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Seoul'n'Corea
Joined: 06 Nov 2008
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 Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:49 am Post subject: SMOE contract is changing for worse next year |
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Ok, there are some rumors some have already been confirmed that the contract language is changing for 2010 between districts and the SMOE
Sounds like SMOE will not be paying for the round trip airfare and conditions around housing will not be supported by them any longer. It will be up to your district to solve or be totally indifferent to it. SMOE is downloading all their costs to individual districts and schools... see what's going to happen? The collapse of English programs in the public system, thats what...
Personally I cannot take Korean public education seriously after the absolute disgraceful meeting we had with our district yesterday. I still am confused what the purpose was of our meeting.
The district supervisor spoke only in Korean to us, and refused to translate. She finally explained to us disrespectfully about her plan and then when we tried to get her to change her plan she would only say, "sorry your plan is unacceptable."
Most people started laughing at the supervisor, and saying "way to go. Good job, way to screw up."
As current situation for this year =
Summer camps are going to be 3 weeks... W50,000 per day x 8 days = W400,000
For those of you who are thinking about joining SMOE, there are serious political problems with SMOE and schools this year. Schools are being dictated to by school districts about how they should run summer camps and the schools generally are refusing to co-operate.
This is creating a major confusion about what we (NETS) should do.
I think after this year I will go to an NON KOREAN run school, because SMOE and korean run schools are off my radar permanently after seeing their lack of substance and redeeming qualities. |
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toadhjo
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:18 am Post subject: |
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| Does this have anything to do with some schools in Seoul deciding to rejoin EPIK instead of going with SMOE this year? |
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jcan
Joined: 08 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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| We're going to get paid for camps next year? That's sweet considering I had to do 4 weeks in the winter for free, without any materials or co-teacher. :S At least I'll get paid for the stress this time around. |
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dean_burrito
Joined: 12 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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| jcan wrote: |
| We're going to get paid for camps next year? That's sweet considering I had to do 4 weeks in the winter for free, without any materials or co-teacher. :S At least I'll get paid for the stress this time around. |
Schools either pay for camps or they don't. Most likely if you didn't get paid extra in the winter you won't in the summer so don't get your hopes up. |
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PamPhi
Joined: 28 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:38 pm Post subject: Re: SMOE contract is changing for worse next year |
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| Seoul'n'Corea wrote: |
Ok, there are some rumors some have already been confirmed that the contract language is changing for 2010 between districts and the SMOE
Sounds like SMOE will not be paying for the round trip airfare and conditions around housing will not be supported by them any longer. It will be up to your district to solve or be totally indifferent to it. SMOE is downloading all their costs to individual districts and schools... see what's going to happen? The collapse of English programs in the public system, thats what...
Personally I cannot take Korean public education seriously after the absolute disgraceful meeting we had with our district yesterday. I still am confused what the purpose was of our meeting.
The district supervisor spoke only in Korean to us, and refused to translate. She finally explained to us disrespectfully about her plan and then when we tried to get her to change her plan she would only say, "sorry your plan is unacceptable."
Most people started laughing at the supervisor, and saying "way to go. Good job, way to screw up."
As current situation for this year =
Summer camps are going to be 3 weeks... W50,000 per day x 8 days = W400,000
For those of you who are thinking about joining SMOE, there are serious political problems with SMOE and schools this year. Schools are being dictated to by school districts about how they should run summer camps and the schools generally are refusing to co-operate.
This is creating a major confusion about what we (NETS) should do.
I think after this year I will go to an NON KOREAN run school, because SMOE and korean run schools are off my radar permanently after seeing their lack of substance and redeeming qualities. |
You seem to be misinformed. They are still covering airfare they are simply changing the way they pay out for it. You come to Korea you get 1.3 million, no matter what you spend to get here. If it costs more that 1.3 one way to get here then something is not right there. You also get 1.3 million to return home. You also get 2 million in cash of you re sign for an additional year. This is yours to keep even if you don�t use it for a flight home, and you still get your completion bonus at the end of your contract.
With regards to housing, there is an easy way to solve that, simply get your own housing. I don�t even want to think about the issues SMOE would go through with foreign teachers who have issue with housing, not surprised they want to get out of that.
You have concerns with your meeting, and Korean management, well who doesn�t?
In regards to Summer Camp, there is a thread going on right now (I saw it a week ago) that confirms that not all summer camps are 3 weeks long. Some are shorter, some are longer. It is my understanding that they wish to make this standard and in a year or so it may be, but first they have to weed out the vacation issues from people who defer vacation times from February when they re sign. I do believe they are trying to force teachers to take the two week bonus in February when they actually re sign so that they can actually run the camps for 3 weeks.
