Retiring and Wanting to Move to the DR

[Vacara]

First, if you want the best schooling for your children, let them finish in the states.
Even the private school system here is embarrassing, let alone the public school system.

You don't know what embarrassing is until you have seen hundreds of teachers in a room, drinking coffee, reading books, sleeping on the floor, working out on state of the art machines.

These are the teachers going through the disciplinary system of the New York City Education Department, they get full paid, sometimes they have to wait for years 'till they can see an arbitrator, only to see their cases dismissed without further consequences.

Right now there's 600 teachers in this condition, costing NYC 35 millions dollars a year. In the NYC they call this "The Rubber Room" (RubberRoomMovie.com, in DR they call it "Botella".

You know what else is embarrassing?, hiring a lot more teachers than you can possible need. In NYC they call it "...these teachers are so good we can't let them go", in DR we call it "Botella".

Embarrassing is spending 15 billion US dollars in 1 million students and get (tadaaaaaaaaa) "Embarrassing Results".

I'm willing to pit a student of a good private Dominican school against a student of a US private school. I'm also willing to pit a student of the DR public system against a NYC public school system, and I bet you the Dominican kid wins hand down.

 

[Welt]

Thank u very much HB, i might take u up on the offer.

 

[johnny]

There are some decent private schools here that teach in English. I would not base my decision on this one thing. PM Hillbilly on this, he could advise you.

As for living on your income, you will live very well on it here.

Sorry, but i dont think with 4,000 you can live in santo domingo very well, by USA standars.
do the math and you will see.
English school for 2 = 2,000 monthly
Rent in a decent area = 1000
electricity with AC = 300
4 cel phone @ 50ea = 200
phone + internet = 100
car maint. = 100
gas = 500
cable tv = 50
Gold gym for 2 = 150 + initial payment.
Food = 800
Proteins-vitamins = 150
Restaurant 2 times a month = 300 (not in fancy rest.)
Movies 4 times a month = 200
Resort 4 times a year = 2,400 = 200 month
= 6,050dlls/month plus, medicine, clothes, shooping, etc, etc, etc.
you need an income of at least 6,000 to live in santo domingo and is not even close to an medium class american standard.
you can go a lot cheaper, but do not expect 24 hours elect., good education for your kids, etc.

 

[pedrochemical]

Sorry, but i dont think with 4,000 you can live in santo domingo very well, by USA standars.
do the math and you will see.
English school for 2 = 2,000 monthly
Rent in a decent area = 1000
electricity with AC = 300
4 cel phone @ 50ea = 200
phone + internet = 100
car maint. = 100
gas = 500
cable tv = 50
Gold gym for 2 = 150 + initial payment.
Food = 800
Proteins-vitamins = 150
Restaurant 2 times a month = 300 (not in fancy rest.)
Movies 4 times a month = 200
Resort 4 times a year = 2,400 = 200 month
= 6,050dlls/month plus, medicine, clothes, shooping, etc, etc, etc.
you need an income of at least 6,000 to live in santo domingo and is not even close to an medium class american standard.
you can go a lot cheaper, but do not expect 24 hours elect., good education for your kids, etc.

\\

However,
if you were to embrace your adopted country you could very well on 30% of that!

 

[waytogo]

If you think that maybe someday your children would like to return and go to a University in the states they would have to go to a fully U.S. accredited school here. If there is only one in Santiago, how many are there in the smaller cities.

Santiago Christian School
The ONLY fully US accredited school in Santiago. All classes are in English with MOST teachers from the US (Pre-K through 12th grade) although all students must take Spanish as either a second or first language and Dominican students must take Dominican social studies/history in Spanish. The majority of students are Dominican, and about 25% are from the US with no Dominican parent. This school is very similar to what you would find in the States in terms of classroom order, homework worksheets, etc. This is an Evangelical school but the majority of students are Catholic. Bible classes are required.
It is located off the main highway near the Rica factory, just past the new hospital
Tuition (includes registration fees but not admission fees or multi child discounts)

Pre-K: RD$87,034(US$2,719)
Kinder-5th: RD$114940RD (US$3,591)
6th-8th: RD$164,191 (US$5,130)

These prices X 2..........

 

[waytogo]

You don't know what embarrassing is until you have seen hundreds of teachers in a room, drinking coffee, reading books, sleeping on the floor, working out on state of the art machines.

These are the teachers going through the disciplinary system of the New York City Education Department, they get full paid, sometimes they have to wait for years 'till they can see an arbitrator, only to see their cases dismissed without further consequences.

