Morals and Contracts

[milesaway]

secondplace wrote:
> PsyGuy wrote:
> > OR after you sign, you can honorably, choose to go, not to go, or go
> > somewhere else.
> >
> > Contracts arent pacts, vows, oaths or promises. They are a document that
> > clearly communicates the terms and conditions of obligation and
> > responsibility between parties, including how failure to perform those
> > obligations and responsibilities is defined and the consequences for those
> > failures. They are agreements of communication, nothing more. Nothing
> > requiring your character, integrity or soul be put forward.
>
> Still asking - are you happy for both schools and yourself to act in this way?
>
> xx

Of course no one wants either . to not honor contracts. I have personally experienced a school not honoring the contracts that were signed. When Covid started, the head of our school SELECTIVELY chose to honor some contracts and to dismiss some...she used it has a means to punish people who she did not like or did not fit into her little world of what the school should be like. Even SLT, like myself had their contracts voided. She made some people actually return to China and then after a month told them she was dismissing them...all, like myself, had signed three year contracts. None of the teachers or admin did anything wrong or warranted being forced to resign.
Witnessing the complete lack of care that this woman had for her teachers was just amazing and in the end she paid a huge price. The school's reputation suffered and she eventually lost her job. I was like you before this happened to me, honor the contract you sign and even if the school changes things in the contract after signing it, you should still honor it. This changed for me after this incident, the consultants, the search firms and the school board ALL turned a blind eye to what was happening to people...but if we had done it, we would have been banned from firms and told that we would be penalized.
Each case is different, do I think you should sign a contract and continue to look for a job that might be better...no. But I don't think a person has less morals if they do it.

[Heliotrope]

milesaway wrote:
> Of course no one wants either . to not honor contracts. I have personally
> experienced a school not honoring the contracts that were signed. When Covid
> started, the head of our school SELECTIVELY chose to honor some contracts and to
> dismiss some...she used it has a means to punish people who she did not like or did
> not fit into her little world of what the school should be like. Even SLT, like
> myself had their contracts voided. She made some people actually return to China and
> then after a month told them she was dismissing them...all, like myself, had signed
> three year contracts. None of the teachers or admin did anything wrong or warranted
> being forced to resign.
> Witnessing the complete lack of care that this woman had for her teachers was just
> amazing and in the end she paid a huge price. The school's reputation suffered and
> she eventually lost her job. I was like you before this happened to me, honor the
> contract you sign and even if the school changes things in the contract after signing
> it, you should still honor it. This changed for me after this incident, the
> consultants, the search firms and the school board ALL turned a blind eye to what was
> happening to people...but if we had done it, we would have been banned from firms and
> told that we would be penalized.
> Each case is different, do I think you should sign a contract and continue to look
> for a job that might be better...no. But I don't think a person has less morals if
> they do it.

If a school acts like that, I wouldn't say the teachers at that school should still honor their contracts. Screw that school! (well the Head at least)

And if a school changes things significantly in the contract after signing it, I don't think you have the obligation to still honor it, because it's not what you signed up for. It's like agreeing on a price for a house, and then they after signing they fill in the pool with concrete and demolish the shed in the backyard and still expect you to take it for the original price. It's not the same house anymore and you can back out without scrupules, or they have to lower the price or add another feature that you think is worth what they took out.

Search Associates and other firms not backing the teacher is a shame, it happens regularly and is very unfair. A school penalizing you legally is usually only possible if you're still in country, so if you just get on a plane during a break they are powerless. Not ideal, but it's a last resort sort of thing. It's also why the idea of some schools in Saudi hanging on their teachers' passports is scary, because it takes away that option if they start misbehaving.

I agree with you that you shouldn't sign a contract and continue to look for a job that might be better. However I do think if you do do it when the school doesn't do anything wrong, that that says something about your morals.

[PsyGuy]

Yes, it says your brain is bigger than your morals.

[secondplace]

PsyGuy wrote:
> Yes, it says your brain is bigger than your morals.

Still waiting for your answer to this:

I honestly can't remember what you've said in the past about your feelings/thoughts about a school doing the same to you?

Do you think a school should act in this way - e.g. drop you like a stone if a better option comes up?

xx