Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tgrear2008]

After reading a myriad of legitimate complaints concerning the conditions found in unscrupulous hagwons, they started to sound familiar.

Mind you, I'm still in the research phase for Korea so these generalizations are based on what I've read here. To me hagwons and public schools in the states have a lot in common.

Working extra hours with no pay. This includes working at sporting events, special literacy nights or math and science nights, meetings for beginning teachers, meetings for math curriculum, meetings for language arts curriculum, and of course staff meetings. All these take place after school. Of course I factored in some of these responsibilities when I signed my contract but not all.

State salary schedule means a guaranteed raise each year. NOT! Our state is running a little short this year so no raises for us.

So short in fact, they took back .5% of our salary at the end of last year, that's right, they took money out of our paycheck. I know, it was only $150, but what a slap in the face.

No Child Left Behind bonus- I work at a high poverty school. Our district doesn't make the NCLB targets very often. Our school achieved all targets. Our bonus was supposed to be around $1000. So sorry, we're tight on money!

Hostile population: single parent household, kids raising kids, criminal households, high drug use, gangs, etc. My advanced group is wonderful to work with. The other group is belligerent, and I'll leave it at that. We had a gun and two knives this year and many fights. The parents verbally abuse the teachers as well.

State and local administrative lunacy. Nuff said.

Look, I knew a lot of what I was getting into, and there was a lot I didn't know. It's been a rough two years and I have no savings to show for it. At least in Korea you can make some cash.

The reason I wrote this was to point out that there are some shady dealings with teachers here in the states. I believe I can handle almost anything Korea can throw at me. Any thoughts?

[matthews_world]

Good thing Korea doesn't have a NCLB policy. *snicker*

A lot of teacher would have to find work elsewhere as they do not have teaching certification.

Of course, their are the other monetary benefits in teaching in Korea - airfaire, housing etc. which draw many.

I'm back in the U.S. working on my MAT for public school licensure.

[curiousaboutkorea]

Ever been paid late? Ever been fired and told you need to leave your housing in 3 days (in a foreign country where your rights are limited)? Ever have your contract changed once you signed it? There's a process and good reason given if you're fired, right?

I'm not saying there aren't difficulties in US public schools. But some of the things in Korea will still shock you.

[tgrear2008]

Ok, duly noted.

What about classroom management? I'm guessing the kids are at least better behaved than what I'm dealing with. Picture movies like Freedom Writers, or Dangerous Minds and then scale it back somewhat. I don't want to exaggerate. The behavior I have dealt with for my time here has almost turned me off from education completely. Surely the kids are somewhat ambitious over there?

Am I being naive?

[AsiaESLbound]

Conditions are bad in many American public schools with the all the infighting between parents, officers, and teachers with the teachers being put on the hot plate for everything. It's unfortunate many of the parents and even staff will suspect you a pedo just for being male, especially so if single in your 30's or older with no kids. Anything you say at work can and will be used against you. Also they are having budget issues in numerous districts with firings taking place to reduce the glut of teachers. Really there isn't an excess glut, they just claim they can't afford teachers so class sizes are said to be growing to 40+ students. I don't have time right now to cite all these statements, but I read about and understand these to be valid points.

Funny thing, I know one hagwon teacher who taught in N. Carolina a few years back and said it was an awful experience to the point he quit 2 months into the job. He was lied to about numerous things too. Pay is only like $2,200 per month and there's no housing allowance, but apartments easily ran $900 so they have to room together. You also need a car so that's another major expense which sets the stage for little or no chance to save in such a high stress job presenting a myriad of serious social issues.

[wjf1]

[World Traveler]

Teachers in the States work 180 days a year. Actually even less if you count the personal days they have and numerous sick days (which they are actually allowed to use). Wow! More days not working than working! Amazing! And a much higher salary too. With great benefits and a retirement plan. Sizable pay raises every year. Almost no worries about the school trying to scam them out of huge amounts of money.

Sick days in a hagwon could be zero and could be two. (And you may catch hell for trying to use them, no matter how sick you are). Vacation is about 10 days per year. Hagwons are much worse than typical American public schools. Being a teacher back home is a better career move.

[World Traveler]

[wjf1]

[djsmnc]

In my mind I'm goin to Carolina...but not to teach in public school

[Zilong]

My sister has a Master's in English Ed and was hired at a suburban Chicago school. She was told two months into her contract that she would not be kept on b/c of budget shortages, a full eight months before she'd be out of work. I'd like to see anything approaching that level of foresight and communication in Korea.

I teach ESL at a university here in the US and I was told before being hired that the students were of wildly different levels and that I would not have a textbook. "Are you sure you want to do this? I want to be sure you have all the information going into it before taking the position", something I never heard of being communicated to an NSET in Korea.

Institutional constraints in the public sector are one thing. Ingrained cultural attitudes towards honesty, communication, and respect for employees that are practiced in one on one, face to face relationships are another.

[tgrear2008]

"And a much higher salary too"
No way. Once you deduct taxes and living expenses you have nothing.

"Teachers in the States work 180 days a year"
This is true, especially when comparing against hagwons. I wonder how many vacation days are included working for EPIK?

"personal days"
I have to pay $50 to use a personal day

"sick days"
I have to call my own substitute, which is a pain. I haven't been sick for two years so I haven't used one yet. I'm sure I'd get sick in Korea just due to a new set of germs, no matter how health conscious I try to be.

"great benefits and a retirement plan"
This is true

"Sizable pay raises every year"
We didn't even get our raise this year, and they took money back last year.

Conditions here in the states will continue to deteriorate because many states are bankrupt or close to it. I'm not bashing the US, just saying it's not all rainbows and unicorns.

[dirving]

[moosehead]

[tgrear2008]

I appreciate the time you took to write that. And everyone else...certainly points to consider. I think I will go full speed ahead and see where it takes me. At this point I am gathering documents to process for EPIK. If I'm going to do this anytime in my life I better do it now.