My advice is to avoid private schools or learning centers until you have taught here long enough to have learned the ropes. It seems that you have been doing enough research to have noticed in this forum and others that it is the private schools that most often cause headaches for foreign teachers. The reason for this is that they are strictly profit motivated and therefore care little about the progress of their students. Furthermore, they are well aware of the fact that many teachers would like to work here. Their attitude is that teachers "are a dime a dozen."

Now, this is not to say that there aren't any private schools worth working for. There are a few. But you have to realize that the demand for English training is so high that it brings out the sharks and the charlatans in great numbers. Often times they will try to lure you with assurances such as "foreign owned and operated," but believe me that makes little difference. If you can find a job in the public sector, your chances of being treated fairly are much higher.

I do know of a few honorable private schools, so I don't mean to write them all off as crooks. I'm only suggesting that the best place to start is in the public schools or universities and from there you can learn a lot about the teaching scene in China by speaking to other teachers and continuing your research.

Good luck............