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Ikki
Joined: 31 Jan 2011
Posts: 58
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 Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 12:29 pm Post subject: Direct hires for Public School ALTs? |
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Usual disclaimer  Yes, I tried the search function to no avail. Also, there are no stickies FAQ sections here, unlike Japan/Korea forums.
I just arrived here for what I thought was a public school (PS) gig. Long story short: I've been bamboozled to the nth degree. The recruiter lied to me & I've found out(unpleasantly)that I'm actually an indentured servant of the recruiter(private company). Sure, I work AT a PS but I work FOR the recruiter, private co. gangster outfit. To make a long story short(and I'll gladly answer specific questions)I've been royally sc***** since the dayI arrived here. I've had PS gigs before in Japan & Korea(and fair warning to the Mensa candidates who want to ask why I'm not with a PS gig in Korea or Japan...you WILL be put down)and I've never been treated like this.
My Q is this: I can't live w/this crap. So, now that I have my ARC, how do I get hold of a decent direct hire PS gig? I realize there's nothing like the superb JET Programme in Taiwan, but surely there have to be some direct hire PS contracts where one is treated as a human being rather than as a dog?
Any sincere advice is appreciated. |
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creztor
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 476
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| Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Ikki, I believe most PS hire via recruiters. I have never worked at one, but that is what I've been told by those who have and seen online. I could be wrong, so please correct me. Based on this it seems that most jobs at PS are obtained via recruiters or connections, if you have them. Sorry that I can't offer anymore help than this. Hopefully others can chime in who can help. I have to ask who is the recruiter? |
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Ikki
Joined: 31 Jan 2011
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry to all if I seem a little cranky in my OP. I was a little testy after I first wrote a lengthy detailed OP, only to have it all disappear when I hit "submit".
My objection isn't that I was recruited by a recruiter. It's that I was given the impression that I would be working for the county government when that's not the case at all. I'm interested in working directly for a government(county level, presumably).
Also, does my ARC(now that I have one)allow me to change jobs in Taiwan?
Things are bad enough at my outfit to make one teacher pull a runner(today).
Until I figure out what I'm going to do, I'd rather not name the recruiter-at least not yet. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Welcome to working for Dewey! |
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creztor
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 476
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| OK, best of luck with whatever you do. |
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JDB
Joined: 06 Sep 2010
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 5:05 am Post subject: PS |
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| Can you say which county this school is in? |
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Dr_Zoidberg
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 406
Location: Not posting on Forumosa.
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| Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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| JZer wrote: |
| Welcome to working for Dewey! |
We do not yet know who the recruiter is, so let's not start casting aspersions. |
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Dr_Zoidberg
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 406
Location: Not posting on Forumosa.
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| Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 11:55 pm Post subject: Re: Direct hires for Public School ALTs? |
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| Ikki wrote: |
| Usual disclaimer I've been bamboozled to the nth degree. The recruiter lied to me ... |
Well, that's not much of a surprise. Now to the business at hand, what to do?
Here are your options:
1. Suck it up
2. Suck it up and look for something else
3. Tell them to shove it, do a visa run, come back and look for something else.
Judging by the OP, I'm going to go out on a limb and say #1 is off the table. So that means you can continue working while you look for something else, or quit, in which case you will need to do a visa run. You will probably end up doing a visa run whichever way you change jobs. The trick to changing jobs without doing a visa run is to get employer #2 on your ARC before employer #1 cancels your ARC. It can be done, but it's difficult.
You say your work is indentured servitude, so perhaps you should call the helpline (0800-024-111). Bear in mind that I've never used it, so I don't know what help they can offer.
As was stated, it seems all public schools go through recruiters. You could try a different recruiter, or start approaching schools on your own. There are private schools and international schools out there, approach them too.
Good luck, and let us know how you're getting on. |
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Ikki
Joined: 31 Jan 2011
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 1:06 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, Zoidberg.
Yeah, I guess it's option 2 for now. The root of the problem, as I see it, is that it seems indeed true that all PS apparently only take on FTs via recruiters. It reminds me a bit of the way Japan has been going: aside from JET, direct hires have all but disappeared for PS, as shady dispatch cos. provide the poor saps for PS gigs. The only "good" thing I can say about these outfits is that they make it abundantly clear from the get-go that you work for THEM and not the educational jurisdiction to which you are assigned. |
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Pretentious Parrot
Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Are you a certified teacher back in your home country? |
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Ikki
Joined: 31 Jan 2011
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 1:35 am Post subject: |
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| Yes, I have a teaching license from my home country. Due to "politics", it's now a strict requirement that barbarians in PS must have a teaching license. It matters not if they actually have experience teaching back home. Personally, I think it would make more sense if FTs were required to have a TEFL or CELTA or whatever. Moreover, if part of the rationale for hiring only those w/a license involves some belief that the "criminal element" among FTs is eliminated, all I can say is...what a load of horsehockey. In the last decade or so, there have been scores of cases where PS teachers in N. America have been involved in all kinds of shenanagins with students, etc. |
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gfisher
Joined: 16 Jul 2009
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2011 3:36 am Post subject: |
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Ikki, do you have any advice for someone thinking about moving to Taiwan to work in a PS?
Obviously, I'd love to know what recruiter you used and where you ended up. You can PM it if you feel comfortable sharing it. Thanks. |
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Ikki
Joined: 31 Jan 2011
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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Well, gfisher, my first basic piece of advice is: don't ever get an impression that you'll be working for a governmental authority. And that's the root of the whole problem(I've found this out the hard way).
Private companies in Taiwan, like anywhere, will "do it to you".
'Nuff said? |
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