Hello - I've decided I'd like to teach in a foreign country next year (2013-14) and am starting to get overwhelmed by the different paths to take. Here are some of the questions I have already.
Recruiting Agencies - So far I see that Search Associates (SA) and International School Services (ISS) are the big two, but I have also seen that University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and the Council of International Schools (COIS) are active too. Is there a reason to go with one over another if I am flexible in where I want to end up? Are there benefits to using all four? Drawbacks? Are there others I am missing? Is it effective to contact schools directly prior to the hiring fairs?
Citizenship - I am a US citizen in the process of attaining Irish citizenship, and later an Irish passport. Will this dual citizenship open significantly more doors for me in the EU? If so, what countries might it be most helpful in?
Spouse - My wife will hopefully be on sabbatical for the first year and working on her thesis. She's currently an Associate Professor of Information Systems at the university level. She would not be able to work full-time while there, but is very interested in volunteering at any school I might get hired at. Is this helpful / possible?
About Me - I am a middle school special education teacher with a Master of Arts Teaching and 5 years experience teaching students with emotional and behavior disorders. I'm currently certified to teach English in grades 6-12, Special Education K-12, and am also highly qualified to teach middle school math (and hopefully Social Studies too by the time I apply or interview.) I have several years experience coaching high school sports too. Any feedback on whether any of those skill sets might be helpful in landing a job?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Looking for Feedback on Recruiting Agencies and More!
Advice
The big agencies are Search Associates (SA), International School Services (ISS), and UNI (University of Northern Iowa).
There would be some benefits to all 4, but they would be minor and not worth the cost.
1) UNI is a single fair once a year, it attracts unexperienced teachers (new graduates) and under experienced teachers (those with less then 2 years experience). it also attracts some veteran teachers interested in South/Central america. These new teachers really do better here overall
2) COIS, primarily focus is with European schools. They have 1 fair a year and there is no charge. Their London fair runs back to back with Search's London Fair.
3) ISS, focuses on ISS schools (many schools just become members to use their recruiting services), they have about 150 schools in their database, and the majority of them are high tier schools. They have 5 fairs a year, with the majority of them running back to back with Searchs fairs. They can come off as elitist if you dont have the right resume, but have a less stressful experience, if your competitive enough. The fee is $185 for 2 years and a seperate fee of about $250 covers admission to all their recruiting fairs in a season.
4) Search has about 680 schools, and appeals to everyone. Being the biggest has it problems. Some of their fairs in past years are really big, and competitive (Bangkok). The big fairs are: Bangkok, Boston, London. Associates can be hit or miss. Some have great experiences, some just cash their check and collect their fee. The fee is $200 for 3 years, and includes 1 free fair.
If you belong to one of the big ones unless you have a special nich, there isnt much use in joining more then one, as MANY schools are members of more then one agency. You would see a lot of duplicates. The real issue is what level of marketability are you at. For many people I recommend Search, as it has the biggest database (meaning more vacancies globally), and best value. Honestly if your asking here, your not really COIS or ISS material.
An EU (including Ireland/UK) passport will give you a definate edge. There are MANY european schools that cant or wont hire teachers who dont have EU passports or working papers. It will be a definite advantage, based on your teaching background, you may want to really consider ISS/COIS as SPED isnt as in demand in Asia as it is in Europe, and your dual citizenship gives you a strong edge and "in" to that market.
Your wife sounds great, but two problems. IT coordinators at small schools usually have a light teaching load, and she isnt certified. At large schools where all she would do would be IT, she would need native language fluency to communicate with staff. Schools can and do 'create' positions for trailing spouses, if they really want them. These are usually hourly paid though, and resemble more a local hire contract then an overseas hire contract. She may be able to find contract or adjunct work outside of the school as well.
The SPED experience and certification is your strongest academic asset, and your EU passport is definitely marketable. I would recommend you look into european positions starting with Germany, and moving north through the Scandinavian countries first then moving south along the Mediterranean (italy, france, spain).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CORRECTION TO THE ABOVE: SUBMITTED TO ISR FROM COIS ON 8/17/2012:
INCORRECT FACTS: #2) COIS, primarily focus is with European schools. They have 1 fair a year and there is no charge. Their London fair runs back to back with Search's London Fair.
