Mostly negatives on recruiters. Many do a bait and switch tactic, or they exploit you as a slave. Once in a while, you find a good and honest one who has figured out that one content FT who has been giving the truth might just bring them more people looking for work. But you are rolling the dice basically and these dice are stacked against you. Your best bet is to contact the school's directly or ask other foreign teachers directly. If you can't find a lead, give me an e-mail and I will recommend a public school for you. Good luck.

What manner of public school(that you can recommend) do you have in mind? It's going to have to be a university or an English Centre, is it not, because in the main, state middle schools can't employ you directly? You will have to be employed by an agency, a recruitment agency, or by any other colour, a private 'school' which will hire you out to Middle Schools.

It would be far more useful for the seasoned FT's in the know to advise newbies on how to handle recruiters or agents, than suggest to them the ridiculous notion that there is no need to use one. If you are so street-wise that you don't need a recruiter or employment agency, then bully for you; but I'm afraid others need to avail themselves of these undesirables.