Hey all–has anyone worked for American Eagle Schools? I am a certified American elementary school teacher heading over to Taipei to teach in August and this company has offered me a contract. I would greatly appreciate a seasoned Taiwan teaching vet looking over this contract and pointing out glaring positives and negatives. I am basically looking for anyone to opine as to whether this contract is worth considering, and if not, what questions I should be asking possible employers. Thanks so much for your time and please pm me if you can spare a minute. I promise I’ll buy you a beer or seventeen once I arrive.
Thanks for the link, but not hugely helpful. I already knew about the tax situation.
It’s probably not a good idea to sign a contract before arriving.
I have to agree. There is no reason to sign a contract before arriving in Taiwan. In fact, you are more likely to hear horror stories from people who’ve done it than anything positive. The most important thing is to check out the school when you get here and talk to the other teachers who work there. People on this forum can tell you what they think of this school, but the most important thing is what YOU think.
Don’t worry about finding a job once you get here - they are everywhere and some of them don’t want a contract and don’t make you pay a silly fine if you leave. Don’t sign anything.
With your qualifications, you should be talking to the American School or something similar. There are also American-style international schools in Taichung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung. I’m sure you can find something good.
Do not sign a contract overseas. This is almost always a bad idea.
Taipei American School
tas.edu.tw/about/teaching/
Thanks all for your responses. I will be taking your advice of not signing a contract overseas. I was weary of that to begin with, but was thinking that if a contract was so good that it shouldn’t be turned down… Well, you know the old saying, “If it’s too good to be true…” Anyway, thanks again, and look forward to meeting you when I arrive in August.
The only benefit of signing an overseas contract is when you’re looking to work at a formal school (and not just a afterschool thing). That way, you get all the expatriate benefits (housing, flights, etc). However, if you haven’t even seen the school/students/colleagues, I would be pretty reluctant.