Summer Housing

[WiseTeach]

May seem silly, but one question I neglected to ask in the interview and when accepting the position..... are teachers expected to clear out of school offerred housing in the summers? Or do you just leave for parts wide and far returning whenever you are ready?

[wrldtrvlr123]

[quote="WiseTeach"]May seem silly, but one question I neglected to ask in the interview and when accepting the position..... are teachers expected to clear out of school offerred housing in the summers? Or do you just leave for parts wide and far returning whenever you are ready?[/quote]

Definitely one to ask your school as it varies widely. In Egypt (Alex), our belongings would be stored so our landlords could rent out the apt. during the very lucrative summer months.

Here in China we have regular 12 month leases and so the apt. is ours for whatever we want during the summer.

[mysharona]

We have always had 12 month leases so the apartment was ours not to be in during the summer. I can't imagine having to give it up for a couple of months and then move back in.

[heyteach]

Had no idea that would ever be an issue; I just assumed once you moved in, it was yours for the year! I'm on my second round of housing--this one assigned to me and paid for by the school; the previous one a place that I found and paid for with a housing allowance.

[PsyGuy]

You definitely want to ask about that. Usually the tier 1 schools give you housing all year (12 months) its the lower end 2nd tier and 3rd tier schools that are cheap. Its less an issue when your in the middle of a 2 year contract (summer at the end of your first year). At the end of your 2nd year your housing benefit may not apply to the summer at the end of your contract if your leaving, or havent renewed. Its all going to depend on how your school defines a "year".

Its likely to be highly influenced by return airfare as well. if your school provides airfare every year, they may be expecting you to take it and that youll be somewhere else over the summer. At the end of a contract, schools try to fly you out soon after school is over. Thats an issue to discuss with the school at some point as well.

Does a 2 year contract mean 20, 22 (one summer), or 24 months of housing???
(You could ask the same thing about insurance, and other benefits as well.)