Like many educators, I have bills to pay at home and other financial goals I hope to achieve. I'm interested in Central American schools but as far as I know, they all seem to pay little.
I know the cost of living is lower in most Central American countries- but the cost of living is also low in places like Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Argentina, Venezuela, and Romania and schools there pay at least moderately well. So are there any central American schools where a teacher with a masters plus 10 years experience can pull in at least $30,000 a year (not including health, moving expenses, and other benefits)? Or is this not in line with reality? Any feedback would be appreciated!
Are there any decent paying schools in Central America??
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albymangels
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:58 am
central america musings...
i am currently living in central america. we moved here thinking "salary is low, but hey, it is central america, so the cost of living will be really low." wrong! the cost of living is NOT really low like you would think it is.
okay, well, if you only bought basic groceries at the local markets, your grocery bill could be low. however, most north americans like me like to buy things at the real grocery stores and the prices of things keeps getting higher and higher. other than food, the price of other basics goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. cars, furniture, etc can be ridiculously high. of course, you can purchase really cheap (and cheaply made) things, too. but you might not WANT to.
having said all that, i can get a fresh pineapple all year long for $1.25, i can go see a hollywood movie in a brand new cinema for $3, i can get a pedicure for 10$ and a weekly massage for 15$.
bottom line, though, in our experience and the experience of our friends here and elsewhere in the region, the cost of living per se is not LOW.
as for the question about what schools might pay well....there aren't any central american schools that "pay well". i have a few theories about this.
1. almost all the international schools in central america are not really international schools. they have a HIGH percentage of local rich kids and staffed by locals. the parents want quasi north american schooling but do not demand true international teachers like you would see in a school with more ex-pats looking for continuity and standards in line with north america.
2. as a result of the above (for economic reasons) there really does seem to be many more local teachers in the faculty than in the other international schools i have worked in / visited. since the locals are paid very very little, the school boards refuse to pay international teachers a whole lot more. the housing packages and all the other perks of course mean we make a LOT more than the locals, but the bottom line figures all added up certainly cannot compete with other regions of the world.
3. the schools in central america tend to hire international teachers with less experience and / or less desire to be far away from the united states or canada. so they are not drawing in the kind of international staff that demand higher salaries, frankly.
i think this will have to change as it is my understanding that every year it gets harder and harder to recruit teachers to come down here to teach, especially when the packages at other schools are so much better. even to go to south america is a better economical deal. if it doesn't change, i guess the schools will just continue to higher fewer and fewer international teachers.
having said all that, i did not come to central america for the money. i actually left a rather high paying job in the middle east to come here and have been very happy. i love central america for the people, the climate, and the traveling. it is NOT the place to come to make money, though. all depends on your priorities. if money is one of them then i say (sadly) that you should stay away from central america as a locale to LIVE.
okay, well, if you only bought basic groceries at the local markets, your grocery bill could be low. however, most north americans like me like to buy things at the real grocery stores and the prices of things keeps getting higher and higher. other than food, the price of other basics goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. cars, furniture, etc can be ridiculously high. of course, you can purchase really cheap (and cheaply made) things, too. but you might not WANT to.
having said all that, i can get a fresh pineapple all year long for $1.25, i can go see a hollywood movie in a brand new cinema for $3, i can get a pedicure for 10$ and a weekly massage for 15$.
bottom line, though, in our experience and the experience of our friends here and elsewhere in the region, the cost of living per se is not LOW.
as for the question about what schools might pay well....there aren't any central american schools that "pay well". i have a few theories about this.
1. almost all the international schools in central america are not really international schools. they have a HIGH percentage of local rich kids and staffed by locals. the parents want quasi north american schooling but do not demand true international teachers like you would see in a school with more ex-pats looking for continuity and standards in line with north america.
2. as a result of the above (for economic reasons) there really does seem to be many more local teachers in the faculty than in the other international schools i have worked in / visited. since the locals are paid very very little, the school boards refuse to pay international teachers a whole lot more. the housing packages and all the other perks of course mean we make a LOT more than the locals, but the bottom line figures all added up certainly cannot compete with other regions of the world.
3. the schools in central america tend to hire international teachers with less experience and / or less desire to be far away from the united states or canada. so they are not drawing in the kind of international staff that demand higher salaries, frankly.
i think this will have to change as it is my understanding that every year it gets harder and harder to recruit teachers to come down here to teach, especially when the packages at other schools are so much better. even to go to south america is a better economical deal. if it doesn't change, i guess the schools will just continue to higher fewer and fewer international teachers.
having said all that, i did not come to central america for the money. i actually left a rather high paying job in the middle east to come here and have been very happy. i love central america for the people, the climate, and the traveling. it is NOT the place to come to make money, though. all depends on your priorities. if money is one of them then i say (sadly) that you should stay away from central america as a locale to LIVE.
musings from central america part two
i just also noticed you said you have bills in north america. yah, we couldn't live here on our salaries (and still enjoy the kind of lifestyle we have come to love and <ahem> expect) if we had to send money back to north america. the money here will NOT go far in the states.
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albymangels
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sat Dec 08, 2007 5:58 am
Thanks!
Thanks for the response, Raphael! I found it very enlightening. It's amazing that anyone can make MUCH more money at comparable 3rd world countries in Africa and Asia than in Central America. Even the top schools in South America (ECA-Venezuela, Graded in Brazil, Nido in Chile and a couple others) pay MUCH better than the schools in Central America. It's not even close.
Hopefully, a couple of Central American schools will eventually understand that if they want to compete for the best international educators, then they need to pay competetive wages (and NOT just list their salary as "competitive for Central America"). It does indeed start with the school board and the parent community, though.
Hopefully, a couple of Central American schools will eventually understand that if they want to compete for the best international educators, then they need to pay competetive wages (and NOT just list their salary as "competitive for Central America"). It does indeed start with the school board and the parent community, though.
salaries in central america continued...
glad you found my reply informative, but do keep in mind that it is just my opinion and based on what we have seen here at my school and what i have heard from some other teachers.
sadly, i am not sure things are going to change regarding salary in central american "international" schools. it seems to me that education is not as highly valued as it is in other parts of the world, or in true international schools. parents here certainly want an "american diploma" but as we know, you can call a school "americana" but that doesn't really mean much. most of the parents don't seem to care where the teachers come from, and seem content to have the majority of the teachers at an "american" school be local faculty. as long as their son or daughter gets good grades and can apply to schools in north america, that's what they want. teachers are often seen as little more than the hired help. american / canadian teachers get more respect than the local teachers, but it is all relative. definitely at my school it seems like with each passing year there are even less international teachers than before.
i would love to hear from any international teachers currently teaching in central america that are reading this forum. it would be interesting to hear if my conclusions can be confirmed or refuted...
sadly, i am not sure things are going to change regarding salary in central american "international" schools. it seems to me that education is not as highly valued as it is in other parts of the world, or in true international schools. parents here certainly want an "american diploma" but as we know, you can call a school "americana" but that doesn't really mean much. most of the parents don't seem to care where the teachers come from, and seem content to have the majority of the teachers at an "american" school be local faculty. as long as their son or daughter gets good grades and can apply to schools in north america, that's what they want. teachers are often seen as little more than the hired help. american / canadian teachers get more respect than the local teachers, but it is all relative. definitely at my school it seems like with each passing year there are even less international teachers than before.
i would love to hear from any international teachers currently teaching in central america that are reading this forum. it would be interesting to hear if my conclusions can be confirmed or refuted...