China Changchung American International School
Tell me something good- or bad... please.
Looks like they have new leadership.
Seem eager for change.
Salaries seem low.
Looking to move there from other country.
Open to the cold weather.
Any updates on the city, school and new developments are helpful.
Thank you,
Young international teaching couple
China Changchung American International School
there's already a topic a few threads down on the school.
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v ... php?t=2256
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v ... php?t=2256
Thank you
Thank you. Any tips on where to look instead psych guy? Any word folks is welcome.
We don't care where it is because anything is better than where we are it seems. The cis function and being broke is sickening.
No middle east because not married.
Unmarried teaching couple, I'm certified middle school ela and spec Ed K-12, three years experience, beau uncertified masters in biology, five years teaching ap bio, IB and all the general sciences 7-12.
I'm active in all the sites tie tes cis everyday. Sent out 100 formal app emails cover letters and resumes. Very resilant and persistent. It's still early but were hoping to be somewhere new in August. If not well return to our post in costa rica- which btw pay is awful, students worse, and cost of living is horrendous.
So where's hot for two nice young teachers? Thank you!
We don't care where it is because anything is better than where we are it seems. The cis function and being broke is sickening.
No middle east because not married.
Unmarried teaching couple, I'm certified middle school ela and spec Ed K-12, three years experience, beau uncertified masters in biology, five years teaching ap bio, IB and all the general sciences 7-12.
I'm active in all the sites tie tes cis everyday. Sent out 100 formal app emails cover letters and resumes. Very resilant and persistent. It's still early but were hoping to be somewhere new in August. If not well return to our post in costa rica- which btw pay is awful, students worse, and cost of living is horrendous.
So where's hot for two nice young teachers? Thank you!
Being uncertified gives you the choice of schools with crappy pay and benefits. Get certified or you won't have much choice.
I would focus on the schools on teach away ( but mostly ME), teachabroad.com or dave els cafe. They have schools that are not interested in certified teachers.
Or, you can get a decent job yourself and then hope hubby can get something in the same town. That will probably work out better. HoweveR it is late, not early in the season. Early is December
I would focus on the schools on teach away ( but mostly ME), teachabroad.com or dave els cafe. They have schools that are not interested in certified teachers.
Or, you can get a decent job yourself and then hope hubby can get something in the same town. That will probably work out better. HoweveR it is late, not early in the season. Early is December
Comments
Id focus on a nice large city somewhere in Asia. You basically need to find a good job for yourself, and then your bf can look into maybe an ESOL position, which is why you need a big metropolitan city. Certification for your bf is always going to be something that holds you two back. Your going to bounce from one third tier school to another, because the tier 1 schools are going to see you as a single hire with a trailing spouse, and making it a package deal is just going to get you a lot of rejections.
If you insist on both of you working in a school then CAIS is an option, just understand you wont be in a better position after two years there. I know you said that the ME is out for you, but the saving potential is better there, and you have a strong application for a tier 2 school, maybe low tier 1 school there. Hiring hubby to teach ESOL or even science is doable, and they still have lots of vacancies.
The hiring season starts in late October, and the bulk of hiring finishes in February. Your really late in the season.
If you insist on both of you working in a school then CAIS is an option, just understand you wont be in a better position after two years there. I know you said that the ME is out for you, but the saving potential is better there, and you have a strong application for a tier 2 school, maybe low tier 1 school there. Hiring hubby to teach ESOL or even science is doable, and they still have lots of vacancies.
The hiring season starts in late October, and the bulk of hiring finishes in February. Your really late in the season.
Thank you!
Psych guy: in response to
If you insist on both of you working in a school then CAIS is an option, just understand you wont be in a better position after two years there. I know you said that the ME is out for you, but the saving potential is better there, and you have a strong application for a tier 2 school, maybe low tier 1 school there. Hiring hubby to teach ESOL or even science is doable, and they still have lots of vacancies.
Thank you for your reply Psychguy, I always enjoy your posts.
A few follow up questions
1. You say we would not be better off after two years, I am curious- what if he gets certified in that time through a remote university, online program or a summer session or some method and what if we get IB experience at CAIS. wouldn't that make us better off?
