Job Discussion Forums

[zeke0606]

I found this article about 'black lists' ------ cn anyone verify it?

Zeke

TEFLWatch Pulls the Plug on ESL Forums
Posted by ESL Daily at 3/26/2008 and is filed under Finding ESL employment,Spencer McCall,Warning,2008,Internet,Thailand,ASIA,esl reform
TEFL Watch, a website dedicated to aiding ESL teachers make informed decisions about employment, has shut down its forum. After weeks of intense pressure and backhanded tactics from Thailand private language school owners to remove their names from the site's forum blacklist, Rico, the site administrator, had this to say on the site as a farewell message:
"TEFL Watch Forum has decided to close after more than 2 years in operation. It hardly comes as a surprise, but it's a little disheartening to see a forum that has helped so many teachers get out of trouble is having trouble of it's own. In fact, this is probably the end of the site and the end of the help it is giving teachers."

One of the features of TEFL Watch was a forum where teachers could rate schools on a scale of 1 to 5 and leave feedback, essentially a blacklist. This forum was called the 'Hall of Shame'. Up until now, this has been a great resource for teachers wanting to find information, and possible risks, about employment opportunities. Some schools owners in Thailand took offence to this list and retaliated by creating a blacklist for teachers, which they circulated via fax to other private institutions in Thailand. This blacklist, however, censured teachers for their participation on the TEFL Watch forums, not necessarily for poor teaching. When teachers became aware they were on a blacklist they criticized the school owners and demanded they be removed from such a list. The school owners countered by threatening to further mar the reputations of other teachers if the forum on TEFL Watch was not removed. The teachers who had participated on the forum appealed for help from other related forums and website owners, but these parties were unable to do much to the school owners or repeal the teacher blacklist. In the end, TEFL Watch closed its forum to prevent any further damages to the teachers who participated in it.

Rico, the alias of the site administrator, has given an interview with Phil Bangkok of www.ajarn.com. You can view the entire interview here: http://www.ajarn.com/Hot%20seat/hotseatgreg.htm

For further info, check out TEFL Watch at:
http://www.teflwatch.com/

For Rico's farewell message, refer to:
http://www.teflnews.net/teflwatch-forum-2008164.html

For further statements made by Rico and other teachers, refer to the www.ajarn.com forums at:
http://www.ajarnforum.net/vb/staffroom/29708-teflwatch-forums-closed-permanently.html
By Spencer McCall

[naturegirl321]

I know that TW was going to play more downlow, but I don't think that they�re closing.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

The story is true, and apparently I'm now on the blacklist for contributing to threads on TEFLWatch, and for posting the TEFLWatch link on The Master Index Thailand, located at the top of the Thailand Forum here at Dave's. I have since deleted the TEFLWatch link - not because I was put on the teacher's blacklist, but because the TEFLWatch website has been taken down by their admin.

How do I know I'm on the blacklist? I don't for sure, but - a few months ago I decided to test the waters for a possible change of scenery - after 4 and a half years in Bangkok I was thinking of spending a year or two out in the country - some fresh air and all that. I e-mailed my resume to a well-known agency here in Thailand. The manager of the agency replied right away - next day in fact, and promised to get back to me. That was several months ago - not a peep from the well-known agency since then. And since I post with my real name, well ... 2 + 2 = 4, right? This is the original reply from the agency manager:

[Justin Trullinger]

Nice to "see" you again round these parts, Kent.

Hang in there, and try to get hold of the "list!" Is there a school administrator somewhere that you trust?


Best,
Justin

[zeke0606]

Thanks Kent for your candid post! I am sorry to hear this though!

I too once used my real name on the forums..................

Zeke

[arioch36]

Very rarely would i talk about a school on this forum. Here in China, it is considered a total loss of face if a school is disparaged publically on such a forum. The school would have to be pretty bad to make an exception. I always ask potential teachers to PM me directly

[mandalayroad]

Thanks for your hard work, Kent, it is appreciated.