| 8).
Have
you ever broken an international teaching contract? Yes
18% No 82% |
| |
9).
What led to breaking your contract and did you leave
before the
end of the school year? |
| 1.____________________________ |
I
Broke contract because
we were not comfortable with the medical care in the country. Also
were not happy with the teaching load I was given. Too much. We
left at the end of the school year. |
2.
____________________________ |
My family was tied
up and robbed at home by two men at gunpoint. School did nothing
to assure it would not happen again. Finished year, but decided not
to return for the fourth year after same thing happened to our best
friend's family. |
3.____________________________ |
I
left the end of the school year. The hiring official lied about
taxes (were, according
to her, 18%, but were really 28%, on a salary deep in the poverty
level. Also, was having us work illegally in the country because
the school couldn't get us work visas, although she repeatedly
pretended they could. (My work visa came through 10 days before
the end of
the school year. Meanwhile, I was banned from the country for 6
months because the Consulate wouldn't renew my tourist visa. All
the time
school records with the Department of Education had to be fabricated,
since I was working illegally (and the Consulate in Chicago suspected
such). That was just the beginning. But the difference in my value
system and hers was too much....I notified the school in December
I wouldn't be returning the second year. |
4.____________________________ |
Renegotiated a contract
from to year to one year as change in conditions and teaching load
made it unviable |
5.____________________________ |
The sanitary conditions
were unacceptable with rodents in the house and at the school. I
stayed the full year |
6.____________________________ |
School board broke
its own policies without consent of the administration, the local
staff was anything but friendly and helpful in my settling in, there
was no mention of my having to be involved with an IB program when
I was hired, but I was stuck trying it without being given any training,
I found out too late that the school had a reputation for having
problems. |
7.____________________________ |
I signed on for a
second 2 year contract but only stayed for 1 extra year. I did not
leave before the end of the year. I found the heat was affecting
my health and also my husband who is older than me found it too hot. |
8.____________________________ |
The school was sabotaging
my husband, changing passwords, erasing data, bypassing licenses.
We were convinced they were going to let me finish the year, believing
I would be principal next year, then fire him knowing I would follow.
We left for America while there were still jobs left to get here. |
9.____________________________ |
I
was raped by a school official, and lost a baby within a few months
of each other.
The rapist was a relative of the school's dean, and when he was
convicted, the family lost face (and money) in a big way. When
school officials
began to turn against us, pulling the plug on a major project without
explanation, changing grades, punishing students who had been close
to us with poor work assignments, and having public criticism meetings
to humiliate teachers who had been our friends, our embassies (I'm
a dual citizen) advised us to leave as they could not protect us
in the case of further trouble. We left for the summer, and didn't
return, though we left our library (5000 volumes), computers, photocopier
and furniture as compensation. |
10.____________________________ |
the situation is
scary. we are belittled, bullied and slandered by the admin. I am
completing one full year only, not the two. |
11.____________________________ |
I
did not break contract but my school fired me unjustly. The owner,
a megalomaniac, psychotic
refused to allow foreign universities to talk to our graduating
classes, but did not tell me. when I invited a number to present
to our kids,
they were turned away at the gate! I asked the headmaster to see
the owner and explain that we were a college prep. school and US
certified, therefore OBLIGED to accept foreign schools to meet
our students. When I returned from summer holidays, after receiving
a
promotion, I received an e-mail telling me I was dismissed! |
12.____________________________ |
Marital Breakdown.
I waited until the end of the school year. |
13.____________________________ |
I
was seriously accused, attacked and aggressed for the Principal
with no basis at
all. Even students supported me. I finished the school year. |
14.____________________________ |
They stopped paying!
I'm the one that wrote the Future Window IS Review. |
15.____________________________ |
I left to be with a man (the man was
a big mistake, leaving was the right decision) I left at the end
of 1 year. |
16.____________________________ |
Reluctantly,
because there were difficulties in the working situation out
of my control and relating to another
teacher who was insecure and could not cope with any (there were
several teaching staff required to work in the room from time
to time) teachers
working in the classroom. this teacher became so fragile that
unprofessional and rude behavior resulted in the presence of
children. Senior
staff were kept informed by me at all times and made token
attempts to
resolve the situation but admitted they were powerless as they
could not lose that teacher at that crucial teaching time.
their solution
was to with draw all support staff from the room, however this
did not totally resolve the situation as there was still contact
due
to the learning requirements of students and the other teacher
was still uncooperative.
|
17.____________________________ |
I
was dismissed after I signed up for a new agreed upon contract.
The school actually reneged.
|
| |
10).
