Supply and demand: it's academic, really
Tight state budgets are forcing dramatic reductions in education funding across the United States. As a result, tens of thousands of teachers are expected to be handed their pink slips. Some districts have already laid off hundreds of teachers and even shut down schools.
The problem is that the redundancy method they use is rather arbitrary. Most schools take the 'last hired, first fired' approach which is based on seniority rather than individual performance. That means they could be getting rid of their highest-performing staff while keeping the least competent ones. Durr!
If Hong Kong can make scholastic pop stars out of ordinary grammar teachers and shower them with million-dollar salaries and perks, it can certainly accommodate a few down-and-out American teachers.
Pain in these numbers
Think again if you believe creativity in accounting is an oxymoron. Accountant Gerry Li Kwok-hung got into trouble not for false accounting, but for being a copycat.