CORRECTION: COIS refers to the Council of International schools but, the official abbreviation is CIS. CIS deals with schools from all over the world and is not limited to, or focused upon European schools. We have two fairs a year in London. We alternate with Search Associates as to which organisation’s fair is held first each year.
Becky Hazlett
Membership Services Advisor
Leadership and Teacher Recruitment
Council of International Schools
There would be some benefits to all 4, but they would be minor and not worth the cost.
1) UNI is a single fair once a year, it attracts unexperienced teachers (new graduates) and under experienced teachers (those with less then 2 years experience). it also attracts some veteran teachers interested in South/Central america. These new teachers really do better here overall
2) COIS, primarily focus is with European schools. They have 1 fair a year and there is no charge. Their London fair runs back to back with Search's London Fair.
3) ISS, focuses on ISS schools (many schools just become members to use their recruiting services), they have about 150 schools in their database, and the majority of them are high tier schools. They have 5 fairs a year, with the majority of them running back to back with Searchs fairs. They can come off as elitist if you dont have the right resume, but have a less stressful experience, if your competitive enough. The fee is $185 for 2 years and a seperate fee of about $250 covers admission to all their recruiting fairs in a season.
4) Search has about 680 schools, and appeals to everyone. Being the biggest has it problems. Some of their fairs in past years are really big, and competitive (Bangkok). The big fairs are: Bangkok, Boston, London. Associates can be hit or miss. Some have great experiences, some just cash their check and collect their fee. The fee is $200 for 3 years, and includes 1 free fair.
If you belong to one of the big ones unless you have a special nich, there isnt much use in joining more then one, as MANY schools are members of more then one agency. You would see a lot of duplicates. The real issue is what level of marketability are you at. For many people I recommend Search, as it has the biggest database (meaning more vacancies globally), and best value. Honestly if your asking here, your not really COIS or ISS material.
An EU (including Ireland/UK) passport will give you a definate edge. There are MANY european schools that cant or wont hire teachers who dont have EU passports or working papers. It will be a definite advantage, based on your teaching background, you may want to really consider ISS/COIS as SPED isnt as in demand in Asia as it is in Europe, and your dual citizenship gives you a strong edge and "in" to that market.
Your wife sounds great, but two problems. IT coordinators at small schools usually have a light teaching load, and she isnt certified. At large schools where all she would do would be IT, she would need native language fluency to communicate with staff. Schools can and do 'create' positions for trailing spouses, if they really want them. These are usually hourly paid though, and resemble more a local hire contract then an overseas hire contract. She may be able to find contract or adjunct work outside of the school as well.
The SPED experience and certification is your strongest academic asset, and your EU passport is definitely marketable. I would recommend you look into european positions starting with Germany, and moving north through the Scandinavian countries first then moving south along the Mediterranean (italy, france, spain).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CORRECTION TO THE ABOVE: SUBMITTED TO ISR FROM COIS ON 8/17/2012:
INCORRECT FACTS: #2) COIS, primarily focus is with European schools. They have 1 fair a year and there is no charge. Their London fair runs back to back with Search's London Fair.
CORRECTION: COIS refers to the Council of International schools but, the official abbreviation is CIS. CIS deals with schools from all over the world and is not limited to, or focused upon European schools. We have two fairs a year in London. We alternate with Search Associates as to which organisation’s fair is held first each year.
Becky Hazlett
Membership Services Advisor
Leadership and Teacher Recruitment
Council of International Schools
Thanks! A few more questions.
Thanks Psyguy! A few more questions and some background based on your response.
First, I live in Alaska, so attending fairs is going to be a one-time thing due to time and money limitations. If I hope to end up in Europe, is it critical to attend the COIS fair? Do COIS schools ever interview via skype, for example? It seems I have to target either COIS/Search in London, or ISS & Search in San Fran. San Fran is way more affordable and would give us time to see if my wife gets sabbatical leave too. I might also be able to combine the Search fair in Cambridge with ISS in San Fran, but it would be a little more complicated / expensive that way. Any thoughts?
