My email is nschreiber@integrity.com. Yes, please write today if you can! I am on the computer right now. Thank you so much. :-)

How is the student body? I saw on the Search site that it is mostly Italian students. How are behavior issues and so forth in the primary grades? How are the parents? Actively involved?

Is Genoa also particularly family-friendly? I know all of Italy loves children.

Thanks!

Has anyone worked here before? I am interested in this school but I would like to know about the school environment and the city itself. I have lived in Florence before, so I know about cost of living issues in Italy.

Thank you!

Thank you everyone for all of your advice. I am surprised by the minimal package in Krakow mentioned above. How long ago were you offered it, Crgallen22? I spoke at length to someone who worked there ten years ago when it was really a small school, and his package sounded better, at least with medical insurance covered and reasonable salary. I am surprised it would go downhill like that. Is that why you didn't take it?

Thanks again to you all!

I am in contact and interviewing with three schools-- the American School of Madrid, the International School of Krakow, and the International School of Brussels-- and I would like to know anyone's thoughts about the costs of living between all of them. I am married with a non-teaching spouse, have two young children who would attend the schools, and I have nine years of experience. My husband works freelance with clients in the U.S. and would be providing some money to our budget, but I would provide the benefits. We would be renting our current home here for about $1200 and have some other debts to pay back home. We know how to budget and do not live extravagant lifestyles, but we would like to pay our bills and travel a little bit.

I like all of the schools very much and all of the locations as well, even though they are in different climates and different sizes in school population.

I am going to go through the numbers, but any personal thoughts from experience or otherwise would be greatly appreciated, too. Thank you!

Thank you for all of your comments. I appreciate all of them, but I have to say that no, I don't feel a sense of entitlement. Not in the least. I do understand that I am more expensive than other teachers. We have offered to help pay for airfare and benefits for my family members to help with the costs since we do know that my experience and family make me a more expensive employee. And we would love Eastern Europe. It's actually our first choice in area compared to Western Europe.

Thank you all again for your time.

Yes, I know that they are selective, yet I feel that I am not even being given a chance to meet with my top school choices and interview with them this year. I was told that since I have a non-teaching husband and two children and looking only at Europe, I could not be given an invitation. It would be negligent on their part to do so.

I have had over ten years of teaching experience, seven years in 2nd and 3rd, two years in early childhood, one year of substitution. I have been a literacy coach and have lived overseas, but not taught there. I have a lot of overseas travel experience, even with my two children.

I feel like I am not even being given a chance to try and it is very frustrating to me. I did go to the London fair last year because I had a job interview in Europe at the same time anyway with another school, had some interviews at the fair, and was offered a job from another school not from the fair. It wasn't a good fit, so we decided to wait another year.

Now I feel like are chances are much smaller without the Cambridge fair.

Yes, I did see the review about the school. Just wondering if anyone else has an opinion, as it sounds like a very good school.

Thanks.

Does anyone have any information about this school or has anyone ever worked here before? I would love a review about your experience there.

Thank you!

Has anyone ever been denied an invitation to the Cambridge Search fair or placed on the waiting list even when there were still invitations left? If so, what happened?

Thank you to all who respond!

Anyone know if it is possible to afford living there if I took a teaching position with a husband who does bring in some money and two small children?

Thanks.

Do you find the curriculum hard to get used to? The teaching styles massively different?

Thanks!

I also have a 5 year-old and a 2 year-old. How family friendly is Vilnius?

Also, we have a dog and two cats we would like to bring. How hard do you think it would be to find a rental that allows pets?

Thanks for the input!

I have talked to two teachers who are currently working there, and they do really like it. They mentioned the cold, too!

Did you work in primary or secondary? How did you like the curriculum?

Thanks!

The primary school.