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[Byrnzie]

You would not be working 36 teaching hours a week. At any DD dragon school the maximum amount of hours you'll spend in the school on any given week is no more than 20. You'll teach for approx 4-5 hours on a Saturday and Sunday, and just two hours on any week day. I think it depends on what school you work at - I.e, I get two consecutive days off a week, but I think some DD dragon schools may just give you the one day off a week. Best check with them first. Either way, you'll get loads of free time. You don't have to go to work until 6pm every day, so if you like a lie-in in the mornings then it would be ideal for you.

As for accommodation, it's very unlikely that you'll be asked to share a flat. Every teacher I met in Shanghai DD Dragon was provided with their own place.

And the minimum salary is 8000rmb a month - at least it was 4 years ago, so maybe now you'll get more. If I'm not mistaken, if you work at a DD dragon school in Shanghai then after 6 months you'll get 9000rmb a month - though again this was four years ago, so this may have increased now.

[Stil]

Thanks for the update. 2.5 years makes for a lot of changes.

[NATO]

A reminder to be vigilant:

http://shanghaiist.com/2012/03/12/school_refuses_to_pay_transport_fee.php

Hangzhou school refuses to pay transport fee for dead American teacher's body

157931_362810807086638_1766523291_n.jpg
David Woolman, a 23-year-old former resident of Carson, Nevada, died recently in Hangzhou.
A Hangzhou branch of the Taiwanese-owned DD Dragon School is reportedly refusing to contribute to the transportation fee for the body of one of their American teachers who died recently. The body of 23-year-old Nevada native David Woolman, who taught English at the DD Dragon School, is currently stuck in China, due to his relatives' inability to raise the $12,818 USD transport fee that would allow for Woolman to be buried in the Woolman family plot in Genoa, Nevada.

On March 7th, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported that the U.S. State Department informed the family that they're able to request an extension to hold the body in China for up to two months, at a cost of $50 USD per day.

The Chinese government reportedly has the authority to destroy the body if the fee is not paid. Woolman's mother Sheri Payne Grell says, “The American Embassy in China has informed me that the sands of time are falling quickly to retrieve his body before China disposes of it.”

Meanwhile, the DD Dragon School is reportedly refusing to contribute to the family's bid to bring Woolman's body home from Hangzhou. The following text is compiled from messages on Grell's Facebook page:

    "They recruit our kids from US then when anything happen they turn their head away. A typical company in China would contribute and try to help out as much as possible through either the work Union Fund or employee donation. This is the tradition. [DD Dragon School] is not behaving properly and they should support us.

    [DD Dragon School] should show a gesture of goodwill and sympathize with the family. I found out that the School had our telephone number from day one and they just called me last night. Not to mention the woman that called me because my Chinese friend insisted her to call. Her main concern when she spoke to my friend was to worry about the potential financial loss to the school and the school's reputation.

    I am not asking her to pay all of the expenses, But along with David's final paycheck, a contribution on behalf of the school and a collection from the employees is customary in China. I also requested a copy of David's work contract and she said would email it and never did. She lied several times to me and my sister. She didn't even apologize to me."

[NATO]

Hangzhou school refuses to pay transport fee for dead American teacher's body

157931_362810807086638_1766523291_n.jpg
David Woolman, a 23-year-old former resident of Carson, Nevada, died recently in Hangzhou.
A Hangzhou branch of the Taiwanese-owned DD Dragon School is reportedly refusing to contribute to the transportation fee for the body of one of their American teachers who died recently. The body of 23-year-old Nevada native David Woolman, who taught English at the DD Dragon School, is currently stuck in China, due to his relatives' inability to raise the $12,818 USD transport fee that would allow for Woolman to be buried in the Woolman family plot in Genoa, Nevada.

On March 7th, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported that the U.S. State Department informed the family that they're able to request an extension to hold the body in China for up to two months, at a cost of $50 USD per day.

The Chinese government reportedly has the authority to destroy the body if the fee is not paid. Woolman's mother Sheri Payne Grell says, “The American Embassy in China has informed me that the sands of time are falling quickly to retrieve his body before China disposes of it.”

Meanwhile, the DD Dragon School is reportedly refusing to contribute to the family's bid to bring Woolman's body home from Hangzhou. The following text is compiled from messages on Grell's Facebook page:

    They recruit our kids from US then when anything happen they turn their head away. A typical company in China would contribute and try to help out as much as possible through either the work Union Fund or employee donation. This is the tradition. [DD Dragon School] is not behaving properly and they should support us.