Next, my wife actually has a Masters in Library Science, and she'd rather work in something closer to a teaching role than anything in IT. Is there a best way to sell this to schools without her having an actual teaching certification?
Finally, given the info on my background (Spec Ed) does DoDDS sound like a realistic possibility for us?
Thanks again for the help.
First, I live in Alaska, so attending fairs is going to be a one-time thing due to time and money limitations. If I hope to end up in Europe, is it critical to attend the COIS fair? Do COIS schools ever interview via skype, for example? It seems I have to target either COIS/Search in London, or ISS & Search in San Fran. San Fran is way more affordable and would give us time to see if my wife gets sabbatical leave too. I might also be able to combine the Search fair in Cambridge with ISS in San Fran, but it would be a little more complicated / expensive that way. Any thoughts?
Next, my wife actually has a Masters in Library Science, and she'd rather work in something closer to a teaching role than anything in IT. Is there a best way to sell this to schools without her having an actual teaching certification?
Finally, given the info on my background (Spec Ed) does DoDDS sound like a realistic possibility for us?
Thanks again for the help.
Reply
No its not critical and you dont want to go to COIS, you want to still go to the Boston/Search, heres why. At Boston, you will be special. there will be you an maybe one other person with an EU passport, and those european american schools that either have to or prefer EU passport holders, will give you an invite for an interview. Thats better then being at the London fair with a room full of other EU passport holders. Thats an immensely powerful combination an american teacher with an EU passport. I really cant convey to you the incredible edge that gives you.
SF is a nice fair but its mostly newbies. The attraction for it was WASC accredited schools looking for top california talent, but when the recession hit, most of those teachers left. Most of the fairs see the same schools anyway, your going to see fewer and lower tier schools at the SF fair any way. Why spend the money to go to a smaller less elite .? Its like going to a concert and choosing an all night dinner over going to the after p-arty.
I realize money is tight and costs are important to you, but if you get the ideal job all the money spent will seem like an investment, where if you dont get the job you want then no matter how much you save the money spent will seem like a loss/waste.
Shes a librarian, is she has a masters in library science. The certification would be nice, but for many countries they dont have an educator certification for librarians, and many of them have backgrounds in information systems. And being a librarian is pretty marketable. The problem is a school having vacancies for SPED and Librarian.
Yes, DoDDS is a real and better possibility for you next year. From my POV, there isnt much demand for SPED in 2nd tier schools, which means elite and first tier schools. You either get something or you dont, pretty early int he season. You dont have much experience teaching english and 'highly qualified' doesnt mean anything without being certified. You dont have IB experience which removes a bunch of high tier schools. Your pretty set on europe and you should be if since you have an EU passport. So basically what I see you being the best suited for is a SPED teacher in a top tier american school in europe. Thats a pretty competitive market, and a risky job search. It will pay off early in recruiting or it wont.
SF is a nice fair but its mostly newbies. The attraction for it was WASC accredited schools looking for top california talent, but when the recession hit, most of those teachers left. Most of the fairs see the same schools anyway, your going to see fewer and lower tier schools at the SF fair any way. Why spend the money to go to a smaller less elite .? Its like going to a concert and choosing an all night dinner over going to the after p-arty.
I realize money is tight and costs are important to you, but if you get the ideal job all the money spent will seem like an investment, where if you dont get the job you want then no matter how much you save the money spent will seem like a loss/waste.
Shes a librarian, is she has a masters in library science. The certification would be nice, but for many countries they dont have an educator certification for librarians, and many of them have backgrounds in information systems. And being a librarian is pretty marketable. The problem is a school having vacancies for SPED and Librarian.
Yes, DoDDS is a real and better possibility for you next year. From my POV, there isnt much demand for SPED in 2nd tier schools, which means elite and first tier schools. You either get something or you dont, pretty early int he season. You dont have much experience teaching english and 'highly qualified' doesnt mean anything without being certified. You dont have IB experience which removes a bunch of high tier schools. Your pretty set on europe and you should be if since you have an EU passport. So basically what I see you being the best suited for is a SPED teacher in a top tier american school in europe. Thats a pretty competitive market, and a risky job search. It will pay off early in recruiting or it wont.