2. And further more, what method do you suggest that he follow for getting certified? Should we take next year off and go to the USA for college- he's open to going back to school. He wants to get his phd in science education eventually. Or is he better off doing one of those online methods? What do you know about int education certification. Is my us dept of educ cerification hold higher weight than say certification at an American uni in china?
3. We're not married currently- not to say that we won't eventually. But we're a young couple with student loans so we'd rather make a buck and get married when we feel like it. I'd love to look in the ME but the initial emails I sent out to saudi and dubai came right back to me saying- contact us when you're married. We will not consider unmarried teaching couples. I hear most make you present a marriage certificate? Is this true?
4. Thank you for the comment about getting rejections when selling us as a package. It all makes sense now!
Boyfriend is kinda fed up at the point- our current placement he's been here for five years and he's sick of the bureaucracy and ready to just go back to school. So it may be go back to school and get more loans for the both of us or head to Changchun.
5. 2,300 a month for me and 2,600 for him- housing is paid for but I don't know if this savings potential is worth it.
If you insist on both of you working in a school then CAIS is an option, just understand you wont be in a better position after two years there. I know you said that the ME is out for you, but the saving potential is better there, and you have a strong application for a tier 2 school, maybe low tier 1 school there. Hiring hubby to teach ESOL or even science is doable, and they still have lots of vacancies.
Thank you for your reply Psychguy, I always enjoy your posts.
A few follow up questions
1. You say we would not be better off after two years, I am curious- what if he gets certified in that time through a remote university, online program or a summer session or some method and what if we get IB experience at CAIS. wouldn't that make us better off?
2. And further more, what method do you suggest that he follow for getting certified? Should we take next year off and go to the USA for college- he's open to going back to school. He wants to get his phd in science education eventually. Or is he better off doing one of those online methods? What do you know about int education certification. Is my us dept of educ cerification hold higher weight than say certification at an American uni in china?
3. We're not married currently- not to say that we won't eventually. But we're a young couple with student loans so we'd rather make a buck and get married when we feel like it. I'd love to look in the ME but the initial emails I sent out to saudi and dubai came right back to me saying- contact us when you're married. We will not consider unmarried teaching couples. I hear most make you present a marriage certificate? Is this true?
4. Thank you for the comment about getting rejections when selling us as a package. It all makes sense now!
Boyfriend is kinda fed up at the point- our current placement he's been here for five years and he's sick of the bureaucracy and ready to just go back to school. So it may be go back to school and get more loans for the both of us or head to Changchun.
5. 2,300 a month for me and 2,600 for him- housing is paid for but I don't know if this savings potential is worth it.
Replies
The issue of certification is not relevant to teaching at CAIS. He can get certified though an online/distance program while your at any school, including a better one.
What i mean by your in no better position, is that as an international teacher your professional growth is one of two things: your either making yourself a better candidate for the next bigger/better/more desirable school or your happy where you are. I cant imagine anyone being "happy" at CAIS. The only reasons to teach at CAIS are:
1) Desperation: No where better to go.
2) Easy IB experience.
You and bf already have IB experience, so at the end of two years your experience at CAIS isnt going to make you any more marketable or desirable a candidate then where you are now, essentially its just a minor step up, because the CAIS pay is better. Its not even that much better, there are A LOT of schools that will pay better and more then CAIS. So at the end of two years your bank accounts will be a little bigger, but otherwise your just going to be older.
You could go back to the USA, but why. There are a number of online schools that have teacher certification programs, the only issue with them is you have to do some kind of field experience (student teaching, internship, etc). I would look into doing a PGCE at a UK school through an online program. The PGCE is the coursework component, and then the internship is QTS, but outside the UK, international schools accept the PGCE alone as a teaching credential. You can do a program fulltime in a year.
You have a USDE teaching certificate? There is no such thing. There are "state" teaching certifications, NTSB (National teaching Standards Board) certifications, and DODEA teaching certifications, currently, and while its possible to hold a DODEA or NTSB certification after a state certification expired, you had to have had one at some prior time. There are other certifications you could ahve as well, such as IB teacher awards, Montessori certifications, and faith based teaching qualifications, though those are accepted more on a case by case basis. You would have to clarify what certification you have.
