This may be the most fascinating post of 2016. It's sort of like a mystery you want to keep reading to find out who did it, or in this case, who is paying it?! But on top of that, how much is it anyway? If it 166,000 CHF or something far less is really the verbal equivalent to beauty being in the eye of the beholder. I think that the choice of Switzerland may have been the OP's way of saying could he or she ever expect to make X dollars in Switzerland because he or she has just been offered that in the US and he or she really wants to take it! But, she or he would love to ultimately make that much in Switzerland one day.

But others think he or she (another mystery, but probably a she since the screen name) is saying that she would be living in the US like someone making $170,000 would be living in Zurich. I don't know of any Swiss school that pays $170,000 to teachers, but I do know some that pay that to admins. Yet, $170,000 in Zurich is the equivalent of making $141,000 in Washington, DC, $122,000 in LA, California, and $165,000 in NY, New York. Those are also salaries that are pretty much admin-only territory in those most expensive US cities.

The third and final option is that maybe she means that she would be making $170,000 in the US, which would actually like making far MORE than that in Zurich since the COL in Zurich is so high. Is it possible she is getting an offer of over $200,000 in the US?!!!

OP, please let us know how this story ends. I am riveted.

I just had to login to comment on this. Your school is pretty horrid if they "know you and like you" and wouldn't budge on the insurance issue for your family. I know that it is a young school, but please, respect yourself more than this. Start applying to other jobs now that come with insurance included and other perks you are now seeking. See if you can re-sign for a one-year period in the interim. If not, re-sign for a two-year contract. As soon as you get a job offer, quit this current school and get out. They have no respect for your family; you should have no respect for this school after your years of service there. Teachers' who are willing to martyr themselves for a job don't just hurt themselves, they make schools think they can get high-quality people who will sell themselves out. If you are a high quality teacher, make schools suffer the humiliation (with their paying constituency of parents) of getting poor-quality teachers willing to sell themselves out.

I have heard mixed things about all ME countries except for Kuwait and Oman. Kuwait all bad and Oman all good.

WE is not what it was, period. Brussels and Belgium in particular was more similar to Rabat than Cologne all the way back in 2002. Now it is closer to Beirut. This is not a statement referring to religion; it is a statement referring to culture.

No. The Europe of our dreams and of our past is gone. Was offered two positions there last year and said no to both and so glad I did.

Where, if at all, could one find quality postings at quality schools with start dates of August 2016? I know where jobs are posted, what I am asking is where do I have the best shot of actually having the chance to review and apply for quality jobs at quality schools and not simply the rubbish positions/schools that are so omnipresent this time of year on most job boards. I know occasionally people quit late at good places...

Don't over - jobs appearing, disappearing, and then reappearing. Most are posted by secretaries or heads who don't know what they are doing with technology, posting.

Let me be the contrarian: yes, give up. If you can't keep going now, how are you going to keep going when you end up in a place with a different culture, healthcare system, etc.? Not to mention Zika, corruption, MERS, nothing but cloudy days, etc. depending on if you get lucky enough and actually get an offer. Give up. Do something else.

I wish you good luck, seriously. I could never do Nigeria or Saudia Arabia. I need a semblance of freedom in my life and the school and students could be angels at both, but if the society is what those societies are, I would be in constant fear, paranoia, and various states of claustrophobia throughout my time there. You were also smart to say no to Kuwait out of hand. I wish you good luck in SF. Money does not equate with happiness, everyone remember that please before signing on the dotted line. Yet, everyone is different and can stand different environments.

The veteran teachers and admins usually don't jump ship until they have the next job. They are allowed special dispensation or they get recruited up to a one and a half years before their next contract begins. But, for the vast majority of international teachers, you have to give your notice before you have a new contract signed. Give notice October - January, new job is secured January - April, report to new job July - August. Thus, only the strong survive.

Thames Pirate wrote:
> The job we just took!

Ugh..I think the OP wanted us to actually name a city and/or school. Congrats TP, but really, spare us the self-congratulatory nonsense.

I have a favorite city, which I won't name because I will cut off any of you at the pass before I invite more competition for when I ultimately am appointed there. So, I must mention my second choice, which would be great, but miles below my #1.

Prague, ISP.

That's a shame. The right one will come. This happened to me once. I was offered two jobs at the same time and after agonizing said no to both. Good thing that I did because the dream job came a month and a half later.

I second this. I want to hear all about it. Last year made such an impression on me that I will never go back willingly. Cambridge is a much more teacher-friendly experience both in terms of the hotel accommodations and the general atmosphere, which is more collegial.

Ha. You won't get any accurate information from Search until you arrive at the fair, after traveling there. I once went to a Search fair and it wasn't until I got there that it was announced that the school that was my first choice with my position would not be attending. No explanation given. They had not filled the position, I learned later. They just decided to not waste their time and money on that particular fair. They went to another a couple of weeks later, where there were more single or couple candidates for them without dependents. Got to love it.

EllieSLP wrote:
> Is this really necessary? The OP already stated that she's going to take
> the position. If you have nothing positive to say, then read the post and
> move on.

Oh, please. I have been around long enough to see that so many teachers are so thrilled to take their first job and then they get to their school and they are horrified by the school, the city/country, etc. I wish everyone did their own thorough research, but they don't, so if she is so excited about it and did her research and knows everything that is going on, great. Good for her. I wish her the best. But, if she is like a lot of new teachers, she didn't do enough research, in which case, she may want to reflect a bit more before jumping into a country that is in a very rough neighborhood these days.