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peachKitten713
Joined: 31 Jul 2015
Posts: 5
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 Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 4:50 pm Post subject: WLSA/CHEER Beijing No.8 High School Info?? |
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Hi all, so basically I've been having interviews for a position at this high school in Beijing. The position is teaching an AP (advanced placement) course for an international program at Beijing No.8 High School. However, I haven't been able to talk to any of the foreign teachers working there except for the Academic Director, which is... You know I would prefer to talk to teachers that are going to be 'on the same level as me' if you know what I mean.
Anyway, any information at all about this school or program would be greatly appreciated. I haven't been able to find anything. Thank you! |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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Hello,
Is your employer the school, or will the employer place you at that school? |
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peachKitten713
Joined: 31 Jul 2015
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| jimpellow wrote: |
Hello,
Is your employer the school, or will the employer place you at that school? |
Hi,
Hmm. I didn't think about that. The woman who I have been mostly corresponding with who sets up the interviews and stuff works for WLSA/CHEER. However, I believe my employer would be the high school. I guess I'm not 100% sure. I didn't really think of these as two separate options. It seems that wlsa/cheer foundation works with schools and their international programs, one of which I've had multiple interviews for. Does this difference matter greatly? |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| peachKitten713 wrote: |
| jimpellow wrote: |
Hello,
Is your employer the school, or will the employer place you at that school? |
Hi,
Hmm. I didn't think about that. The woman who I have been mostly corresponding with who sets up the interviews and stuff works for WLSA/CHEER. However, I believe my employer would be the high school. I guess I'm not 100% sure. I didn't really think of these as two separate options. It seems that wlsa/cheer foundation works with schools and their international programs, one of which I've had multiple interviews for. Does this difference matter greatly? |
Yes it can make a big difference. A quick google search seems to indicate that you will be placed in the school by W/C. Having had experienced this situation for three years it means that...
1. You will have two sets of bosses in theory. Try to stick to the line that your foundation is your boss. Last thing you want is a Chinese high school trying to treat you like one of their own Chinese teachers.
2. Use the foundation to protect yourself and get things done like repairs in your apartment when the school dallies. For example, when I returned from a week in Beijing my nice apartment's wooden floor was buckling in three rooms due to a leak in a pipe. The school wanted me to pay for the repairs so I had to get the program involved. They are making money off you so use them.
3. If the foundation is ok from your research, then you only need to worry about the school. They and these programs are pretty much all alike; headmasters stuffing their pockets with bribes, tips, and kickbacks, Chinese teachers who smile warmly at you but detest you for making more money than them and not having to work live a slave, class masters who get paid off by rich parents so that their underachieving little emperors and empresses can skip class for a month to attend an IELTs cram school, etc...
4. Communication is usually rather comical. You may be told your last day before summer break is x by the foundation. Then the school will tell you right before you leave it is y. Then the Chinese parties involved will work it out, meaning you will possibly even be asked to work until y as a "favor". Don't, even if the program pays you. Chinese employers and schools are used to being able to do whatever they want with employees. They need to learn if they want to be "international", that they have to follow Western ways as relates to employer-employee relations.
(As an example, I will use the teacher I also refer to later on. Great guy and we are still good friends. But a first timer and could never say no. He started doing little favors for the school and teachers until half his day every day was spent being the good little foreign clown. The school adored him, but he left about 5 months later a bitter man vowing never to return to the Middle Kingdom.)
5. Find out about the apartment you will be getting. Really nail them down on it. Providing you with a nice apartment takes away from their bottom line. And why should they? Your provided hellhole is twice as nice as what the Chinese teachers are living in. It is usually a dorm room or two that will be converted for you. Make sure it is acceptable through pictures and such before you arrive.
(Now like I said, my first apartment was very nice and separate from the main campus. This school had somehow swindled a lot of money to get some top notch facilities built. Unfortunately, the school decided to rent all the best ones out like the movie theater, swimming pool and sports complex as the headmaster had a BMW and several xiao lao po's to pay for. But the apartment building was very nice and I could have "visitors", unlike most of these high school provided apartments. Besides the temporary underground river and the constant threat of agile Chinese thieves scaling the building's external pipes to burgle your things, as the three security guards slept, I was quite smitten with it. Hence, I was not too happy when I came back one day to find furniture in an empty bedroom and being told the additional teacher for the expanding program would be living with me. After a fair amount of back and forth and me being firm that I had a contract for an apartment to myself, the school decided all they needed to do was have my program unilaterally change my contract. Hahaha Fortunately, this did not work either to their shock and chagrin so they put the poor fellow in the on-campus VIP suite. This "VIP" suite was a true sh*thole including desks and chairs piled all over the place, a curfew of 9pm, school bells at 5:45am going off outside the door, and a dorm master who would bang on his door at 10pm and tell him to turn off his lights and go to sleep. When he complained the school couldn't understand why at first, and then would just tell him it was all my fault for being selfish.
My second school was similar, and I would opine that this is how it generally operates in most of these high schools having talked to others and having read their experiences. It's not a horrible set-up (usually), but there will be daily frustrations having to deal with the school, spoiled students and the program. Still you can make good money if you can teach the right subjects for not a lot of classroom hours and lots of paid vacation.
So a long hungover inspired response but a quick 101 on these prestigious international prep programs that are all the rage now. Almost all of them are structured like the one you are about to get into. |
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peachKitten713
Joined: 31 Jul 2015
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2015 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for that detailed response, jimpellow.
It gave me a lot to think about.
I was offered the position and told that I would be signing the labor contract with the school and a 'supplementary agreement' with the company (CHEER). The pay would also be split between the school and the company.
But I'm still not sure since the start date is less than 10 days away and I haven't been told anything about how to get my Z-visa yet nor do I have any idea where I would stay (housing isn't provided). So... yeah.
Any more info/experiences about this company or school would still be appreciated since I have a lot more to think about.... |
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