Korean Job Discussion Forums

Eedoryeong · Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Location: Jeju

I'm not sure about this but I think I may have a precedent to file a complaint against my school.

I asked for support today for summer camp next week, support that was promised to me in the negotiation of the contract. My co-teacher's response was that if I don't teach those classes alone the school can't/won't pay my salary. I'd been consulting with him since April (when I handed the first draft of the proposed camp) so he's known in detail what the camp agenda would be and what it would require. He also promised me specific support for the camp. Today he dropped that message on me.

I think I should file a formal complaint against my school but I'm not sure to where. I'm going to write a letter and translate it in Korean and copy it and hand it in to the vice principal and principal, see what they say first.

OculisOrbis · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

youre wasting your time and the rest of your year will not be pleasant if you continue to pursue it....assuming you make it that far before they can you. you'll also be waving goodbye to any shot at renewal and it will make it difficult to get another PS position after that. schools, POE's, recruiters dont like boat rockers. sounds harsh, but thats the way it is. just do the camps the best that you can on your own.

buildbyflying · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:34 am Post subject:

you get lemons you make lemonade. in this case, you get no support, you show movies the whole camp.
You can't let this stuff get to you. It's not worth your time.

sulperman · Joined: 14 Oct 2008

If you like having a work environment in which everyone hates you, go for it!

Public school success and happiness is 80% based on how well you roll with the punches. Teach without a co-teacher. No biggie. Camp is easy as hell, especially if you don't have anybody breathing down your neck the whole time. This is not a big problem. Don't turn it into one.

Eedoryeong · Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Location: Jeju

I appreciate all this advice. All of what you've all said is quite sound.

The thing is, I don't think the rest of the year won't be very unpleasant anyway when he can promise something, not deliver, and illegally threaten withholding of pay (I checked) when I confront him about it. That can only breed hostility anywhere I imagine.

I'm not worried about not getting another public school job if I quit or get fired. I've got alternatives if worse comes to worst. I'm also pretty certain I don't want to renew at this school.

Sadly, the things you warned me about are things I can be accused of not caring enough to ensure they don't happen. Perhaps I should care about them but I can't bring myself to care about being liked when being respected is much more successful for getting commitments met.

Maybe you're right - maybe I should amend the curriculum and make it movie marathon week and axe everything else I was going to do that required help. I'll have to think this over during the weekend.

The Gipkik · Joined: 30 Mar 2009

If my coteacher threatened to withhold my pay for something that is not part of the contract, I would quit. I would also make his life a daily misery. Thirty days notice and goodbye. If my school at any time indicated to me that I wasn't valued as a teacher, I would leave. There are too many jobs in this field to stick with a cooked goose. I demand respect and if it isn't there neither am I.

OculisOrbis · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

OK, so since your going to do it anyway, skip the people at your school - send it to the county and provincial offices simultaneously. Go over their heads. You send it your school first and they'll have time to come up with some ass-covering BS. Assuming the higher-ups may actually give a rats ass, then when they call your school and they wont get the prepared with a response that makes you look bad. Actually, it doesnt really matter if theyre prepared or not, the higher ups will almost definitely side with your schools admin regardless of whether youre right with indisputable evidence or not. Youre foreign, theyre korean - it's a near impossible win for you. Give a shot if you want, good luck.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

If you want to work for a public school again, I'd advise against launching any formal complaint. The public schools will blacklist you, had this happen to a friend who had some hanky-panky with a staff member that went sour, he couldn't get a job at a public school anywhere in Korea.

Who's Your Daddy? · Joined: 30 May 2010 Location: Victoria, Canada.

If you send a complaint, I bet no one will read it. If they do read it, they'll only call your principal and say, "sounds like you've got an a**hole there."

Korean vs. Foreigner, Korean wins. There is no chance the Korean mgmt will side with a foreign teacher. You aren't supposed to question anything.

You either do it, or you don't, but you can't get them to do anything. It's like blood from a stone. Your only leverage is threating to quit, or refusing to do something they want.

Personally, I agree with Gipkik, if they don't respect for me, I'd rather not work there. And I'm willing to take a financial hit to preserve my dignity.

Fishead soup · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Location: Korea

Firstly camps are ment to be taught solo. Usually the classes are smaller and easier to manage. It is rare to get all the students who signed up actually show up. I would never insist on having a co-teacher for camps.
If you are worried about the language gap there will be at least one students who will be able to translate things for you.

Insisting on having a co-teacher for a camp is just asking for trouble. Camps are a walk inthe park compaired to regular classes.

Senior · Joined: 31 Jan 2010

No co-teach is one of the benefits of camps. Camp is about the only time I feel like a real teacher as standing in front of 40 kids is more akin to baby sitting or delivering a lecture (with bingo) on astro physics to an insane asylum for howler monkeys.

Why, instead of sending kids to hagwon for 8 hours, after they just finished 8 hours at school, don't Koreans demand smaller class sizes?

sulperman · Joined: 14 Oct 2008

balzor · Joined: 14 Feb 2009

PatrickGHBusan · Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:08 am Post subject:

The point about camps being meant for solo teaching is accurate OP.

If you lodge a complaint you will shoot yourself in the face with both barrels at point blank range. From your post it sounds as if the co-teacher has helped you so far and did so through a verbal agreement.

First question about your complaint will be: was the agreement in writing.

Second questions: was support specified in the agreement, did it specifically say the co-teacher would teach the summer camp classes with you.

If the answer to these two questions is no, then your complaint will explode in your face and you will be the loser in the exchange.

Your best bet is to teach these camp classes alone.

This may be frustrating but in the end its not that big of a deal.

If you refuse to teach these classes, you basically line yourself up to be fired.

iwillteachyouenglish · Joined: 07 Jul 2010

As long as no one was giving me crap for the job I was doing, I wouldn't worry about it. Sounds perfect to me, everyone stays out of my way and let's me get the job done the right way--my way.