Hi, Dusty,

Your doubts and suspicions are fairly accurate. While there can often be problems between foreign teachers and school managers or administrators, I think most foreign teachers will advise you to avoid dealing with placement agencies. Ive had several teaching jobs in China during the past three years, and Ive never been hired through an agency the exception being the Chinese-operated agency in America that arranged my first job.

The U.S-based agency ultimately brought NO benefit to my virgin experience they only gummed up the works, as they say. They made a number of false promises to me, not the school itself. Im an older man with a few chronic but manageable diseases, and so I was very concerned about sustaining proper health care while working in China. The agent told me there was an on-campus clinic that could serve all, or most of my needs, and dispense many basic medicines easily. The reality however, was this: No on-campus clinic, no meds, nothing! And I was only provided a medical allowance of 500RMB per year! (I spend 1000RMB, on average per month, or more, on health care.)

His litany of lies ended up causing lots of problems between me the school. I did not hold the school directly responsible, but because they could not deliver things that had been emphatically promised to me by the agent, I decided not to continue with the school after two months.

In short, agents/agencies will tell you almost anything they think you want (or need) to hear, if they believe it will get you to agree to the job and sign a contract. In most cases, they make hefty commissions for procuring foreign teachers; Americans, Canadians, Brits, and Aussies, especially.

In my periodic searches for new teaching situations, I have had occasional dealings with agencies, but in the end, I have never become entangled with one. Its simply not necessarily or beneficial. They often will tell you that they can offer you and extra level of protection, or settle disputes on your behalf. Baloney! I seriously doubt they will come to your aid once theyve received their fee from the school. By that time, youre history to them, and you are left to fend for yourself if an employment/contract situation takes a turn for the worse. They can also impede salary negotiations because the school must pay the placement commission which often (and usually) lessens YOUR potential salary.

There are also agencies that will actually hire you but will farm you out to schools in the Shanghai area. This can be a potential nightmare, as you might end up travel 2 hours each way, each day to different area schools (and in China, travel time is usually not considered part of working time). Your working hours are your actual hours in the classroom.

Hopefully some other posters will offer you some guidance and perspective, but I expect a number of them will express sentiments and theories similar to mine. Pay careful attention to what the foreign teacher told you via e-mail recently. Do you always want to be drawing a line in the sand, or "flexing your muscles a bit" (as you say) to settle disagreements?

Good luck!

Frank