With a lot of time on my hands because of the lockdowns in many countries - I've started to speak to friends in different countries to see if they are ok and talk about what is happening in general.
The more we talk and the longer COVID-19 hangs around, the worse the impact has been on my friends both emotionally and financially.
At present - I am unaware of any country that has reduced it's immigration requirements and it seems as though this will not be changing any time soon. I've also had friends on multiple continents lose their jobs for the 2020/21 school year.
In the past few days I've also had friends in asia, the Middle East and Europe tell me that their current school is allowing people to legally break their contract (with consultation) due to a predicted collapse in numbers.
I also have multiple friends who are starting jobs in new countries but may not be able to get there due to a lack of flights and closed border.
Apart from foreign teachers who are currently in China finishing a contract (Chinese kids still need to go to school and when the borders are closed - well....) - it's starting to look like the beginning of a bloodbath.
Unlike others - I'm not fully blaming schools as if there are no students then there is no money. It's certainly going to be an interesting 12 months until things start to settle down a little bit more.
Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
There are silver linings, too, or should I say, milking continues:
- I know folks at schools who are either continuing with their current contracts or moving onto new jobs with some possibility of remote learning in August and September.
- No slash in salary and benefits.
- Two schools in Hong Kong, I know of, have have actually increased tuition for the 2020-21 school year.
Depends where you're and who you're.
- I know folks at schools who are either continuing with their current contracts or moving onto new jobs with some possibility of remote learning in August and September.
- No slash in salary and benefits.
- Two schools in Hong Kong, I know of, have have actually increased tuition for the 2020-21 school year.
Depends where you're and who you're.
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shopaholic
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:42 pm
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
I'm really scared. I accepted a (dream) post for 2020/21 well before we were hearing much about the .. Now the country where I am supposed to be going is closed to foreigners and is not processing visas. I know the school actually needs me, or someone for the role, but am feeling more and more disheartened.
In a case like this, the only course of action seems to be to watch the days tick by, hoping that I won't receive the message that my new contract is cancelled. All the while, I know that I'm not likely to find something else so late in the season if my new job disappears.
It is terrible to be trying to make a Plan B.
In a case like this, the only course of action seems to be to watch the days tick by, hoping that I won't receive the message that my new contract is cancelled. All the while, I know that I'm not likely to find something else so late in the season if my new job disappears.
It is terrible to be trying to make a Plan B.
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Helen Back
- Posts: 242
- Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 4:16 pm
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
We're also moving to a country currently with closed boarders (for foreigners). While it is concerning, the school has given no indication that we will not be required. I'm being contacted by department heads about possible PD opportunities, I have a school email address and my kids have been assigned to classes. While this is all very reassuring, I know it could fall apart at any time. We're slowly packing up boxes to ship, but will likely not ship them until things look more concrete. We won't be returning to our home country in the summer because that might entail two sets of quarantine.
Plan B is probably rent at condo near the beach somewhere until something else turns up.
Interesting times.........
Plan B is probably rent at condo near the beach somewhere until something else turns up.
Interesting times.........
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
I do think that COVID-19 may have some positives with Hong Kong with the protests now out of our minds for the near foreseeable future.
The comments on having Plan B I think is important. I do know that my current school has no idea what they are doing as they are waiting on instructions from the government. There is even talk of delaying the start of the 2020/21 school year.
The comments on having Plan B I think is important. I do know that my current school has no idea what they are doing as they are waiting on instructions from the government. There is even talk of delaying the start of the 2020/21 school year.
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
Borders are unlikely to open anytime soon with current case numbers. In addition, many school districts in the US are facing budget cuts and hiring freezes. The tricky part is choosing between waiting it out or going for plan B.
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
My current school (located in China) just reopened for grades 4-12 to make the Chinese parents happy. They are running a skeleton crew since most of us are out of country. The middle school is made of 9 foreign teachers with only 2 currently working at the school. The rest of us are running "hybrid classes" while they babysit the kids. The staff as a whole is burned out but considering they will be losing an estimated 25% of their students for next year (foreign students) they are trying to make the local parents happy. It will be interesting how long the students keep showing up considering they could very well do the exact same work at home and not sit 2 meters apart for each other with masks and eat lunch in silence. I am interested in hearing the feedback from the students. Seems like everything students enjoy about school will be lost for the time being. If parents think keeping them home is a fight I can't imagine dragging a 14-year-old out of bed at 6 to go to this new form of school.
