HOUSTON – As state budget cuts put more than a thousand Houston-area teachers out of jobs, an international firm is seeking to hire 1,000 teachers in the next two months.
One of those teachers is Natasha Fuller, who has been teaching in the Houston Independent School District for three years and is considered a probationary teacher. She knew keeping her job would be tough, so instead, she is about take the field trip of a lifetime.
“I've always been a person who moved to where the job is,” Fuller said.
This time the job is in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Teach Away, a firm based in Canada, wants to hire 1,000 teachers by June for a major education initiative that began two years ago in Abu Dhabi.
Teach Way Program Manager Ash Pugh explained the goal is “to shift language of instruction from Arabic to English in core subjects of math, science and English.”
Thousands more English-speaking-certified teachers will be needed, and no Arabic is required. The pay ranges from $50 to $70,000 U.S. a year, and it’s tax free.
“[It will] allow teachers not just to continue the profession they love, but they can keep their homes, keep their cars, and support their families,” Pugh said.
It's a two-year contract, and it's not for everyone, Pugh said.
“You have to be very flexible. You have to very adaptable. You have to be respectful of other cultures,” Pugh said.
Fuller said one of the biggest questions for female teachers is dress.
“We don't have to wear a scarf because they recognize we're westerners,” Fuller said.
However, women are asked though not to wear sleeveless shirts and to keep pants and skirts at ankle length. Teachers communicate via Facebook.
There are plenty of questions.
“For a little bit you won't understand me and I won't understand you. That's the only concern I have,” Fuller said.
Thanks to oil, Abu Dhabi is one of the richest cities in the world, maybe the richest. So, unlike Texas right now, it's able to invest heavily in education.
Other benefits include medical coverage, and plane tickets home for the teacher, spouse and up to three dependents.
People with children are going. Housing is also paid for, and pets are also allowed.
Teachers must apply first online at www.teachaway.com and interviews will be conducted on May 13 in downtown Houston.
