In 5 years time......
Discussion
I thought about posting this on my existing thread about change of career etc, but the situation's changed since last week.
The bottom line is that i've got 5 years to find something else to do and maybe earn enough to buy my dream muscle car orb even retire comfortably! I was called to a meeting with the school head last Monday and told my teaching hours were being cut from September and with it a drop in salary ( for the 2nd year running). That will mean a net wage cut of 25% compared to 2 years ago! The state educational teachers get salary increases based on their length of service, but the others all get a pay cut. The school is oversubscribed with a long waiting list, but all non state teachers and school assistants will get pay cuts!
Do i put my kids first or my own future? My son's finished top of his class in the lycée, speaks 4 languages fluently, will take his bac exams soon and has offers from several top Paris universities. My daughter's in year 8,has outstanding school results, speaks 2 languages fluently, and has loads of friends at the school. I pay the school fees but i get a reduction for the European section and the extra language lessons since i teach at the school. I'm divorced and because they both go the school where i teach i see them every day ( even with the 50/50 custody). The problem is the head of the European section 'prefers' certain teachers to others and therefore hands out the teaching hours accordingly. She believes i should set up lunch time clubs to attract more students. ( but unpaid!!)
The school head is her friend and 'parachuted' her into the post. They both play golf at the same club, live in the same village, and holiday together. Both are married but childless.
I was bluntly told by the school head that i could either stay in the school, accept a wage cut but my daughter will get an excellent education and i'll get to see her everyday, or i could as she put it ' follow my professional instincts and choose another career path away from the school'. When i mentioned that the school is a private establishment with outstanding educational results priding itself on it's core values of respect, humanity, generosity and tolerance towards others, the school head reminded me that the school was firstly a business, and secondly if i wanted to get on career wise i should study for a French teaching degree. She did acknowledge that British ex pats in France have a tough time in the job market but that it wasn't her fault.
In the 12 years i've been teaching there i've obtained a 100% pass rate every year for the English/history bac exams, more than 95% of my students obtain high level EFL exams, and i've never once had a complaint from any parent.
I'm going to stay where i am for the next 5 years for my daughter's sake ( state schools where we live are terrible with bad exam results). That means another 5 years. All the other local private schools can only offer me short term contracts!
I have a time frame of 5 years to work out something for when i leave the job ( no point in hanging around after my daughter's passed her bac). The problem is finding something that will enable me to earn more, and maybe buy the car of my dreams.
I know it's a bit of a long shot but i'm prepared to put in the hard work to get it.
I don't have any option but to put up with my current job situation and wait out the next 5 years. Despite what i've been through in the past 2-3 years i've still got a lot of hope and pride left.
Any ideas?
The bottom line is that i've got 5 years to find something else to do and maybe earn enough to buy my dream muscle car orb even retire comfortably! I was called to a meeting with the school head last Monday and told my teaching hours were being cut from September and with it a drop in salary ( for the 2nd year running). That will mean a net wage cut of 25% compared to 2 years ago! The state educational teachers get salary increases based on their length of service, but the others all get a pay cut. The school is oversubscribed with a long waiting list, but all non state teachers and school assistants will get pay cuts!
Do i put my kids first or my own future? My son's finished top of his class in the lycée, speaks 4 languages fluently, will take his bac exams soon and has offers from several top Paris universities. My daughter's in year 8,has outstanding school results, speaks 2 languages fluently, and has loads of friends at the school. I pay the school fees but i get a reduction for the European section and the extra language lessons since i teach at the school. I'm divorced and because they both go the school where i teach i see them every day ( even with the 50/50 custody). The problem is the head of the European section 'prefers' certain teachers to others and therefore hands out the teaching hours accordingly. She believes i should set up lunch time clubs to attract more students. ( but unpaid!!)
The school head is her friend and 'parachuted' her into the post. They both play golf at the same club, live in the same village, and holiday together. Both are married but childless.
I was bluntly told by the school head that i could either stay in the school, accept a wage cut but my daughter will get an excellent education and i'll get to see her everyday, or i could as she put it ' follow my professional instincts and choose another career path away from the school'. When i mentioned that the school is a private establishment with outstanding educational results priding itself on it's core values of respect, humanity, generosity and tolerance towards others, the school head reminded me that the school was firstly a business, and secondly if i wanted to get on career wise i should study for a French teaching degree. She did acknowledge that British ex pats in France have a tough time in the job market but that it wasn't her fault.
In the 12 years i've been teaching there i've obtained a 100% pass rate every year for the English/history bac exams, more than 95% of my students obtain high level EFL exams, and i've never once had a complaint from any parent.
I'm going to stay where i am for the next 5 years for my daughter's sake ( state schools where we live are terrible with bad exam results). That means another 5 years. All the other local private schools can only offer me short term contracts!
I have a time frame of 5 years to work out something for when i leave the job ( no point in hanging around after my daughter's passed her bac). The problem is finding something that will enable me to earn more, and maybe buy the car of my dreams.
I know it's a bit of a long shot but i'm prepared to put in the hard work to get it.
