The International Schools Review Forum

Looking for some advice about the following topics, please. Thanks so much!

1. Can you recommend an international relocation company? We are moving from the States to Europe and will be looking to do just a small air shipment.

2. We are in a state that requires renewing our teaching license every 5 years. I have heard that there are other states that you can just "park" your license. Recommendations?

Often cheaper to take it with you as excess luggage. When we moved to Europe many years ago we took an extra 6 bags/boxes with us. At today's costs, that's 600 bucks and you don't have to clear customs freight - you just grab it at the carousel and hit the green lane.

Agree with shadowjack!


It's a simple question that has many complicated answers. In general, if you're not sure, go in with less and assess the situation. What you think you "need" you might find you don't, and you will find that other things that you never thought of would become important. Definitely look into excess baggage. We live in Brazil and shipping in is incredibly difficult. Our family of 4 brought in 24 bags (we get 8 free) and it was so much cheaper and less hassle than shipping!

mamava wrote:
> Agree with shadowjack!
>
>
> It's a simple question that has many complicated answers. In general, if
> you're not sure, go in with less and assess the situation. What you think
> you "need" you might find you don't, and you will find that other
> things that you never thought of would become important. Definitely look
> into excess baggage. We live in Brazil and shipping in is incredibly
> difficult. Our family of 4 brought in 24 bags (we get 8 free) and it was
> so much cheaper and less hassle than shipping!
======================
If you really feel that your family's transition and quality of life will be enhanced by bringing more stuff then you should do it. We have shipped 2-3 cubic meters of belongings a few times (between 20-40 boxes). The last time we used Seven Seas. There are going to be frustrations and grief with whoever you use (it seems to be the nature of the beast and the fact that whoever you contract with is using someone else's trucks, ships, planes etc at some point) but all of our stuff got to where we were in mostly one piece. I want to say that 3 cubic meters was around $1200 in total. Not cheap/free but it was important for our family and would do it again (but will not have to since luckily our current employer will move us anywhere in the world, car, furniture and all as one of the perks).

As for the certificate we have just kept ours in our home state and take two classes every five years to renew. Our current employer also requires two classes every 5 years so it's not really an issue (and it shows prospective employers that you are doing some type of self-directed PD). I am sure someone will come along and post about the different states' certification requirements.

I agree... Just take the 2 recert classes every 5 years. They usually are not bad and you learn a little something along the way.

I would strongly consider just taking excess baggage, its easier, and more convenient (accept for the hauling of baggage through the airports).
As far as Air Freight providers I also recommend Seven Seas as @WT123. They would be my choice for container shipping. The other options I would point you towards are WCS (World Class Shipping) is more pricey but does more hand holding and AIT which is cheaper but you are pretty much on your own. Seven Seas is in the middle. You will have to contend with customs for all of them which can have very different experiences depending on your destination in the EU, my experience is that the EU is easier than some parts of Asia. Still, Id take excess baggage especially if your IS is in the same city you are flying too.

The two states that you want to look at for transferring your license are CA and NJ. CA is the gold standard in USNC. However CA has some esoteric requirements, mainly that for practical purposes you need a Masters (CA doesnt accept outside CA PD, and rarely have the 150 credit UG degree). In addition you would have to add an ESOL endorsment to your current credential. CA requires renewal every 5 years but there is no PD requirement, you just pay the fee and complete the web application.
NJ is much simpler if you have two years of current experience (CA also requires 2 years of experience, though it need not be current) than you can get the NJ standard (advance grade credential). If you do not have the experience minimums you can still receive the CEAS (professional grade credential) assuming you completed an ITT/EPP program and completed a recognized assessment (such as PRAXIS). Both the standard and the CEAS are lifetime credentials that never need renewing and never expire.

