Casablanca ? What is it the cost of living ? Schools ?

[John]

Hello,

Can anyone tell me what the cost of living is like in Casablanca ?

Has anyone for the International American School in Rabat or the American Academy Casablanca ?

[John]

Sorry....
I meant "has anyone worked for these schools...I was typing too fast !

Also does anyone have any information life in Morocco ?
What is it like living in Rabat ?
Casablanca ?

[NEW Guest]

Hi John,

Be careful about making any typing or grammatical errors on this website because there are many out there who will jump all over you for that!

Rabat is by far the better school and by the way, there are some posts about NARMER AMERICAN COLLEGE; I would avoid it!

[John]

Okay....
I will keep in mind what was said about Narmer.

What about the cost of living in Morocco ?
Is food expensive ?
Is Casablance an interesting place ?

[Teacher Teacher]

I worked at CAS for two years and I loved Morocco. Casablanca isn?t the most interesting or beautiful place in Morocco, but there are many nice places to spend your time there. I lived about 20 km south of Casa on the beach. Traveling in Morocco is amazingly beautiful and diverse. Your ability to save money depends on your lifestyle. I didn?t save anything, but I enjoyed my life there.

[been there]

Morocco is a wonderful country. People are great, culture is magical and facinating. Cost of living can be quite cheap. The locals live on an average daily salary of 50-100Dirhams (about .50-$1). It costs more to live as a foreigner. I spent on average $500 US per month for two people for food, utility bills, transportation, entertainment, clothes etc. and lived quite well.
Casablanca, unless you're just there for business, is a terrible city to live in. It's very crowded, traffic everywhere, extremely polluted and does not reflect the real beauty of the country.
CAS is a good school to work for....caution re: the others. Head for the hills or Rabat for better living and happiness.

[Gwen]

Could you PLEASE write a school review if you have taught at any of these schools ???? It would be of great help to us......

Morocco is a wonderful country. People are great, culture is magical and facinating. Cost of living can be quite cheap. The locals live on an average daily salary of 50-100Dirhams (about .50-$1). It costs more to live as a foreigner. I spent on average $500 US per month for two people for food, utility bills, transportation, entertainment, clothes etc. and lived quite well.
Casablanca, unless you're just there for business, is a terrible city to live in. It's very crowded, traffic everywhere, extremely polluted and does not reflect the real beauty of the country.
CAS is a good school to work for....caution re: the others. Head for the hills or Rabat for better living and happiness.

[Gwen again]

What do you mean by "caution re: the others " ???? What about the new school they are starting in Agadir ??? (American International School of Agadir...or the one in Marrakesh ?)
We would be greatful for any input

______________________________________

Morocco is a wonderful country. People are great, culture is magical and facinating. Cost of living can be quite cheap. The locals live on an average daily salary of 50-100Dirhams (about .50-$1). It costs more to live as a foreigner. I spent on average $500 US per month for two people for food, utility bills, transportation, entertainment, clothes etc. and lived quite well.
Casablanca, unless you're just there for business, is a terrible city to live in. It's very crowded, traffic everywhere, extremely polluted and does not reflect the real beauty of the country.
CAS is a good school to work for....caution re: the others. Head for the hills or Rabat for better living and happiness.

[ifrane]

Anyone has taught/lived near ifrane? any info about the school called akhawayn? cheers,

[been there]

gwen, post an address where I can contact you off the international web, and I'll be happy to share more info. There are things I'd wish I had known but there's no need to share with a huge audience unless you are serious about going there.

[Gwen]

ISR is anonymous.
I prefer to read any reviews or comments in here.
PLease do share your experiences, if you can ....
Best Wishes.

gwen, post an address where I can contact you off the international web, and I'll be happy to share more info. There are things I'd wish I had known but there's no need to share with a huge audience unless you are serious about going there.

[been there]

Gwen
The reason is that Casablanca has a pretty small teaching community and while my name is not attached, those who are there would have some idea. I still have ties there and believe some things, so as not to harm a reputation of a teaching institution, don't need to be available to the world wide prospective teachers association. Not a big deal. Good luck

[John]

Cheers !!

Can you comment on any aspect of life about teaching in Casablanca ?
You could write in general terms and still preserve the reputation of your school if that's what worries you ?
Just a suggestion.

The reason is that Casablanca has a pretty small teaching community and while my name is not attached, those who are there would have some idea. I still have ties there and believe some things, so as not to harm a reputation of a teaching institution, don't need to be available to the world wide prospective teachers association. Not a big deal. Good luck

[Moroccan Tchng Experience]

Rabat is the best of the cities to live and teach in in Morocco in the opinion of most. Having said that, Rabat American School doesn't have the resources that the bigger Asian schools have. What it does have is a FABULOUS elementary principal, Kathy Morabet, who, because she was formerly a teacher, understands the teacher's perspective, but is also a very effective communicator with parents as well. The secondary school leadership has not been as strong, and discipline and the work ethic in the high school is spotty--as is the case in many schools with a high local student population from wealthy families. Salaries at Rabat American School are significantly higher than those in Casablanca. I haven't taught in Casablanca, but I have met many of the teachers, and I felt that the school's standards and expectations were not as high as those in Rabat. Ifrane is a smaller school which has all the challenges that smaller schools face everywhere. It is located in a lovely area which is higher in the mountains, and gets snow in the winters (unlike Rabat or Casablanca or Marrakesh or Tangier). If you like big city nightlife, you won't find it there, although it isn't far from Fez, which is a fascinating, very old city. Morocco has fabulous climate, and is relatively pollution-free. The Muslim religion in Morocco is moderate. Though there are the occasional demonstrations, Americans do not feel disliked, though their president and the war in Iraq are universally condemned. I know that Casablanca American School lost its well-loved administrator this year. I sense that there are undercurrents of dissatisfaction about the school, but, again, I don't know any particulars, and don't know if they are sufficient reasons for not signing a contract there. There are some truly despicable overseas schools who recruit teachers; this is not one of them.

[gizmo]

CAS does not offer a good salary or benefits like Rabat. Current leadership of CAS upper and lower school principals is rated average by most. New director has many challenges ahead of him.

Rabat is the best of the cities to live and teach in in Morocco in the opinion of most. Having said that, Rabat American School doesn't have the resources that the bigger Asian schools have. What it does have is a FABULOUS elementary principal, Kathy Morabet, who, because she was formerly a teacher, understands the teacher's perspective, but is also a very effective communicator with parents as well. The secondary school leadership has not been as strong, and discipline and the work ethic in the high school is spotty--as is the case in many schools with a high local student population from wealthy families. Salaries at Rabat American School are significantly higher than those in Casablanca. I haven't taught in Casablanca, but I have met many of the teachers, and I felt that the school's standards and expectations were not as high as those in Rabat. Ifrane is a smaller school which has all the challenges that smaller schools face everywhere. It is located in a lovely area which is higher in the mountains, and gets snow in the winters (unlike Rabat or Casablanca or Marrakesh or Tangier). If you like big city nightlife, you won't find it there, although it isn't far from Fez, which is a fascinating, very old city. Morocco has fabulous climate, and is relatively pollution-free. The Muslim religion in Morocco is moderate. Though there are the occasional demonstrations, Americans do not feel disliked, though their president and the war in Iraq are universally condemned. I know that Casablanca American School lost its well-loved administrator this year. I sense that there are undercurrents of dissatisfaction about the school, but, again, I don't know any particulars, and don't know if they are sufficient reasons for not signing a contract there. There are some truly despicable overseas schools who recruit teachers; this is not one of them.