Re: New Hire

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DODD Teachers Chatboard

New Hire

by livehappy

Oct 15, 2017

Hi everyone... I have received the tentative offer and completed paperwork for a position in Korea. We are now at the point of waiting for the security clearance and final offer. I have filled out the paperwork for E-Quip however have not done the link or fingerprints yet. I am curious how travel back works. I think its called RAT travel. According to the paperwork it shows a year school year tour... does this mean they will send us home in the summer? Also does this mean I may not be kept after the year? We are leaving great jobs in the states so I am concerned if I am only guaranteed employment for a school year.... especially since I won't be over there until probably January.

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livehappy I am a school counselor!

Oct 16, 2017

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bondo Livehappy...I would SERIOUSLY reconsider your choice to make this move!!! As one currently living "the dream", it has actually become a nightmare. If you have a family, it would be in your best interest to reach out to people here and get their input. The majority of people on this site lead folks to believe that DoDEA is education Nirvana. It is n...See More

Oct 17, 2017

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Icanread I don't imagine teaching for the DOD is a perfect world. I'm excited about being able to teach abroad, to travel, to get paid more than double what I currently make, to experience new cultures and languages, and to serve the families that help to protect our country. As with ANY job, it is what you make of it. Bondo, I'm sorry you're having such a ...See More

Oct 17, 2017

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haha I'm wondering which site you have actually been reading. I don't think anyone here has been shy about pointing out the flaws in DoDEA as a school system (and that the school/work environment will vary widely from location to location).

The "nirvana" (which I don't believe has ever actually been said) refers mainly to the pay, benefits, sav...See More

Oct 18, 2017

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HelpOthers Haha was spot on in his response. Most locations offer Renewal Agreement Travel after two years of full-time employment and some more remote or considered difficult locations receive it every year. Because you are starting so late this year, you will not receive RAT this summer. Korea has a 1 year RAT because it is considered a hardship area, mostl...See MoreHaha was spot on in his response. Most locations offer Renewal Agreement Travel after two years of full-time employment and some more remote or considered difficult locations receive it every year. Because you are starting so late this year, you will not receive RAT this summer. Korea has a 1 year RAT because it is considered a hardship area, mostly due to the air quality (red sand). However, many people love living there.

No matter where you are employed within DoDEA, your first two years are probationary and you could technically be fired for no reason at all. However, this does not seem to actually happen. If they do not plan on having you return, they will do everything they can to get your skills up to muster before the end of the year. If your position is not longer needed, they will attempt to locate you elsewhere even if you have only been there a year or so. On the other hand, if you work part-time, they can fire you at any time for no reason at all.

As was mentioned previously, DoDEA has its positves and negatives as a school-system. The students have homes, food in their bellies, and often a second parent at home. On the other hand, many military families have very young parents and the average military family has more children than the average non-military family (research is available). In some branches of the military, the active duty spouse can be gone for 6 months or longer at one time and the spouse remaining at home, may have difficulty as the care giver- may be depressed, uneducated, unhealthy, disorganized, etc., and just plain challenged as a "single" parent. Even when the active duty spouse is not deployed, they may be gone often for field exercises or TDY. In some locations the students move an average of every three years, so you might have 1/3 the school moving in and 1/3 moving out and 1/3 staying put for another year. In other locations, the same families may be located there for 20 years or more- especially stateside schools that can serve the neediest students.

You have available to you both salary scales, you can look up the Living Quarters Allowance for any location overseas (look at group 3), and you can see the COLA amount for each location if available. LQA and COLA are only available if you are moving to DoDEA Pacific or DoDEA Europe (not Americas or American Territories).

If you are going overseas, including Puerto Rico and Guam, your household goods will be shipped at no cost to you and to most locations you will also have one car shipped at no cost to you.

As for your own students getting the best education, I will say that my experience has been that our schools are more diverse than the average American school both in students and in staff. This diversity is across ethnic and cultural and even age lines. I think DoDEA has more teachers who remain teaching well beyond their possible retirement years than other schools and this can be great or it could be not so great depending on the individual.

Oct 20, 2017

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