What action, if any, did the school take in response to your
decision
to break your contract? Was the school supportive and willing
to work with you in an attempt to remedy the situation? |
| 1.____________________________ |
No
action was taken, the school was very understanding and supportive. |
2.____________________________ |
None |
3.____________________________ |
Couldn't take any
officially, since I wasn't in the country legally. However, the school
does still owe me $3400 of my pay. Promised to give it to me, but
never did. No support from the school....just threats. |
4.____________________________ |
(Academy)
initially reluctant but then reasonably supportive although CIS
helped as well. |
5.____________________________ |
They remedied the
situation at home, but not at school. Rodents still roam freely.
the headmaster was very supportive, however the Board of Directors
cared little. I was also prohibited from going on a school trip and
penalized $2500 USD for not staying a second year. |
6.____________________________ |
They couldn't do
anything that I know of because I didn't return. They did nothing
to help me. |
7.____________________________ |
When I spoke to them
they were very supportive, but they did not give me a good reference
to CIS |
8.____________________________ |
The school was vindictive
and retaliatory. They threatened us with felony theft, punitive damages,
the loss of our licenses, etc. We are awaiting charges. |
9.____________________________ |
We wrote a tactful
letter from abroad explaining that we could not return do to my health
problems (which was true - my mental health was shot!) and offering
our possessions in compensation. We left China with almost nothing,
and it took 8 years to recover emotionally. I'm now back in China,
in a different province, and very happy! |
10.____________________________ |
They could care less
except about the money. they will not give me all my summer pay,
despite my completing a full year of employment. |
11.____________________________ |
I threatened to sue
the school both nationally and in the US since they were US certified.
They accepted to pay me a year's salary and the headmaster gave me
good recommendations. |
12.____________________________ |
School did not give
me positive letter of reference as they felt the reason was not serious
enough. I obviously felt otherwise. |
13.____________________________ |
It
happened almost at the end of the year (three weeks before). No
actions were taken.
I just know the Principal was fired the following year because
this and other similar situations. I am sure he did his best in
order I
would never work again at an international school... That shows
how it works... |
14.____________________________ |
They
tried to extort $6000 to cover all costs. Threatened to sue for
lost tuition if any
kids
pulled out as a result of our leaving. |
15.____________________________ |
No action taken against me. I had no discussion
with the school about it. |
16.____________________________
|
The
school asked me to reconsider, however could not offer any solutions
that were workable. I have not
received any international offers since, and previously had many
which leads me to believe that I have been blacklisted as my references
are from the school |
17.____________________________
|
I
was given 6 hours notice, no repatriation, no excuses or cause
was given. |
|
11).
Did you report the incident to your recruiting agency and what
was their response? What
action did they take, if any? |
| 1.____________________________ |
No |
2.____________________________ |
No |
3.____________________________ |
Didn't.
No point. Nothing would be done. This Director still recruits there
and is
part of the "good old boy" network, so continues to operate
in this manner, |
4.____________________________ |
yes - supplied advice |
5.____________________________ |
n/a |
6.____________________________ |
No, because I felt
I would be blackballed by the agency. |
7.____________________________ |
No
I didn't - but I had already been at the school for 3 years so
I didn't think it
was necessary. |
8.____________________________ |
No. I didn't think
of it. I have been told that recruiting agencies refuse to work with
this school. I will check that out. |
9.____________________________ |
Wasn't hired through
a recruiting agency |
10.____________________________ |
I
am yet to do this, as I am scared about repercussions. I'm keeping
my head down, doing
my time, and if I lose some money, so be it. I need to get away.
They are such that I expect to lose more than they have admitted
so far. I hear of teachers being charged for school supplies such
as
rulers that students broke. Naturally at well above the purchase
price. |
11.____________________________ |
I
did report the school to my SA recruiter but they still have ads
running for the
school on their SA web site. |
12.____________________________ |
No recruitment agency
was involved. |
13.____________________________ |
Yes. To Search
Associates. I explained to them all details about what happened
with letters and documents
as well. Their response was nothing. They told me I had to re-open
the whole file again etc. A lot of excuses. I know I was blackballed
not only by them... In their world, they are always right. |
14.____________________________ |
Yes, Search banned them from fairs. |
15.____________________________ |
No agency was involved. |
16.____________________________ |
No recruiting agency at that time |
17.____________________________ |
The lawyers will not allow me to report this to the recruiters
until the conclusion of legal action. The Government here is very
helpful and allowing pursuit of an employer that broke the law
on many counts. You cannot report these places. They torpedo your
attempts to secure future employment - unofficially and verbally.
|
| |
12).
