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expat2001
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:34 am Post subject: GEPIK -DOESNT WANT TO OBEY THEIR OWN PAY SCALE |
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I ve been in korea for 6 years. Two of those years were teaching with a GEPIK school.
I decided to change schools and was offered a position in my desired location.
I should have been offered 2.5 , yet I was offered 2.3. I was informed that the school didnt have the budget for someone with my qualifications and then was asked if Id take a reduced salary.
I was later told , that if I did overtime and worked every second Saturday ( at another school ) that I could make about 2.6 mil /month.
I couldn't beleive it! |
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lifeinkorea
Joined: 24 Jan 2009
Location: somewhere in China
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:34 am Post subject: |
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How much overtime is overtime? I have something similar. I just work a couple more classes each week. I am not like you with 6 years also. This is my first public school job.
The only real stinger I see is winter and summer break. The school will use you for the whole time. If you want to get away and travel, this can be bad. If you want to work and earn a little extra cash, it's not too bad. However, yea, you are giving them more hours during this time. For me I didn't have to teach Fridays, but I still had to show up.
I think it adds up in the end to be better than trying to find another school and climb the ladder all over again. |
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OculisOrbis
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:46 am Post subject: |
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| If they're under the GEPIK umbrella then than they had the budget and could afford it. By accepting a salary at less than scale, you likely just gave a bump to your school's slush fund or a couple nights out at a room salon for your principal and the school accountant. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| OculisOrbis wrote: |
| If they're under the GEPIK umbrella then than they had the budget and could afford it. By accepting a salary at less than scale, you likely just gave a bump to your school's slush fund or a couple nights out at a room salon for your principal and the school accountant. |
Seconded. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:10 pm Post subject: Re: GEPIK -DOESNT WANT TO OBEY THEIR OWN PAY SCALE |
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| expat2001 wrote: |
I ve been in korea for 6 years. Two of those years were teaching with a GEPIK school.
I decided to change schools and was offered a position in my desired location.
I should have been offered 2.5 , yet I was offered 2.3. I was informed that the school didnt have the budget for someone with my qualifications and then was asked if Id take a reduced salary.
I was later told , that if I did overtime and worked every second Saturday ( at another school ) that I could make about 2.6 mil /month.
I couldn't beleive it! |
That's the part where you say, "Thanks but no thanks." If they want a native speaker, they will come up with the funds...if they are covered by GEPIK. |
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expat2001
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:02 pm Post subject: Re: GEPIK -DOESNT WANT TO OBEY THEIR OWN PAY SCALE |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| expat2001 wrote: |
I ve been in korea for 6 years. Two of those years were teaching with a GEPIK school.
I decided to change schools and was offered a position in my desired location.
I should have been offered 2.5 , yet I was offered 2.3. I was informed that the school didnt have the budget for someone with my qualifications and then was asked if Id take a reduced salary.
I was later told , that if I did overtime and worked every second Saturday ( at another school ) that I could make about 2.6 mil /month.
I couldn't beleive it! |
That's the part where you say, "Thanks but no thanks." If they want a native speaker, they will come up with the funds...if they are covered by GEPIK. |
You may be correct. Last night ,I said -NO!
today I got an e mail asking if Id accept 2.4 mil with at least 300 000 per month in OT.
They are trying to convince me that Im worth 2.3 ,when I made 2.3 last year
They are turning into hogwons! |
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expat2001
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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| OculisOrbis wrote: |
| If they're under the GEPIK umbrella then than they had the budget and could afford it. By accepting a salary at less than scale, you likely just gave a bump to your school's slush fund or a couple nights out at a room salon for your principal and the school accountant. |
I agree!
You d think that the school would realise that someone with my time in korea would know the ropes. And therefore , not even try.
In their eyes we will always be viewed as idiots! |
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Countrygirl
Joined: 19 Nov 2007
Location: in the classroom
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:30 pm Post subject: Re: GEPIK -DOESNT WANT TO OBEY THEIR OWN PAY SCALE |
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| expat2001 wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| expat2001 wrote: |
I ve been in korea for 6 years. Two of those years were teaching with a GEPIK school.
I decided to change schools and was offered a position in my desired location.
I should have been offered 2.5 , yet I was offered 2.3. I was informed that the school didnt have the budget for someone with my qualifications and then was asked if Id take a reduced salary.
I was later told , that if I did overtime and worked every second Saturday ( at another school ) that I could make about 2.6 mil /month.
I couldn't beleive it! |
That's the part where you say, "Thanks but no thanks." If they want a native speaker, they will come up with the funds...if they are covered by GEPIK. |
You may be correct. Last night ,I said -NO!
today I got an e mail asking if Id accept 2.4 mil with at least 300 000 per month in OT.
They are trying to convince me that Im worth 2.3 ,when I made 2.3 last year
They are turning into hogwons! |
Do NOT accept anything unless it is in writing. My school screwed me over and I should have walked. I decided to stay because if I moved to another school mid-contract than I would have a black mark against me because I would have broken a contract early even though it was my school who was dishonest. Plus the GEPIK contract had changed so it was better financially for me to stay.
Instead of getting the 'required' raise for being a good teacher, my school promised that they would try to get more money for me for overtime. Just before the parents meeting that would have decided my rate, they call GEPIK and say that GEPIK said that I can't get more money for overtime. When I had negotiated my contract I had called Wenise who said that yes I could get more money for overtime and that GEPIK schools were encouraged to reward good teachers. When my school pulled the "GEPIK won't allow a higher wage for overtime" then I called Dain Bae because Denise was gone. She wouldn't stand up to what Denise had said even though Denise was a GEPIK employee so I was SOL. Also, this year's overtime started in mid-April due to bad planning so it doesn't really matter what the overtime rate is if you don't have classes, right.
