Hi Jason.
I'm living in Baoding and teaching at the local University. I went through the whole process a few months ago. Here's how it goes, well the paper work side of it anyway:-
1-The school will ask you to go to the local hospital and have a medical.
2- If you pass this then they will start the process of applying for your invitation to work. The amount of paperwork they have to do is huge. I mean insane.
3- They will want a resume and copies of any degree you may have along with teaching diploma's and recommendations from work colleges or friends, any teaching experience you have must be within 2 years or they discount it.
4-If all goes well you get 2 pieces of paper, one your formal invitation to work in China from the foreign labour department and the other a written invitation from the school. The schools never apply for your Z visa. They only apply for an invitation to work, nothing more. As an individual you can not do this yourself so if the school won't do it, it's not going to happen. If both of the papers have Hong Kong as the designated visa office then it's no problem. Sometimes the school will get them to designate the "nearest" visa office out side mainland China. This gives you the option of going to Vietnam or Thailand. If the school do not apply for you it usually means they do not have the necessary. licence to employ foreign teachers and may try to say that teaching on an F [business visa ] is Ok . I believe they can get away with this if your employment contract has your job description as "adviser" and not teacher. It is better than working on an L visa but not much. The school may pay off the police if they come looking but now the police know it's easy money busting English teachers without the correct visa and if your in this group you are a target.
5-Get your Z visa which is only good for a single entry and valid for 30 days, any visa you may have before that is cancelled and hot foot it back to the school.
6-The school now have 30 days to get you a Foreign Experts Certificate if you don't have that within 30 days the fine is 500rmb a day for being in China without a valid visa! You pay this not the school.
7-Have another medical at a designated health center and get you heath certificate from them.
8-The rest is up to the school you can not do any of this yourself. It's the same as getting the paperwork for the two invitation letters.
9- Once you have your Foreign Experts Certificate which is valid for the length of your contract you can take this along to the local PSB an get a 6 month residence visa.
Remember English teachers are in demand here so you are in the driving seat not the employer. Check your contract carefully and if you do not like anything in it and they refuse to change it then walk away. There are plenty more jobs.