    [DD Dragon School] should show a gesture of goodwill and sympathize with the family. I found out that the School had our telephone number from day one and they just called me last night. Not to mention the woman that called me because my Chinese friend insisted her to call. Her main concern when she spoke to my friend was to worry about the potential financial loss to the school and the school's reputation.

    I am not asking her to pay all of the expenses, But along with David's final paycheck, a contribution on behalf of the school and a collection from the employees is customary in China. I also requested a copy of David's work contract and she said would email it and never did. She lied several times to me and my sister. She didn't even apologize to me.

[old34]

I notice this from the original DD Dragon contract posted at the top of this topic:

1.5.2   On completion of the first full month of teaching The School will provide The Teacher with accident and disaster insurance that will cover The Teacher from RMB100,000 to RMB300,000 depending on the nature and seriousness of the injury.  For more minor injuries resulting from an accident The Teacher will be reimbursed 75% of all medical costs up to RMB1,000. 外教在本校任教满一个月，学校应为外教购买意外保险，保险公司将支付其意外保险金10万至30万，如果伤势不是很严重，医药费没有超过1000元，保险公司将支付医药费的75%。

These types of insurance policies are usually administered by PICC (People's Insurance Company of China). The school is listed as the primary beneficiary, so only it can collect, but it's then supposed to pay the benefit to the insured or his/her designated beneficiary in case of death.

Was this in his contract, and has his family been advised of this?

[NATO]

Relatives requested a copy of the contract but haven't received one yet. I wouldn't be surprised if they want to check it for any relevant clauses, such as the one mentioned above.

[Raoul F. Duke]

It looks like this worked out about as well as it could have. DD Dragon did not help, leaving their name eligible for mud-dragging...

Mass response helps family ship body from China
9:05 AM, Mar. 16, 2012
CARSON CITY, Nev. - An international outpouring has helped a Carson City family raise enough money to bring the body of their 23-year-old nephew back from China.

Family members had a tight deadline to raise nearly $13,000, or else the body of English teacher David Woolman would have been disposed of by the Chinese government.

A story first published in the Nevada Appeal spread online, drawing widespread support. Woolman’s aunt, Kristy Garcia, tells the newspaper the response was “phenomenal.”

A funeral home donated a casket, while an airline offered to ship the body for half price.

Woolman lived in Carson City on and off before moving to China last year to teach. Family members are still unclear about the circumstances of his March 1 death, but are told he fell from a roof.

[The Local Dialect]

He fell from a roof?!

That's pretty fishy.

[DC@54055]

Is it though? I have been in China for a little while now and from the foreigners that I have met so far they all drink like fishes with any ounce of their free time.

I actually have heard several stories about foreigners almost dying from consuming too much alcohol. Therefore, I feel like this behavior is not very isolated or 'falling off a roof' is that out of line. Also, he is at that age were people do engage in risky behavior.

[dragonsaver]

One of the teachers who I worked with in Dalian, moved to Shanghai.  He was leaning out his balcony to get some laundry off the rack. He hadn't been drinking.  He fell head first from 3rd story.  He lived only because he hit an awning on the way down, but was in hospital for quite awhile as he couldn't fly with the serious head injury.  They didn't have feeding tubes at the hospital so his parents and girlfriend had to mash up food and shove it down his throat.  Turned out later, the only pain killer they were giving him was aspirin a really good pain killer to use when you have bleeding in your brain (NOT).  He is finally back in the states but has brain damage and sight problems as one eye is askew.

The falling is therefore a possibility.

[El Macho]

I came to post about the same thing. According to a family member posting on a Hangzhou expat website, the school waited over a week to inform the poor boy's family. Even then, they only called when someone forced them to. They did have contact information for the family, but chose not to use it.

From this, I would say that no one should ever, ever work for DD Dragon English school. They clearly do not care about their teachers.

[shakemyspear]

Can anyone give a recent informal suggestion of this school. I am thinking of working for them in the near future and some of the things on this thread seem to be a little outdated when I compare it to the contract that I was emailed.

[MK]

Well, there was that teacher that died while working for them, and then the school apparently neglected to inform the family in the U.S. until they were forced to, and after that it seems they still refused to pay anything towards the transportation costs of the body - that happened earlier this year,  did you hear about that at all?

[Stil]

btw, this was no old dude dying of a heart attack while in bed with a student.

He was 23 years old and "fell off a roof"

[Raoul F. Duke]

Yeah...I'm a little surprised DD Dragon is even still in business after what happened there.