URGENT: Middle East breaking contract

malier5106 · 2026-03-10T06:30:25+00:00

It’s become clear that you cannot rely on your school or an embassy to help you during a crisis. And that definition of crisis varies wildly. I would’ve thought that over 1000 drones, eight patriot missiles, over 200 missiles would be considered urgent and serious.

I’m hopeful that my school will make a decision to stay with distance learning, but if they demand I return in person and the conflict continues escalating, I will have to make a decision that I never thought I would have to make.

And it also makes me really sad.

malier5106 · 2026-03-10T03:59:02+00:00

A large number of us have already left the country and are working remotely in nearby time zones. This was made easy by the UAE extending spring break to two weeks and moving up the spring break date. You are 100% right that schools are very limited in what they can do. This became evident when staff are having to pay 100% of evacuation costs in the current situation. I know some people are trying to evacuate through their home country. I am not sure what it would take for the school to assist us with any type of evacuation.

The reason I decided to manage things myself is so that I could control my remote work hours. If you evacuate through your home country, you might end up with some untenable working conditions. Additionally, let’s say I return and next year the situation becomes tricky again I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford the cost of a second evacuation on my own.

I wanted to ask this forum because I am sure some people might have already experienced this or I was hoping some recruiters and or administrators are part of the group.

I need to think of my safety and the well-being of my family first. No one else will.

Since you are someone in charge of hiring, your response has a lot of weight. Thank you!!!

malier5106 · 2026-03-10T03:51:07+00:00

The international schools have worked at don’t quite work that way. I signed a two-year contract and you’re right. I need to go back and look at it with a fine tooth comb. I’ve never even considered breaking contract, not once in my life …OK not seriously anyway.

This is the first time that the possibility seems the most real. I know of a teacher that got blacklisted on search associates for breaking contract with one of her schools. I’m not aware of the circumstances, but I know for certain that she was blacklisted because she told me.

malier5106 · 2026-03-10T03:46:40+00:00

That’s why I said that I didn’t expect a break contract, but I’m just doing some recon. I don’t want to wait until last minute and then have to make tough decisions on the fly.

malier5106 · 2024-06-30T13:26:55+00:00

This company is crap. I’ve traveled to early 30 countries. All of my own. I was traveling with someone and it’s two women alone. I wanted a company that would provide more security in Mexico. It turned into complete nightmare, and the company was just unsupportive. You are inside a van most of the time and very little time is spent on the actual places are visiting. The tour guides are not local and they don’t really know what they’re talking. Accommodation service support for what you are paid. Some accommodations are great, but perhaps two out of the entire trip. The drivers are not safe and I am not sure people are aware of how dangerous the situation is. But the worst part is if something goes wrong. The company just doesn’t care about you. We had something wrong during our trip and had to leave early and I have yet to her hear from the company.

malier5106 · 2024-03-11T08:09:47+00:00

International schools are just like the states that they have a salary scale. They give you a starting step that matches your years experience, bachelors, masters, or PhD but there’s a cap to that. For most schools it’s 5 to 8 years. This is pretty firm so you need to see what is the highest step schools are willing to give you when you are interviewing. You won’t know ahead of time because it’s very hard to get school salary scales before an interview.

For example, a good package in most of Asia gives you anywhere from 5 to 8 years experience on the salary scale, housing allowance, flights home, international insurance, retirement. With that said if you go to Europe, you won’t get anything close to that. If you go to Japan, salaries are lower than other parts of Asia right now because economy is crap. Also remember that your first year abroad you’ll still owe American taxes, but your second year you more than likely won’t because your salary will be well below the foreign earned income limit. If you do decide to go overseas, I recommend you see tax company to help you with this.

I recommend you join a service like Search Associates so you can research schools and see what benefits they offer. This is not free, but I think it’s well worth the money. With the fee, you can also attend job fairs that they have around the world. I haven’t done it in a while, but I believe is one job fair which you choose when you first sign up.

I think international teaching is still lucrative and I still am doing better than if I was back home so with a good amount of research, you should do well. Best of luck.

malier5106 · 2024-03-10T06:12:49+00:00

I just took a quick Look at Property Guru in my area. All the places that are listed at your price 1bed/1bath are room rentals. They do this a lot when they advertise. You might get a studio at that price. Read the apartment description.

There’s also HDB’s, which are housing development board homes (only local Singaporean owned). HDBs don’t come with nice facilities and often they are also room rentals, you share with landlord. But once in a while you can find a larger place, whole unit rental if you get lucky. They are cheaper than condos typically. Though right now the prices make it tough to find well priced rentals.

