I am at a 'normal', and your description sounds idyllic! Or perhaps as you don't teach English 'as such' your conditions are different. I'm preparing English Majors for the TEM4, I teach writing, and correcting their homework which has been my day's project has put me into a right proper funk.
Gave them sample test questions, exercise was to write a topic sentence to begin their essay only. The plan being to move onto paragraph and essay structure next. The rubbish 4 word sentences I received were shameful, Truly embarrassing and have made me have a very serious pause for reflection filled with self doubt and general dismay.
I have experience of 2 high schools, here. One was a 'private rich kids on the way overseas on daddy's kuai' school, didn't matter whether they did well in class work or not, they were set. Discipline there was godawful, if I dared attempt anything apart from playtime activities there was revolution of the nastiest kind in the room. With absolutely no recourse in terms of discipline, couldn't inflict fear - parents and headmaster didn't care -it's all about money.
But, the bit of work I did at a really good public high school was amazing, absolutely incredible. Young people so motivated, so interesting, so quick on the uptake. It was sheer joy daily. Those kids had opinions and ideas, they had things they did outside school hours that were actually interesting, they were thinkers and had ambitions that went beyond wanting a lot of money one day.... sadly most of them drifted off overseas for their further education, so they won't contribute over here any more
I suppose what I'm trying to express is that if it's a 'good' high school, not simply one that pays a lot, you may find China's hidden gold.
Rx