To me there is a big difference between trying to change China (as you put it) and trying to have some control over how you are being treated in terms of your career. Except maybe for Christian Missionaries, I don't think many foreign English teachers are trying to change anything about the Chinese culture, but they are trying to protect the status of their profession, just as they would in their home countries. Not making waves is fine for someone who is just passing through China for the experience -- or someone who views his job as nothing more than sacrificing his time for a pay check -- but people who actually care about their career should not hesitate to stand up for it and to do the best to put themselves in the position they want to be in. If you are a good teacher, and you have put yourself in a position where your skills should be valued, than you should fight for the treatment you deserve. If you don't do so then both you and others like you will suffer. Avoiding making waves in order to keep your job -- like local teachers, Filipino teachers, and unqualified teachers -- will cause you to keep getting less and less respect.