You should know everything about the schools you are considering.
\nMany teachers wish they had asked these questions before they signed.<\/p><\/h3><\/div>
\u2022 Historically, what percentage of the teachers renew their contract for a third or fourth year?<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>If teachers consistently stay beyond their initial 2-year contract, this is a good sign. If they tend to leave, you should find out why.<\/p>\n \u2022 What expectations are there for teacher participation beyond the regular school day?<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>For example: after school activities, and weekend events such as international day, carnivals, and fund raising activities. From reviews on the International Schools Review web site it is clear that some schools expect lots of extra hours and for no additional pay. How would you feel donating Saturday mornings to raise money for the new roof on the library at a \u201cfor profit\u201d school?<\/p>\n \u2022 What percent of the teachers are teaching in the area of their expertise?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Ask for aguarantee that you will be teaching the subject you are being hired to teach. It happens that teachers have signed a contract and upon arrival found their assignment changed. Most contracts state what you will be teaching in your area of expertise and\/or in an area the administration feels you are qualified to teach. In the eyes of the admin, speaking English may qualify you for a surprise assignment as an ESL teacher. If this is not acceptable, get it in writing.<\/p>\n \u2022 What is the frequency of faculty meetings, committee meetings and other meetings teachers must attend on a weekly basis?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Our reviews show that some schools bog teachers down with endless meetings and committees. Some teachers feel they are being asked to do the administration\u2019s work.<\/p>\n \u2022 What are the details on the round-trip shipping of personal goods?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0A group of teachers report their personal goods were shipped piggy-backed with the school\u2019s supply-order brought in through the US embassy. Upon leaving, however, they discovered the embassy only ships belonging back to the US for its own employees. In this situation figure on four times the cost of getting your goods to the embassy point of departure in the States. What seemed like ample money for relocating now becomes far from adequate for moving back home. This is a very real situation and worth clarifying at the conference.<\/p>\n \u2022 How safe is the area where you will be living and how safe is the city in general?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Some reviews on the ISR web site report kidnappings, muggings and car jacking of teachers. The standard director\u2019s reply to your questions concerning safety may be, \u201cIt\u2019s like any big city, you need to take precautions\u201d. This is true but in some areas taking precautions means staying in at night or never going out on foot due to a high crime rate. The State Department offers safety information at\u00a0http:\/\/www.ds-osac.org\/<\/a>\u00a0Do your own homework on an area before signing.<\/p>\n \u2022 What is the level of health care in the country?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0This may not seem important during the excitement of recruiting but it will be important should medical needs arise. Unless you\u2019ve experienced the developing world, you may not be ready for hospital room supplies stored on bricks and boards, antiquated diagnostic equipment, and gurneys with blood-soaked sheets in the hallway. You just might not have the stomach for some places in the world.<\/p>\n \u2022 What does the health insurance policy cover and what is the deductible?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0The better international school health policies offer $100 deductible per calendar year and worldwide coverage. These policies also cover evacuation, should you need surgery or other interventions better performed outside the host country. Dental and vision may or may not be included. Some lesser policies offer only local coverage. Others have a high co-pay and deductible, rendering them useless outside the host country.<\/p>\n \u2022 Are students admitted with little or no English skills?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0If you\u2019re new to international teaching, this may not seem important at this moment. When you\u2019re in front of a group of kids and hardly a child knows what you\u2019re saying you may feel differently. If you\u2019re an IB or AP teacher your job may be near impossible in such situations, while the administration expectations may be very high and unrealistic. Is ESL support available for non-English speakers?<\/p>\n \u2022 What are the nationalities of the student body? What is the percentage of each nationality?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Many schools are comprised of an extreme majority of host national students. This is not an international school. Likewise, a South American school with a student body comprised of kids from immediately neighboring countries will offer a far different experience than a true international school with students from thirty or forty countries. Depending on the type of international experience you\u2019re looking for, the composition of the student body will be of concern. Get the facts.<\/p>\n \u2022 What will housing be like?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Many reviews on the ISR web site report housing is not adequate. If you\u2019re a single teacher ask if you\u2019re required to share an apartment. Find out if everyone is housed in the \u201cteachers\u2019 condo\u201d along with the rest of the teaching staff? If you\u2019re a couple with two middle-school aged children will you be given a two or three bedroom place? It\u2019s worth your time to find out in advance of signing a contract.<\/p>\n \u2022 How long will it take to get to school?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0A number of International Schools Review members report that teacher housing is forty-five minutes to an hour or more from school and in a poor section of town. Spending two hours commuting each day through intense traffic may not be your idea of a cultural experience. Most schools offer no transportation so you will have to buy a car or take taxis.<\/p>\n \u2022 How involved are parents and the PTO?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0A complete lack of parent involvement can mean lack of interest, which may translate to student discipline problems at school. On the other hand, parent involvement can be excellent unless their efforts become an obstacle to the teaching staff. Ask the right questions and find out what the school-home atmosphere is like. The PTO may have a direct impact on you if have your own children in the school.<\/p>\n \u2022 What do teachers do weekends and after school?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0Teachers on the ISR web site report some areas of the world that seem to be cultural dead zones, with all traces of ethnicity replaced by malls and McDonalds. These locations may offer very little, if anything, in the way of things to do. You may be able to enjoy your time in such a location, but other teachers would wear out their favorite DVDs in one semester. Interestingly, a very poor country may have so much culture it permeates everything and lures you to explore, explore, explore. Ask questions and read between the lines.<\/p>\n<\/div>