Are you grumbling because they are paying extra for thee camps? If you are that is interesting. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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If you want more vacation, why sign the contract with only 14 days of vacation and complain later.  |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Ramen wrote: |
| If you want more vacation, why sign the contract with only 14 days of vacation and complain later. |
It's 21 days |
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D-Jay
Joined: 24 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: SMOE contract is changing for worse next year |
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| I wonder if one of the reasons for the worsening contracts is because of the recession back home causing more people to come to Korea to teach. They know that they can worsen their conditions because they have a larger pool of candidates to choose from, which means a greater likelihood that someone will actually agree to their poor conditions. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:08 pm Post subject: Re: SMOE contract is changing for worse next year |
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| D-Jay wrote: |
| I wonder if one of the reasons for the worsening contracts is because of the recession back home causing more people to come to Korea to teach. They know that they can worsen their conditions because they have a larger pool of candidates to choose from, which means a greater likelihood that someone will actually agree to their poor conditions. |
SMOE must know they're most in demand for new applicants. I'm pretty sure their payscale won't be seeing any increases in the next few years. |
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prideofidaho
Joined: 19 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd like to know what's taking so dang long. I'm gearing up to go home for renewal in two and a half weeks...not much time to renew my visa... |
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newinseoul
Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:29 pm Post subject: Re: SMOE contract is changing for worse next year |
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| Seoul'n'Corea wrote: |
I think after this year I will go to an NON KOREAN run school, because SMOE and korean run schools are off my radar permanently after seeing their lack of substance and redeeming qualities. |
I couldn't agree more with you. I worked one year in SMOE, and one year in the Gangnam district school board, and for more pay in the Gangnam board, you work 25 hours a week, and they are even more disorganized than SMOE. We had a meeting last week, where the whole thing was in Korean. Gangnam is thinking of making teachers find their own apts, and will only be given a stipend of 600,00 won. I don't think this will go through, as all teachers were against it, but that is what the board directors want to implement for next year 2009-2010. |
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Robot_Teacher
Joined: 18 Feb 2009
Location: Robotting Around the World
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:33 pm Post subject: Re: SMOE contract is changing for worse next year |
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| D-Jay wrote: |
| I wonder if one of the reasons for the worsening contracts is because of the recession back home causing more people to come to Korea to teach. They know that they can worsen their conditions because they have a larger pool of candidates to choose from, which means a greater likelihood that someone will actually agree to their poor conditions. |
Most Koreans have recently become well aware of America's situation so you could be right as they've talked to me many times about Prez Obama and the American economy even though I try not to talk about these sorts of things at work. They've even engaged these discussions while I was teaching class! I hope that conditions don't worsen as this really is an exciting opportunity as compared to what employers back home are offering. Uh, I mean; not offering. I understand EPIK used to pay like 200,000 extra won a day on top of salary for Summer and Winter camps where I'm at, but no longer any camp bonuses. One teacher said he made 2 million extra won last Summer. Darn, too bad that's not going to be me as I could sure use that extra boost as we really are not making a whole lot of money. It's about $1500 US per month not to be crass, I could just use more money to invest and pay off my student loan debt. Less than $20,000 a year isn't much in this day and age. $40,000 would be more appropriate, but it's a well known fact recently reported in the news, college educations are no longer paying off. I'm just thankful to NOT be raising a family as that would be terriblely humbling and stressful when it comes to all the issues surrounding inadequate finances. I've been in that pickle alone too many times to count and couldn't live with it involving a family. I feel really bad for all those back home who are going through that misery due to under and unemployment and happy it's not my sister who is raising 2 kids.
I guess all you can expect is less and less during the leanest times in nearly 80 years. |
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marlow
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:03 pm Post subject: Re: SMOE contract is changing for worse next year |
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| Robot_Teacher wrote: |
| I understand EPIK used to pay like 200,000 extra won a day on top of salary for Summer and Winter camps where I'm at, but no longer any camp bonuses. |
My yearly pay with EPIK dropped from 40M to 33M because of camp and after school class BS. I'm bailing, yet some sucker will walk right in and think everything is great and that I'm bitter. Well, I guess no one really wants 7M won, except me. |
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:47 pm Post subject: Re: SMOE contract is changing for worse next year |
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| marlow wrote: |
| Robot_Teacher wrote: |
| I understand EPIK used to pay like 200,000 extra won a day on top of salary for Summer and Winter camps where I'm at, but no longer any camp bonuses. |
My yearly pay with EPIK dropped from 40M to 33M because of camp and after school class BS. I'm bailing, yet some sucker will walk right in and think everything is great and that I'm bitter. Well, I guess no one really wants 7M won, except me. |
Marlow, I understand where you are coming from, but it was probably fortunate that you got paid for extra camps and after school programs on the same level that a Korean teacher does. Someone figured out that they don't have to pay the NSET that way or even at all for camps.
I'm not happy about the changes either, therefore I can only imagine myself staying here one more year, regardless of the situation back where I'm from. |
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afsjesse
Joined: 23 Sep 2007
Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.
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| Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:07 am Post subject: |
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GEPIK, EPIK, SMOE etc...... are all the same thing and can be put into one acronym, BS for Bad Strategy. They are all inconsistant with what they tell you and with what's in the contracts. Getting help from above is almost useless and the number of nuances for housing, pay, vacation and critical input is a waste of breath.
But.... even with all of that we should all feel lucky to have what we have. A job, housing, low/no taxes, ok healthcare, pension and some overtime. The crap we put up with is unreasonable, but in these times no one should really be complaining.
That's just my take. |
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