Have any of you ever left a position at one school at the end of your contract where you were paid very well, but professionally were not very happy to take a position at your dream school on a 1 year maternity leave fill in contract?
How often do these maternity leave fill-ins turn into something longer at the top tier larger schools?
Can you negotiate for more pay, or more relocation assistance on these 1 year maternity leave fill in contracts?
Just curious if others out there have been in this boat and what the outcome was for them.
What would you do?
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Im sorry but most cover positions really are temporary. The person is gone on maternity or medical and comes back to their job. Sometimes a matching vacancy occurs and you can move into a similar position (this happens most often with ELL). Really most schools hire a cover teacher because they were available, and the teacher wouldnt otherwise be their top choice had the position been a traditional recruited position.
Some schools will hire a "cover" teacher when there really isnt any cover, they just want to try the teacher out.
More salary no, but you can usually get a bigger flight allowance, if the school doesnt buy the ticket directly. You also can usually get a longer temporary housing accommodation, usually up too and around a month.
Ive had a lot of cover positions, its a pretty big chunk of my international career. In one I was offered a contract for the following year, but didnt take it. In another (early in my career) I renewed the contract for another year. In every single one of them the original teacher returned.
Some schools will hire a "cover" teacher when there really isnt any cover, they just want to try the teacher out.
More salary no, but you can usually get a bigger flight allowance, if the school doesnt buy the ticket directly. You also can usually get a longer temporary housing accommodation, usually up too and around a month.
Ive had a lot of cover positions, its a pretty big chunk of my international career. In one I was offered a contract for the following year, but didnt take it. In another (early in my career) I renewed the contract for another year. In every single one of them the original teacher returned.
So PsyGuy, are you saying then that you weren't the schools first choice and are just a filler teacher because none of the schools you've worked at would ever consider you full time?
I think the answer to this question is that it depends. I'm wondering if you are a single teacher, or of you have a family? I highly doubt that a top tier school would invest the money to bring you out at their cost if you have a family if they didn't think that you could turn into a long term provider at their school. That just doesn't make any bit of business sense.
I'd like Walter and others to chime in here with their opinions.
I think the answer to this question is that it depends. I'm wondering if you are a single teacher, or of you have a family? I highly doubt that a top tier school would invest the money to bring you out at their cost if you have a family if they didn't think that you could turn into a long term provider at their school. That just doesn't make any bit of business sense.
I'd like Walter and others to chime in here with their opinions.
Dear BlueJay
1) Not many schools would plan to have an overseas hire come out for one year to do a maternity cover. In most locations, there is someone local who can fill in for a year.
2) A one year OSH with dependents would strike me as a big NO - and moreso if any of those dependents were children who would expect free schooling.
3) It is true to say that often one year short term posts can become permanent posts. Vacancies come up every year (even in the top schools despite Dave Psyguys imaginings), and if you have impressed in your cover, then why wouldn't the school hire you? However, you need to be careful that your cover was as an OSH. If you were hired as a local yourself it would be very hard ever to get OSH status.
4) This idea that you can negotiate extra pay or relocation deals with top schools is more fantasy I'm afraid. Why would such schools feel the need to do that? Why would they risk offending other members of faculty by giving better deals to some rather than others? In good international schools, that salary business is always a potential source of tension, which is why school heads do their utmost to be fair and transparent.
5) That said, I'd happily bust my salary scale to hire Dave Psyguy and his harem of girlfriends from around the globe. Just imagine having a daily caberet to look forward to!
2) A one year OSH with dependents would strike me as a big NO - and moreso if any of those dependents were children who would expect free schooling.
3) It is true to say that often one year short term posts can become permanent posts. Vacancies come up every year (even in the top schools despite Dave Psyguys imaginings), and if you have impressed in your cover, then why wouldn't the school hire you? However, you need to be careful that your cover was as an OSH. If you were hired as a local yourself it would be very hard ever to get OSH status.
4) This idea that you can negotiate extra pay or relocation deals with top schools is more fantasy I'm afraid. Why would such schools feel the need to do that? Why would they risk offending other members of faculty by giving better deals to some rather than others? In good international schools, that salary business is always a potential source of tension, which is why school heads do their utmost to be fair and transparent.
5) That said, I'd happily bust my salary scale to hire Dave Psyguy and his harem of girlfriends from around the globe. Just imagine having a daily caberet to look forward to!
Are you applying for this position, or did they contact you? If they contacted you I highly doubt they are looking at you only for the year. It will cost them a lot of money to fly you and your family back and forth, offer schooling to your children and give you money to get settled in all for only 1 year of service. I can't see a top tier school, regardless of size, making that kind of financial commitment on you for only a year. You may not have the same position in your 2nd year, but I'd bet if you work hard, and do a great job that they will move heaven and earth to keep you on board. It boils down to economics and ROI, or return on investment. If you're awesome they'll want to get a bigger return on the cost of bringing you on board and they get that by keeping you on board.
