Contract Ends in April, so I Have to Wait Until August to Work Again.

[jaysoon17]

So my contract ends April 12th, and the school said that they would like me to continue working at the school. The problem is that according to them, GEPIK will now only make contracts at the beginning of each semester. I came to the school 6 weeks after the semester started (March 2, 2011), so my contract will end 6 weeks into the semester for Spring 2012. That means if I want to continue working at the school, I have to take a break from April 13, 2011 until the last week of August when the new semester starts for Fall 2012.

Is anybody else in this situation? It would be nice to take a vacation back home in the States, but it's a 4 and a half month vacation. I asked if I could just work for 10.5 months next year, but they said that there are no exceptions.

The other option would be to work at a hagwon or after school program, but I'm sure that I'd have to sign a contract for 1 year. Do you know of anybody who signed a contract for like 3 or 4 months?

[gookway]

Just curious here, but you're in GEPIK and your school said they can sign you for another contract starting in Sept. 2012?  That's good news I guess? It's just I thought GEPIK was going to get rid of all NETs like SMOE.  Are you teaching in elementary/ms/hs? Large school or small school?

Anyways, it's good news that they said they can renew you next Sept.  Congrats!

[makeshiftb0y]

I know someone that worked at an English Village for three months. I'm not really friends with him, though, so I don't know the details. He was on a C-something visa.

[Engging]

Our Elementary school needs of Native English speaker starting March next year. It's located in Jeonnam Muan Province. Pls email on this...
boholst2009@hanmail.net

[tokkibunni]

My friend is with GEPIK and her school said she can renew in early May.

[hokeypokey]

Not the answer you're looking for, but you can always come work down in Jeollanam-do.  Our contracts run Mid-April and Mid-August.  They hire through Canadian Connections.  www.canconx.com/  You'll have to go through orientation again, but it's not bad.  The provincial office  puts you up in a nice hotel in Gwangju, feeds you 3 meals a day and takes you on field trips. 

[PaulPTFC]

My contract is up in April and I've been given the chance to renew right away. I am on the GEPIK program although I think my funding may come from City Hall which perhaps explains it.

[jaysoon17]

My contract is up in April and I've been given the chance to renew right away. I am on the GEPIK program although I think my funding may come from City Hall which perhaps explains it.

Did you start in the middle of a semester? That is the issue according to them since the new semester begins the first week of March.

[Yegob]

My friend is with GEPIK and her school said she can renew in early May.

are you sure and are you sure her school is being completely funded by GEPIK? gepik isn't starting any 2012 contracts on dates other than March 1 and Sept 1.  In your friend's case it's possible the school will pay her out of their own funds between May and Sept, but I'll bet you the gepik contract she signs will start on Sep 1.

[Yegob]

So my contract ends April 12th, and the school said that they would like me to continue working at the school. The problem is that according to them, GEPIK will now only make contracts at the beginning of each semester. I came to the school 6 weeks after the semester started (March 2, 2011), so my contract will end 6 weeks into the semester for Spring 2012. That means if I want to continue working at the school, I have to take a break from April 13, 2011 until the last week of August when the new semester starts for Fall 2012.

Is anybody else in this situation? It would be nice to take a vacation back home in the States, but it's a 4 and a half month vacation. I asked if I could just work for 10.5 months next year, but they said that there are no exceptions.

The other option would be to work at a hagwon or after school program, but I'm sure that I'd have to sign a contract for 1 year. Do you know of anybody who signed a contract for like 3 or 4 months?

what's wrong with a 4.5 month vacation. Unless you're paying off debts, you're in an ideal situation. You have 4.5 month to screw around in, travel, whatever.. knowing that you'll have a job waiting for you after you're done. it's a unique opportunity, take advantage of it.

[Yegob]

btw OP. I'm in a very similar situation.

My coordinator informed me the school received funding (which shocked me, I was convinced their NET funding would be cut for a variety of reasons), but all gepik contracts now start at each semester so I couldn't come back till Sept, and of course  I wouldn't be paid or house during that time. This was fine by me, as it actually meant there was a small chance I might come back, because those 4.5 months would give me a chance to decompress from Korea and do some living/traveling in places I want to go to. It'd also means I'd have time to get the new nationwide cbc and the other crap Kimmi now requires.

today, during a conversation with the VP, he said poe policy is that no net may renew this year. I think he's misinformed (he might be thinking of being renewed middle of semester) .. either that, or he's thinking there are enough applicants that they can finally replace me with that skinny large breasted blonde girl they've all been thinking/dreaming about.   

[jaysoon17]

I've taken a 5 year break from teaching and from Korea, so I don't mind Korea at all. I actually like it here and learned to appreciate what the country has to offer after being away for so long. I haven't, however, spent more than two weeks of vacation in the States for 8 years now, so I'm thinking this might be a blessing in disguise. I'd like to see the WTC Memorial in NYC, travel the States, see my aging parents on a daily basis for a couple of months, visit relatives on the east coast who I haven't seen in a decade, and maybe even volunteer for a couple of months for whoever wins the ticket for the 3rd party through AmericansElect.org

I have the money to relax for a long time, but I'm a cheap person and like to save. But I also think about any regrets I might have about life when I'm old. Everything I mentioned above are the ones I might regret not doing. But then again, I'm cheap.

[Yegob]

I'm fairly cheap too, though not to the extreme.

the regrets when old thing is why I am not cheap to the extreme 

[popeye2u]

I also end April 12.  i wouldnt mind the long vacation, but once you are out of Korea for 90 days you need to submit all the paperwork to immigration again which is a big hassle.  I also work at an elementary school and I think its funded by city hall.  Still, I hope to find another elementary school around April.  Would be great if they renewed me for a 3rd yr!!!

[tokkibunni]

My friend is with GEPIK and her school said she can renew in early May.

are you sure and are you sure her school is being completely funded by GEPIK? gepik isn't starting any 2012 contracts on dates other than March 1 and Sept 1.  In your friend's case it's possible the school will pay her out of their own funds between May and Sept, but I'll bet you the gepik contract she signs will start on Sep 1.

Yup, her school is completely funded by GEPIK and she was given her contract for review already. It could be the case that the coteacher doesn't know that they're not suppose to. I'm also with gepik with my contract ending at the end of March and I wasn't told anything about that either.