hahaThere is usually an email that comes out around this time of year telling you to renew and review your application for the upcoming year. Hiring starts anytime after that with the lion's share of offers usually happening between March/April and August (although some hiring goes on throughout the year).
hahaIn Germany we obtained prescriptions both on base and on the economy. In Japan we generally get everything on base, but have also worked with Japanese Dr's and could get things filled locally. I know people who have/do get mail order medications but don't really know the details.
US style medical insurance plans, like those in the FEHB, are written by lawyers, and designed to obscure information, to prevent them from being compared easily.
On top of that the available services are dependent on the exact location, which is difficult to plan for in advance. (Unless you want to research the local medical services at each location for our 159 school.)
Medical services in foreign countries are generally cheaper than in the US. But the medical insurance plans in the FEHB carry American price tags. This means that we pay for expensive US medical insurance which then provides less expensive local medical services overseas.
That's just the way it is. Good luck with the research.
I have 8 years of experience K-12 in SPED, I'm the lead for my school, and I'm a mentor teacher for the local (major) university. My husband has 2 years of experience as a teacher of record teaching his own Biology class on an alternative cert at a high-performing high school. He is, as of this month, fully certified on a regular certificate.
We applied only to Europe, as my father (a vet) was insistent we only apply in Europe.
We applied about a month ago. I have been marked as "qualified" in all the areas I applied for. I don't know when they marked me as "qualified", as I never checked my application because I think it's a long shot. I suspect I was marked as qualified about 2 weeks after I applied because there's a date listed next to my areas of qualification. I haven't gotten any emails from DoDEA, nor have I been contacted in any way.
My husband is still marked as "pending" for the areas he applied for. Seeing as how he is still waiting for the Dept of Ed to send him his actual certificate (but we have confirmation it is coming in the mail, COVID is making it take forever), could this be why his application is still pending when mine is not? Could this also be why we haven't heard anything?
We had to list each other's SSNs on our applications. Does that mean that if one of us is hired, the other will have a better shot of getting a job, too? I don't understand why DoDEA asks for our spouse's SSN.
My father tells me that I am likely to find a position due to my qualifications and that my application may "carry" my husband's. He is hopeful we go to Germany because he was stationed there. I am nervous to accept this because all I have read online is that hoping for a position in Europe (particularly Germany) is basically equivalent to hoping I'll find a unicorn in my backyard.
Does anyone have insight on this? Am I wasting my time with even applying?
@isitfriday? We only applied to Europe because we were not o...See More@haha My husband should meet qualifications for Biology. His undergrad was in Biology from a major university. I'm not worried about him not being qualified, I'm just wondering if they're waiting for the Dept of Ed to bother to send us his official cert to mark him as qualified.
@isitfriday? We only applied to Europe because we were not originally planning on working for DoDEA. We were going to move back to the Midwest and my father recommended we apply to Europe. We applied to Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium. I also think you'd be suprised what my father told me. I was aware of the Fraulein stereotype. There isn't another woman he's holding out for- he would have no qualms telling me or my mother about that. My parents may remain married, but they've never been married for love. He was there when the Wall fell and left shortly after, so he knows things are different there now. He's now a federal contractor with most of his work in Europe, so he wanted to have a kid nearby if possible. It's more of "always say yes because you can always say no" situation. We're not banking on a DoDEA position, we're just seeing if we can go. I don't see working for DoDEA as a make it or break it thing. I'm perfectly happy staying in CONUS and continuing to work for a public school.
@isitfriday? We only applied to Europe because we were not o...See More@haha My husband should meet qualifications for Biology. His undergrad was in Biology from a major university. I'm not worried about him not being qualified, I'm just wondering if they're waiting for the Dept of Ed to bother to send us his official cert to mark him as qualified.
@isitfriday? We only applied to Europe because we were not originally planning on working for DoDEA. We were going to move back to the Midwest and my father recommended we apply to Europe. We applied to Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium. I also think you'd be suprised what my father told me. I was aware of the Fraulein stereotype. There isn't another woman he's holding out for- he would have no qualms telling me or my mother about that. My parents may remain married, but they've never been married for love. He was there when the Wall fell and left shortly after, so he knows things are different there now. He's now a federal contractor with most of his work in Europe, so he wanted to have a kid nearby if possible. It's more of "always say yes because you can always say no" situation. We're not banking on a DoDEA position, we're just seeing if we can go. I don't see working for DoDEA as a make it or break it thing. I'm perfectly happy staying in CONUS and continuing to work for a public school.
masterscandidate2016At a recent DVS faculty meeting, it was announced that there will be a permanent K-12 virtual school moving forward they just don't know what it will look like
oldshackThis is the one and only referral I have received thus far, I am still hoping it comes to fruition somehow. It seemed like I received it just for the peak of COVID, but then I heard from a few others that there was potentially going to be a permanent k-12 school. So my fingers are still crossed, although it has been like five months hahaha.
