My husband and I are looking to teach abroad for the 2013-2014 school year. What are odds of obtaining a position overseas? We are open to teaching in a variety of locations and want to be able to travel some and save some money ($20,000 a year)
Husband- Social Studies teacher for 13 year (including AP courses and curriculum design. 3 years experience in IB (1 year a history teacher at the MYP level, 2 years experience as MYP/DP Coordinator and TOK Teacher at the high school level). In addition, he has attended 3-4 IB specific trainings.
Myself - High School Guidance Counselor with 8 years experience. Certified K-12. However, I do not have any direct IB experience.
Together we run The College Prep Academy, which helps students in our area prepare for college, get accepted to college, and gain funding for college tuition. Currently, we have 29 active students in our program. We only work with local area high school students. We have been running this business for 5 years.
We also have three children, ages 7, 6, and 4
Any advice you have would be welcome...thank you
What do you think our odds are? Teaching Couple w/ 3
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lderickson
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:40 am
Yumm
I was salivating at your resume and then of course I got to the deal breakers, or more accurately challenges.
First, am i correct in understanding that this academy of yours youve been doing for the last 5 years, means the two of you have been out of the classroom for 5 years?
You are platinum (which is better then gold), seriously you are the perfect type of counselor. There was a lot of demand for counselors last year and mainly for counselors with college advising experience and you have 5 years of that. Thats pretty rare. Basically your the front card as a couple.
Hubby isnt much of a problem either, and humanities is a pretty common vacancy so really you just need to find a counselor vacancy, and the humanities vacancy will be resolved by the school (they either have one, or they would make one). The only issue with hubby is that he hasnt been in the classroom for 5 years, that might be a deal breaker.
Then I got to your kids. This raises a whole lot of problems, your just a really expensive hire, and while your really qualified, your going to hear a lot of "were waiting" from recruiters. I know you said your open to a range of places but some realities are:
1) In asia finding a 4 bedroom will be difficult, especially in smaller communities. Many schools that supply housing directly, simply dont have apartments that big.
2) Western Europe would be VERY expensive for you. You dont get a housing allowance (and a 4 bedroom would easily eat up one salary alone). You also have high taxes on average of about 40% and you have to pay taxes on your tuition scholarships/waivers, and each one of those will cost you another months salary.
This would be different (and changes things)for an elite school, which is a possibility with your resumes.
The nagging feeling I have is i read this see youve been out of the classroom for 5 years and have your own consulting business, and my first impression is that your not educators, but your tourists, who are looking at teaching as a means to travel and show the kids the world.
First, am i correct in understanding that this academy of yours youve been doing for the last 5 years, means the two of you have been out of the classroom for 5 years?
You are platinum (which is better then gold), seriously you are the perfect type of counselor. There was a lot of demand for counselors last year and mainly for counselors with college advising experience and you have 5 years of that. Thats pretty rare. Basically your the front card as a couple.
Hubby isnt much of a problem either, and humanities is a pretty common vacancy so really you just need to find a counselor vacancy, and the humanities vacancy will be resolved by the school (they either have one, or they would make one). The only issue with hubby is that he hasnt been in the classroom for 5 years, that might be a deal breaker.
Then I got to your kids. This raises a whole lot of problems, your just a really expensive hire, and while your really qualified, your going to hear a lot of "were waiting" from recruiters. I know you said your open to a range of places but some realities are:
1) In asia finding a 4 bedroom will be difficult, especially in smaller communities. Many schools that supply housing directly, simply dont have apartments that big.
2) Western Europe would be VERY expensive for you. You dont get a housing allowance (and a 4 bedroom would easily eat up one salary alone). You also have high taxes on average of about 40% and you have to pay taxes on your tuition scholarships/waivers, and each one of those will cost you another months salary.
This would be different (and changes things)for an elite school, which is a possibility with your resumes.
The nagging feeling I have is i read this see youve been out of the classroom for 5 years and have your own consulting business, and my first impression is that your not educators, but your tourists, who are looking at teaching as a means to travel and show the kids the world.
QSI will accept families with up to four children. That could be your foot in the door. I know several families working for QSI who have 3-4 children, and they were hired no problem.
I've also noticed that schools in less popular places will sometimes accept up to 3 children. I've been looking at school in Bangladesh and one in Sri Lanka that both say they'll take 3 children. So perhaps you won't find a job in your favorite country ever, but there's still a chance of finding a job.
I've also noticed that schools in less popular places will sometimes accept up to 3 children. I've been looking at school in Bangladesh and one in Sri Lanka that both say they'll take 3 children. So perhaps you won't find a job in your favorite country ever, but there's still a chance of finding a job.
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lderickson
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:40 am
To answer your question - my husband has been teaching simulataneously the entire time. We run our College Prep Academy as a side business to help students get into college. I, however, have not been in the school setting for 2 years. I have started my own business here in the United States and have taken the business from zero to over 150,000 in revenue in 3 years. I am now in the position to hire someone to run the business state side while we pursue our plan to teach abroad.
What about 3 bedroom housing? Is that more available? Our boys currently share a room, and actually perfer to do so...
What about 3 bedroom housing? Is that more available? Our boys currently share a room, and actually perfer to do so...