If given the opportunity, what would you have done differently
when you realized you wanted to break your contract? |
| 1.____________________________ |
No |
2.____________________________ |
Nothing |
3.____________________________ |
Nothing. It was all
over legal requirements. There is no need for me to be in a country
illegally, risking imprisonment and deportation. There are plenty
of place to go to work legally. |
4.____________________________ |
Nothing |
5.____________________________ |
Later
I found out that other teachers would be released from their contracts
without
penalty. I would have insisted for the penalty to be removed for
staying the whole school year. |
6.____________________________ |
Possibly finish the
school year. As it was, I was able to find another job for the remainder
of the school year. |
7.____________________________ |
No, I was completely
honest with my employer and I would be so again if similar circumstances
arose. |
8.____________________________ |
Given the extreme
lack of ethics of this school, I think the only thing we could have
done was not accept the contract in the first place. |
9.____________________________ |
Hmm.
I think we handled the situation as diplomatically and honorably
as we could, given
that we felt that our lives, and our child, might be in serious
danger of reprisals by the rapist's family. |
10.____________________________ |
Just
packed and gone! The whole scenario is hidious, the kids, the
parents and the admin.
even some co-workers (Fundamentalist Muslims) are unpleasant. They
spy and tattle in many cases so you can't even relax at work in
the lounge (separate for each gender). |
11.____________________________ |
If
I had known, in advance of what was planned by the owner...I would
have spoken
to the headmaster and the Board and explained the value and obligations
our college prep school had. |
12.____________________________ |
I would do the same
again. |
13.____________________________ |
I would
have accused the Principal and asked the school to fire him if
they wanted me to stay. |
14.____________________________ |
Nothing. Did a runner at xmas
when I had an exit visa. |
15.____________________________ |
Nothing. It was the right thing
for me at the time. |
16.____________________________ |
Not sure. The situation was played out over a period
of a year and it had deteriorated to the extent my health was suffering |
17.____________________________ |
There was no opportunity to do anything different. I was sacked.
I might have seen it coming if I had not been invited to sign a
new contract.
|
| |
13).
Please explain anything the school could have done differently
during
the recruiting process that might
have allowed you to see, in advance, that this was not going to
be the "right" school for you? |
| 1.____________________________ |
Be up front about
the job, the medical, the school, the country, the good and the bad,
be honest, don't only try to be a salesman |
2.____________________________ |
Provided secure housing. |
3.____________________________ |
Simply have been
honest about visas, taxes, etc. |
4.____________________________ |
Accurate portrayal
of location of living conditions and teaching assignment |
5.____________________________ |
They
could have revealed the true nature of daily living where I am.
That it is not an ideal
location for single females, that there are many creatures roaming
freely in houses, classrooms, and the streets. I would have wanted
to know that few people go out after sunset and that there is little
to do in the area where teachers are housed. I would have also
liked to have a more accurate description of the percentage savings
as the
cost of living has increased and the salary has not. |
6.____________________________ |
They could have been
honest about their programs and their history of problems. They could
have said that I would be on my own without help in a new country
and job position. |
7.____________________________ |
No - there was no
blame to be placed on the school for my wanting to break the contract. |
8.____________________________ |
If the school revealed
how corrupt, inefficient, and ineffective they are, no one would
ever work for them. |
9.____________________________ |
Nothing. Wasn't their
fault that the dean's son was a violent sexual offender. |
10____________________________ |
Honesty!
There may be a waiting list, but only because there aren't enough
teachers,
not because its 'selective'. There is a character education program
which they are very proud of but they have no discipline or consequences
for students, only teachers. Had they said they were fundamentalists,
I would have known I would never have been a fit for them, and
vice versa. they kept this well hidden, until even work had started. |
11.____________________________ |
It
was the right school until the crazy owner began to interfere in
the daily operations.
This was right out of the blue and the headmaster helped me a lot
but he was blind sided as well. This was, however, not the first
time something like this had happened. |
12.____________________________ |
School
could have had a better understanding that a British-run style
school is very
different from an "international school". |
13.____________________________ |
It
was the right school. But I would say very often schools do not
have the right people in
positions of responsibility. It is all about "power" and
mediocre people playing directors. |
14.____________________________ |
Nothing.
They duped everyone including a very well established and respected
Director who they also duped
after hiring him to run the school. |
15.____________________________ |
When I was at the school I made
it clear I was unhappy and the rest of the staff were locals who
were all in the same horrid
situation and had resigned themselves to their lot and were sympathetic
but no help. |
16.____________________________ |
The
school could have told the truth about their priorities in curriculum
and the treatment
of couples with children. The could have told the truth about the
cost of living. They could have told the truth about the random
nature of private intervention in the school and the complete lack
of accountability and transparency. 14 people were fired over an
18 month period, mostly at the behest of a terrible, paranoid,
ineffective headmaster that lied at every turn. Turns out that
he did this in 2 previous positions, too. |
17.____________________________ |
The problem was
that the school did not follow the contract to the letter. All
teachers were aware of the teaching conditions referred to in the
contract but in reality this did not work, as it was only words
on the paper |
|