Side note: I know the process and regs pertaining to Guam, I am just looking for recent experience to see who is flying them. I've already joined all the Facebook pages and asked Island Pet Movers. No one has answers, hoping to find some here.
Which countries/bases are best to teach at without a car? Our family would like to live on base and not bring or purchase a car. I'm hoping to apply to most Europe based, Japan, and Okinawa. Are there any places where this would not be possible?
IcanreadCars are cheap here in Okinawa. We bought 2 for $1500 each. Public transportation is terrible here, and with the COVID restrictions, we are not allowed to use it anyway. It rains way too much to cycle every day. My friends who bike to work also own cars.
Actually, I only have 13 years so my retirement in Florida teachers sux. The pay for DoDea is almost twice higher. So the money is much better and I need those last few years. So shut up? Meaning?
hahaIt's like most other organizations, your benefits would be based on your numbers of years of service and your salary level when you retire (average of your highest 3 years of salary). You would also receive an annuity/payout from your TSP (with matching contributions by the gov't, up to 5%) + your SS.
How is the healthcare quality in mainland Japan? Are teachers able to use the local hospitals or do they have to get referrals from the base first? Are the emergency rooms on base? My wife has a few medical issues, so healthcare is important.
EducateThanks for all the comments. Basically my wife has 1 or 2 anaphylaxis episodes a month from an unknown cause. We just need to know if there are emergency rooms quickly available in Japan.
HelpOthersIt will depend on your location. I suggest communication with EFMP before interviewing. Maybe even contact them in advance before choosing locations.
HelpOthersYou can apply for them now and have them sent to a trusted person to mail them to you. That may be easier than trying to get them while you are overseas.
DoDeaNewbieIf you are trying to fly overseas from USA on a tourist passport, you will not be able to enter many foreign countries. I am in Europe and went home on emergency leave. I had no issues returning to the states, but I had many many hurdles returning to EU. Your orders allow you into the foreign country (regardless if Americans are currently flagged a...See MoreIf you are trying to fly overseas from USA on a tourist passport, you will not be able to enter many foreign countries. I am in Europe and went home on emergency leave. I had no issues returning to the states, but I had many many hurdles returning to EU. Your orders allow you into the foreign country (regardless if Americans are currently flagged and blocked from entering because of Covid). But those orders MUST accompany the red passport which has a blurb that you are an employee of the federal government on official travel. Otherwise you are just a tourist who is blocked from entering most foreign countries at the moment. Where is your entry point? This is not something I would try to get away with during Covid. My entry point was Amsterdam and immigration demanded I show them my official orders and official passport. Even though I'm legal to live and work in EU, I was delayed because I'm American and blocked from entering Europe on leisure. Once you leave the safety net of USA, you will discover how bad things can get when working with foreign nationals over things like this. If you're going to try anyway, be sure you have an unlocked phone that works in a foreign country that has internet and a translator app. Have the embassy phone number ready to go. Airport personnel are two extremes.. the will either love Americans or hate them. Good luck.
"For your 0210 Middle School English, this will be evaluated once you appear on a referral list for this position. Our licensure team will review your qualifications. They do have a lot of applicants to review, so they typically do not get to your application until it appears on a referral list. However, being in a pending status will not have any effect on you appearing on referral lists for the locations/positions that you are interested in."
All this time I was under the impression that the more certifications you have, the more referral lists you're likely to be on. This response seems to imply that you get certified after you have been referred. If that's the case, then what do they use to give each candidate a rating? Just education and experience? I very recently signed up for 5 more classes, and the totality of all my credits will give me elementary 1-8, elementary gifted, elementary compensatory reading, language and reading specialist (LARS), middle school English, middle school social studies, middle school gifted, high school English and high school social studies. I'm happy to get these credits because I enjoy school and have extra time during quarantine restrictions, but I did think that the certifications they give me would significantly increase my chances of getting interviewed. But if DODEA doesn't certify you until you end up on a referral list, and you (apparently) get on referral lists by having direct experience, then I'm afraid that I just spent a lot of money on self-improvement but did little to increase my chances of getting hired. I have no experience teaching middle school anything or high school anything or as a reading specialist.
Sorry for the long post, and I hope it isn't too confusing. Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks!
hahaBeing pending in multiple areas is still better than being pending in one/two areas because it should still increase the potential number of referrals you receive/eligible for (and in theory, increase the chances to interview/receive an offer).
HelpOthersI agree. Just having the areas listed will get you on referral lists. If you make a referral list for a position you are not "qualified" for, they are supposed to review it. So, if you make a referral list for MS, check again to see if the status has changed.