But to answer your question, if I were offered a 1 year contract at my dream school I would also take it if it met my needs and the package was attractive and not going to put any sort of dent into my savings.
Good luck to you. Very exciting.
But to answer your question, if I were offered a 1 year contract at my dream school I would also take it if it met my needs and the package was attractive and not going to put any sort of dent into my savings.
Good luck to you. Very exciting.
They contacted me out of the blue. I'm with Search. I also live in the U.S. and the school is in Europe.
Thanks for all of the feedback. I'll most likely go for it. I have always wanted to work for this school and the fact that they contacted me makes me feel like this would be more than a 1 year deal.
Thanks for all of the feedback. I'll most likely go for it. I have always wanted to work for this school and the fact that they contacted me makes me feel like this would be more than a 1 year deal.
It certainly sounds like they are giving you a shot to prove yourself. I'm sure others may have a different point-of-view, but just knowing how the business side of all of this works the fact that they contacted you about a 1 year cover position seems to say to me that they want to give you a tryout before they give you the bigger contract.
I'd be shocked if they let you go after a year unless you were some obnoxious jerk that has no work ethic and just pisses everyone off. The very fact that they contacted you and are willing to expense the cost of you coming over there with children that will likely attend their school should say a lot to you about how much you're worth.
Good luck to you, seriously. Enjoy the opportunity and work hard.
I'd be shocked if they let you go after a year unless you were some obnoxious jerk that has no work ethic and just pisses everyone off. The very fact that they contacted you and are willing to expense the cost of you coming over there with children that will likely attend their school should say a lot to you about how much you're worth.
Good luck to you, seriously. Enjoy the opportunity and work hard.
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Does your school know you have a family? You would really starve on a single salary in WE.
The vast majority of cover positions involve single people or couples, its really rare for a school to hire a family with dependents for a cover position. It just makes you a very expensive replacement.
It makes it even more likely that this will be a temporary position. WE schools have low turnover, and they would need a vacancy in your department opening up to hire you, when the regular teacher comes back.
The ones that did turn into longer contracts were fill OSH contracts on renewal.
Walter of course is wrong, schools provide you more airfare to compensate for the lateness of the hire and that airfares will be more expensive with less advance purchase. If the school just buys the tickets directly its not an issue.
You are also very likely to get more temporary housing especially in Europe, since you have to hit the ground running, and have less lead time to get settled in.
None of these effect transparency or fairness in contracts but are the effects of recruiting window for a fast hire. Walter should read my previous post and identify the part where I said you COULD negotiate a higher salary.
@wedodude
No I wasnt the schools top pick. It was pretty early in my career.
The vast majority of cover positions involve single people or couples, its really rare for a school to hire a family with dependents for a cover position. It just makes you a very expensive replacement.
It makes it even more likely that this will be a temporary position. WE schools have low turnover, and they would need a vacancy in your department opening up to hire you, when the regular teacher comes back.
The ones that did turn into longer contracts were fill OSH contracts on renewal.
Walter of course is wrong, schools provide you more airfare to compensate for the lateness of the hire and that airfares will be more expensive with less advance purchase. If the school just buys the tickets directly its not an issue.
You are also very likely to get more temporary housing especially in Europe, since you have to hit the ground running, and have less lead time to get settled in.
None of these effect transparency or fairness in contracts but are the effects of recruiting window for a fast hire. Walter should read my previous post and identify the part where I said you COULD negotiate a higher salary.
@wedodude
No I wasnt the schools top pick. It was pretty early in my career.
PsyGuy, did you read what BlueJay wrote? The school contacted him through Search. So of course they know how many dependents BlueJay has, it says it in your Search profile. I doubt BlueJay lied, or was trying to cover it up.
BlueJay, you are clearly someone the school wants. I'm sure your school read up on you before they contacted you. If they didn't don't worry about it. Even though you aren't professionally happy where you are at you still have a gig and maybe they'll think of you if the position ever becomes available.
BlueJay, you are clearly someone the school wants. I'm sure your school read up on you before they contacted you. If they didn't don't worry about it. Even though you aren't professionally happy where you are at you still have a gig and maybe they'll think of you if the position ever becomes available.
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Yes I read that he'd been contracted through Search, it doesn't mean the school didnt miss the part about his dependents. Oversights happen.
It would be irresponsible for a WE school to recruit a teacher and family on one salary. You wold seriously starve, a three bedroom apartment and utilities would eat up an entire salary. Especially aft paying taxes on the tuition waivers. [/code]
It would be irresponsible for a WE school to recruit a teacher and family on one salary. You wold seriously starve, a three bedroom apartment and utilities would eat up an entire salary. Especially aft paying taxes on the tuition waivers. [/code]