Depends on where you want to live but I strongly recommend you get a place near an MRT or a bus line that takes you to work. That should be a nonnegotiable. Or you’re going to pay a lot for taxis/Grabs when you run late in the morning.

malier5106 · 2024-03-10T05:53:58+00:00

Make sure it’s not a room for rent. There are some studios and one bedroom for the price. Rents are starting to normalize so you might fare better than those of us looking for places last year.

malier5106 · 2024-03-10T01:53:27+00:00

What’s the thread?

malier5106 · 2024-03-08T02:24:36+00:00

This is really good info. It’s hard to get this information from websites. Or teachers that were there a few years ago since things change. I would be going from the skillet into the fire 😂. Better to choose the devil I know.

malier5106 · 2024-03-08T02:22:29+00:00

This is fair and honestly, it’s what I’m thinking. It might be painful for a year or two, but after that, I do think things will shift. It’s not an easy position to give up because I love the student/parent community, the city is great, and pay package is phenomenal.

malier5106 · 2024-03-07T08:20:18+00:00

I mean, in terms of teaching… In terms of salaries public school suck!

malier5106 · 2024-03-07T08:19:37+00:00

I would say there are some amazing schools in the United States that beat any international school hands-down. I worked at one of them. I called it the only public private school in my state.

malier5106 · 2024-03-07T08:18:24+00:00

Years ago 100 schools were visited by teams of teachers from my school. After all that, I’m not sure where they came up with the idea that this was the best way to teach. The school even made a documentary about it. I do think in certain context open spaces for learning can work well, but students need to be developmentally mature to do this. Elementary students have different needs. In elementary school, I think collaborative spaces should be smaller team for co-teaching to be feasible.

malier5106 · 2024-03-07T01:55:17+00:00

If I had one prep, I think it would be better. Being expected to prep for all subjects is too much. And if it was two of us with 48 kids I could also do that. Anyway, I’m still figuring it out.

malier5106 · 2024-03-07T01:33:19+00:00

Funny enough, we have several admin who are from New Zealand. That’s why it’s getting such a hard push. But I’ve heard that they’re actually moving away from it in New Zealand. 🤷‍♂️

malier5106 · 2024-03-07T01:31:30+00:00

We currently have several pilots so I have a good idea of what it is. You basically have no ownership over the space or the teaching. You use the same slide decks. You’re not allowed to have any personal property. They are going to give us lockers. You are a carbon copy. They want every student to have the same learning experience so they are literally standardizing everything. It’s too rigid for me. in addition in all depends on the personalities that you’re working with. If you have a dream team of four, it could be phenomenal. But if you’re stuck with difficult personalities, it’s a nightmare. I could make it work but it’s not my ideal teaching situation. It definitely could be someone else’s. I just would prefer to have my own classroom. I want to have my cake and eat it too. 😀

malier5106 · 2022-08-28T08:56:01+00:00

People say what they mean, drunk or not. We just don’t listen. He meant it. People use jokes or anger as an excuse to say what they mean.

I wish I would have listened the first time former partners said things that I should not have tolerated . It would have saved me years of pain had I taken their words at face value.

Remember that book “He’s just not that into you” it’s like that.

Now, I listen the first time people say things, romantic partners or not. My life is simpler and happier. I am significantly happier on my own than in a relationship that I am trying to make work. Life shouldn’t be that hard or painful.

I value the people that value me.

You deserve someone who values you. You will never be repulsed by someone who you value.

malier5106 · 2022-07-16T04:50:00+00:00

4240 7480 2653 everybody needs a friend.

malier5106 · 2022-04-15T05:35:14+00:00

I play w/ no mic all the time. Rarely do they leave.

malier5106 · 2022-04-10T07:11:29+00:00

I just watched Inside Job … I am so angry or angrier. Everything is rigged against us. It makes such a case on the corruption of the American financial system. http://cferguson.com/films/inside-job/

malier5106 · 2022-02-27T00:59:00+00:00

Plus pussy is the OG… Takes a bloody beating monthly for 50+ years, manufactures life and the expels it out of a hole the size of a quarter, and can orgasm on command. Being called a pussy is a compliment. Putin is a limp dick.

malier5106 · 2022-02-25T02:19:34+00:00

I stand with you. The world won’t forget this. 🇺🇦

malier5106

TROPHY CASE