Korean Job Discussion Forums

LateBloomer · Joined: 06 May 2006

After thinking that there was no way I would renew my contract at a public elementary school--was just going to stick out the year.......due to a massive "teacher turnover", my situation has improved. I now have reasonable co-teachers and a much better situation.

My contract isn't up until the end of June but the new principal called me in last week and told me that kids, parents, and teachers like me and he wants me to stay. I told him I had one firm condition regarding renewing my contract.

I need to go home for a month--two extra weeks (unpaid) in addition to the two weeks between contracts that I'm entitled to. I asked the principal who I needed to get permission from--him or the Office of Education (I'm in Incheon). He said that he was the "one". I think he said "yes", but with the language barrier, I'm not 100% sure. I think we have about 80% understanding on both sides. He said something about parents wanting conversation classes in summer and that the summer holiday starts in the third week of July. I don't know if that related to my request (was he suggesting I change my planned time away) or he may have just been making conversation.

Should I be worried? Does anyone have experience with asking public school officials/ school board bureaucrats to bend the rules? Do individual schools have the final say.....I didn't think that was the case. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

babtangee · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:41 am Post subject:

Got a specific timeline of your vacation time before assuming you have it. Nobody can be sure what he intended.

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

Get all of hte really important stuff in writing and signed by both of you.

"Bloomer teacher will be gone from this date to that date. Two fo the weeks are paid vacation. Two of the weeks are unpaid vacation. For this month, Bloomer Teacher will recive xxxxx won. Both the school and the employee agree."

Or something to that tune. I have all of my vacation signed in writing by the school well before the actual date.

dmbfan · Joined: 09 Mar 2006

deletd

Good luck!

cheers.

dmbfan

dmbfan · Joined: 09 Mar 2006

Ok, this is interesting.

Your contract expires in June, yes? Well, how bad do you need/want to take off for that month? You can still do it, but delayed.

You have the upper hand in this situation. Play your cards right, tell them what you need (not what you want), and things could go in your favor.

Yes, there are usually summer camps/vacation classes.............if you could work those, then take your month off, it could work out.

It is up to you.

Good luck!

cheers.

dmbfan

dmbfan · Joined: 09 Mar 2006

Ok, this is interesting.

Your contract expires in June, yes? Well, how bad do you need/want to take off for that month? You can still do it, but delayed.

You have the upper hand in this situation. Play your cards right, tell them what you need (not what you want), and things could go in your favor.

Yes, there are usually summer camps/vacation classes.............if you could work those, then take your month off, it could work out.

It is up to you.

Good luck!

cheers.

dmbfan

dmbfan · Joined: 09 Mar 2006

why did that post three times?

poet13 · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:17 am Post subject:

Dunno, but you could shorten the page by deleting the second two posts.

OP. I think most public school contracts have a built in two weeks PAID leave if you re-sign. That would mean you have your 7 days, plus 14 more. This was discussed in another thread. I don't really remember was the resolution was there, but I would interpret two weeks as 14 work days. After all, we get two weeks normally, and that is 14 work days. Sooo, 21 work days would be about a month.
I would clarify that, and then actually sit down with a calendar and block out the dates.
Maybe that's an amicable resolution?

EDIT; re-sign, not resign.

Bukowski · Joined: 29 Nov 2006

Here is a different option.

Finish your contract at the end of June. Take the summer off (July and August) and start a new contract September 1st.

There are plenty of public school positions available, and they pay better than Incheon.

That being said, I understand you like your current situation. Anyway, I just wanted to put that option out there if you have yet to consider it.

Good luck,
AC

BTW, your principal has the power to bend your contract. However, I would be very careful how you approach the issue of getting him to put something in writing. If you come across like you don't trust him, etc., he might get insulted and your situation could take a turn for the worse.

That is a tough one to navigate.

As for Poet's comments, she/he is incorrect. Calendar days and work days are different. In the contracts they provide vacation days as work days, but for the two week renewing bonus, those are calendar days (that means they include Saturdays and Sundays).

dmbfan · Joined: 09 Mar 2006

LateBloomer · Joined: 06 May 2006

Thanks for your responses. Trying to get things sorted out in writing.....if I can be very diplomatic in the way I make the request........seems like a good way to approach this. I would prefer not to change schools and I like where I live. Believe it or not, there are nice areas in Incheon.

poet13 · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:39 pm Post subject:

"As for Poet's comments, she/he is incorrect. Calendar days and work days are different. In the contracts they provide vacation days as work days, but for the two week renewing bonus, those are calendar days (that means they include Saturdays and Sundays)."

That sucks.