The International Schools Review Forum

keep the job you have now.

v.

What if this happened?

You accept a job you and are very happy. You start getting ducks in rows for your transition to your new school. All is good with your world. About 3 weeks later, you get an email from said new school...
_______________________________
Dear Mr./Ms. Pluke:

This is very awkward, but we need to let you know we just do not have a teaching position for you anymore. A teacher who we really, really want has approached us to come here. It is a teacher we have wanted for several years, and all of a sudden she has said she will accept the offer we made yesterday for the position we already gave to you. We know this is poor form, but we may never get a chance at this teacher again, so we have to do what we have to do.

Again, we are very, very sorry for the inconvenience. Good luck.

Sincerely,
The New School
_______________________________

My guess is you might be on ISR posting a very different topic.

Further to @matts1w post, no one at SA or ISS, or anyone in your government will do anything about it. You will have to either travel to the location and pursue whatever recourse you would have through union rules or regulations which may and likely would require filing an expensive and lengthy legal suite. Your best option is an arbitrator forces them to place you within the IS or pay your salary regardless. Most ITs just move on and start looking for another job.

Personally, I would NOT break contract. There maybe times when one has to leave a school because it is not honouring it's contract, safety issues or disregard and ill treatment of a teacher. But I wouldn't do it, otherwise.
Is it possible that if you do get offered the dream job, you can let that dream job recruiter know you have accepted this current one and would seriously like to be considered the next round (2years on), but that you just can't let down this current school. I think we all have had an experience where we have accepted a good job and then there is that one you would have preferred now asking to Skype with you! Arghh... what to do....
This recruiting business is a lot about timing isn't it. You don't want to let a good offer slip by in case you don't get another good school, but what about that stella school.... the dream one... they haven't closed the posting yet.... What to do?

Hopefully the one you have accepted, you accepted for a reason: decent pay and benefits and a location and job that you will enjoy and grow in.

If nothing else, thinking of it from the recruiters point of view: they have likely passed up other good candidates for you and rely on you following through. They likely can't get the candidates they let go back. It could be awkward working there if they require you to stay and they know you'd rather be somewhere else, too. I think sometimes there are white lies but breaking contract is more than that. It is really the backbone of what we as candidates and they as recruiters rely on: ethics.

So Pluke, what DID happen? LOL

Stick to the agreement you made. It's that simple. If you have second thoughts, learn from it and do well at the school you agreed to work at.