I understand that a teacher was just dispatched from his department last week. He must be gleeful -- he takes pleasure in dispatching unsuspecting, innocent victims.

Who is gleeful? I, the angry, merciless academic director or the teacher who has recently left? If me, you bet your sweet ass I am happy this loser of a teacher left. The rest of the school is also gleeful as are the parents who had to endure his horrible teaching performance. I had noticed his students were rather despondent during the last month or so of his time here. Now those same students are also "gleeful", running around and playing and smiling like good little first graders should be doing!

but when the parents of this school, who pay RMB 60,000 a year in tuition so that their children can endure things like this, they revolted...they organised a parents' meeting and were they furious because even they have seen the pattern of his behavior.

Get your facts straight sir: The amount is about 40,000 rmb depending on whether or not the child will be boarded. It's only slightly more if this is the case. The school actually organized a parents' meeting after the loser teacher mentioned above abruptly departed to do some damage control. They have to when a teacher unprofessionally quits without notice. The school (with my help) quickly covered his classes in a 24 hour period with all the other professional teachers of the department pitching in to cover the classes until the end of June. Never an ideal situation, but at least now we know the kids are going to receive a PROPER education for their few remaining weeks/days of this semester.

By the way, just a quick update. The "furious" parents put a petition together and all but one signed it (can't please everybody you know) and then they submitted it to the school. In this petition they asked the school if I could please come back in September to teach their children when they move into 2nd grade. To say I was extremely flattered is an understatement. Nobody has ever done something so complimentary towards me before. Sure I've gotten token gifts and thank you cards and what-not as the years have gone by; certainly nice comments from parents as well, but nothing to this degree. Also by the way, in that petition, they also noted how displeased they were with the recently-departed teacher and how happy their children seem to suddenly be again now that they have all new interesting teachers who actually seem to know what they are doing!

The school has announced that the assistant academic director is taking a year's leave of absence and going home for "medical treatment". Apparently he will leave soon and return only next year...but from what I hear, he may be in for a big surprise when it comes time for his return.

The "school" has announced no such thing. As much as I am flattered by the parents' request as mentioned above, I chose several months ago (last school year as a matter of fact) that I would like a leave-of-absence (no medical treatment necessary - I get what I need in that regard right here in China). At that point, I had been in China for 5 years and now it's been 6 years, 4 of them at this same job. I'm not Chinese, I'm American and I've missed such simple things as my friends, my family, Christmas, visiting a book store or the public library (I'm a voracious reader), etc. Not only did the school agree but, to date, I have already signed a new contract for my eventual return in 2010 and they've already given me a year-long residence permit to make it easier for me to come and go during this time period. We've also agreed that, should we get another boorish teacher such as the one who just left us, they'll contact me and I'll come back earlier. We've agreed on salary increases, a retirement bonus, full-coverage health insurance, and a few other perks. Now, I will agree on one thing. This IS China and the rug could certainly be pulled out from under me while I'm gone. But it's not as if I don't have any other options. I am a well-trained, well-experienced teacher who can land a job in China or in the states at the drop of a hat. The superintendent of the previous school district where I was employed prior to coming to China, upon hearing of my return, has sent me emails hoping that I will just return to the states for good. Yeah, piss-poor teachers get these kinds of offers from both sides of the pond! (that was sarcasm by the way for those that don't get it)

I had actually missed this particular response by the man named "StephanieB" as the posts were coming fast and furious at one time. Just thought I'd set the record straight and, you know, stir the pot a little.