general

Hi. My name is David, and I am a para in the schools in Modi'in, Israel. I was surprised to find that our wages here are not really that much lower than those in the U.S. I am getting around 30 Shekels per hour, which is around $6.50--$7.00.
I have been working as a "shadow" but want to have a whole class situation. As a shadow, if the kid you work with is sick, and there is no need for substitutes, then you don't get paid for that day. On the other hand, if the pupil you work with doesn't show up (happened once or twice), without informing anyone, then you get full pay for that day even if you go home. The thing I like about the job is that there are no real discipline problems compared with the regular teaching staff's problems, and since I am raising my daughter alone, I am close to home, and I have the same vacations that she does. (She's in third grade). I might be relocating back to the U.S. in the future for a year or so, and was wondering what is the demand for paras, how I would go about finding out where the jobs are, etc. What is the demand for the position currently, and what is the anticipation for the upcoming years? I appreciate anyone's answers and comments. Also, if anyone will be visiting Israel, and wants to find out about the job situation for paras here, I'd be glad to be of assistance. By the way, forgot to mention, as a city employee, I get the benefits the other workers get (pension plans, etc.) We have socialized medicine here, so medical insurance is not really an issue. In my job title, however, there is no tenure. Some positions do have tenure, however.
Hope to hear from you, soon.
David