Thanks for all the advice! After talking it over with Mr. L we have decided to go the baggage overload route. Thankfully we are living close to the airport we fly into. It looks like there are enough furnished housing options that we won't need too much stuff and minimalism seems the way to go. I hadn't even thought of this and the companies you recommended cost so much more than I expected - draining too much of the relocation budget. I figure if we don't need it for the three months it's shipping we probably can do without it in generally. Simplifying was one of our hopes for relocating - now to convince my young children to get rid of a bunch of toys. Wish me luck! :)

In terms of the license - thanks for the heads up about CA and NJ. We're not opposed to PD and usually have more than we need within just a couple years because we value it. However, our state dept. of education is notoriously inept and increased the costs to renew the license. It seemed more practical to park them some place since we do not plan on returning to our current state, if we return to the States at all.

I really appreciate all the advice and support. This site has been a wonderful help!

You can also plan to send some things ahead depending on your location, so that they arrive more or less when you need them. For example you could send your spring wardrobe ahead in advance and it will be there well before you need it (assuming your location has four seasons). You can do the same thing with some select toys.

If cost savings is the issue NJ is the way to go. Once your NJ Standard credential is issued, you never need to contact or pay the state of NJ again, whereas in CA you would still need to renew and pay a fee, though there is no PD requirement.

Thanks!

There's a lot of great information about getting hired on this site, but I'm wondering if there's a list of things to be done between accepting a position and starting the new job - especially geared for first time ITs? I'm going to be keeping track of what I need to take care of for the school, but a list for the general moving process might be helpful, too. If anyone has one, I'd appreciate the information! Thanks

You'll find articles on this topic and related blogs in the Articles and Info section of the site.

Here is a useful article

Get Ready to Move Overseas
https://internationalschoolsreviewdiscu ... -overseas/

@Lebenstraum

Do you mean as far as packing and what to bring, or do you mean what to have ready in a negotiation?

We've already accepted positions so no more negotiations, but this is our first international move. Beyond getting rid of tons of our stuff, selling our house, and finishing up at our current jobs, I am worried that I might be forgetting something. Things I have been thinking about:
Banking/Credit Cards - do you have ones from home and one in the new country?
What to take - we will be looking for furnished or part-furnished, but anything you wish you had brought with you?
Suggestions for helping make this a smooth transition for my kids (around kindergarten age)?
Thanks!

I travel lite, checked baggage and my carryon. To start it really depends where your going, and how big of a city your headed too. My suggestion list:

1) Medical: You dont know when your health insurance is going to kick in, when youll have a chance to see a doctor, and a lot of other factors. Generally medication is MUCH cheaper out of the states. Have your prescriptions written in their chemical/empirical formulation (Tylenol is not Acetaminophen its Paracetamol). Have your doctor write a letter listing all your medications, dosages, and what you take them for. Have your doctor stamp it with their department of health stamp. Have your optometrist do the same for your glasses/contact lens. If you use contacts research in advance whats available. Some of the newer lenses arent available yet in many places. Having that little white prescription slip, just isnt the same. Some places require a medical examination and blood work for a visa/work permit. Talk with your school about this in advance, some schools will want you to have it done in advance some schools will take you to a clinic when you arrive. Understand that many Asian countries will not admit you if you have HIV or TB (thats the reason for the blood work and chest x-ray). You might want to have a physical before you leave and a letter about any chronic or current medical conditions you have. Im on the fence about vaccinations. Im vaccinated against everything practically, but unless your teaching out in a very rural or undeveloped area (such as a jungle) about the only thing id really recommend is hep a and hep b. If your traveling to Africa you HAVE to have a yellow fever vaccination, even if the area isnt endemic now, you dont know how it will change.

