👩‍🏫 I have always been a risk taker when it came to seeking out new adventures so long as I knew that my job was stable. In regards to career choices, you couldn’t find a profession more stable than teaching, or at least until recently. Honestly, the unbelievable events occurring in America the last few weeks have shook me to my core; with the dismantling of the Department of Education, the firing of so many truly self-sacrificing aid workers at USAID, and the dismantling of DEI programs, I no longer recognize the country I live in nor do I know where to find a safe harbor. In the past, I have used teaching abroad as my great escape anytime I felt that things at “home” didn’t match with my personal ideals. For decades this strategy has always worked out for me, until now. 

💸 Now, there are several undeniable repercussions stemming from the events happening in America. First, the firing of aid workers abroad has resulted in the loss of teachers needed at international schools globally since many of the families have returned home; many of the students I taught and traveled with in Ethiopia were USAID families. Just like during Covid, the loss of revenue from lower student numbers had many teachers being laid off, or not paid for their service, and so that’s a new concern for me.

🏦 Second, the dismantling of DEI initiatives has led some schools and American consulates abroad to take a different stance in regards to hiring practices, censorship, and treatment of employees. According to an article, “International Schools Worried by US Anti-Diversity Agenda,” posted on TES.com March 28, 2025, Jane Larsson stated, “The primary concerns we’re hearing are…potential enrollment impacts on schools serving internationally mobile families and government workers due to policy changes and agency cuts.” At first I thought that working overseas would provide an oasis away from the chaos I am encountering daily in the states, but then I learned that even picture books about climate change and Martin Luther King, Jr. are being removed from the shelves at consulates. We have an American holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., but children cannot read about who that is? Makes me wonder, how long will that holiday last?

🛂 Third, the numerous issues people are encountering at airport immigration and security when returning to the states has me concerned about my ability to travel freely between countries like in the past. Even though I am a citizen, apparently phones, laptops, and devices are being searched and though I feel I have nothing to hide, I am an opinionated history teacher adept at identifying patterns and red flags – who also values privacy.

🪹 Fourth, leaving my college student son behind is something that weighs heavily on my mind and has nothing to do with empty-nest syndrome but more to do with with mother-bear protective instincts (even if my son has grown up to be fiercely independent and capable). With all of these concerns wreaking havoc on my mind lately, is it any wonder that I am questioning whether this is the right time to leave?

🎒 As I have spent a lot of time pondering these issues, what seems to be the underlying theme to all of my concerns is the lack of control I have over any of them. Since I cannot gauge how secure my teaching position will be abroad, my two options seem to be to remain where I am or to teach in a school made up of less American students. Reading the reviews on International Schools Reviews, Reddit forums, and speaking to current school staff are some of the ways I can ensure that the schools’ policies still match my own when it comes to diversity, equality, and inclusion. Evaluating how I use technology and being selective about my social media posts does seem to cause me the most conflict since I am attempting to build up a larger social media presence, and yet I am hesitant to leave the cover of anonymity. I suppose that my belief in rainbows, mermaids, and the inherent good of all people is what gives me the courage to still believe in a fair and just world and my L.A. upbringing has me manifesting the happy endings guaranteed in all Hollywood movies. Finally, that leaves me grappling with my biggest concern, the well-being of my son. Just like I set up special circumstances to get my kid evacuated to safety while living in Venezuela, should there had been a need in 2013-2014, I have set up the same type of “in-case-of” plans involving safe-words, go-bags, and “Preppers Unite” and “Zombie Apocalypse” chat groups to give me some peace of mine (though I should probably lay off the Sarah Connor movies for a bit). With all these safe-guards, I suppose the timing could still be right to go abroad.

🌍 What now needs to be evaluated are the trends showing up in the international job market this late in the hiring season (March 30th to be exact). Since the majority of all jobs have been posted and filled by now, what seems to be popping up are those located in hot spots (a place of significant activity or danger). Based on what I am seeing posted on several of the international job boards I follow (iss.edu, tes.com, searchassociates.com, grcfair.org, linkedin.com) is an increase in vacancies where there are current armed conflicts occurring according to the website Geneva-Academy.ch which details which countries are experiencing conflict and why. Thus, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, China, India, Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Mexico have posted a few new vacancies that were already filled earlier in the season possibly from new hires getting cold feet or late-decision notifications by the current staff. A few of the vacancies I have actually interviewed for were from unexpected vacancies due to illnesses or changes in family situations.

🎲 I am unsure if the decision making process has become easier or harder with all of these concerns and the slimmer options, but it does seem that appreciating what you have already and knowing what it will take for you to risk it all is crucial in this higher stakes game of life abroad. Working abroad, thus far, has always proven to be worth the risk as it has provided my son and I an infinite number of unique experiences that the casual tourist rarely has. What better recommendation for going abroad does anyone need?