Basics

Here you'll find valuable information on finding jobs within the private school sector. Get the basics on everything from job searches to salary and contract negotiations. Explore the dos and don’ts of private school employment and learn your marketability quotient.

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What's Your Marketability Quotient?

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What's Your Marketability Quotient?
Finding a good job requires some market savvy, a great network, and an understanding of what schools are looking for.

If you have 3 or more of the following skills or credentials, you will position yourself for greater success in the private school employment market. While there is a shortage of qualified teachers, it is still a highly competitive arena in the private school world. Consequently your chances at finding your dream job will improve if you can offer one or more of the following:

1. Speak and teach a second language.

Teachers who speak French, Spanish and Mandarin are much in demand in any school. Add a degree and certifications in those subjects to your credentials and you will be a 'hot' property! Unlike public schools where language skills are necessary just to deal with a non-English speaking population, private schools offer academic courses in French, Spanish, and Mandarin language and literature. Many of these courses lead to AP level examinations. You will have the opportunity to use that honors degree work in foreign languages to your advantage.

This video shows a Spanish class at The Orme School.



2. Hold specialist certifications.


An ESL certificate or a reading specialist certificate will virtually guarantee you employment for life at many schools. Schools which enrol non-English speaking students frequently require those students to master English at a very high level in order to complete their academic course work with good grades. An ESL certified teacher is an integral part of the teaching strategy and an important

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The Pros and Cons of Teaching Overseas

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The Pros and Cons of Teaching Overseas
Hundreds of private schools, and for that matter, public schools, outside the United States will be happy to have you as a teacher for a few years.

As you Google "teaching abroad" dozens of sites offering ESL (English As A Second Language) jobs in Asia and the Middle East will show up in the search results. Those teaching jobs are not the focus of this article. I am writing about jobs in private K-12 schools. Hundreds of private schools, and for that matter, public schools, outside the United States will be happy to have you as a teacher for a few years. It's a great opportunity for teachers of any age who want to experience the world. And, because they need trained teachers, the local authorities will take care of all the immigration matters for you as part of the contract.

Where to look for teaching positions

In the United Kingdom you will find teaching positions listed in

In Europe, you will find teaching positions listed at

So, what's it really like teaching abroad?

1. You won't get rich.


Of course, you knew that anyway. If you were looking for money, you would have chosen another career. Be prepared for the reality that teachers don't make a lot of money overseas. Depending on the job location, you may get housing included. Most likely you will have to find housing yourself. You definitely will not have a lot of money for luxuries. Just

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Employing Foreign Nationals

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Employing Foreign Nationals
Can non-U.S. teachers get employment in American private schools? The answer is "No" in 99.9% of cases.

This article is for the hundreds of foreign nationals who seek employment in American private schools each year. Be aware that most American private schools will hire a foreign national only if he or she has an H-1B Visa a J-1 Visa, or a Green Card (officially known as the Permanent Resident Card).

Let's review the types of visas available to a foreign national seeking to teach in the U.S.A.

H-1B Visas

The H-1B visa class is a viable option for primary, secondary or college teachers with the required knowledge and training, especially during times of national teacher shortages. H-1B visa offers foreign professionals the ability to work temporarily in the United States as long as they hold specialty occupations. For an H-1B visa for teachers, the exact requirements and eligibility conditions are noted below. Source: USCIS

H-1B visas are used for specialty employment situations, such as teaching and other skilled professionals. There are several ways you can navigate the labyrinth of requirements, forms, and fees required to submit your application. One way to do it is to apply yourself. This works only if you are an immigration lawyer because the rules, regulations, and application forms can be confusing for a foreign national.

H-1B visas are capped at 65,000 each fiscal year beginning on October 1. This class of visa is very competitive and uncertain. It also takes six to eight months for the entire process to play out. Only registered employers

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What Do Teachers Earn?

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What Do Teachers Earn?
What do teachers earn? Teachers' salaries vary from state to state, indeed, from school to school.

What does a teacher earn? "Not nearly enough" is the almost universal answer. Scan a site like Salary.com and check out competing jobs. You will see that the problem with teaching is that we demand highly qualified, well-credentialed individuals with experience to take jobs for which we literally pay them less than a dog catcher.

The cynics will say that teachers are well-compensated for what they do. After all, they get all those holidays. And they only work for ten months anyway. The reality is that teachers invest inordinate amounts of time preparing lesson plans, learning new techniques, keeping certifications current and so on. And then there is the cost of that bachelor's degree, the masters and doctorate. Let's face it, the ROI is job satisfaction, not financial reward.

This video discuss the effect teacher compensation has on teacher quality.

Private school teachers are more fortunate than most public school teachers. Why? Because they get to teach their subject to small classes. Real learning takes place in most private school classrooms as a result of low student to teacher ratios. Discipline is rarely a problem. What does this have to do with teacher compensation? Combine job satisfaction with a reasonable compensation package and you will have a happy teacher.

Private school teachers enjoy many perks which are not generally found in the public sector. These include free or reduced tuition for faculty children,

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How to Find a Private School Job

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How to Find a Private School Job
Discover the best strategies to find a teaching job in a private school! Learn how to leverage your network, utilize business social media platforms like LinkedIn, and develop essential skills and characteristics sought after by schools.

You can send in a resume and use an agency to find a private school job. But the very best way to find a private school job is to use your network. You do have a network, don't you?

In truth, the private school job-hunting season never ceases. The main window of opportunity is from December through March. Not much happens on either side of those months unless a school has an unexpected vacancy. This is where your network comes in. Let's say you are considering finding a new position for the next school year. You should try to firm up that decision by the end of October or November so that you can begin your active job search.

The First Steps

Check the job boards in the areas you are thinking about moving to. Register with an agency that specializes in placing private school teachers. They will know about openings. That will get you thinking about the possibilities.

Know why you want to make a move. Are you making a lateral move, i.e., moving to another school to do the same thing as you have been doing? Or are you thinking about different responsibilities, such as being an administrator? It is very important for you to have your goals clearly understood. That will be invaluable during the interview process when the inevitable question "Why do you want to leave St. Swithin's and come teach at our school?" is asked.

This brief video offers three tips to

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