2) Documentation: Bring AND have uploaded a copy of your contract, work permit, airline itinerary, passport, drivers license (including international driving permit/IDP). You should also have copies of your kids birth certificates and your marriage certificate (as well as their passports and other documents).
If your planing on driving in your new country you might need an IDP. They are only good for a year, but Ive heard people get and pay for 2 of them and just have them dated for subsequent years. That said if your REALLY going to drive you need to get a local license at some point, try to AVOID giving them your USA drivers license as in some countries they find their way on the black market. Your passport is the most important document, and you should register with the nearest embassy/consulate in your area when you arrive. Avoid walking around with your passport, yes you can be asked for it anytime, but the only time you really HAVE to have it is when your going to the bank, checking into a hotel, going to the consulate and registering at the police/immigration office. The rest of the time carry a photo copy of the ID page and your visa page. If you ever get stopped and asked why you dont have the original tell them your very sorry, and you didnt know, but loosing your passport is a time consuming and expensive process, you have to replace the passport AND the visa. Once you get a PR/or alien registration card, carry that with you. Lastly have copies of important banking, including credit card numbers and checking account and routing (ISBN and SWIFT) numbers if you have bills back home to pay or plan on doing a wire transfer.
I would also bring a sealed copy of your transcripts and a notarized copy of your degree.

3) Personal care: So basically unless your really brand loyal to a certain product (shampoo, shaving cream, makeup, razor blade) you can most likely find a local available brand. If your happy with any shampoo for instance you will be fine. When you start getting picky thats when you have problems. Most stores will have one (maybe 2) international brands and unless you understand the language you will recognize them from their packaging. These tend to be the most expensive as well. Some things are just not available (if you use a new razor, you might not be able to find the blade refills), in which case you have to consider the cost of ordering them online or having someone back home send them to you, or switching. Its very impractical except for small things that have a long reuse time to bring enough of something for a whole year (things like soap, shampoo, mouthwash, etc). Ive had several ethnic coworkers who were very unhappy they couldnt get certain hair care products.
Personally, the two things i have trouble with finding are antiperspirant and contact lenses. I use to have a problem finding rubbing alchohol, but then i just bought a bottle of 180 proof grain alchohol and problem solved.
Woman have it harder, guys need like a dozen things tops woman seem to amass a never ending number of bath/beauty stuff (i had a teacher this year who couldnt find a ped egg, (i dont know what that is), but took her months to stop complaining about it). If you HAVE to have proactive or some other very specific bathroom thing, you need to find out if its available and then decide if its important enough to you to order and ship overseas. Lastly, if you ever need to find something the airport may have a shop that carries your specific item, and also try asking or checking at one of the international hotels in your area. Sometimes the concierge can direct you to a supplier, or you may find that a shop in the surrounding area has it. You may also be surprised what you can buy from a hotel directly. I had the hardest time finding frosted flakes and was at a hotel brunch once that had frosted flakes, and then talked to the restaurant manager who was happy to sell me boxes of it (though it was expensive).

On a side note hotels are AMAZING resources. Need to send an international fax, no problem. Need something translated, they can do that. Want to go for a swim, ask about a daily facility pass. Want a bottle of Moscatto, the wine steward can take care of you. Need a haircut with someone who understand English, they probably have a salon, and if they dont have it, they can tell you where to find it. Want to find a certain place, walk up to a hotels front desk and say your sorry but your trying to get to such and such place and they will write the name of the place down on the back of a business card in the local language then write the name of the place in English on the front and show the card to a cab driver.

4) Clothes: It should be no surprise, that you should find out the weather on your region and plan according, (you will not need a lot of sweaters in Singapore, but you will need a light jacket, sweater or wrap. Outside Singapore is hot and humid but INSIDE the air-con is set at 65-70). Some places have wet seasons where everyday you need an umbrella, dont bring one but buy one there. Check or ask about your schools dress code, some schools are fine with casual dress (khakis and shirt), some expect business attire (shirt/tie/jacket). As far as wardrobe stick with one or at max two themes. Blacks and neutrals work well for me., these type of overall themes are easy to adapt with accessories (Its easier to bring one black suit, and 5 ties, then 5 black suits and one tie). Woman have the hardest time with this because they have "outfits" that are composed of individual pieces that dont work with anything else in their wardrobe. Thats a lot of space for one days cloths. I think everyone should have one stunning piece and thats it. Understand that you may or may not have a washer and dryer. You will likely have access to a washer, but in a number of countries they dont use have dryer, you line dry your cloths. As such you should bring clothes that are machine washable, and anti wrinkle or no iron. Plan your wardrobe for longevity. There is little use in bringing 20 pairs of socks, socks are cheap and easy to find. Same thing with button down shirts and other "basics".

