I've recruited as a single and recruited as a couple and had a much easier time as a single. Yes, I think most schools prefer couples but it can be much harder to find a match when you have to find a job for two people. And it seems with most couples, one of them is a weaker link and can sometimes sabotage chances of getting hired. A couple with kids might also have a hard time as kids can be seen as a liability and some schools might rule you out because they don't want or can't give up classroom seats to faculty kids who aren't paying tuition.

Yes, I would add International School Eastern Seaboard in Thailand to the list. It's on a golf course, 25 km from Pattaya, quite rural.
Others I know of in smaller cities; Brent in Subic bay.
IS of Ulan Bataar, Mongolia
ISS Stavanger, Norway
Also consider QSI schools, many are in smaller cities in fairly obscure places (Moldova, Montenegro, etc.)

Can anyone recommend an online agency that can prepare a will for British citizens who are living overseas, something similar to Legalzoom for Americans? Cheers.

Does anyone have recent info about how this school is doing? The most recent review is from 2011. Anyone know what it's like? Morale? Admin? Salary and benefits? Also, I had heard that Brazil has been having real problems with their currency devaluing and that salaries have taken a big hit. Does anyone know if this is true and if so, do schools there have some kind of plan in place to address this? Thanks.
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Singapore American School (is that top tier enough for you?) uses it and has even brought Columbia TC reps to run workshops there. It's a big emphasis. Not sure offhand of any schools in Europe using it but I'm not familiar with most European schools.

It was interesting to read this thread. My husband and I have had this debate several times. I'm American and finished my Masters five years ago. He is British and doesn't have his. I've encouraged him a few times to look into getting one but he's not convinced. He is adamant that if he did get one, that it be in his subject area and therefore be courses that will interest him and be more applicable to his teaching rather than just a general education degree. The problem is that because his subject is very specific there aren't any online programs for it, so getting the degree would require moving to the US or UK to complete the program, and probably also mean that he quit teaching to just go study full time for a year or two to get it over with. A few years of living on just one income, plus having to pay his tuition, fees, etc is daunting, especially now that we also have a mortgage. He also argues that it really doesn't do anything to improve your teaching; he's worked with people who had Masters degrees and were horrible teachers and people who were terrific teachers and didn't have one. It's hard to argue with that, but I do worry that he (we) could get passed over for a job because it came down to his not having a Masters and another candidate having it. Sigh.

I have friends who have been there in the past and are there currently. I myself have tried to get interviews more than once and never had luck. They are very selective and, as mentioned, have very few openings each year. I think people do stay a long time. I'm not sure of the specifics, of course, but I do believe that the salary is quite generous (I want to say it starts around US$60,000 or so) but that in London, especially with housing, it doesn't get you that far. I think your income is also taxed at UK percentages, probably pushing 25%. I believe you can live comfortably and still be able to travel, but you have to be careful with it and probably won't save much. But I wouldn't be my life on any of this info, best to ask the school directly if you even manage to get that far.

Actually, I have worked at several schools now, all in Asia, and can think of a number of couples I've worked with who were not married and were hired as a couple. There probably are some schools/countries that would not be able to hire you unless you were married, and in some cases it could just be a school or director's preference that you were. One thing to keep in mind is that if you are hired as a couple and end up splitting up you'd really be on your own. The school would most likely not provide you each with your own housing, insurance etc if you were hired under a couple's contract, meaning you would need to pay for your own rent, etc. I think this is the reason most schools prefer that couples be married as they see it as a sign of greater stability (though of course we all know marriage is not a guarantee that you wouldn't split, anyway.)
Your bigger problem is that you're basically too late to make it to any fairs for this year, if you were looking to go overseas starting with '13-'14. You could probably complete your applications with ISS or Search anyway and get on a waiting list, but of course there's no guarantee that a spot would open up for you. I would register with TIE Online instead at this point and see if you can get hired that way without going to a fair at all. You could also try applying directly to schools that you are interested in. Keep an open mind and don't discount a school or location right away without giving it careful thought and research first. Two of my three overseas posts were jobs which my first reaction was to reject, but I'm glad that I ended up taking both of them.
Good luck!

I would guess that they were emailing several other people with offers at the same time and someone else took the job, meaning you are not useful to them anymore. Frustrating isn't it? You would think they could be decent enough to at least let you know. These things really are just about getting the exact right timing sometimes. Other things can always pop up, though - stay alert and good luck!

Can anyone recommend an insurance company where you can pay for your own policy if you feel the need to supplement what your employer does (or does not) provide? Obviously looking for someone who could cover you while living overseas and to include maternity as well. Thanks for any leads!

