The admin requested that all teachers tell them in advance if they were planning to return to the school next year. I had already told them that I would not be returning. The elementary coordinator asked me if there was anything the school could do to make me change my mind because she felt I had a bright future at the school. How about starting with paying the 60 hours in overtime?????

So on a Sunday morning an email was sent by the international principal to all the teachers who wanted to return. The email either had a contract attached or just stated the school did not want to renew. So when I went to an afternoon barbecue held by one of the high school teachers whom I had become friends with, people were in a tizzy.
Two teachers there had not been given a contract and those that had were also upset because the new terms did not have class limits and required teachers to work on weekends if necessary as well as attend evening meetings.

The people that the school selects to give management positions to are people who have failed as teachers. My worst class in terms of English levels and behavior management is 404. Their teacher when they were in 1st-3rd grades is now the elementary school coordinator training teachers and overseeing the curriculum. Mr. Mo (aka Chairman Mo) from what I observe just shuffles papers around in his office and stares at his computer. When he presents seminars on the IB curriculum or theory, he reads it from a book and of course projects the pages, which are also written in Chinese, on a screen so we can follow what he is reading. The international principal is a dried up raisin in elf boots who walks around giggling and rambling incoherently. She tries to put on a little girl act but she looks not a day under 55. When she gives a seminar on PYP (Primary Years Program) she has often told people to pull up videos on YouTube because they are very informative. She has no clue what she is talking about and is just a general dunderhead. So when the school hires management they look for the most incompetent people. It is as if they scrape the bottom of the barrel and then hire what they find. Actually, a few of the Chinese teachers tell me that is the Chinese way – promote the least qualified. That explains why everything made in China breaks down after a few uses – no quality control.

So one teacher I know did not get a contract because they said 86% of her students (1st graders) rated her excellent on their surveys and only 68% of the parents did. The choices on the survey were excellent, good, qualified, and developing. The school requires the teachers to receive at least 90% excellent ratings in order to receive a contract renewal.

She went to the middle school principal to see if he would hire her. He looked at her and said, “Do you really want to work in this piece of shit school?” He told her with her qualifications she could get a job at a really good school. He gave her websites and contacts and told her he would serve as her reference because the international elementary school principal was an idiot. He said he would return because he is 55 and it is hard to get a principal position overseas at his age and he wanted to work another 5 years before retiring. So armed with his sage advice, my friend left with a new resolve to find a new school. She is a terrific person and she does deserve better.

Some of the teachers have been asking me to look at their contracts and comment, but I refused. It is not my concern.