If a teaching couple (with two kids) teaches at different schools in the same city (because of the huge difference in employability – the wife is a seasoned Maths teacher and the husband is new to teaching), how does it work with the benefits of both schools?
Do you assign the two children to be the official dependents of one of the teachers (the seasoned teacher at the better school preferably), to get flights, free tuition, health insurance, and extra housing allowance for those two dependents (the kids) under her contract, and have the other one contracted as 'without dependents'? (receiving only flights as benefits, making him more attractive for a school since he doesn't have experience yet)
Would you both receive housing allowances?
How would this work?
Thanks in advance!
Teacher couple at different schools in same city – how?
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Heliotrope
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shadowjack
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Re: Teacher couple at different schools in same city – how?
Best scenario is that you go as a package to one school until you get your experience.
Worse case scenario - wife gets benefits, you get local hire after other school finds out your wife is working in town.
Worse case scenario - wife gets benefits, you get local hire after other school finds out your wife is working in town.
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wrldtrvlr123
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Re: Teacher couple at different schools in same city – how?
It could vary quite depending on the location. Some cities/countries will not allow double housing allowances (Hong Kong springs to mind)).
We made it work in Beijing where I was hired and then my wife found a job at a different school. Our child was under my contract but I don't know that it was a huge factor in the school hiring her. You could present yourself as basically a single teacher with no dependents (presuming your wife has a job with two dependents under her) but it could be more likely that a school hires you both at the same time.
As SJ said, it is also very possible that she gets hired, you move there and then you get picked up as a local hire once you have been able to check out the situation on the ground.
Lots of variables and ways it could work out.
We made it work in Beijing where I was hired and then my wife found a job at a different school. Our child was under my contract but I don't know that it was a huge factor in the school hiring her. You could present yourself as basically a single teacher with no dependents (presuming your wife has a job with two dependents under her) but it could be more likely that a school hires you both at the same time.
As SJ said, it is also very possible that she gets hired, you move there and then you get picked up as a local hire once you have been able to check out the situation on the ground.
Lots of variables and ways it could work out.
Re: Teacher couple at different schools in same city – how?
That's similar to our situation.
My wife got her job first, so my daughter started the enrolment process there. This left me able to apply for (and get) jobs where the school was only looking for a single person to avoid dependants. My wife & daughter are covered by her school for insurance, we both get housing allowance, and are basically treated by both schools as single contracts (there is no real overlap on allowances.)
You have an advantage because your wife is an experienced Maths teacher (those damn STEM shortage subjects again....grrr) so in negotiation she could seek to ensure that both kids are at her school (probably would be covered by that) and also request that, if possible, it would be nice if you also had a job - you never know, you might just get one!
My wife got her job first, so my daughter started the enrolment process there. This left me able to apply for (and get) jobs where the school was only looking for a single person to avoid dependants. My wife & daughter are covered by her school for insurance, we both get housing allowance, and are basically treated by both schools as single contracts (there is no real overlap on allowances.)
You have an advantage because your wife is an experienced Maths teacher (those damn STEM shortage subjects again....grrr) so in negotiation she could seek to ensure that both kids are at her school (probably would be covered by that) and also request that, if possible, it would be nice if you also had a job - you never know, you might just get one!
Response
::looking around for @Sid:: that depends how long is a piece of string?
It greatly depends on two factors A) Whether you tell the ISs, B) What their disposition is.
The first issue you will need to feel out the ISs. An upper tier IS is unlikely to care, and will follow the compensation schedule regardless of the scenario. If youre an OSH with a spouse and a dependent you will get those benefits, whether you use them or not, or whether its just extra coin you pocket really doesnt matter to them and shouldnt matter to anyone else either. The only logistical problem becomes one of housing when its provided directly and not just an allowance. There are IT couples that have two residences, and there are IT couples that forgo the housing and some that negotiate some proportionate (lessor) allowance. For an upper tier IS the rest of it really doesnt matter, and most everything else can be converted into coin equivalents. There is little reason not to disclose to the IS and if you have IS aged children they will wonder where they are going to be educated if they arent enrolled in the IS.
The second issue really depends how cheap they are or want to be, there are ISs (mostly lower tier) that will have various policies against double remittances, or will require reimbursements or will pay costs directly (if the utility bill has already been payed by one IS, there isnt a bill for the the other IS to pay). Then there are the ISs that will simply classify the second IT as a LH and they wont receive an OSH package, that makes the entire issue moot. Generally which ever ITs IS sponsors the visa is the OS IS from which OSH benefits derive from and any other employment for a dependent spouse is an LH.
The issue of disclosure is more relevant when the ITs secure their positions prior to departure, once in country its easy for the second IS to determine the status of the IT by examining the passport and making an inquiry to immigration.
It greatly depends on two factors A) Whether you tell the ISs, B) What their disposition is.
The first issue you will need to feel out the ISs. An upper tier IS is unlikely to care, and will follow the compensation schedule regardless of the scenario. If youre an OSH with a spouse and a dependent you will get those benefits, whether you use them or not, or whether its just extra coin you pocket really doesnt matter to them and shouldnt matter to anyone else either. The only logistical problem becomes one of housing when its provided directly and not just an allowance. There are IT couples that have two residences, and there are IT couples that forgo the housing and some that negotiate some proportionate (lessor) allowance. For an upper tier IS the rest of it really doesnt matter, and most everything else can be converted into coin equivalents. There is little reason not to disclose to the IS and if you have IS aged children they will wonder where they are going to be educated if they arent enrolled in the IS.
The second issue really depends how cheap they are or want to be, there are ISs (mostly lower tier) that will have various policies against double remittances, or will require reimbursements or will pay costs directly (if the utility bill has already been payed by one IS, there isnt a bill for the the other IS to pay). Then there are the ISs that will simply classify the second IT as a LH and they wont receive an OSH package, that makes the entire issue moot. Generally which ever ITs IS sponsors the visa is the OS IS from which OSH benefits derive from and any other employment for a dependent spouse is an LH.
The issue of disclosure is more relevant when the ITs secure their positions prior to departure, once in country its easy for the second IS to determine the status of the IT by examining the passport and making an inquiry to immigration.
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coin_operated
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Re: Teacher couple at different schools in same city – how?
I second Psyguy's advice. In my neck of the woods, I was told by a sympathetic management figure that if you shoot your mouth off about both parts of the couple getting a housing allowance from seperate schools, the (profit motivated) schools would collaborate by giving each person a smaller housing allowance. At the moment, I'm able to get a full housing allowance for a single teacher and a flight that includes dependents from a decent second tier school.
I'd expect the better school to cover dependents. I'd expect the husband's school to not rip him off because he gets some dependant benefits at another school, but I wouldn't fight for dependant benefits from both schools.
I'd expect the better school to cover dependents. I'd expect the husband's school to not rip him off because he gets some dependant benefits at another school, but I wouldn't fight for dependant benefits from both schools.