Right now there's 600 teachers in this condition, costing NYC 35 millions dollars a year. In the NYC they call this "The Rubber Room" (RubberRoomMovie.com, in DR they call it "Botella".

You know what else is embarrassing?, hiring a lot more teachers than you can possible need. In NYC they call it "...these teachers are so good we can't let them go", in DR we call it "Botella".

Embarrassing is spending 15 billion US dollars in 1 million students and get (tadaaaaaaaaa) "Embarrassing Results".

I'm willing to pit a student of a good private Dominican school against a student of a US private school. I'm also willing to pit a student of the DR public system against a NYC public school system, and I bet you the Dominican kid wins hand down.

Wasn't New York broke a while ago? Maybe this is one of the reasons why. And New York alone isn't the U.S. school system, if you can even say New York has one.

 

[ExtremeR]

uhh.. no it isn't.

Uh, yes they are! At least compared to the US public system. (Not to bash on the US public system, the DR would be another country if it had the public system the US has.) But compared to the better private schools in the DR, forget about it...

 

[waytogo]

uhh..no it isn't.

 

[waytogo]

Uh, yes they are! At least compared to the US public system. (Not to bash on the US public system, the DR would be another country if it had the public system the US has.) But compared to the better private schools in the DR, forget about it...

You are kidding right....

 

[noni]

A mothers view

I am also in my 30s, medically retired from the US Army. I have three kids ages 17, 12 and 6. They have been here (Santiago) for 5 years. The only reason I moved to DR was bc of the education system that once reigned in this country, but has since declined. As a mother I can tell you the education system here has its problem like everywhere else but never close to the social and criminal problems that reign in the states and that children are exposed to on a daily basis.
Your children do not have to go to an accredited school here in order to continue their education in the states. Most of the graduates from my children school are in college in the states and the school is not accredited. My daughter just took her SAT here in DR, and after she graduates here in DR next year she will be attending college in the states. Children who attend school in DR but maintain their English language have no problems continuing an education outside.

 

[J D Sauser]

I really need help from some of you guys. I guess many of you that have moved to DR from the US would really be able to help me out but I will take help from anyone.

First of all I am 36, I just retired from a police department here in the States because of injury. I am married and I have two children ages 15 and 12. I have been to the DR several times and I love it there. My wife and I always thought about retiring there one day but an injury caused that to happen pretty soon.

Do you guys think that we can exist ok with me bringing in a little more than $4,200 a month? Do you guys feel I should wait until the kids graduate? What are the schools system like in the DR? I have been to the DR a few times and a couple of times I got bit by the water situation. Those were the times that I was on a resort, drinking and brushing with bottled water. I think some of my food might have been washed with the tap. Did you guys ever get used to the water situation? My spanish is pretty good, I am half-puerto rican, but my wife and kid's spanish leaves a lot to be desired to say the least. What do you suggest the best option for me and someone in my position would be? I love the country, the people and everything but I want to make a calculating decision but I would like to know some opinions from you guys on the forum. Thanks in advance.

I think that on the money side you are covered, except for the initial acquisition of a vehicle for which you will have to pay cash. And they are very expensive down here when compared to US prices.
A home? Don't buy yet. You can get a nice maybe even furnished 3/2 for under a grand, in a safe development with most amenities and power for the better part of the day. So, you would still satisfy the rule saying that the rent should not exceed a third to a quarter of your "income".
Besides, you DO NOT want to buy RE here before having LIVED here for at least 6 months.

Now, to the question most have jumped on about, the kid's education.
DEPENDING on where you move to, yes, some PRIVATE schools here MAY actually be "better" than the AVERAGE public school in the US. These FEW select schools, have tuition ranging between $75.oo a month to a couple of hundreds a month (!). Add uniforms, books, school bus, and on-campus lunches or snacks to it... another $50.oo to $100.oo a month per kid.

However, only even fewer of these schools offer the "bachillerato" (kind'a like high school, PRE-university, NOT to be confused with the US college bachelor's degree!). Then again, there are other private schools which only offer that, mostly in the two main cities Santiago and Santo Domingo.

The closer you move to the coconut trees and beaches which MAY have made you fall in love with this country, the more difficult it will be to find quality schools and continued education for your kids.
And it's not just that: What about work opportunities afterward?