The only two things that are must haves are 1) large sized shoes (above a 10) and large cupped bras (above a B) are next to impossible to find in a lot of asian countries. if your loyal (or your kids) are to "American" brand anything like A&F, Aeropostale, Hollister, etc, those brands are not likely to be available locally, or at very high (almost couture) prices. 2) Deodorant/Antiperspirant. Asians dont sweat like some Caucasians do. If your one of those people that will soak a shirt in perspiration after 30 minutes in the heat buy a lot of t-shirts when you get there, but bring whatever your deodorant/antiperspirant is. Even if the brand is available locally its likely not the same formula. Most of the stuff you find in Asia is deodorant (it covers up the smell), but isnt an anti-perspirant (reduces the amount of perspiration you do).

5) Electronics: Bring your laptop, tablet, etc. Make sure you brink the adapter and a plug convertor. Be wary of other computer devices, most of them will need transformers and things like hard drives could easily short or overload. Things like hard drives, scanners, printers, are affordable and readily available. Of course if you need the hard drive because of the data, then you need it.
Smart phones are a maybe, if you have a GSM phone and can get it unlocked then bring it. If your on Verizon, or Sprint or other CDMA carrier, know that most of the rest of the world uses GSM, and your phone isnt likely to work. Maybe if you have a high end SLR camera, and wont settle for a phone camera bring that (but thats a lot of bulk). Aside from that the only other thing id recommend are an electric razor (if its dual power). Hairdryers and other small electronics are generally inexpensive cheap.
DVD's are a maybe, on one hand you can watch them on your laptop, and there isnt likely to be a lot of English language or American programing. Everywhere Ive gone there has been only a couple channels. That said region 1 DVD (USA) probably wonk work in a foreign DVD player, and an American DVD player (NTSC) is not going to support a foreign video standards. In many asian countries DVDs can be DIRT cheap, like $.25-$.50 each (yeah they are counterfeit), but thats the way it is.

6) Personal Items: I always travel with a very high quality chefs knife, its hand made (I made it) and it almost never needs more than honing (Ive had it sharpened once). Why? I can cook stirfry or pasta and a sauce in any pot, but I cant reduce vegetables or other raw food with a cheap knife that has no edge. I personally would pass on the spices. Ive yet been to any location I cant get what i want, sometimes it takes a while or I just buy from a hotel (pricey) but my spice need are generally basic: salt (some regions have a wide variety of salt) pepper, oregano, basil, rosemary and cinnamon. I do have a weakness for vanilla bean and saffron, but id prefer to buy them local then take them with me.
If there are items you really really are attached to and you can get them in your baggage than fine. Keep it to a minimum though. Try to minimize any valuables such as jewelry, watches, etc. A man needs a wedding ring and a wrist watch. A woman her wedding band, necklace and a watch. Thats it.

In regards to linens, if you bring them because you want high quality sheets, bring flat sheets (the ones without elastic) as opposed to fitted sheets (the ones with elastic) fitted sheets are multipurpose you can use a flat sheet as a fitted sheet by tucking the access material under the mattress. Fitted sheets may basically not fit. Skip the towels entirely, they take up to much room and you can buy them cheaply.
As for pots/pans, im not that much a foodie, but the space they take up isnt worth it, you can get quality items just about anywhere. There is going to be a restaurant supply store that sells cheap but high quality items.

Thanks!! This is exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate the advice!