The International Schools Review Forum

Can you negotiate the length of a contract? I am wondering do they give the 2 year contract in the Middle east for visa purposes and should you want to leave it is not horrible as long as you give them notice.

20 years ago in Kuwait, the Ministry only recognized single- year contracts, but many schools still gave two-year initial contracts as they did not want teachers leaving after one year. Whether that's changed, I don't know.
But overall, the point is the same: schools really don't want people leaving after one year. It's not good for the school or the students.
As a recruiter, if an applicant wanted to negotiate to a shorter initial contract, my answer would be a polite and firm "no". And even if the applicant claimed to be willing to proceed with a two-year contract, I would have doubts, with the probable result that I wouldn't offer a job.

It would be strange for you to try and negotiate a 1 year contract instead of a 2 year contract or a 3 year contract instead of a 2 year contract. Then again, I wouldn't want to work for a school that only offered a 1 year contract nor a school that wanted me for 3 - unless it was for admin-type job...

Most contracts are 2 years for ITs and 3 years for leadership. There are one year contracts but they are uncommon.

I disagree with @Sid, while they may firmly decline any candidate who wont submit to a two year contract, you can certainly negotiate for a one year contract especially in hardship locations. If a recruiter is running short on time, youre in a field thats in demand and you have experience, expertise, and excellence (or some combination of those three) you can propose a one year contract and if the recruiter/leadership wants to walk they can pursue other candidates.

The issue is that if you're only on a one year contract, you'll be starting the next job search almost immediately once you actually start your job. To me, that would be pretty awful as you're trying to do your job you are already looking for another. Staying at a place for two years isn't that much better in my mind, but if it's the wrong place you do want to move on.

I'm suspicious of places that give a 3 year initial contract as it strikes me that they don't think people will stay past two years. I start to wonder what's wrong with the school that they fear a high turn over.

Eion

While the immediacy of a vacancy search may be an issue for some ITs, for others beginning a vacancy search immediately is not an issue. Many ITs maintain a continual vacancy search routine. For some ITs its not about moving on to the next country or moving up to the next tier. They are happy in whatever location they are in or they ignore higher tier ISs. For them focused efforts in their vacancy search dont start until much later in the recruiting cycle.

Three year contracts are common in leadership.

I was at a national school in Saudi Arabia that only offered one year contracts because they said that was the law but I also worked at an international school there (owned by the government) that offered 2 year contracts. So go figure.

At that Saudi national school breaking contract/wanting to resign before completing the year was regarded as heinous by the management. It was considered better to do a runner than officially resign and face the backlash.

In another ME country I was offered a 3 year contract from the get go precisely because they had a high turnover of staff (with good reason I soon discovered).

I think it would be unwise to try to negotiate an offered contract from 2 years to 1. It doesn't show commitment. If you are that unsure about being there choose a different location.

One year at a place on your resume doesn't look too good to recruiters either. I speak from experience. If your resume makes you look like a 'tourist' teacher you could miss out on some good oppotunities if they think you are just passing through.

@Nomad68

I would agree that a no name IS or a third tier IS that offered a three year inital contract would be some warning flags. There are some good ISs though that have three year contracts. There are plenty of train wreck third tier ISs that offer 2 year contracts.

Why would it be unwise, the worst the recruiter can say is no? This is a job, not a relationship. Further, ts a job your just starting and arent even there yet, what business does commitment have to do at that point. If you were dating someone and the other person started talking commitment before the first date, that would be cause for some concern.

I disagree if you had a 1 year contract and completed the one year contract and had a positive ref it doesnt matter how long the contract was. This isnt a long history of one year contracts its one appointment that lasted one year, just say thats what the IS offered for some various policy or legal reason. The LW isnt to the point of asking how many one year appointments can I have before it looks bad.

I'm not an administrator, but I am a department head. From that point of view I can say that people who stay for only one year, and even often people who are 2-and-done, are damaging to schools and the students, because it doesn't take long before they are checked out. (Obviously exceptions, but that's the general rule from what I've seen).

@chilagringa

So ITs should delay their careers, and endure an undesirable location or IS, because leadership or ownership cant incentivize ITs for longer contracts and thus martyr themselves for "the students/school", ss that your HOD position?

Well, I work at a good school... if I worked somewhere crappy maybe my position would change. But yes, that's my position. If someone only stays a 2 year contract, it's only 1.5 years before they start thinking about the next thing, and that often means checking out.

I mean obviously someone has the right to move on after two years if they want. BUT if I were an admin I would be skeptical of someone who sounds like they are going to be two and done.

@chilagringa

So its a good IS to you, or you absolutely speak for all ITs globally that its a universally accepted "good" IS, understanding that even elite tier ISs have their critics.