Just to clarify something. When you first arrive at your post you are under no obligation to use temporary base lodging. We are free to secure our own lodging. We are given a rate and as long as our lodging is within that rate then no out of pocket expenses are occurred.

We still pay out of pocket up front for everything, but are reimbursed once we file our claim, which you do weekly while on TQSA.

With that said Europe is generally more comfortable to obtain off-base lodging than say Japan is. Japan has small hotel rooms and you are often very cramped. Many teachers traveling with pets elect to find off-base lodging while getting settled in since most bases don't allow pets in their lodges.

We are very spoiled as DoDDS teachers in terms of pay, and benefits since we are also able to stay at military/DoD only hotels in cities around the world. This spoiledness unfortunately crosses over into the working mentality which does cause interesting conflicts.

With only1 year of classroom experience you won't meet the minimum 2 years requirement that DoDEA prefers.

Have never heard of them moving you around, that is up to you to request a transfer. There is a guy in Sasebo that has been at the school there for over 40 years. Your contract is generally for 2 years and you can put in for transfer after that. Join the DoDDS Facebook group for more info on transfers.

I have no info about how Virtual School works. Alli know is that you wouldn't be hired for virtual school and sent overseas. If you are overseas you can teach summer classes for virtual school. I've heard they are expanding it and making changes.
If you were hired for a school in Oki then you would live and teach in Oki. I don't know the specifics of Kadena's housing but DoDEA teachers are offered the option. You get a very generous housing allowance, so not sure why you would want to live on base.

It's best to apply worldwide and take the job that you are going to be the happiest with. DDESS is so different that DoDDS and with the way things are shaping up there are no guarantees that a DDESS position will land you a DoDDS position. If you don't want to live in say Kentucky, why would you accept an offer to move there?

No idea how international schools work, sorry.

RAT is dependent how how many years the post is RAT-Ed at. If you take RAT you and all dependents will receive paid airfare from your post to your HOR. If you take it you are basically signing up to do another tour at your post so you can't put in for transfers. You'll also get a small per dime to cover meals and such while you are traveling to your destination.

SOFA is granted once you reach your country and varies by country. It grants you certain privileges and gives you more than 90 days to stay in the country.

Good luck to you.

Iogi, hiring is in full swing right now. Highly unlikely that you would get activated for this year unless you are a high needs area filler like SPED, or robotics.

January starts have happened in the past under various circumstances, but if you were interviewing for an open position in the summer then it is doubtful that a school admin would be okay with you delaying until Jan.

What are your certs in? Not many admin are familiar with what the top international schools are. We would mainly be interested in what you would bring to us. For isn't aces, what trainings have you had, what committees have you participated in. Could you bring fresh ideas to our school and offer quality training/PD on it. That's what a lot of admin in DoDDS look for.

Lots of change coming. Transfers will still be there. Retirements will still happen. Lots of people worrying with good reason, but in the end DoDEA is getting stronger and starting to make better decisions and hires. Great time to be getting in.

Walter, interesting reads. I value your insights, as do others. You clearly sound like a knowledgable source that has research and first hand knowledge on his side. Thank you for shaing with us.

@ringler

We have hired teachers as last as November. After that there is a cut off and the position must be offered in the transfer round. Of course this year all bets are off when it comes to a transfer round. We are hearing that it will be much like this years. We are hearing of major changes coming to Europe, with more unaccompanied tours. You can Google Stars and Stripes to read about military/DoD news. They aren't always truthful, but you'll get an idea as to where we're headed and what's being reported. Our European teachers are very, very uneasy about the future at this time. So much uncertainty, especially in Germany, and that's where we have the most teachers. And most of those teachers own their homes.

If you got offered a position with DoDEA after the school year started and you didn't accept it, you will not be offered another one. So be vey careful about accepting interviews if you feel uneasy about resigning from your CONUS school to come work for us.

More than likely your husband will get picked up first. Yes, much easier for you to get in under local hire, but no LQA, or COLA. If you get lucky and get picked up together, then each of you get LQA and COLA. We have teachers all over the world who use their LQA to purchase homes. It is harder in Japan, but not impossible. Most people buy in Germany, where it is easier.

We are expanding in Rota, Spain, but that is a huge want place. Many people put it at the top of their list. We are also expanding in Venezia, Italy and SHape, Belgium.

You can apply as both individuals, or as a couple. Getting hired as a couple is like hitting the lottery, you make double everything.

