Korean Job Discussion Forums

Teacherpatrick · Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Location: South Korea Republic

I have a pending application for grad school (on-line)...long story short...I prepared all the documentation and a signature line for my PS Principal to sign-off...after all the effort, he declined. So my grad school acceptance (MS, Education) is stalled.

The stated reason was that I've only been with the school for a 'lil over 5 months and that my evaluation will happen in late August at the completion of my contract. The fact that my grad school deadline is March 5 did not deter him.

So what is going on here? My co-teach suggested that it may be b/c I'm a foreigner (no elaboration) and she's now out of the picture as she's been reassigned to another school.

Hey, I braced myself for this type of cluster-F, but I'm more than a little put-off by this....I requested a face2face meeting with the Principal as I've had to go through intermediaries up to this point. I hope to have a pow-wow with him in a couple days.

Anger aside, any tips as to how to articulate the importance of this w/o the risk of having him reverse his decision and losing face?

VanIslander · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:58 pm Post subject:

power trip

forge it or forget it

Missihippi · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Location: Gwangmyeong

If your principal doesn't speak english, and you are applying to a non-korean online school then i would just forge it. Worst that could happen is they decline you. There are a zillion other online schools..

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

Why do you need his signature?

Zulethe · Joined: 04 Jul 2008

Grad school for what? So you can be unemployed with a bunch of debt.

Oh, but you can tell everyone you have a useless grad degree.

Your principal is very smart. I'd like to work for him.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

If an MEd programme is accepting a Korean school principal's letter as a valid form of recommendation they're probably quite ignorant of how things work here. Just find another foreigner in you district to say he was your mentor and get him to write one.

BrianInSuwon · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Location: Korea

If, in the end, he doesn't help you out. Please write a letter to the Board of Education to draw awareness to this issue.

You came to Korea to get experience in the classroom. You want to further develop as a teacher so you are applying to a graduate school. It is a duty of your principal to help you develop as a teacher.

I'd say, file a complaint with the Board of Education or maybe request the recommendation from the Board of Education. They have as much personal/professional contact with you as your principal does. If you get them involved, they will either help you personally, pressure the principal, or ignore you.

aquaponics08 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Korea

How another teacher there, or your co-teacher. Like someone else said, use a friend to pose as your supervisor...........

aquaponics08 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Korea

How another teacher there, or your co-teacher. Like someone else said, use a friend to pose as your supervisor...........

aquaponics08 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Korea

How another teacher there, or your co-teacher. Like someone else said, use a friend to pose as your supervisor...........

justaguy · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Location: seoul

To the OP, your principal is a jerk. I'm shocked that a person in the education field wouldn't support a teacher wishing to increase their education.

This should tell you a lot about the kind of person he really is.

Personally, I'd quit if I was in your situation.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

He expects a white envelope with some money to do it for you.

I'm not kidding.

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

Like his signature on your own written recommendation letter is worth money.

Kwangjuchicken · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:39 pm Post subject:

Teacherpatrick · Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Location: South Korea Republic

My venture isn't pedestrian, albeit advanced graduate ed study. I'm seeking to get back into the development sector, specifically, emergency education. A likely post would be East Timor or places West Africa.

As to the value of the parchment I suggest that one determines the opportunity costs in their professional lives and this specialized degree I'm pursuing is a considered investment - the journey, not the destination is a necessary mindset.

Thanks for the feedback re my preoccupation, as it were, with my principal.
Thinking outside of the box, I could as easily get that coveted recommendation from most anyone...but still, I worry about this 5 month wait for the professional development to take stake.

Thus, the bigger picture is that I want to continue evolving ~ become a better teacher. If the Principal is unable/unwilling to sign-off on a simple recommendation, I can't help but wonder if any evaluation is taking place at all.

And of course, the platitude that it may all be b/c I'm a
foreigner.