I would say that as a general rule, the bigger the school, the better off you'll be. Small schools just don't have the resources for Learning Support teachers. Look for some of the big schools with really good reputations; SAS (both Shanghai and Singapore) ISB (both Beijing and Bangkok), UWC Singapore, maybe ASIJ, HKIS, JIS, european schools like Prague, Budapest, London. But it would definitely be a good idea to up-front about your child's needs when you interview and be clear about what kind of services and support he would need.

Hello - I have a friend there now and yes, it is definitely improving. There's a reason no one has posted a review in four years and it's because people are generally happy and morale is good. Most people stay a while. It's not perfect by any means, but you could definitely do a whole lot worse. It's a for-profit school and it's very small, so those are factors to consider if you're not used to either. Nice lifestyle right on a golf course. Apparently kids and teachers commute by golf cart!
Not sure about salary but I do know that cost of living is decent in Thailand.

Okay, well I drafted a review of my school weeks ago, but have been hesitant to post it because I realized I'm worried that admin would easily be able to figure out who wrote it. This is the problem of being at a small school - it's harder to "hide" and "blend in." I feel I've been very objective, and I also don't feel that it's a very negative review at all, actually. I've also tried to be general and not give any obvious clues about my position at the school, but I still find myself reluctant to post it. Has anyone else had this experience? I'm wondering if there are lots of small schools out there without recent evaluations because of this reason.

I taught at SAS as well and had a great experience there. I worked with fabulous, professional teachers and was treated as a professional as well. You have all the resources you could possibly need; too much actually. It could be a bit overwhelming. The students were great. As a parent I would be thrilled for my kids to go there.

The weather is horrible, horrible, horrible. I actually started to hate it more and more the longer I was there. I really feel that it affected my enjoyment of the city itself. There were a number of days when we thought we'd go explore a park or a garden or a temple, then stepped outside and were just too miserable to continue and decided to go to a movie instead because at least it was air conditioned. You do get used to it, to a point, but I just got sick of getting covered in sweat as soon as I stepped outside, and getting all sweaty after just climbing a few stairs. It does rain all the time, but that usually cools things off. The rain got old for me as well though because it always seemed to start to pour right as I was trying to head home, which meant a soggy walk to the MRT station or waiting ages for a taxi that you paid an arm and a leg for.

Owning a car is absurdly expensive, to the point that many people literally never even consider it. Yes, you can buy a used car, but regulations mean you can only keep cars until they get to a certain age and then they won't pass inspection anymore, so if you buy a cheaper used car you're just going to have to replace it with another again in a few years. Yes, the public transport system is extensive, clean, reliable and reasonably priced - however the MRT stops running after midnight so if you're planning on a late night out you need to figure out the buses, change buses a time or two and wait for them, etc. Taxis are an option but again, not cheap, and you can wait a long, long time if it's late or raining.

But Singapore is an easy place to live in many other ways; everyone speaks English, you can drink the water, it's beautiful, there is a lot to see and do, it's a great travel hub, you have excellent health care. There are a lot of reasons why people usually stay so long. If I got an offer from them, I would take it. You would probably regret it if you didn't, just know what the downsides are going to be.

I don't know a lot about BCIS, and anything I did know would be outdated as I left Beijing several years ago. However, I had the impression it was a good school, though like earlier replies have stated, perhaps doesn't have the reputation or facilities of ISB or WAB. One plus to that is that with a downtown campus, you can enjoy the advantages of living downtown without having the long commute to the suburbs in Beijing traffic.
Beijing is a fascinating place to live. There is no end of things to see and do, and the shopping, food and nightlife are outstanding. You can live very well there, though I'm sure prices have gone up since I left. As a single female it is a good place to live because it is so safe and you never worry about being out alone at any time of night. Keep expectations for much of a dating scene low, however. As in most of Asia, most expat men are far more interested in Chinese girls than Western ones.
One major factor to consider is the air quality. It is horrible, awful, oppressive and truly as terrible as you've heard. It's also getting worse rather than better, from what I understand. Most days are "fine," a few days are gloriously beautiful, but some days will be absolutely appalling, to the point where you can't see across the street. Some people have real problems with asthma or itchy eyes or throat, and you won't know how you react to the air until you get there. If you're very athletic and a big runner it will really impede on your ability or even desire to be outside. There were days when even going for a walk did not appeal because of what you'd be breathing in, and you realized that just sitting on your couch in front of your air purifier was better for your health than going out for some exercise. If you think it will bother you, then consider the job carefully because there's no escaping the air you breathe!
That said, I loved every minute of my time in Beijing and still miss it. Living there is an unforgettable experience.