Universities, the only gateway to higher education here: Santiago and Santo Domingo. The best being about 3 universities. Similar to the US, universities are not only about education, but about with WHOM you went to college. So, if you hope for some chance to success for your kids, only the best would do, where the "high" society sends it's brats to.

Language? I wouldn't worry about the kids. After a year, you will probably have to enforce some rules so they DO speak English at home, just so they won't loose it .

All in all, I've said it before, as much as I like it here, I would not live here with my kids, because of quality education being only sparsely available and mostly on in the two large cities and the lack of opportunities for them in the country afterward.
The world is becoming a smaller place, more global, people either richer or poorer, those who "make it" fewer. Coming from a country like the DR, even after having graduated from the best university here, are dealt a though game.


... J-D.

 

[ExtremeR]

You are kidding right....

Please care to elaborate....And do not say it is better based on a nationalistic "US is the best at everything" view. I studied in the PRIVATE school system in the DR and have witnessed the level of education in US public schools and it is not even close. A senior in the US would be in the 10th grade in the DR PRIVATE school (segundo de bachillerato) if we start leveling them out. Please don't base your view on the extremely deficient DR's PUBLIC school system.

 

[waytogo]

Your children do not have to go to an accredited school here in order to continue their education in the states. Most of the graduates from my children school are in college in the states and the school is not accredited. My daughter just took her SAT here in DR, and after she graduates here in DR next year she will be attending college in the states. Children who attend school in DR but maintain their English language have no problems continuing an education outside.

Excellent information for those who didn't realize this, including me.

 

[waytogo]

Please care to elaborate....And do not say it is better based on a nationalistic "US is the best at everything" view. I studied in the PRIVATE school system in the DR and have witnessed the level of education in US public schools and it is not even close. A senior in the US would be in the 10th grade in the DR PRIVATE school (segundo de bachillerato) if we start leveling them out. Please don't base your view on the extremely deficient DR's PUBLIC school system.

Put 4 children through private school in the states and am currently putting 3 through private school here with one in a university. All I can base this by is my own personal experience with both systems. This is a topic that could go back and forth forever which I don't have the time or patience for. Everyone has their own opinion and we have stated ours. I hope we can agree to disagree.
Isn't democracy great.......

 

[RacerX]

The closer you move to the coconut trees and beaches which MAY have made you fall in love with this country, the more difficult it will be to find quality schools and continued education for your kids.
And it's not just that: What about work opportunities afterward?

Universities, the only gateway to higher education here: Santiago and Santo Domingo. The best being about 3 universities. Similar to the US, universities are not only about education, but about with WHOM you went to college. So, if you hope for some chance to success for your kids, only the best would do, where the "high" society sends it's brats to.

Language? I wouldn't worry about the kids. After a year, you will probably have to enforce some rules so they DO speak English at home, just so they won't loose it .

All in all, I've said it before, as much as I like it here, I would not live here with my kids, because of quality education being only sparsely available and mostly on in the two large cities and the lack of opportunities for them in the country afterward.
The world is becoming a smaller place, more global, people either richer or poorer, those who "make it" fewer. Coming from a country like the DR, even after having graduated from the best university here, are dealt a though game.


... J-D.

But his kids are teens so they wont lose their english language skills. Yea, Wiet, you re better off living in a larger city, sans beach and cocos and sunshiny blue water(if you need that with children, the Florida coast is your best bet). $4.2K/month is way upper middle class here. If you can plan pensively you can live on less than 1/2 that. Especially apart from the tourist areas. Cars are expensive AND OLD for what you get. If you do get one, as much as I hate to say it, get a Japanese one, for familiarity and ease in repair(I personally would bring a Chevrolet but it also is OLD and they wont let it in).
Your kids would be ok at universities compared to others because your kids are not from here so they could graduate from UASD and its not a detraction because they can go back to the US and it looks good that they studied overseas. Not comparing them with Dominicans who go to UASD and try to meet people who can give them a foot hold above other UASD students. Who cares? They can move back to wherever you re from and have the same issues post-college that local college students have.

 

[J D Sauser]

Studying abroad may "look good" if one studied in England, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, the US (coming from all the other countries) and so forth or a few select Latin American countries for a post grad... but the DR?
Most universities here are not accredited "back home".
And what about the ties and social networking many students make during their their college years, and will continue to maintain all the way thru their careers?

... J-D.

 

[Vacara]

Put 4 children through private school in the states and am currently putting 3 through private school here with one in a university. All I can base this by is my own personal experience with both systems. This is a topic that could go back and forth forever which I don't have the time or patience for. Everyone has their own opinion and we have stated ours. I hope we can agree to disagree.
Isn't democracy great.......

