Questions to Ask After an Offer

What to do with an Offer

So, you've got an offer. Or two. Or three.

You know that, in international teaching, your word is your bond. This is often not the case with U.S. public schools. Sure, they can suspend your license for a year if you back out of a contract, but that rarely (if ever) happens. Schools in the U.S. may try to hold you to your contract unless they can find someone else, but that also rarely happens.

However, international schools have different "punishments," per se, about breaking contracts. For example, some places may require teachers to pay money to "reimburse" the school for fees such as housing, flights, recruitment, candidate screening, rehiring, training, or more. This can run you $2,000 or more. Once you break a contract with an international school, it can be very difficult to find another international placement.

Even if you are "released early" from your contract with your school's permission, it will still look bad when applying. Any school hiring you will call the head of your previous school for a reference, and the head will explain exactly why you were released early.

So, you have to be certain about your position and what you want from your school. Some of the following questions may help.

Compensation

International schools have varied ways of paying their teachers. They might pay in U.S. dollars, local currency, or half and half. Your contract should specify your compensation clearly before you sign it. You may want to ask some of the following:

Is the salary fixed, or does it change based on exchange rate?
How often am I paid? Is it weekly? Monthly? Yearly?
Am I paid in local currency? U.S. dollars? Both?
Is my salary on par with other schools in the area? Is it what I expect?
How do I get the money? Is it deposited into a local account? My home bank account?
Is my salary tax-exempt in the country I am working in? Is it tax-exempt in my home country? Do I pay both taxes?
If I have to break the contract for any reason, am I penalized? Is my earned salary penalized?
Do I earn any bonuses throughout the year?
Are there any fees I should be aware of (health care, retirement fund, teachers association, transferring money back to the U.S., etc.)?

Visa

If you are working outside of your home country, chances are that you will need a work visa prior to leaving. Make sure you know the answers to the following questions:

Do I need to get a work visa? Will the school get the visa for me?
How long does it take to get a visa?
Do I pay the visa application fees or does the school?
What kind of assistance in getting a visa does the school offer?
If I have any problems getting any of the documents, is there someone I can talk to at the school?
If the documents are in a foreign language, do I have support from someone at the school?

Housing

International schools vary widely on what they offer teachers. Teachers may live on campus, in teacher-designated housing, in apartments, or in other places. The housing may be fully-covered, partially-covered, or not covered by the school. Ask the following to ensure you understand your contract:

Am I living on campus or off campus?
Do I have a choice in where I am living?

Living off-campus

Do I have to find my own housing, or will the school find me an apartment?
Does the school cover part or all of the fees (rent, utilities, key money, deposits, background check fees, etc.)?
What are the customs for renting in the country? Are there limitations on renting (some places refuse to rent to single women, for example)?
What are the average length of leases?
How much should I expect to pay for a deposit?
Will I be able to have pets? Can I smoke in my apartment (or can others smoke in nearby apartments)?
Who pays for damage fees?

Living on-campus

What size is my room?
What is included in my room? Will I have a kitchen, bathroom, living room, etc.?
Do I need to provide my own furniture, dishware, etc.?
Will I be sharing the space with other teachers?
Will I be in the same building as students? Will I have any duties expected of me after I'm done teaching for the day?
Are there additional duties for me if I live on campus (responding to student calls, chaperoning events, having study sessions, patrolling hallways, etc.)?
Can I stay in my room when school is not in session (during breaks, over the summer, etc.)?
Are pets allowed? Is smoking allowed?

Food

While you probably don't want to eat school food every day, sometimes it is nice to be able to eat with students or have a ready-made meal. Schools may offer food, such as one meal a day or more. They may provide teachers with a stipend. They may also not provide anything. Ask questions to get a feel for teacher life at your placement:

Can teachers eat in the cafeteria with students?
Is food provided? How many meals a day?
If food is not provided, how much does it cost for a teacher to eat with the students?
What type of food is served in the cafeteria?
Can you accommodate dietary restrictions, allergies, or specific diets?
Are western options available?
Are there any grocery stores nearby? Do they carry any imported foods?
What restaurants are nearby? How expensive are they?
Where do most teachers eat?
Is the water safe to drink from the tap? What is the source of the drinking water and cooking water used on campus?

