I worked here recently and I want to say something in defense of Fred and the school. Ultimately it was a good experience for me, albeit not an easy one.

Firstly, I can understand why teachers would have the impression of Fred, the FAO, as gruff and/or off-putting. In my opinion this is mostly due to cultural differences. I came to realize that it's very important to Fred that we the teachers know that he has the upper hand at all times, in all matters. This is par for the course in China. The people of this land have no voice. Fair/unfair, right/wrong don't really matter. All that matters is power. So if you are applying for a job in China, that is the world you are stepping into. Fred's managerial style is fully and deeply Chinese in this sense.

Having said that, I found that if you show a willingness to play ball his way, he has a heart of gold underneath his very (very) stubborn exterior. He has a moral foundation and will do the right thing at the end of the day. There are a lot of things I could say in this regard, but to sum it up: The contract was fair, in my opinion, and it was honored. All of the basic things I wanted/expected as a teacher were provided. He was forgiving of my various flaws (i can be quite stubborn myself!) and some missteps I had early on. Now that I look back I see he was also consistently professional & available when I needed his help with any school-related stuff.

Another plus is that this school really does care about quality teaching. This may be another cause of Fred's gruffness, or perhaps you could say his haughtiness. He has high standards. It's not the kind of place where you can get a job offer just by showing up with a white face and a BA. They expect skill and professionalism. On top of that they do have some culturally specific notions of what good teaching is, and this can be... challenging. But again, we have to expect things like this as teachers working in this field.

Other quick notes: the kids are phenomenal, the town is relatively small and isolated/isolating, the Chinese staff are trepidatiously friendly at best and coldly indifferent at worst. It's not the easiest environment to work in day in and day out. And there are a couple other major negatives that I haven't even started to address here.... But if you're looking for experience as a primary school EFL classroom teacher with children who are beyond delightful, motivated and bright, then it might be worth it for a year.

I could go on and on but I'll leave it at that. Good luck everyone :)))))