Dave Psyguy
Far be it from me to dispute the relentless tsunami of advice from our resident expert on recruitment (and it has to be said that if he is looking for a new job - posts passim - that would make it perhaps nine in nine years so he can claim some knowledge in this field), but I think, Regretzky, that you may wish to think this through a little more.
All of the best Asian schools will be at one or both of the Bangkok fairs (along with some outliers from Europe and South America). All of the best European schools will be at one or both of the London fairs (along with some outliers from Asia and South America). Many of these schools, along with the best South and Central American fairs will turn up to Boston and SF for SEARCH and ISS. Because of the schedule, quite a lot will also be able to go to UNI this year.
If you really want a job in Europe, your best bet is probably London. That becomes more true if you decide that your wife is going to try to find a job as well. There won't be many library positions posted (don't worry, there won't be many library candidates either), and if recruiters have a good candidate in London, they will appoint. Same applies to your field of Special Education. There are more jobs in this field than there are for librarians, since more and more schools are trying to establish - or improve - provision for students with learning challenges. If I saw a good special ed teacher in London, I wouldn't dream of waiting to Boston or SF. I would hire. It may be that you find yourself in Boston just before the fair looking at a bundle of vacancies in desirable schools, but when those schools finally get to the States, you could well see the number of available positions halve. Certainly, the chances that Special Ed jobs and Librarian posts are still available in the same school are unlikely.
That said, you could go to London and get nothing. Frankly, it's a gamble. My guess is that between 40-45% candidates at fairs get jobs there, so you need to be brave.
All of the best Asian schools will be at one or both of the Bangkok fairs (along with some outliers from Europe and South America). All of the best European schools will be at one or both of the London fairs (along with some outliers from Asia and South America). Many of these schools, along with the best South and Central American fairs will turn up to Boston and SF for SEARCH and ISS. Because of the schedule, quite a lot will also be able to go to UNI this year.
If you really want a job in Europe, your best bet is probably London. That becomes more true if you decide that your wife is going to try to find a job as well. There won't be many library positions posted (don't worry, there won't be many library candidates either), and if recruiters have a good candidate in London, they will appoint. Same applies to your field of Special Education. There are more jobs in this field than there are for librarians, since more and more schools are trying to establish - or improve - provision for students with learning challenges. If I saw a good special ed teacher in London, I wouldn't dream of waiting to Boston or SF. I would hire. It may be that you find yourself in Boston just before the fair looking at a bundle of vacancies in desirable schools, but when those schools finally get to the States, you could well see the number of available positions halve. Certainly, the chances that Special Ed jobs and Librarian posts are still available in the same school are unlikely.
That said, you could go to London and get nothing. Frankly, it's a gamble. My guess is that between 40-45% candidates at fairs get jobs there, so you need to be brave.
Good advice from my Search rep: go to the fair that has the most positions you're qualified for. Since you're really keen on Europe, that would certainly steer you to London. Last year while I was looking, I made a spreadsheet of schools, openings, and which fairs they were attending; when it came time to make a decision about which fair to go to, I just had to check the spreadsheet.
Comment
Thats probably the best advice I can give, is going to the fair with the most special ed positions. It doesnt matter how many schools are there, if they dont have SPED positions.
The real problem is that in Europe most schools dont know what their vacancies are going to be until May. The best fair is still the Bangkok fair as opposed to the London fair.
Your not really looking for a european school. Your looking for an american school, thats in europe, that has to hire EU passport holders. SPED is one of those subjects that doesnt cross borders like other classroom subjects. Do you know the terminology for UK SPED in UK schools? Their approaches, methods, etc? Im going to assume you dont. You want to be the special (EU) american in a room full of americans, not the yank/outsider with a passport.
The real problem is that in Europe most schools dont know what their vacancies are going to be until May. The best fair is still the Bangkok fair as opposed to the London fair.
Your not really looking for a european school. Your looking for an american school, thats in europe, that has to hire EU passport holders. SPED is one of those subjects that doesnt cross borders like other classroom subjects. Do you know the terminology for UK SPED in UK schools? Their approaches, methods, etc? Im going to assume you dont. You want to be the special (EU) american in a room full of americans, not the yank/outsider with a passport.