Reviews on schools

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Reviews on schools

by silverwolf

Feb 25, 2017

Does anyone have any honest reviews for working for the dodea? What are the pros? What are the cons? Where do people struggle, where do they succeed? What are the schools like? The parents? The students? What to expect if you get a job offer?

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haha Short answer: It depends.

Just as conditions can vary wildly from district to district and even school to school, many of things you ask about will look very different depending on the location and the school. In general, parents are mostly good to work with, they run the gamut from uninvolved to helicopter parents. Some can be quite judgm...See MoreShort answer: It depends.

Just as conditions can vary wildly from district to district and even school to school, many of things you ask about will look very different depending on the location and the school. In general, parents are mostly good to work with, they run the gamut from uninvolved to helicopter parents. Some can be quite judgmental and can try to make your life difficult. How successful they are depends a lot on how supportive your admin is, which again will vary wildly.

Schools are generally well maintained and resourced. Many new schools are being built in different locations. Textbook series can be used for years but many are now being replaced due to the rollout of the College and Career Readiness standards (their version of common core). Most classrooms have smartboards and sufficient computers. Internet is generally sufficient with some glitches and occasional slowdowns.

Success and struggles on the job are much like anywhere. If you are a good teacher and can fit in well with the community then you should have few problems. There will be some teachers mailing it in and/or looking for gossip and drama but not really any more then at most stateside schools.

As for the benefits, they are definitely attractive. My spouse and I are both experienced teachers with Masters Degrees and we gross $130K+ yearly with rent and utilities paid for by the gov't. We also get travel back to the states every two years (every year in some locations) and have access to all base facilities (e.g. commissary, library, gym, health facilities, etc.) which can be quite useful in many locations.

If hired, then the gov't will pay for you, your family and all of your possessions (18K lbs. worth) to move to your new locations. They will provide you with temporary quarters while you find your new home, advance you 3 months salary, help you get a driver's license, set up household, move and unpack your goods etc.

Basically, it generally a very good life if your desire is to live overseas with a very high quality of life.

Feb 25, 2017

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