What credential does the "american uni" qualify you for, is the issue, is it just a degree, or a certificate from their school, or does it qualify you for a state certification back in the USA? If it doesnt get you a real certificate its not going to help you any. Thats all that really matters, state certifications dont often list describe "how" they were earned, so they all look the same essentially. Of course you will have on your transcript how you got it, but generally traditional "university" programs are better then "online only" programs, which are better then "alternative certification" programs. The reality though is if your bf can get qualified in science with his background and experience, no one is going to care how he got certified.
Yeah teaching couple means "married" teaching couple. On one side of the coin, there are exceptions, and schools will consider unmarried couples but its a harder sell, and what the school may really be doing is just considering you as individual hires with the understanding in the back of their mind that your a package deal. If the school would hire you both individually anyway, why would they care if your "dating, together, a couple, bf/gf". The other side of the coin is that come cultures and countries have very rigid social practices or laws that just dont permit "cohabitation". This is also true of schools with a strong and conservative religious affiliation as well.
I've known teachers who were a couple and the deciding factor when they got married, was so that they could be a stronger "teaching couple" to schools. I've also heard of teaching couples (mainly at firs) who got married "solely" as a business decision so that they could be a "teaching couple". The power of being considered first and BEFORE single teachers is really that strong for the upper tier schools, and in certain regions. If you really want to teach in those regions or at those schools you have to apply separately and hope you both get hired.
Youd be able to save a LOT on that package, basically because there isnt anything to really spend your money on at CAIS, and its a decent salary for rural china. With housing, you two bank $4K a month, and get by on the rest. He could work towards a PGCE part time and with summers be done in 15 months, if he really focused on it.
Its really an issue though of options and alternatives. It seems like according to you the options are:
A) Stay where you are.
B) Go back to the school.
C) Take the position at CAIS.
Of those three options Id take C, since with B you can really get certified anywhere through an online program, and A doesnt sound like its really an option. If it was ME (and the following advice is for information purposes only, I do not endorse, or advise any plan of action. Mainly, because id have to read a bunch of posts about how wrong, unethical, unprofessional, evil, horrible, and bad it would be).
So if it was ME, id take find and apply to a PGCE program that I could do online maybe through the University of Bath (UK). id accept the position at CAIS as my safety job and keep looking for another school. If i found one id dump the CAIS job and just go with the better school, if not just go to CAIS, and take the money. While there Id continue to look for another better school for next year. Id adjust my resume to show that i was returning back to school and NOT show that I was at CAIS (because if they find out your going to break contract, they wouldnt give me a good reference anyway).
What i mean by your in no better position, is that as an international teacher your professional growth is one of two things: your either making yourself a better candidate for the next bigger/better/more desirable school or your happy where you are. I cant imagine anyone being "happy" at CAIS. The only reasons to teach at CAIS are:
1) Desperation: No where better to go.
2) Easy IB experience.
You and bf already have IB experience, so at the end of two years your experience at CAIS isnt going to make you any more marketable or desirable a candidate then where you are now, essentially its just a minor step up, because the CAIS pay is better. Its not even that much better, there are A LOT of schools that will pay better and more then CAIS. So at the end of two years your bank accounts will be a little bigger, but otherwise your just going to be older.
You could go back to the USA, but why. There are a number of online schools that have teacher certification programs, the only issue with them is you have to do some kind of field experience (student teaching, internship, etc). I would look into doing a PGCE at a UK school through an online program. The PGCE is the coursework component, and then the internship is QTS, but outside the UK, international schools accept the PGCE alone as a teaching credential. You can do a program fulltime in a year.
You have a USDE teaching certificate? There is no such thing. There are "state" teaching certifications, NTSB (National teaching Standards Board) certifications, and DODEA teaching certifications, currently, and while its possible to hold a DODEA or NTSB certification after a state certification expired, you had to have had one at some prior time. There are other certifications you could ahve as well, such as IB teacher awards, Montessori certifications, and faith based teaching qualifications, though those are accepted more on a case by case basis. You would have to clarify what certification you have.
