Mike - Excellent post which notes many peculiar aspects and raises very reasonable questions. You also draw logical inferences and offer valid conclusions.

This entire thread illuminates why I have passed on several offers to teach in China and Thailand. I don't really know - outside of working in an elite university and/or visiting the campus/school first- how one would verify the information in ads. Consider me more cautious than curious.

On the other hand, I know that thousands and thousands of English teachers have found wonderful work teaching in both China and Thailand. As so often in these matters, I end up defer to various rankings and/or personal experiences of friends. If someone wants to learn engineering, there are many rankings that they can look at published by experts. Teaching English has become such a huge field that somebody and I have no idea who must evaluate school or chain claims. Right?

So, does anybody know of an organization that ranks English language schools - by quality or location? Does TESOL have some list of approved or sanctioned schools? Does somebody else perhaps even local governments track the effectiveness of schools? Further, what is their criteria? Where can individuals students, teachers, parents get that simple, yet vital bit of information?

Again, consider me very curious.