Job Discussion Forums

marley'sghost · Joined: 04 Oct 2010 Posts: 255

Sorry, none of the following is about the OP's situation, just commentary on commentary. Sorry to hear they are cutting you loose. I hope the union can help. Maybe at least you can get some severance pay or something out of them.
In the public elementary and junior high schools here everyone is transferred eventually. I've been ALTing at my current schools for 6 years now, only about 15-20% of the people who were here when I started remain. The schools here are less autonomous than they are, for example in America. Teachers are interchangeable cogs in a larger system and get moved around for the reasons other posters describe. The idea (ideal?) behind those reasons is for the teachers to have a broad experience and wide relationships in that system at large. It's not like back home in the States where the school district hires teachers and quite often a teacher will spend their entire career at the same school, or at least in the same district.
I have seen in Senior High schools here in Japan, instances where teachers stay for much longer. I knew one English teacher at a very high academic level who had been there 15 plus years. I know another at the same school who was there for at least that long, retired and now is working there post-retirement as part-time.

The "job transfer" seems to be a big part of corporate culture too. For white collar workers in big, nation wide companies, it's almost a certainty that at some point in a salaryman's career that he'll have to pull up stakes and move halfway across the country. I've heard sometimes it's very sudden. Some poor sods get like two weeks notice that they'll be moving from Osaka to Sapporo.

In a positive light, workers are transfered to gain broad experience, form wide relationships and make valuable connections. In a negative light, they are interchangable cogs in an indifferent machine.

Pitarou · Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan

eiyosus · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 22

I'll just give you guys a quick update and let you know that the situation has gotten rather large, that I have an external union and the school's internal union backing me up, that there are some things in my contract that have been found to be illegal, and that literally every teacher in the English department is supporting me.

I'd like to post more, but I'm paranoid that somebody might see this page (I'm sure nobody will, but you never know). I was lucky to find a great union which I'll say more about after this all plays out.

Until next time.

Pitarou · Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Posts: 1116 Location: Narita, Japan

Thanks for sharing. That's a really welcome development.

I understand the need for discretion, so I won't press you to reveal more just now, but I'd love to know how it works out. I hope they don't ask you to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of your settlement.

Best wishes,

Pitarou.

nightsintodreams · Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 558

^Seconded, I'm really interested to see how this pans out.^

G Cthulhu · Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2014 4:47 pm Post subject:

Maitoshi · Joined: 04 May 2014 Posts: 718 Location: 何処でも

Is this still in litigation?

Futureal · Joined: 27 May 2014 Posts: 17

http://www.amazon.com/Native-Speakerism-Japan-Intergroup-Education-Multilingual-ebook/dp/B00CI8BNZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401858674&sr=8-1&keywords=native-speakerism+in+japan

This book has a really interesting chapter about a legal battle over contracted lecturers at universities, thought it might be relevant. The entire book is relevant to the whole "ALTs growing stale" concept.

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

I wonder how this turned out.

Warm regards,
fat_chris

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

I hope it worked out.

Having kids changes everything. Even if the kids are going to school, if they have a fever they will be sent home. And then what? Either parent has to take the day off work. Unless you have grandma around. In the US the average age for a child to stay home alone is thirteen! Seems a little old though, because I was staying home with my little brother around age nine or ten.

Good luck to the OP

ssjup81 · Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 5:10 am Post subject:

I'm also curious how this turned out.

Maitoshi · Joined: 04 May 2014 Posts: 718 Location: 何処でも

In your mid thirties, eh?

ssjup81 · Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 1:44 am Post subject:

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

Yes, times have changed! I'm 39, and I walked home at age six and sometimes my parents were not home. And from age nine I stayed home with my baby brother.

Now I'm in California, and we were told at the kindergarten parent teacher conference that children can not stay home alone until age thirteen. But I'm not sure where the teacher got that number, because according to this website, California does not have a specific age.

http://www.latchkey-kids.com/latchkey-kids-age-limits.htm

G Cthulhu · Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 1:45 am Post subject:

CA (like most states in the US) doesn't have a number, but the law usually requires the CPS to generate regulations and guidelines. Those usually specify an age and end up taking on the force of law, although as regulation they can be challenged in court quite easily. Court case developing in Maryland over this very issue and whether a 10 year old is old enough to be able to walk to and from a park with their 6 year old sister in tow. State is saying no. Parents are telling the state to push the he11 off.