LQA is living quarters allowance. We get our rent, and utilities paid for up to a certain amount. It depends on your number of dependents and where you are on the GS scale. You can use your LQA to pay the principal on a home loan over 10 years. If you purchase a house within your LQA you can basically have it paid off in 10 years. There are teachers that have done this 2, to 3 times. After you get the house paid off and you own it free and clear you can rent it to other teachers, or military service members, purchase a new house and have your LQA applied to that as well.

Being that you husband is certified to teach AP math makes him a hot property. A lot of principals will overlooks experience if you've got solid references. And the fact that you want Japan, or Korea makes you even more desirable. Most applicants want Europe and Europe only.

Sevarem, you will be very attractive to DoDEA as a teaching couple, especially with one of you teaching math, a very high in demand position for us.

You do not have to be living in the States to get hired, but DoDEA may only pay for your move from the states. So they may require that you and all of your belongings are in the states. This isn't set in stone. If you live close to your new hire spot and it is cheaper to PCS you from there, they will. There are wonky rules and they aren't always clear.

Here's a tip, you can apply as a couple, which does make it harder to get placed as there has to be a spot for the both of you. The benefit to applying together is that if you are both picked up as CONUS hires then both of you get COLA and LQA allowances. That's big bucks! And since we can use our LQA to purchase our own homes, then you can see where you come out very, very ahead in this deal.

More than likely it will be your husband that gets hired from CONUS though. You then become his dependent and qualify for local hiring. As a local hire you do not get any LQA, or COLA, only your husband would. But once you were both eligible to transfer you could both do that together and then both get the COLA/LQA package if you were both placed together.

Make sense? Apply now, get everything in. The fact that you're willing to teach in Korea and Japan makes you both attractive. The fact that your husband can teach AP math makes you almost a sure thing to get picked up.

Good luck!

I was hired 2 years ago, and never received notification that my name was put on a list, let alone a list for a school. Sorry dude, but that's clearly a fake. I asked a colleague that was hired this year, they also never received notification that they were placed on a list.

Oh the trouble that you're going through to prove yourself right. It's pretty funny. But yeah, wow, no idea what that is. All I got was an email from a principal, not some magic notification of being placed on a list for a school.

LOL. You just keep shoveling and shoveling...

We leave our host nation at all times in official passport. We use tourist when not on orders. We return to host nation on official. That's what I said. We can add not reading to your list.

Transfer round is not over until June 1. Nothing has started but you telling more lies.

I'm beginning to think that PsyGuy is the admin of ISR. No other reason to let this go time and time again. I would pay to join this site to read reviews, but the fact that it allows this guy to post here without an sort of warning, or anything, really has me thinking about spending my money with another review site. Good job ISR, your lack of caring, or integrity for what you set out to do here isn't winning you over customers.

As usual, PsyGuy gives out the wrong info.

From the moment you start working with DoDEA you will always travel with your Official Passport. You will not travel to your new post unless you are traveling with you Official Passport. This is because when we travel we travel on orders. Yep, actual military orders issued by the DoD.

Regardless of the type of travel we do, whether on orders, or not, we must travel with our Official Passport. In order to leave your host nation you must present your Official Passport, this is because it contains your entry stamp, your SOFA stamp and the entry form that you fill out each and every time you are re-entering your host nation.

When my family and I leave on a summer trip outside of Japan this summer, we will travel on both our Official and Tourist passports. We will present our Official Passport at immigration when we leave Japan. We will present our Tourist passports at the country we are visiting. When we return to Japan we will again present our Official Passport to re-enter the country. Again, this is because our Tourist passports contain no entry, or exit stamp for our host nation of Japan.

Once you are hired you have about a week to get your paperwork filled out and returned back to them. You'll spend hours on it. DoDEA will send you a form that will need to be filled out by your current district. Mine took 48 hours to fill it out. They were very understanding of the turn around time.

I would hold onto your sealed transcripts as well. There is no hurry as of now to get anything done. I would wait until you're interviewed and selected. If you want to get a jump on the packet then please feel free to email me and I will provide you with some things to get done before that packet arrives.

In the meantime, just sit back and wait for an email from a principal requesting an interview.

Anon, go with what your gut is tells you about calling, or emailing. The only time I called was once I got my hiring packet to fill out and that was because they provided me with a number to call them if I had questions. I don't recommend calling them about your application unless they now provide a number to do so. If there is an email, use it.

DoDEA will help you with the Official Passport. This isn't something that you can just get on your own. There is a special form to be filled out for it.

Anon, yes you will have to travel on an Official Passport. You are not entering the country as a tourist, but rather on official U.S. government business.

References have to be confidential. I sent my references an email to be on the lookout for them. You can't see them, or mail them.

Transcripts can be sent by you but must be sealed by your university and stamped. They must be official transcripts, not copies.