Today, Apple Daily ran a full front-page headline about me! I didn’t think I was that influential—surely the President’s diplomatic visit is more important news? Regardless, I must clear the air!
I applied for retirement due to illness six months before any school transfer was even discussed! I did not retire because of a transfer!
There are 365 days in a year. Every citizen has 116 days of holidays, leaving 249 workdays. I even went to work in August; how could I have taken 323 days of leave?
I was on sick leave, not out traveling the world! How would I even go abroad? A principal needs county government approval to leave the country!
I spent my leave in rehabilitation, nursing my body back to health.
I have a medical history involving two artificial hip replacement surgeries. Upon arriving at my new school, being unfamiliar with the environment, I fell on the slope near the gate. This damaged my artificial hip and injured both knees. I was forced to take sick leave, which requires a diagnosis from a teaching hospital—that is very difficult to obtain. Furthermore, I have Thalassemia (Mediterranean Anemia), and I have official county government documents to prove it.
Even during my leave, I was at home helping the school secure resources. I brought in $120,000 TWD in cash for the school’s public treasury. In my third month of retirement, I personally donated another $100,000 TWD in cash for the school anniversary. There are receipts for all of this!
The acting principal and administrative staff were in constant contact with me via LINE. While I was at home, I handled the “dirty work”—taking calls to deal with external demands that had nothing to do with education—so that the teachers could focus on their classes without being burdened by administrative errands. As a result, the school remained stable, and we were the only junior high in the county to actually increase classes before I retired! This proves the school was not negatively impacted; it thrived.
In my eight years as a principal in Hsinchu County, my schools increased classes every single year!
I didn’t even make a million TWD annually while working (and I hold a Master’s degree from the U.S., placing me at the highest pay grade), let alone while on sick leave. On leave, there is no year-end bonus and no performance bonus, and I still have to pay income tax. This is entirely reasonable.
Because of my leave, my performance rating was a “C,” but I don’t care. I only care that the students improved, the school had a good reputation, and parents were willing to send their children to a public school. The year-on-year increase in classes is the best proof.
Long before I retired, I started writing open letters to Tsai Ing-wen online! It wasn’t just about pension issues; I wrote about various social and livelihood problems. You can check my Facebook!
Since I struggle with mobility, writing at home is what I can do. My husband still works and provides for us; we are self-made, not wealthy. We earned what we have through hard work. He only asks that I stay healthy and be the spiritual pillar of our home. My children are in university, working part-time to pay their own way. They are diligent and I don’t have to worry about them.
The media reports over the last two days have put a lot of pressure on my family. My husband works hard, and my children work for their living—these are the facts. I can handle the pressure myself, no problem!
Currently, I am a volunteer for school dropouts and the moderator of a rural education resource platform. For two years, I have provided $100,000 TWD annually in reading funds to eight rural schools and supplied 300 new books to fifty rural schools. My platform pays the bookstores directly; neither the schools nor I touch the money.
I drive a $500,000 TWD domestic car. My students laugh and say my car is “trash.” I tell them: “A car is just a tool for transportation. What matters is if the driver is paying attention! Most of the serious accidents you see on TV involve sports cars!” They just nod their heads. It’s a teachable moment!
I am a true Hakka—frugal, simple, and “hard-necked” (persistent).
I live my life with a clear conscience. I believe that good deeds are rewarded and evil ones punished. Some envy me, some are jealous, and some even threaten me… I just smile and let it go. I wish for peace and prosperity for our nation!
Respectfully,
Hsu Hui-hsin
2017/01/11