DR educational system is in shambles, but to group all of them together in one simple "they are all embarrassing" sentence is just simple wrong & shows lack of knowledge. There are plenty of private schools in DR that could compete with the best in USA, specially in Santo Domingo.

When I was in school in DR it became an annual parade seeing kids coming from the USA to our school, and all of them -without one single exception- would be put one grade below the one they were currently at in the USA. Even so; those kids struggled mightily keeping pace with us in the subjects with were busy at that time.

One thing you can use to compare the quality of both NYC public education and DR is this Social Promotion stuff, which was so harmful to kids welfare that Mayor Bloomberg did away with it a few years back. The notion that kids should be advanced to the next grade (even if they don't master their assignment) based on the notion that staying behind is not good for their development is totally unknown in DR. As bad as our schools are, kids still have to earn their grades.

 

[waytogo]

DR educational system is in shambles, but to group all of them together in one simple "they are all embarrassing" sentence is just simple wrong & shows lack of knowledge. There are plenty of private schools in DR that could compete with the best in USA, specially in Santo Domingo.

When I was in school in DR it became an annual parade seeing kids coming from the USA to our school, and all of them -without one single exception- would be put one grade below the one they were currently at in the USA. Even so; those kids struggled mightily keeping pace with us in the subjects with were busy at that time.

One thing you can use to compare the quality of both NYC public education and DR is this Social Promotion stuff, which was so harmful to kids welfare that Mayor Bloomberg did away with it a few years back. The notion that kids should be advanced to the next grade (even if they don't master their assignment) based on the notion that staying behind is not good for their development is totally unknown in DR. As bad as our schools are, kids still have to earn their grades.

You are correct and I apologize. It does sound like I grouped them all together but that was not my intention. The schools I have PERSONALLY seen here in Santiago, public and private were in MY opinion way below par.
All I can evaluate on are the private schools that are in close proximity to the area that I reside, about a 5 min walk to the Monument. I would love to send the young people I am paying for to a better private school, but there is nothing remotely close to the house, at least nothing we can find.

 

[bienamor]

DR educational system is in shambles, but to group all of them together in one simple "they are all embarrassing" sentence is just simple wrong & shows lack of knowledge. There are plenty of private schools in DR that could compete with the best in USA, specially in Santo Domingo.

When I was in school in DR it became an annual parade seeing kids coming from the USA to our school, and all of them -without one single exception- would be put one grade below the one they were currently at in the USA. Even so; those kids struggled mightily keeping pace with us in the subjects with were busy at that time.

One thing you can use to compare the quality of both NYC public education and DR is this Social Promotion stuff, which was so harmful to kids welfare that Mayor Bloomberg did away with it a few years back. The notion that kids should be advanced to the next grade (even if they don't master their assignment) based on the notion that staying behind is not good for their development is totally unknown in DR. As bad as our schools are, kids still have to earn their grades.

Some other places in the US have good public school systems.don't judge everything by NYC, Miami, Las Vegas. God people travel a Little. Not all US public school systems suck. Some will compare to any of the private schools here.

My comment about the after school activities, was due to my daughters feeling that their years here were kind of wasted as they completely lost out on things like marching band, symphonic band etc. yes you can join martial arts, basket ball, baseball, but its not tied to the school. the foreign kids I met and my daughters also say that there is no school pride due to no socializing by the students.

The other place you may be hurt, is if your child has any kind of learning disability. The private schools here don't want that kind of student. They don't have to teachers and classrooms to handle it.

 

[Lando calrisian]

I think retired police officer Welt will come to his own conclusions concerning if the DR's educational system is right for his kids or not. So I for one ain't hijacking this thread no more about the pro's and con's of said system. The man want's to know if with his 4200USD can he make it or break it in this land we call home, with the wife and kids. So let's keep the debate raging concerning that particular topic.

If I had that amount of money I would buy houses, property rent it out and live off of that. Plus, I would put some of it in the bank, accrue interest. It's use would go to my self improvement as well, physical fitness, more yoga, more taichi and in the use of seminar's to expand my knowledge and mind.

Church life is very devout here and that is refreshing for me.

Perhaps even attending school in his adopted country would be another option for him and his wife. Interacting with the students would be an invaluable source of information and friendship. The academic information gained would be helpful too. Improve your mind you improve your life. Change your mind you change your life. So on and so on.