The International Schools Review Forum

I posted here a couple years ago, but my situation has changed, so here I am again, with a new round of questions. I appreciate any and all advice I can get. Here's the current situation :

At the end of May 2011, I will have completed a Master's in Secondary Education and a teaching certification (called a Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing). I have a Bachelor's in English Literature, so I will be certified to teach that k-12. If I feel the need, I can also add an Elementary certification, but I'm not yet sure that's necessary.

By the end of December 2010, my husband will have completed a Bachelor's in Math. According to NJ state law, he can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, which in theory, allows him to accept employment as a middle/high school math teacher, while at the same time taking education courses. He already has a Certificate of Eligibility in Elementary and Middle School Math. This is, of course, not the same thing as completing educational coursework and student teaching.

Both of us worked for two years as ESL teachers at a private boarding school in China.

Is it realistic to believe that an international school might hire us if he has a Certificate of Eligibility, but without having done student teaching/education coursework? Is it realistic to believe that if, perhaps, a bottom tier school did hire us, after completing a contract there, we'd be able to move onto a better school, still with him having the CE?

Again, I appreciate any feedback. Thank you.

I think a lower tier school would hire you both. Math and then English across the board are a powerful combo. If your goal is to get work anywhere and then move on to a better school, in my opinion, you can do that. You may not like the first school however.

Good luck!!!

Two points you might want to consider:

1.) A bottom tier school might be bottom tier because it is so unprofessionally run. Please take a look at the reviews for cases in point. If you are in another country with less worker protections/recourse, and you have any kind of problem come up, they can have you blackballed, which may not end your teaching careers but could set you back years to recover from. By problems, it could be anything, conflict with an influential parent asking unreasonable and unethical things; if there's a problem keeping staff, they could insist you teach in an area you are not familiar with and hold you accountable; there's one instance of rape mentioned, the problems could be serious. Yes, there's frivolous stuff over there, but there are also things that should absolutely not be ignored.

2.) You might find yourselves unable to move up (or both find a job) because of one's lack of certification after the experience. The best schools won't hire without proper credentials, this is also a visa issue, they can't justify the work permit to their immigration officials.

Your husband, even in this economy, should be able to find work in math teaching, why not wait until he gets the certificate, especially if he can work through it?