I don't have any option but to put up with my current job situation and wait out the next 5 years. Despite what i've been through in the past 2-3 years i've still got a lot of hope and pride left.
Any ideas?
Edited by rosbif77 on Sunday 5th June 15:20
rosbif77 said:
My children definitely come first. I know i'm giving them the best possible education and a chance to aim high.
It's the disillusion with the way i've been treated despite giving 110% in my job!
Tell me how exactly you've managed that.It's the disillusion with the way i've been treated despite giving 110% in my job!
Basically, you're telling us you've experienced the blatant racism so prevalent in mainland Europe. A school friend of mine has lived in Holland for the last 20 years and speaks it like a native as far as her (Dutch) husband and family are concerned, yet she was told time and time again by employers who interviewed her that they'd rather a less qualified local took the job as customers would like it better...I can't imagine most other countries are any different. My own experience of Malta was the same, effectively.
You know what you have to do, but I feel your pain. Disgusting behaviour!
The blatant racism is everywhere but 'hidden'. Every native born English speaker i've worked with over the past 19 years here has told me the same things. The extra loops to jump through to climb up the job ladder, the 'if you don't like the way your being treated here p
s off back to where you came from' type of attitude, the ridiculous paperwork to fill in, or the cold shouldering from colleagues who think that because your foreign born you have no right to reach their professional level. A lot of these people treat any foreigner, not just Anglo-Saxons, in the same way!!!
It's a real shame because having lived here for a while France has a lot of positives. The food, the wonderful scenery and different landscapes, the quality of education, the health system, even public transport which is pretty cheap compared to most places.
Unfortunately, the job market seems to be stuck in some sort of time lapse!
s off back to where you came from' type of attitude, the ridiculous paperwork to fill in, or the cold shouldering from colleagues who think that because your foreign born you have no right to reach their professional level. A lot of these people treat any foreigner, not just Anglo-Saxons, in the same way!!!It's a real shame because having lived here for a while France has a lot of positives. The food, the wonderful scenery and different landscapes, the quality of education, the health system, even public transport which is pretty cheap compared to most places.
Unfortunately, the job market seems to be stuck in some sort of time lapse!
rosbif77 said:
In fact i've become so disillusioned with the whole way the education system works over here, that i'm thinking maybe i should just work for myself!
It can be no better here in the UK. My wife is an academic at a Scottish Uni. She has three degrees including the requisite teaching qualification in higher education, is on national committees for education, is well published, has brought in millions of pounds of research funding, has 100% success with her research students and universally positive student feedback. This is with just over a decade in the industry. She won't acknowledge it, but she's earmarked for head of department sooner than a lot of the longer term residents.With two young children and currently ticking along on a 2-day contract she felt she would benefit from a career break and approached the my daughters school (private) to look into a primary teaching position.
She was under-qualified apparently.
About the same time, there was a BBC article quoting Ms. Sturgeon's concerns about retention / appointment of suitable teachers. She wrote a letter to the Education Minister cc'd to the First Minister and got called in for a meeting with the Education Council with them asking her for views of what the problems were and what she'd recommend!! Surely they should have the ideas, not someone who happens to complain.
Education, as a business / career, is needing a good shakeup.
I realised that last year when they first cut my salary. They know that i actually see my children more than my ex because i teach in the same school as them.
It was my choice to keep them there because they've got and are going to continue to get an excellent education.
I made the choice during the divorce to put my children's quality of life and education first.
I decided there and then not to relocate, and therefore have my kids move to a lower quality school. In my catchment area the state schools are all ZEP, à French version of 'sink estate schools'!
It was my choice to keep them there because they've got and are going to continue to get an excellent education.
I made the choice during the divorce to put my children's quality of life and education first.
I decided there and then not to relocate, and therefore have my kids move to a lower quality school. In my catchment area the state schools are all ZEP, à French version of 'sink estate schools'!
But you are now 25% salary down.
The only benefit is a discount you get for teaching there for your kids and the fact you get to see your kids.
I don't think your kids would suffer at school if you weren't there, surely your contact with them at school has to be limited professionally.
Sounds like you are being discriminated against.
The only benefit is a discount you get for teaching there for your kids and the fact you get to see your kids.
I don't think your kids would suffer at school if you weren't there, surely your contact with them at school has to be limited professionally.
Sounds like you are being discriminated against.
Move to a private school somewhere in the middle east where there is no income tax. You will be able to afford to see your kids in your holiodays.
Your self esteem will skyrocket. Your kids will appreciate this - they may not know it, but they would probably rather be apart from you, but have you happy and fulfilled, than see you every day being crushed by a st system that discriminates against you. Plus they will think it is cool and will want to visit you in their holidays.
"Look after yourself" is a number one priority.
Your self esteem will skyrocket. Your kids will appreciate this - they may not know it, but they would probably rather be apart from you, but have you happy and fulfilled, than see you every day being crushed by a s
t system that discriminates against you. Plus they will think it is cool and will want to visit you in their holidays."Look after yourself" is a number one priority.
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