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lderickson
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:40 am
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lderickson
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:40 am
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trebleclef
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:53 am
lderickson: My husband and I are currently teaching at a QSI school in Central Asia. We have two children. QSI pays for 100% of their tuition at our school, and has excellent health insurance, as well. We have found QSI to be professional, trustworthy, organized, and efficient. The city and country we are in seems to be somewhat of a hidden gem, and the school is wonderful; it is a truly international community with students from the many embassies in the city, as well as local students. Is the pay spectacular? Not by any means. But we are living comfortably, housed (paid for by QSI) in a spacious apartment in a city where public transportation is easy and cost of living is remarkably low. The savings potential is solid, for sure. If you can be open to teaching somewhere you never even considered to be on your dream location list, you may be pleasantly surprised.
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lderickson
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:40 am
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trebleclef
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:53 am
That's good...one of the keys to getting your foot in the door to international teaching is flexibility. We applied directly through the QSI website, yes. Not having admin experience, I can't comment on your qualifications, but we both have MA degrees in our fields and had each been teaching for 10 years in the US. The MA degrees didn't seem to be a big factor, but the fact that I also have AP experience helped me get the position I did. QSI likes hiring married teaching couples.
Reply
Three bedroom housing is more available in general, but it really depends on where you go. Even a three bedroom would be pricy.
I don't endorse QSI, they still have issues that for being around as long as they have, they haven't worked out.
I don't endorse QSI, they still have issues that for being around as long as they have, they haven't worked out.
QSI attends all the major job fairs for Search, ISS and UNI. They require face-to-face interviews, though not necessarily at a job fair. If you meet them outside of a job fair and they hire you, they will reimburse you up to a point for the cost of the trip.
We've enjoyed working for QSI so far. This is our second year here. Our particular school has a very good reputation and the school is growing very quickly. We are generally well resourced and have interactive white boards in every classroom. The pay, once you add in all the bonuses and cost of living allowances, is not terrible. We are paying off loans, traveling, and saving some money.
Overall, I don't think it's a bad organization to work for. That being said, they have many schools. A lot of it comes down to where you're working and who you're working for. Most teachers who end up in Kazakhstan end up desperate to leave. (We are not in Kazakhstan.)
We've enjoyed working for QSI so far. This is our second year here. Our particular school has a very good reputation and the school is growing very quickly. We are generally well resourced and have interactive white boards in every classroom. The pay, once you add in all the bonuses and cost of living allowances, is not terrible. We are paying off loans, traveling, and saving some money.
Overall, I don't think it's a bad organization to work for. That being said, they have many schools. A lot of it comes down to where you're working and who you're working for. Most teachers who end up in Kazakhstan end up desperate to leave. (We are not in Kazakhstan.)
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lderickson
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:40 am
I have been less than complimentary regarding QSI in previous posts but distance brings clarity and as you will soon discover no matter how shiny a school's reputation may be or how well resourced or the size of the salary and package all schools have their weaknesses.
QSI would be a pretty good option for your family as a start on the international circuit. As stated in many of the posts above, they don't hesitate to take 3 kids. In addition, they pay on time, they have a benefit package that has some unique features, they pay for housing, and have schools in Eastern Europe.
There were some academic issues involving the Mastery learning model and the A or B assessment policy when I was with them but I will let someone with more recent experience talk to those.
As parents this is going to be a big decision for you to make, not only whether you are going overseas but also which schools you might be interested in. Good luck in your search and decision making.
QSI would be a pretty good option for your family as a start on the international circuit. As stated in many of the posts above, they don't hesitate to take 3 kids. In addition, they pay on time, they have a benefit package that has some unique features, they pay for housing, and have schools in Eastern Europe.
There were some academic issues involving the Mastery learning model and the A or B assessment policy when I was with them but I will let someone with more recent experience talk to those.
As parents this is going to be a big decision for you to make, not only whether you are going overseas but also which schools you might be interested in. Good luck in your search and decision making.
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lderickson
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:40 am
lderickson, of course I can only really speak for the school I'm at, as well as pass on information from teachers who have worked at other QSI schools and then transferred to ours.
Yes, we have a child with us. She is fully covered under our health insurance plan. We don't even have to pay for vaccinations. And yes, we have a three bedroom apartment. The school will give you an apartment based on the size of your family. With three children, you would get at least a three bedroom apartment. Most teachers in this particular location have three bedroom apartments, even the single teachers. Some have four bedrooms, because they convert an office into a bedroom.
I would not hesitate to send my child to this particular school. The quality of the education, the teachers, and the after school activities are all excellent and getting better every day. But again, I can only speak for this school. I would NOT send my child to school in Kazakhstan, but that's personal preference. The school could be amazing, but I still wouldn't want to live there with a child. But some do and are perfectly fine. It comes down to what you can personally tolerate.
Yes, we have a child with us. She is fully covered under our health insurance plan. We don't even have to pay for vaccinations. And yes, we have a three bedroom apartment. The school will give you an apartment based on the size of your family. With three children, you would get at least a three bedroom apartment. Most teachers in this particular location have three bedroom apartments, even the single teachers. Some have four bedrooms, because they convert an office into a bedroom.
I would not hesitate to send my child to this particular school. The quality of the education, the teachers, and the after school activities are all excellent and getting better every day. But again, I can only speak for this school. I would NOT send my child to school in Kazakhstan, but that's personal preference. The school could be amazing, but I still wouldn't want to live there with a child. But some do and are perfectly fine. It comes down to what you can personally tolerate.