Korean Job Discussion Forums

buildbyflying

Now's the time to suggest changes.

Looking for past and present EPIKers to suggest changes which would make EPIK better for it's current and future participants.

Discussion is taking place at http://epik.tt.cx

We are currently planning a petition to present to EPIK administrators.
Topics include:

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

How about people who were offered a job with EPIK but turned it down - would they care to know some of the reasons why, such as, um, not knowing at what school one would be placed?

buildbyflying · Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject:

doubt it.

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

buildbyflying · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:11 pm Post subject:

You've got a point.
I think it would be useful to have info about other current contracts as well, to see how they compare to EPIK.
Some issues have already come up: how many teachers get return flights paid on renewals (not incl. bonuses) or who gets reimbursements for buying tickets to places other than where you flew in from.
In that case, I guess it could be useful to hear from non-EPIK teachers.
But we're not looking to find EPIK new advertising strategies. We are looking to get EPIK officials, who know our concerns, to listen if we decide to offer strategies.

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Best of luck.

Youre offering a "discussion forum" which seems to have zero traffic & some vague notion of a petition listing assorted grievances to be presented to "EPIK administrators." Which is who exactly? There is no central administration -- the program is run province-by-province by midlevel bureaucrats who answer to their regional bosses, not the likes of us.

Not that your concerns & suggestions are unreasonable, but your proposed method of airing them will not, I guarantee, bring about any substantive concessions or reforms. It just doesnt work that way here.

Worker-initiated changes are not impossible but require patience & subtlety. First earn your local administrator's trust & respect, then they're more likely to acknowledge logical suggestions for improving the program, especially if they can pass them up the ladder as their own idea. Even then, a good outcome is uncertain.

Essentially, we're dispensable. Yeh yeh, good teachers leave & hiring quotas go unmet, but the program lumbers along regardless. Continues to expand, in fact. Meanwhile, local conditions are good for a good many of us. Thats not an apology for the program -- just a statement of reality.

Agitating for change will just get you marked as a troublemaker. Not an effective way to get your ideas heard & serves to underscore the stereotype that foreigners are "difficult."

Dev · Joined: 18 Apr 2006

No one's using your board. I just checked it out and I was the only one online and the few postings that there are were posted by the same 2 ~ 3 people.

EPIK threads should be started here on Dave's. I'd bet big money that the EPIK people look at the comments on Dave's because they advertise job openings on Dave's.

buildbyflying · Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 2:11 am Post subject:

Thanks Schwa,
We're obviously not on the same page. You guarantee it won't work? HOW can you guarantee that? By sitting there with a a thumb up your anus?
Either be constructive or shut up. Don't wax poetic about abstractions like "patience and subtlety" without giving some real suggestions for how to make this thing work. You got a better idea? Let's hear it. I'm all ears.

Dev: You're right there's no one on the board. It was a replacement for the EPIK yahoo groups because they were split up by years and no one was communicating. There's probably several other boards just like it. Most EPIKers don't communicate. Right now it's the best we got.
I like the idea of posting it on Dave's. If people are really willing to help then all the better.

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Again, best of luck.

With your clear insight into how to promote change & your pleasant manner, I'm sure you'll get far.

buildbyflying · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 7:02 pm Post subject:

troll.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

buildbyflying · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:20 pm Post subject:

I'm not here to waste my time arguing with anyone.
I'll take seriously any comment made on the OP that's relevant. His post wasn't. He's all rhetoric and no substance. He offers no suggestions. I called him on it. He still had no suggestions.

And you, you piggybacking parrot, have nothing to say either.

I'm done here. Consider this post closed. Anyone who's interested in being positive and proactive can PM me.

crimsonlily · Joined: 08 May 2006

crimsonlily · Joined: 08 May 2006

*bump*

thursdays child · Joined: 21 Sep 2005

The school I work for bouycotted the EPIK program. The two teachers before me were EPIK - the school was not satisfied either time with the teacher or the EPIK system. So now the school significantly dips into thier own pocket to employ me.

The school admin and English dept are always saying how great things are now and what a stressfull time it was working with EPIK. Our sister (well brother) school is following suit next time also.

I wonder what will kill the program first - the teachers or the schools??