Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ChrisHannah]

My school recently started a new school year, and the director seems to have overextended and now things seem a bit uncertain. Our program is semi-immersion pre-school and requires a hefty amount of planning and preparation. Basically the kids are there all day and have K-homeroom teachers and the three foreign teachers rotate around. With the new expansion, has come a few new unenthusiastic Korean teachers as well as double the students. Meanwhile the resources remain limited. Adding to the stress is that it is a small organization where parents frequently sit outside and monitor the classes via CCTV and there are ever growing layers of authority. Currently there is a director, manager, teacher manager, head teacher, and sub-head teacher. Maybe this is normal.

We already had one teacher quit unexpectedly and others have threatened to quite over the harshness of the head teacher, who really runs show because the parents love her. She can be tough on us, but she routinely leaves a staff member in tears.

Basically with all of the drama and uncertainty involved I'm afraid the school might implode if one or two of the new teachers were to decide to walk away without notice. What happens if the school goes under?

And even if the school remained afloat, what if it reached the unbearable point in terms of tension and stress? For now I hate to even think about it because I really do like my kids and several of my co-workers, but I need to think of myself. So what would I do if I wanted change schools in the middle of my contract?

[warren pease]

if the school closes you stop getting paid. No severance, probably no final paycheck, possibly no warning. More than likely they'd string you along for a couple months without pay, promising that they're just a little behind and will give you all of your money...

to get a new job you either have to convince your school to write you a letter of release (not going to happen from a shaky school) or, when you don't get paid for a month or two, go to the labor board and plead ur case.

I'm not sure if any of this justifies the use of the word "implode" however.

Good luck to you! And don't cling too long to a sinking ship.