Job Discussion Forums

[Oreen Scott]

I noticed a job listing today for this private English language school.

There is a posting, not by me, titled "School won't get my visa," the school is Thinking in English.

During my brief tenure none of the foreign teachers, other then myself, had an FM-3. The school did not help teachers get their FM-3.

Everyone was paid under the table.

When I left migracion was investigating the school.

[esltech]

How long ago was this?

esltech

[Oreen Scott]

Go to the post I mentioned. It's very recent. I left April 10, 2009

[Radhagrrl]

Do NOT Work at Thinking in English in Chihuahua, Mexico. This place is a scam.

Thinking in English is a small, American-owned language school in Ciudad Chihuahua. It is a horrible, unprofessional, demeaning place to work, and anyone who thinks about teaching there should be warned what they are getting into.

A lot of promises will be made and lot of manipulation attempted. Here are some things which happened there:

They promise to help with you with your visa. I worked there ten months, with my apostille, visa money, and paperwork ready the first month I was there. They never got me my visa and tried to keep the money they took from me to get my visa. They also promised to pay the fine incurred for overstaying a tourist visa, then did not do it. They ripped me off for my last pay as well.

Never paid on time, not even once.

Owner bragged about ripping money off from other teachers in the past when they dared to give notice they were leaving.

Constantly promised things they didn�t do, such as put new A/Cs in the classrooms. The air conditioners already there barely work and they make you open the doors and windows during class so that mosquitoes and other bugs get in.

Promised free Internet, then made us pay for it.

Promised free breakfast, then never had any.

Promised free lunches, then many times had nothing, even knowing some teachers would have no time to get anything else to eat before class.

Never ordered books for the students until after the course had begun, which resulted in students not having any books for three or more weeks into the courses.

Never had basic supplies, like markers for the whiteboards or even working CD players in all the rooms.
Would not maintain the printer, so teachers could often not make worksheets or exams because the printer did not work/was out of paper or toner.

Will not pay taxes and benefits teachers are entitled to by Mexican law.
Do not assign classes to the teachers until the day the course begins, so teachers have no time to plan, then changes the schedule repeatedly with no notice. I�ve seen classes have four or five different teachers in one course, which is three months.

Owner downloads pornography onto the only computer at the school.
No supplies for the kids classes save for one bag of crayons and one box of markers.

Owner pays absolutely no attention to suggestions made by teachers, even when he asked for them. He also lies about pretty much anything (�The swine flu shut us down for a month� - lie: the flu shut the school down for six days) and will not keep any promise he makes. Over and over again, I saw him promise people he would be in the office at a certain time to pay people or discuss things and then not show, without even calling and giving an excuse.

They promise free satellite TV - that�s because they�re pirating it.
They�ll promise free accommodations if you live at the school - DON�T. Two out of the three �apartments� at the school are hotel-size rooms, bed and bath, nothing more. The other is a bit bigger, but also, no kitchen. And they can�t even make up their minds about whether they�ll keep these or tear them up to make new classrooms, so if you go there expecting to stay at the school, be aware that you may be evicted any time. In fact, be aware of that anyway, because the owner is so unstable he can never be trusted to not show up at any time and threaten you, like I know he has done to other teachers.

I am not some newbie who�s never taught before and likes to complain. I have a US state teaching certificate, have taught in schools in the US for five years and have taught EFL for another six years. This is the worst school with the worst people running it I have seen in three countries. Go there at your own risk.

[danchih]

I just wanted to ask who helped you get your work visa?

[Oreen Scott]

I was told I would get assistance getting my FM-3.

I made it very clear that I wouldn't work without an FM-3. My pay was withheld because I didn't have an FM-3, yet I wasn't being helped to get my FM-3. I felt manipulated. I mentioned this to the director, telling him I wasn't happy about not being paid.

He began one of his many tirades, of which he is oh so famous. When it was all over with me persisting, the assistant director, myself and Radagrlll went to migracion.

In the end it would have been much better if I had gone to get the FM-3 on my own with the help of a lawyer, because then maybe I would have known as an FM-3 independent I have to file income tax once a month.

In the process of renewing my FM-3, which I'm in the process of doing I'm stuck figuring out how to pay income tax on income I received from Thinking in English without a paper trail, and wondering what fines I'll have to pay. "Debajo de aqua" always means something fishy is going on.

I was glad to get an FM-3 independent, but have always wondered why my FM-3 wasn't attatched to Thinking in English.

Is it because the school isn't on the up and up and the letter submitted by the assistant director of Thinking in English simply stated where I would be living and not where I would be working?

Could it be I received an FM-3 simply because I came into Mexico with all my paperwork in order, and I'm a qualified teacher rather than that I was working at all?

Anyway, I've moved on and this is my last post regarding Thinking in English.

No matter which school a teacher decides to work for the lesson here is use caution.

[notamiss]

For sorting out your income tax, I highly recommend seeing an accountant for help. The tax regulations are so ever-changing that simply keeping up with the current regulations is a chore even if you don�t have further problems and it is much simpler to have someone who specializes in that to do it for you.