The International Schools Review Forum

Greetings everyone!!

I have searched this forum up and down, side to side, only to become quite overwhelmed with all of the great information. I am looking for some advice for my situation.

I have worked for the last 10 years in an urban district, with ECE, Elem Ed. and Admin Certs, with the last 4 years being a middle school administrator, math instructional coach, and testing coordinator. I just got my husband onboard with the whole expat life, however of course I have so reservations. We will be traveling with two kids,12 years and 7 years.

I am considering UAE, or East Asia. Here are some of my questions:
Would it be best for me to apply for an admin position or as a teacher with hopes of moving up, since I have no international experience?
What place(s) offer the best packages for teachers with dependents (with free or low cost schooling)?
Also, what area would be best for my children? I have a little girl and of course I have concerns about raising her in the ME.
How restrictive is the ME? We like to have a little fun and don't want to end up locked up/deported because we got a little too comfortable.
Can anyone chime in on life in Asia, specifically around pollution?

To sum it all up, I am looking for the best (and safest) experience for my family that will allow for us to explore a new culture, while being able to save a good amount of money.

Any help that can be offered will be appreciated!

Hi. It can be a bit over-whelming trying to consider all of the options and possibilities.

One big consideration for you will be your husband's status. You don't mention that he is a teacher also so I assume that he is not. If that is the case, then you will be looked at as a candidate with 3 dependents which will limit your options to a significant degree since the school would have to pay travel/visas/housing for 4 people and provide education for two school age dependents.

So, based on that alone you would be better served to apply as an administrator since schools will generally be willing to invest a bit more when recruiting leadership positions rather than ECE/ES positions. Admin would also pay more.

As for location, there is simply too much to try and provide here. The ME is a big place and conditions, pay etc will vary greatly vary from country to country. Places like Qatar and Dubai will be more Western friendly than places like Saudi and Kuwait.

As for Asia, pollution will generally be worse in larger Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai (although these would offer you the some of the best opportunities for jobs), significant but not over-whelming in places like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, virtually a non-factor in places like Tokyo.

Any of these places would have schools that could provide you and your family with a nice lifestyle and many locations can offer adventure, cultural and travel opportunities (although that would obviously look very different from location to location).

Again, all of this will be more difficult with 3 dependents both in the hiring aspect and trying to live a nice life, save money, travel etc. Difficult not impossible. Keep doing your research, asking questions and trying to determine if this is the right move for you and your family.

Thank you so much for this.

You are correct, I will be entering the IS scene with 3 dependents. I previously read that administrators were afforded with greater benefits, thanks for confirming this. I was just concerned since this will be my first admin position at an international school and I wasn't sure how well I will fare with no IS experience. I will continue researching, however I want to thank you for giving me a few specific areas to target during my research.

Admin or not, it will be difficult carrying 3 dependents. My husband was an admin at a Tier 1 elite school and we had to be approved for 3 dependents (children) even with me as a teacher (they later adjusted their policies to allow 3 dependents for 2 employed people). In Saudi we saw families with 3 or 4 children--unusual in the IS world, but Saudi does have more challenges recruiting teachers. If schools were really struggling with recruitment and retention, they're willing to deal more, esp. for admin., but even then a lot of schools won't buck policy or precedent. As a teacher, you'll find it extremely difficult! As an admin., I've worked in good schools where APs were hired who had no admin experience overseas. Good luck!

Thanks, Mamava for your insight. I'm just going to start applying and seeing what I'm offered. Nothing beats a failure, but a try.