Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id hA32gaV03441; Sun, 2 Nov 2003 21:42:36 -0500 (EST) Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2003 21:42:36 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <110220032116.4862.1a9f@comcast.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: ttweeton@comcast.net To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9593] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle of Higher Education X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AT&T Message Center Version 1 (Oct 14 2003) Status: O Content-Length: 4991 Lines: 94 I have a story to top yours. How about working in the Adult with Disabilities field in a county that won't give you a contract because you work with adults only and of course that means no benefits of any kind]. The work is not considered as"important" as teaching grades 1-12. I worked 52 hours a week for years,(8) teaching Adults during the day and ESOL at night and on Saturdays .There have been several thousands of us working this way here.That 52 hour week was considered part time,I had no benefits or retirement and for the first few years no social security was taken out of my check either. We were in fact considered "simply unimportant". Many of us who teach ESOL, even full time, in many instances, do not get contracts thus no benefits, because that way our school system can save money.I do "feel for you" adjuncts and your position but you are not the only ones who are being wronged. I loved my job, working with the Adults w/ Disabilities program and sacrificed for it. I wish some some lawyer, really important like an Alan Dershowitz, would be willing to tackle these issues and would agree to help start a class action suit. Tanya Tweeton Exceptional Student Education and Adult ESOL both because I love doing both) > So long as the adjuncts and part-timers work like crazy and without being paid > for their extra work, the system will adjust itself to get the most out of them > while providing the least possible benefits. Unfortunately, and luckily, > teaching itself is satisfying and most of us will teach even if they are not > paid at all, just so they can have students and still be in class. That's what > I have been doing since I started living in Texas. > Sure it doesn't provide a living, I even pay for the class materials I prepare, > yet for me, there is nothing more satisfying than being in class. > > I guess this love of teaching makes us the most vulnerable. After all, "why pay > more while you can work them as much as you like." I wonder if some colleges > choose to hire more part-timers instead of full time professors, since they can > save a bunch of money from health benefits etc. without lowering the quality of > the education. > Quoting mdryden@mail.utexas.edu: > > > For 15 years, I taught 27 hours of adult education ESL (plus preparation, > > reviewing books, meeting with students, etc.: I also taught nine hours of > > academic courses in English composition and literature(twelve in the > > summer); > > in addition, because the college paid so little, I had another part time job > > running a refugee program (my favorite job)and after the refugee program > > ended, > > I traded that job for my own educational consulting business. During these > > years, I also raised a daughter, earned my MA, and completed many hours for > > my > > doctorate. > > > > And I was very proud of much of my work--especially the evening hours in the > > classroom with adult ed ESL students, four nights a week; and the morning, > > noon, evening and weekend hours I spent with the refugees. > > > > I was fortunate; because I worked so many hours and so many part time jobs, > > I > > had health insurance and retirement. However, by Friday afternoon, I was > > unreasonably, painfully tired. The treatment I received in the college > > adult > > education program was very bad. Once I began my Ph.D program, however, my > > love > > for my students and the knowledge that I could give them increased benefits > > because of the additional education that I was gaining, made me even prouder > > of > > my dedication to the profession. > > > > Yet I cannot deny that it was a difficult life, in terms of the energy I > > needed > > to gather, and sometimes could not gather, because I was overextended. > > I think that most of the people with full time positions have no idea how > > difficult the life of an adjunct is. > > > > I finally earned a full time administrate position. > > > > Marianne > > > > > > > > uoting Ujwala Samant <lalumineuse@yahoo.com>: > > > > > Dear Dottie, > > > > > > What an insightful and incisive article. I see this > > > everywhere, and have been a part of the adjunct system > > > for a while. When working with teachers of adults, > > > part timers work longer hours than a number of full > > > timers for little or no benefits. At one point the > > > NJALL even organised a session at their annual > > > conference on how to make a living as a part timer (or > > > something to that effect) by inviting people from the > > > insurance/pension companies, etc. It is a very hard > > > choice (?) to pursue a career as a part timer in > > > education. > > > > > > I remember working as an adjunct as a graduate student > > > as well... > > > > > > regards, > > > Ujwala > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > > Do you Yahoo!? > > > The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search > > > http://shopping.yahoo.com > > > > > > > > > > > > >
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