The International Schools Review Forum

I'm a female Maths teacher, with 12 years international experience, at 4 schools on different continents (2, 2, 2 & 6 years).

At my last three schools I've taught MS (IGCSE) & HS Maths (IBDP: SL & Studies).
In addition to teaching Maths, I'm also certified to teach Arts, and have taught some classes of Visual Arts at my last two schools (about a 70/30 split between Maths and Arts).
I've been told by recruiters and my Associate that all my confidential references on Search are extremely positive (to to brag, but it might be relevant).

I'm now at a solid lower end tier 1 school in Europe. I arrived with a trailing spouse, but since arriving we've added two kids to the family. For now we're very happy where we are, and we'll stay some more years, but I'm looking ahead nonetheless.

I'm well aware that having two kids, in addition to my trailing spouse, makes me a less attractive hire than I was before, hence why I'm asking for your input on the following:

1.)
Do you know any potential schools that will focus more on my abilities, experience, and references, than on my trailing spouse & children?
I know ALL potential schools will make my family part of their decision, but some might be more able & willing to look past this than others.

And a different scenario:

2.)
My husband is actually very excited about getting certified (with the Teach-Now program), and would be certified to teach both Arts & Global Perspectives.
We realise that I'm in a different league than he will be, me having more experience, and Maths being more in demand.
What would be a good strategy: applying to different schools in the same city (tier 1 for me, tier 3 or 4 for him), or applying to a tier 2 school together, hoping they will overlook his lack of experience since he's part of the package?

Alternatively, he's also willing to work in a supporting role at the school, at PR for example (he has background in visual communication), if that makes us more attractive as a package, although those jobs are usually done by locals from what I’ve seen.

Plus:



3.)

In case my husband doesn’t get certified but would remain a trailing spouse, would it make much of a difference for a school if we tell them that my husband wouldn’t need the yearly flight home? I know the big expense are the tuition waivers, but it might make it slightly cheaper and therefore more attractive to hire me?

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Just realised that you can't name schools on this forum (sorry, don't have a membership yet), so of course question #1 can only be answered in general terms, not by naming specific schools.
But maybe schools in certain regions, countries or cities will be more likely to hire someone like myself?

I'd edit the question itself, but that no longer seems possible.

Following, as I'm in a very similar situation.

Re 2b ('alternatively'):
Only one of the schools I've worked at had foreign hires at the PR department, and that was in a city with lots of expats and with a very competitive market for ISs, so all of the top schools there had relatively big PR departments to keep enrolment up.

There are such places and they tend to change over time based on the shifting economics of the region. Since you won’t be leaving for a few years, perhaps better to ask the question when you’re ready to jump.

@sid

Asking for myself:
Which regions would that be at the moment?

Get hubby certified. English and Social Studies/Humanities.

Then get out there. For the first bit, you will carry him. But, as my wife and I found out when we went recruiting after she transferred to teaching - we now carry each other.

Apply to christian schools. They are more generous and accommodating than the so called elitist and tier 1 schools where administrators build a facade of excellence which in reality is no different from a tier 2 school.

First; there are plenty of elite first tier ISs that think much less about the cost and simply want and can afford ITs with high marketability.

Second; as to your spouse, arts and global perspectives arent usually paired vacancies. If they went the global perspectives route they would have to be more humanities and social studies focused, another solid core area such as economics, business studies or history. Its not really feasible to make a FTE appointment out of global perspectives.
ISs do create vacancies for a high demand spouse as part of the deal, the problem is your already in tier 1 (reportedly) and the ISs that would be a move up dont have to make those kind of deals even for high demand subjects like maths, and they wouldnt want too, parents wouldnt tolerate some noob IT for the fees they are paying, just to make a deal. If an elite tier IS was interested in you they would likely to decline the spouse contract as part of the deal, making you an IT with a trailing spouse and 2 places/tuition waivers, but elite tier ISs are more comfortable with that, assuming they want you.

The other issue you have is that now your looking for an appointment at an elite tier IS with matching vacancies, which deeply cuts your options even further.

The PR option only makes sense if he can communicate with his office/department staff in the host language, and then hed need experience or expertise with the local market, especially if they are a one person show (IE.. Communications Director)

My recommendation is that since you have some time get the spouse certified now, and then get some experience in the local market wherever you are whether its your current IS or a different IS at a lower tier, in two plus years when youre looking he wont be so much a noob.

Third; No, first/elite tier ISs follow whatever the comp schedule and OSH policy is, you cant undercut the policy and the contract to improve your hiring ability at upper tier ISs. A flight isnt going to make a difference and may be perceived as desperate.