Despite schools being considered a better bet than hogwans, the Principal, VP and Dain Bae view the Gepik contract with K-logic and K-morality. Because I believed that school would be honest I had to learn a bitter lesson the hard way.
My motto now is, GET IT IN WRITING and expect nothing else. I know, I know...this is Contracts 101, but in real life it's so easy to fall for the promises when they are what you want to hear.
PS. I also did the math and they have the money. So when I went back at the 6 month mark to renegotiate, I pointed this out. My co-teacher said that the Principal still won't give the money because, I'm told, I've insulted her.
Long story short - GEPIK schools have more than enough money to pay top scale teachers. Korean Principals love money. Making excuses (translation - LYING) is not considered a bad thing in Korea.
Your potentially new school is using the budget as an excuse. Do the math and then ask them where the funds are short. |
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CA-NA-DA-ABC
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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This is a somewhat related question for those teachers near the top of their respective PS pay scales.
Do you find it increasingly difficult to find jobs as you climb up the scales? You know, since the principal has to pay 2.5+ to a seasoned teacher and 2.0 to a newbie, he/she would be inclined to go with the newbie because superficially there is no difference to the principal or the parents. I won't even go into a hypothetical scenario where the newbie is the coveted blond hair/blue eyes combo and the veteran teacher is a person of some other less-desired color. |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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| CA-NA-DA-ABC wrote: |
| I won't even go into a hypothetical scenario where the newbie is the coveted blond hair/blue eyes combo and the veteran teacher is a person of some other less-desired color. |
stupid question.
of course it's not worth going into.
I'm blond/blue eyed, and in shape male, (and supposedly liked in my school) but if my VP could get a blond blue eyed female who wasn't fat, (aka the Western female teacher who doesn't look like on, but looks like a Russian) they'd probably do so in a New York minute, even if they had to pay her several hundrend thousand won more every month.
they'd never admit this , but if you give me enough time and enough soju the TRUTH would easily come out. |
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Jammer113
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:51 am Post subject: |
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| Instead of getting the 'required' raise for being a good teacher |
It's not required. If you went to the negotiating table saying that it was, and then went over the school's head two or three times, you may well have burnt your bridges.
Be nice at first, and if you don't get anywhere, just lay down an ultimatum... "I get a raise or I walk." Let them choose the cheaper newbie. You can get another job. |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:53 am Post subject: |
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This is a easy - you get the pay that is fair or you walk. Saturday overtime? Wow I would need 100000 a class for Saturdays.
They are taking a job with the overtime that is worth 3.5 mil and trying to make it 2.6. |
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Countrygirl
Joined: 19 Nov 2007
Location: in the classroom
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:01 am Post subject: |
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| Jammer113 wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Instead of getting the 'required' raise for being a good teacher |
It's not required. If you went to the negotiating table saying that it was, and then went over the school's head two or three times, you may well have burnt your bridges.
Be nice at first, and if you don't get anywhere, just lay down an ultimatum... "I get a raise or I walk." Let them choose the cheaper newbie. You can get another job. |
I know it's not guaranteed which is why I put required in quotes. But the way it's worded in the contract it sounds like if you are a good teacher then you will get the raise. mistake #1. I was told that I was the best foreign teacher this school had ever had. Even my co-teacher expected that I would get the raise and she told me I that "of course" I would get it...until she had to take it back. mistake #2 The Principal also said, at the negotiating table, that if there was money in the budget then it wouldn't be a problem. mistake #3
Like I said before, this was my mistake. Financially I was unable to walk away from the school (read my previous posts if you want the long version). I was naive in thinking that Korean public schools would be more honest with their money. So I can't blame anyone but myself for getting tricked by the Principal. (I still can't stand that woman...but I'm just one of many at my school)
I only write about this in hopes that other foreign teachers might learn from my mistake. As depressing as Dave's can be some times, it has actually given me lots of useful info about GEPIK. I never would have gotten my 20 days vacation if I hadn't seen it on Dave's. I also never would have learned that I won't get my severance if I leave Korea one day early. I might also be successful in getting more overtime money because of Dave's.
And I didn't go over my school's head. I was as respectful as anyone could be at the negotiating table. My Principal is famous for being a cheap money grubber so I could have lain upside down with my tail between my legs and she would have had fun kicking me, but she never would have given me that raise. And I guess, because of asking, I did probably burn my bridges. But that's okay because when I went searching for another school I found out that I have a great reputation with my neighborhood schools. And I have tons of contacts so I'll have an easy time getting a job. (Plus, this is Korea) The only thing that was going to prevent me from an easy transfer to another school within the neighborhood was if I left my contract early. |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:32 am Post subject: |
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| Countrygirl wrote: |
I never would have gotten my 20 days vacation if I hadn't seen it on Dave's.
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umm.. errrr.
you didn't read your contract before signing it? |
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expat2001
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:39 am Post subject: |
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This you will never believe.
Both the school and the recruiter ( of course she is in on this )insist that I ve mistaken. However ,I have e mails from other recruiters offering GEPIK jobs at 2.5 mil.
I decided to send them the e mails from the other recruiters to the recruiter who is trying to get me to sign for 2.3
I got a reply stating that the other recruiters were wrong and that they ; the GEPIK SCHOOL AND RECRUITER , were right.
I cant beleive these people! |
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