Flexible School Psychologists Couple

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couple_of_psychs
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2015 1:45 pm

Flexible School Psychologists Couple

Post by couple_of_psychs »

My partner and I are both school psychologists interested in working overseas for the 2016-2017 school year. We have profiles through both Search Associates and the DoDEA.

While we've found some helpful information regarding job outlook and the possibility of fulfilling other, related (i.e. counseling) positions in order to be placed together (http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v ... ogist#p872 and http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v ... sts#p24765), most of the information already out there on forums and blogs are not specific to two school psychologists.

We're wondering if anyone out there knows of couples similar to us who have had success and if they have any tips to offer as to how to best market ourselves or where to look. We both have 3 years experience (him-high school, me-elementary and middle), Ed.S. degrees, NCSPs, and professional licenses in our state (Colorado). Given the strong focus on the role of school psychologists as mental health providers in Colorado, we have experience in social emotional skills development/counseling as well as the traditional assessment, and systems implementation of RtI/MTSS roles. We're open to teaching/counseling/coaching/leadership/admin depending on what we would be considered eligible for.
wrldtrvlr123
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:59 am
Location: Japan

Re: Flexible School Psychologists Couple

Post by wrldtrvlr123 »

Well, I would say there probably isn't too much out there specifically for or by school psychologist teaching couples since (as I can tell that you already know) it would generally be very difficult to land two such positions in the same location at the same time.

I am not a counselor or a psychologist but as a SPED teacher I generally work closely with specialists so I will throw my two cents in (FWIW).

As I see it, you have a few options. Obviously keep your eyes open for a school or organization that might actually need/utilize two school psychologists in the same school/location. Unfortunately, the chance of two positions coming vacant at the same time are slim. Your best bet might be an organization like ESF in Hong Kong (recruit.esf.edu.hk). They run 20+ international schools (plus a SPED school) in HK and so will likely recruit one or two staff for those positions every year.

The other option is to target/monitor a geographic location where there are a large cluster of int'l school (such as Beijing or Shanghai) and be on the look out for two positions at different schools. Beijing has at least 10 decent to great schools. They don't all have school psychologists on staff but they certainly have some type of counseling position that you could make a case for.

Another strategy would be for one of you to take a position in a location with the potential for future employment (like a Beijing or Shanghai) and then secure employment for the other once you arrive. You may have to settle for the 2nd person being considered a local hire (no double housing allowance) but if the first person is at a good school, their travel and housing would already be covered anyway).

As you already mentioned, another option would be for one/both of you to lay some groundwork to be considered for another position. Counselor or admin would be the most likely way to go. You may look good for this at a smaller/lower tier school who would take a chance on an experienced and well qualified person even if their qualifications/experience are not exactly in the position they are applying for.

DoDDS is another option but is very tricky to get into (I was lucky enough to be able to make the jump from int'l schools to DoDDS). A DoDDS route would almost certainly require you to follow the strategy of one person getting a job and the other trying to secure something down the road. This could be difficult if you accept a position at a smaller post/base/location.

If you haven't already, you may want to look into getting registered with a major recruiter like Search Associates. Their database and job listings would serve you well, whatever route you choose to go. If one of you is amenable, you may also want to think about shifting your position/career track now. While you could likely sell yourself to some schools from your present roles, most admin will highly value current/recent experience in a specific field over a good sales pitch coupled with unrelated experience and qualifications.

Whew! Digest all of that and feel free to ask any other specific questions. Other posters my have other/better ideas for you.

Good luck!
theyellowboots
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:32 am

Re: Flexible School Psychologists Couple

Post by theyellowboots »

Hi,

I am a School Psychology student who is required to do my internship for next year.

Do you know of any International schools in Japan where there is a US trained School Psychologist employed there?
I will need a supervisor for my internship and I very much would like to work in Japan.

I am also open to other countries in Asia. So I would like to be part of this thread so that I can be put in the loop about potential employment opportunities.
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