Health

Health care varies from city to city and from country to country. What you might need to bring from home or prepare is different depending on where you will be. What is covered and what is not depends on your placement school. To understand your situation, ask the following questions:

Will I need any specific vaccines or boosters before I leave?
Are my current daily medications available in my new location? Are they legal? (For example, many amphetamines =, such as Adderall, Dexedrine, etc. are illegal in many countries, meaning not only can you not get them in the country, but bringing them in with you can land you in some serious trouble.)
Should I bring any over-the-counter medications with me? (Many people from the U.S. are shocked either by the inaccessibility or the price of pain killers, cold medicine, allergy medication, vitamins and supplements, and more. Check to see what is available in your placement country, and know the vocabulary before you need it!)
Does the school provide health insurance? Is it optional? Is there a monthly or yearly fee?
What does the health insurance cover? What are the exact terms?
Does the school have a nurse or doctor on staff? Can I see them as a teacher?
How far away is the closest hospital? Where should I go to get treatment in English?
If I travel outside of my host country, does my healthcare cover me?
Does my healthcare cover accidents? Surgeries? Emergencies? Routine care?
Does the healthcare cover both physical and mental health? Will it cover a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist if I need one?

Relocation Costs

Moving can be expensive, even if you're just moving a city or a state away. Moving to a new country means picking up everything you own and transporting it, often across oceans. To know what costs you're responsible for, ask the following questions:

Who is paying for my flight?
Do I get to choose my airline, point of departure, landing airport, layovers, etc.?
Who pays for my flight home? How often can I fly home?
If I have things I need to ship (books, clothes, etc.), does the school cover those costs?
Where should I ship things? How will I get my mail?
If I exceed the airline's weight limit, who pays for the extra fee?
Who covers flight insurance? Travel insurance? Shipping insurance? Storage fees?
If there are customs duty charges, who covers those?
Who covers visa fees?
If I need a lawyer, who covers those fees?

Supports

Moving internationally can be fun and exciting, but also terrifying if you do not know the language. Know the supports your school has in place for new teachers with the following questions:

How will I get from the airport to the school? Will someone from the school pick me up? Is there a shuttle? What public transport should I take?
Is there someone who can help me set up a bank account if I need one?
If I have to register somewhere (immigration office, local council, etc.), is there someone who can help me?
Is there someone who can help me set up my cell phone?
If I need to set up other services (a regular doctor, utilities, a tax or social security number, etc.), is there someone who can help me?
Will I need a residence card? How can I apply?
If I need an international driver's license, is there someone who can help me?
If I need translations of important documents and/or notary, is there somewhere near campus I can go?
Will I need a car? Is there someone who can help me purchase one?

Responsibilities

Teachers have a lot of responsibilities, no matter what country they are in. Sometimes, these responsibilities are explicit in the contract. Other times, they are listed as "Other duties and responsibilities as requested." Get a good feel for what will be expected of you by asking the following:

What topics and grades will I be teaching?
Am I teaching alone? With another teacher? Under supervision?
How long are class periods?
Is there a specific teaching philosophy teachers adhere to in the school (student-centered, IB learning, experiential learning, etc.)?
Should I expect to work weekends or nights?
What does a typical day for a teacher at the school look like?
How many classes will I be teaching?
How many hours per day will I be teaching?
Do I have my own classroom? Do I move classrooms?
Do I have an office?
Are there any texts, materials, or standards that I am expected to cover?
Should I prepare my students for any specific tests (PISA, TOEFL, ACT, SAT, TIMSS, etc.)?
Does the school offer me any orientation or training?
What are my non-teaching responsibilities?
What does a typical lesson plan look like?
Are lesson plans made for me, or will I be expected to plan all of my lessons? Will I plan them individually or will I collaborate with other teachers?
Is there a curriculum map or blueprint to follow?
What do staff meetings look like? Is there collaborative planning time available?
What are common discipline problems with students at the school? How are they handled?
What is the grading policy at the school?
What is the policy for cheating, plagiarizing, or not completing assignments?

Family

If you are traveling with family (a spouse, a child, etc.), you may not know exactly what they will have to do. Here are some things to ask your placement school:

Is there a position for my spouse at the school if he/she is also a teacher?
Is there someone who can help my spouse find a job outside of the school?
If my spouse needs to apply for a visa, does the school help with that?
Is my spouse/child(ren) covered under my insurance, or do I have to buy supplementary insurance?
Can my child(ren) attend school here without paying tuition? Is the tuition reduced?
Can my child(ren) attend public school locally? If I need to go to a parent meeting, is there a translator who can come with me? Are the local schools rigorous?
Does the school pay for the flights of my spouse/child(ren)?
If my child is young, is there daycare provided at the school? Is there a local, trusted daycare? How much does that cost?
Will my spouse/child(ren) eat on campus for free? Do they have a limit on the number of meals they can have?

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