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
@blackspec the new version of school in China truly sounds like hell. I wonder how long schools there will be required to keep these current restrictions in place. That's not how I want to teach and that's not how I would want my children to learn.
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
blackspec wrote:
he exact same work at home
> and not sit 2 meters apart for each other with masks and eat lunch in
> silence. I am interested in hearing the feedback from the students.
why do they have to sit in silence??
v.
he exact same work at home
> and not sit 2 meters apart for each other with masks and eat lunch in
> silence. I am interested in hearing the feedback from the students.
why do they have to sit in silence??
v.
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Illiane_Blues
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
At my school they have put transparent divisions between all students at the lunch tables.
There's no rule they have to be silent but for some reason they all are.
There's no rule they have to be silent but for some reason they all are.
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
Our school has committed to no teacher/staff cuts for next year. We have a couple flights a day coming into the country, but of course, that could change. I had rebook our tickets in order to return earlier for a 7 day quarantine and 3 days that I asked for, the plane was fully booked. The issue for our new teachers is not the flights, but the visa work, which was all put on hold. Americans don't need a visa to get into the country, so I don't know if people will be able to come in and then wait for the visa work to be finished before they start work or if they'll have to wait. Our school will have a number of teachers out of the country (some of us left in March when school closed) but we're mostly located in the US/Canada so hopefully returning will be fairly smooth!
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
From what I have heard and seen since my first post is the following
(1) Some countries which still have jobs available will only allow for candidates to be in the current country (for example China)
(2) Student number reductions which I have predicted to happen seem to be coming through to fruition (these were in my head and I've not shared them).
(3) Schools are starting to plan for reassigning teachers to different positions. This might be as fully paid replacement teachers, literacy or numeracy coaches etc until numbers start to increase.
(4) Flux will continue and the opening of borders will be much slower than we expected in March.
(1) Some countries which still have jobs available will only allow for candidates to be in the current country (for example China)
(2) Student number reductions which I have predicted to happen seem to be coming through to fruition (these were in my head and I've not shared them).
(3) Schools are starting to plan for reassigning teachers to different positions. This might be as fully paid replacement teachers, literacy or numeracy coaches etc until numbers start to increase.
(4) Flux will continue and the opening of borders will be much slower than we expected in March.
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
Here are my predictions come September 2020:
- Class sizes will be disproportionate with some teaching more and others less.
- Senior high school teachers at bigger schools where they hitherto taught only AP/IB will now be asked to take on some middle school classes.
- Employment contracts will now have vague clauses of termination and a slash in housing and travel benefits at mid-sized and smaller schools.
- Those with trailing spouses will have even greater difficulty of being hired.
- Virtual job fairs via Skype/Zoom will be taken seriously. Synchronous teaching on Microsoft Teams / Zoom will be the new demo expected from prospective teachers.
- Few established schools will still go ahead with tuition hike to bear post-pandemic maintenance and transportation costs.
- Bonanza for substitute / supply teachers at schools with ageing faculty.
- More structured opportunities for tutoring students online than before.
- Class sizes will be disproportionate with some teaching more and others less.
- Senior high school teachers at bigger schools where they hitherto taught only AP/IB will now be asked to take on some middle school classes.
- Employment contracts will now have vague clauses of termination and a slash in housing and travel benefits at mid-sized and smaller schools.
- Those with trailing spouses will have even greater difficulty of being hired.
- Virtual job fairs via Skype/Zoom will be taken seriously. Synchronous teaching on Microsoft Teams / Zoom will be the new demo expected from prospective teachers.
- Few established schools will still go ahead with tuition hike to bear post-pandemic maintenance and transportation costs.
- Bonanza for substitute / supply teachers at schools with ageing faculty.
- More structured opportunities for tutoring students online than before.
Re: Let the Bloodbath Begin.....
I agree with most of what you said fine dude.
The only one which probably won't happen that often is the online teaching part. I don't think that paying parents would accept having their kids being used as guinea pigs for potential new staff. I do see it becoming more common - but more at the schools with a very local student and more specifically admin/owner.
The only one which probably won't happen that often is the online teaching part. I don't think that paying parents would accept having their kids being used as guinea pigs for potential new staff. I do see it becoming more common - but more at the schools with a very local student and more specifically admin/owner.
Response
Unless an IS is providing you coin in advance in terms of salary, no ISs or recruiters or leaders guarantee is worth anything. If things get bad enough your job will vanish and you will likely get nothing. That guarantee will vanish on the wind, which was all it was made of to begin with.