Job Discussion Forums

ScottSommers · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 82 Location: Taiwan

I also spoke with Dr. Clark and agree with your judgement of the situation. While his decision to replace the longer message is sure to attract the usual ship of fools, I am glad that he is willing to take a stand like this. Judging from the forthright and public manner in which he is willing to handle the situation, he is showing more integrity than some of the regular posters on this site.

Fortigurn · Joined: 29 Oct 2003 Posts: 390

Good post Scott, I agree.

hkbunny · Joined: 25 Mar 2004 Posts: 4

In response to Paul Clark's letter: (1) hkbunny for one was NOT fired from the project in Beijing but told you in Nov. 2002 I would no longer work after the first term ended in January 2003. And as I recall, the 2nd teacher was not fired either--so please remember your facts. (2) The first term in China ends AFTER the Chinese New Year Holiday--this is the money you were asked for and would not pay, money OWED, not extra money demanded. How sweet of you you to post such a reasonabale and measured message 18 months after the fact. I do recall how you left McGill without leaving any way for your former employees in Beijing to contact you to work out the situation. I admit there were complaints about my teaching from students at the very end of my time there. Rather than quit, I did not teach those classes and my pay was adjusted accordingly. But how dare you be so bold as to say I am more interested in money than in education. I might say the same about you.

riser · Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 8

I was shocked to read your reply to my posting on Dave's ESL Cafe! I stated my expierence with the McGill-Limai project to help future teachers avoid the problems I encounted and to improve the situation for all teachers. I was totally unaware of the fact that I was dismissed from the program! This is simply not true and you know it!

In addition, my real name is RISER. (You may be right when you say many people use made-up names but this is not true in my case. Women still marry and take thier husband's names)

I did not see the orginal longer post nor did I recieve a copy of it. I would love to see it so if you, Mr. Sommers or another forum participant could send me it would be appreciated.

Aristotle · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1388 Location: Taiwan

Riser,
You may want to consult a lawyer about possiblity of a libel / slander suit. The laws here in Taiwan allow for such under these kinds of circumstances.
If you need any assistance please contact me,
[email protected]
"Attention A" in the subject line.

riser · Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 8

I would like to thank Aristotle for his advice and offer of assistance.

However, to be completely honest, I am not interested in following up Dr. Clark's comments about my performance at Limai. I know I did a good job and left due to the overall disorganisation of the program.

Perhaps if the program leaders had been more honest with teachers, staff and Limai officials then the program would have ran more smoothly.

According to Dr. Clark, International House had quite an extensive program where they sent teachers all over the world. Could it be possible that two incompetent, complaining els teachers posted in China could bring down an entire department? What happened to our replacements?

Dr. Clark also stated:"In the end, all of their emails convinced McGill University that it was too much trouble to have an international program in education and closed the office (putting about a dozen people out of work)."

Perhaps my demand to be paid on time and to have my contract respected lead officials at McGill to investigate more closely what was happening at International House. Did they discover some accounting problems? Too many unnecessary staff trips to China? ... I really have no idea what happened after I completed my term and left the Limai project but from Dr. Clark's message I can only assume that things did not improve and that he may have been asked to leave the project or to accept a transfer somewhere else?

surrealia · Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Posts: 241 Location: Taiwan

trukesehammer · Joined: 25 Mar 2003 Posts: 168 Location: The Vatican

Howdy, y'all!

Sorry for sticking my abnormally large nose into this, but I'm curious to know what the heck was going on in that "clip" Surrelia provided. My Chinese just isn't that good.

A couple of observations from someone on the outside-looking-in. FIRST, the observation, "parents-and-students-complained-so-we-had-to-fire-'em" is a common catch-all excuse which bosses here use when they don't want to face the FACTS. I smell a rat.

SECOND, even someone as dunderheaded as *I* am knows better than to go to someone else's country and PUNCH A POLICEMAN! Shocked

What the hell was this dude thinking? Where did he get his PhD? A Cracker Jacks box?

tkh, disbelievingly

ScottSommers · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 82 Location: Taiwan

Truck, you're obviously from some small town place like North Dakota. Paul Clark has a PhD from McGill University, which its graduates claim is the leading university in that state to the north, Canada.

More information can be found on forumosa.com at
http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=18626&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

My reading of this is that Taiwan is not a good place for him. He has had some trouble adapting to local rules, but he's a good guy.

By the way, our common friend says hi.

Aristotle · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1388 Location: Taiwan

Please read this,
http://www.geocities.com/taiwanteacher2002/Success.html
Good luck,
A.

riser · Joined: 26 Mar 2004 Posts: 8

Having spent the past hour or so reading the link suggested by Surealia I can only say that I wish Dr. Clark had been as interested in standing up for the rights of his fellow Canadian English teachers working in China for McGill as he was for maids in Taiwan. When the going got rough he just called it a day and moved on to a new position leaving us waiting for answers. We are still waiting for our pay!

Is the university still hiring? Have they repaced Dr. Clark yet?

Rice Paddy Daddy · Joined: 11 Jul 2004 Posts: 425 Location: Japan

Yeah, has he been fired yet?

Scott Sommers, I don't care if McGill produces great Ph.Ds or not - he pushed/shoved a cop and appeared to be causing trouble while drunk in public.

There is so much more to this 'Dr. Clarke' dude than what we know.

The allegations of Clarke's questionable conduct in China need to be understood more before we all judge him a 'good guy' with a Ph.D from McGill who is just having problems adjusting to life on Taiwan.

ScottSommers · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 82 Location: Taiwan

Rice, get a sense of humour. trukesehammer worked for a long time with my colleague. My comment was intended for him and him alone.

MTurton · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 107

Oh, it's that Paul Clark. Suddenly everything slips into place.....