invest in joining one of the agencies like Search or TIE, you would see that there are quite a few openings in Asia at present.

Good Luck

Well done Higgsy!!!! You've mastered the first skill of an ineffectual administrator. Having an opinion without any solid data to base it on.

So, you've been brought into management!!!!!!!!!

Only in China!!!!!!!

I was contacted for my current job via TIE. School recruiters use every method available rather than relying solely on fairs. Our school attends 2 or 3 fairs each year, but also contacts candidates directly through the agencies. In my own case, attending a fair was out of the question so i was interviewed via Skype and by telephone.

Housing here is in a high rise apt. Great views of the city. Only problem is the kitchen is tiny.

Sorry for stealing your thunder Psy!

I've been in Shanghai for a year. My family love it here.

I don't really see how my previous post could be designed to please my present "masters"!!!!! especially since I was relating an instance from my former employer.

To the OP. I repeat, you probably did make some sort of initial cut, as far as whether you are in the final 3, or 6 or 10, I have no clue.

Of course, take my input with a grain of salt, since I only post on here to please my employer overlord!!!!!