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Just offered an interview to teach in Egypt.

 
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Trebek



Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Posts: 401
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 12:22 am    Post subject: Just offered an interview to teach in Egypt. Reply with quote

Im attending the ISS job fair tomorrow in San Francisco. Yesterday I got an email from a reputable international school requesting an interview. I agreed to interview with them. as it is a high paying job with perks. Only issue is the current political situation over there. Do you folks currently in-country recommend against it?
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is this to start immediately or next September? If it is now... well, they are as aware or more aware of the situation than we are - and can likely answer all of your questions. (thought the answers may not be what you hope for) If it is 7 months from now, I would consider it... especially if it is CAC.

Do come back and tell us what they say about the situation.

VS
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Trebek



Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Posts: 401
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I assume it is for September since they should know that under contract with my current school for the next 4 months. I should hear more this week and Ill let you know what they say about the situation. I am reluctant to accept since the situation could get worse between now and Sept.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd keep my options open. They know that if things are worse, you won't go. I certainly wouldn't limit myself to interviewing at only one place. And obviously wait as long as possible to give notice where you are currently teaching.

VS
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Trebek



Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Posts: 401
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the good advice. I will not give a firm commitment this week. If I fail to find a job that suits me at this conference, I'll keep in touch with the Egyptian school and commit later. And no the school that wants the interview is not CAC but I think they will have a recruiter at this fair.

Any word on the situation in Maadi? Thats where most of the other foreign teachers at this school live.
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Azuro



Joined: 26 Jul 2010
Posts: 6
Location: London

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:30 am    Post subject: Teaching in Cairo Reply with quote

Hi Trebek,

It seems that things are slowly settling so it's worth checking it out. To give you an idea, AUC is slowly resuming classes - at least at their campus in the outskirt of Cairo - not at their old campus downtown. Check out their website to get a sense of how they are reacting to the current situation. Although Maadi is closer to the 'action' it is still far enough from it i.e. roughly a 30-minute taxi ride (on a good day) or 15 minutes away via the metro.
NYT had a story a week ago on at least one AUC staff who lives in Maadi and who decided to go back home for a while until the situation improves...

Good luck

A
Cool
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maadi was a part of Cairo that had huge problems at the beginning of the rioting. The emptying of a large prison that is nearby and the surrounding extremely poor neighborhoods make it a problem area in the case of situations like this. During the "riot police" riots in the mid-80's things got messy out there too. I was on the phone with friends living there then and could hear all the shooting. That said, no foreigners were attacked or injured that time... and no news yet of any this time. But there was a lot of looting. When I was watching Al-Jezeera they spoke on the phone to a couple of people living in Maadi and they were close to hysterics because the looters (not the demonstrators) were looting both business and apartment buildings. Again, you could hear extensive gunfire over the phones. They could also see smoke from the corniche. The next day the army had arrived and things were quiet.

I would ask the interviewer about this. Their shopping area, which was one of the best, has probably been devastated. Many shopping malls were looted and burned around the city, so recovery will be slow.

VS
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Trebek



Joined: 30 Oct 2003
Posts: 401
Location: China

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The school who wanted the interview already hired someone before I could talk to them.....Damn the competition in this fair is cutthroat. Incidentally: I tryed to attend CAC`s presentation yesterday and no one showed. I didnt see Cac at the interview sign ups this morning either. I did interview with two schools in Kuwait and two in Shanghai plus the international school in Dakar
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Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Worrying that CAC didn't show up. There could have been difficulties for them flying out... or they are in a holding pattern to see how things play out before they try to hire...

Good Luck and I hope you get a good offer... somewhere interesting. Cool

VS
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Tripitaka100



Joined: 12 Feb 2011
Posts: 7
Location: Earth

PostPosted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have taught for 3 years in Egypt, the last one in Cairo. I left to return to the UK last summer but am ready now to resume teaching.
I would go back to Cairo without hesitation, despite the current uncertainty.
Regardless of the school if the Ministry of Education declare a closure, ALL school must obied.
We had a lot of closure last year with the Swine Flu panic.
There are many very good international schools (and a few a little less organised)
My advise would be to check out the school well, the facilities they have (air conditioning being one!!) and the area, before you commit.
Cairo is a big place and I believe you will be very safe and well looked after it you did go.
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M.M.



Joined: 18 May 2008
Posts: 24
Location: St. Louis, Missouri USA/New Maadi, Egypt

PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:17 am    Post subject: Maadi..working and living Reply with quote

Hello,
I have been living and working in Maadi for the past 3 years. During the demonstrations, it really depended on WHERE in Maadi one lives with regards to feeling unsafe. The Maadi City Centre Mall, where Carrefour is located, was looted and I think it's still closed. I have friends that live near the prision where prisoners were let out (they didn't escape, they were released) and they were afraid, but never in danger. Where we live on Road 9 in Hadayek Maadi, we didn't see too much action at all. We heard shots at night, but they were the men downstairs patrolling the neighborhood. They weren't being shot at and weren't shooting at anyone...just making their presence known. Very Happy
I've taught 3rd grade at Misr American College for 3 years now, and while some of the other expat teachers were highly disappointed in how the School handled the situation (no phone calls made to teaching staff, etc.) I don't look to my employer for my personal safety or security. We did receive full pay for January, athough time was lost and the pay was a few days late because of banks being closed. We will also receive full pay for February, although we do not have students. Other high profile schools (AIS, CAC) that have a high percentage of foreign students and staff did send their teachers to Sharm for a week, just to "get away". To me, it was more PR than anything. Our school has close to 100% Egyptian student body, so none of our families left, and I had phone calls from classroom parents inviting me over for lunch, out to Starbucks for coffee, etc.
While any guess as to what might happen here in the future is simply speculation, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this as a place to live and work..especially if you're trying to save money.
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veiledsentiments



Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA

PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Many thanks for the update m.m.

I was impressed at how quickly most of the neighborhoods around the city organized to protect their area. The advantage of a close knit system... where everyone tends to watch over you (even when it sometimes makes you feel spied upon. Cool).

Isn't it odd that every time there is any kind of unrest like this... not that common, as the last time was '86 I believe when the riot police rioted... that prison in Maadi empties. I watched one report on Al Jezeera where they went to one of the emptied prison and quite of the few prisoners were still there. Their sentences were close to ending and they didn't want to change that fact. Or perhaps they felt safer there than on the streets at these times.

VS
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Cairoteach



Joined: 06 Mar 2011
Posts: 11
Location: Maadi

PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Making the move to Egypt right now isn't risk-free. However, once you're here and if things continue to settle, there will probably be an increase in opportunities to move into more competitive teaching positions that will be vacated in the next few months.
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