I have over 20 years teaching - 12 internationally and 8 in the U.S.
My first was at a small school in China. I think my first impressions were:
1. I was very surprised at how many teachers - even teachers nearing retirement age - gave so little though to their financial futures. Now I know that money is not the sole reason for accepting a position, but it is important.
Directors and heads don't care if you have to work until you are 80 and many get downright insulted that you would not want to work for them because the pay is too low (or they do not offer health insurance or housing, etc.) The fact of the matter is that we all need to look at the entire picture. Earning a decent living is important and if you don't plan for your and your family's futures, nobody else will.
2. I was surprised at how cutthroat the teacher vs. teacher competition was. Everybody, especially the poorest teachers, played the political game, ie. the constant self-publicizing and self-aggrandizement.

To Specialed:
Why must some sensitive types take all posts so personally?
A good teacher will know a good school because all the good schools have PLENTY of good publicity - word of mouth, great websites, open salary and benefits, etc.
Bad schools are MUCH harder to ferret out as they are usually expert at keeping the bad press from leaking onto their sites or in other publications/forums/formats.

Good schools do not need your help. Us ethe forum for what it is intended, AGAIN: to help teachers from making a 2 year commitment in HELL!

And, by the way, a hagiography is a biography of a saint.

Guys,
The reason we post mostly complaints is that we hope the complaints will keep teachers from signing on with horrible schools, which, I think, is the main reason for this site.

I was offered a job with a school in Torreon, Mexico. I checked out the site's reviews on the school and the director. I was happy to see that my concerns about the school and the director's lack of honesty during the interview were proven correct by the 100% negative reviews on ISR.

It's ok to praise a school or the system, but the REAL harm comes when a fellow teacher signs a contract with a school that has no business being in...
the EDUCATION BUSINESS.

So keep the negative reviews coming and leave the hagiographies and ring kissing to the admin types who spy on this site.

Vader,
This is good advice from this Ichiro person - surprising because he usually is an apologist for most of the ills of the international school system. As an international educator, former dean, and now IB coordinator with a 20 plus year career overseas, my advice is to steer clear of "for profit" and befor accepting any position be sure that you know where the profit will go - it almost ALWAYS does not go into salaries or even increased resources.

Remember that most schools in the international school system are hard up for good teachers at this period in time so be confident that you will find something.

Ok,
To all former international school teachers now teaching in public schools, let us know what it would take to get you to return to the international school circuit.[/b]

I'm sorry, Pikefish.

You just did ("play with me")

Pikefish,
Didn't your post constitute an "online argument"?

Can you spell "hypocrite"?

To Max and Topteacher:
Max, I worked at two of your listed top schools.

And, as IB coordinator, I am in a little better position to know about what goes on behind the scenes than you probably are - Have you ever been flown to a school (at the school's expense) for an interview? Do you know what the parents of your students make as salary at the schools you mentioned?

My point was, to any person secure enough to understand, is that the lower tier schools always survive because of teachers who always are ready to sell themselves short JUST to work overseas. How about using your special skills as a teacher - if you truly possess any - to help improve your COUNTRYMEN at home. Yes, the drawbacks are many, but the rewards are great and I cannot wait to finish my contract and get back to teaching students WHO REALLY NEED MY HELP.

And Topteacher,
If you are so afraid to mention the name of your school, it is most probably because you are boasting or inflating the package and are not secure enough to admit that you may not be telling the truth. But if you feel the need to give some lame "I don't feel the need to..." be my guest..

Hey, Max and Top, come to think of it, I might have actually fired one of you from an IB teaching job once

Topteacher,
How about telling us all the name of that school. Sounds like a place we all might like to work.
If this place really exists.

As an IB coordinator at an international school in Asia with 20 years experience in both U.S. public schools and international schools, let me set things straight. If housing were not included in the package almost NOBODY, save fools, youngsters, or people who are so desperate to see the world that they are willing to be abused, both financially and professionally, would teach at them. (Yes, those people teaching in Europe who have to pay for their housing fall into this category). Salaries and benefits are WOEFULLY lacking compared to U.S. public schools and have not risen ion proportion to the cost of living. When a family agrees to work overseas for a company, the benefits and salary increases are head and shoulders above what teachers receive, mainly because the international school system uses teachers as indentured servants to be their minions in this elaborate process. Teachers have no rights except those which the school admin is willing to grant them. Many international schools are in big, dirty, noisy cities or far off from any type of culture or entertainment. Yet, it is still a fact that international school admin and boards still actually believe that they offer a good deal.
So, to all teachers with any self respect, either apply ONLY to those very few international schools that can actually be called schools or stay home and improve the lives of your countrymen.
Let's put an end to this nonsense and send the message that unless these international school systems treat teachers with respect, we will boycott them.
STOP BEING SHEEP.