What credential does the "american uni" qualify you for, is the issue, is it just a degree, or a certificate from their school, or does it qualify you for a state certification back in the USA? If it doesnt get you a real certificate its not going to help you any. Thats all that really matters, state certifications dont often list describe "how" they were earned, so they all look the same essentially. Of course you will have on your transcript how you got it, but generally traditional "university" programs are better then "online only" programs, which are better then "alternative certification" programs. The reality though is if your bf can get qualified in science with his background and experience, no one is going to care how he got certified.
Yeah teaching couple means "married" teaching couple. On one side of the coin, there are exceptions, and schools will consider unmarried couples but its a harder sell, and what the school may really be doing is just considering you as individual hires with the understanding in the back of their mind that your a package deal. If the school would hire you both individually anyway, why would they care if your "dating, together, a couple, bf/gf". The other side of the coin is that come cultures and countries have very rigid social practices or laws that just dont permit "cohabitation". This is also true of schools with a strong and conservative religious affiliation as well.
I've known teachers who were a couple and the deciding factor when they got married, was so that they could be a stronger "teaching couple" to schools. I've also heard of teaching couples (mainly at firs) who got married "solely" as a business decision so that they could be a "teaching couple". The power of being considered first and BEFORE single teachers is really that strong for the upper tier schools, and in certain regions. If you really want to teach in those regions or at those schools you have to apply separately and hope you both get hired.
Youd be able to save a LOT on that package, basically because there isnt anything to really spend your money on at CAIS, and its a decent salary for rural china. With housing, you two bank $4K a month, and get by on the rest. He could work towards a PGCE part time and with summers be done in 15 months, if he really focused on it.
Its really an issue though of options and alternatives. It seems like according to you the options are:
A) Stay where you are.
B) Go back to the school.
C) Take the position at CAIS.
Of those three options Id take C, since with B you can really get certified anywhere through an online program, and A doesnt sound like its really an option. If it was ME (and the following advice is for information purposes only, I do not endorse, or advise any plan of action. Mainly, because id have to read a bunch of posts about how wrong, unethical, unprofessional, evil, horrible, and bad it would be).
So if it was ME, id take find and apply to a PGCE program that I could do online maybe through the University of Bath (UK). id accept the position at CAIS as my safety job and keep looking for another school. If i found one id dump the CAIS job and just go with the better school, if not just go to CAIS, and take the money. While there Id continue to look for another better school for next year. Id adjust my resume to show that i was returning back to school and NOT show that I was at CAIS (because if they find out your going to break contract, they wouldnt give me a good reference anyway).
Thank you
Thank you so much.
Thank you for taking the time to write a reply here.
It's late in CR now and I will write a few follow ups tomorrow but for now I just want to whole heartily say thank you. Both my mom and my bf mom always taught us to weigh options and that's exactly what were doing here. Fun fact both gringo parents but bf was born to international educate mom and wildlife conservationist dad in Zimbabwe 38 years ago. My momma spent time doing leadership development in Dubai. We're adventurous hopeful through connections, pure luck or my dull diligent efforts that something will come up but since it hasn't yet- were on the move and yes- desperate.
Going back to the US is the pits as far as I'm concerned. Not an option I'm considering.
Btw I'm highly qualified DODEA certified in three areas: grades 6-8 ELA, special ed/exceptional children K-12, and elem Ed K-12
More tomorrow for now I'll ponder what you've written here. Muchas Gracias!
Thank you for taking the time to write a reply here.
It's late in CR now and I will write a few follow ups tomorrow but for now I just want to whole heartily say thank you. Both my mom and my bf mom always taught us to weigh options and that's exactly what were doing here. Fun fact both gringo parents but bf was born to international educate mom and wildlife conservationist dad in Zimbabwe 38 years ago. My momma spent time doing leadership development in Dubai. We're adventurous hopeful through connections, pure luck or my dull diligent efforts that something will come up but since it hasn't yet- were on the move and yes- desperate.
Going back to the US is the pits as far as I'm concerned. Not an option I'm considering.
Btw I'm highly qualified DODEA certified in three areas: grades 6-8 ELA, special ed/exceptional children K-12, and elem Ed K-12
More tomorrow for now I'll ponder what you've written here. Muchas Gracias!