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 hA7KEcV29268; Fri, 7 Nov 2003 15:14:38 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003 15:14:38 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <110720032011.7187.155f@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:9613] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AT&T Message Center Version 1 (Oct 27 2003) Status: O Content-Length: 7911 Lines: 183 "there is reason to believe that we can change the declining path, but of course, not without significant struggle." I think I "hear" you, however would you be willing to spill out this action, you feel would be necessary to change our paths , in words? Tanya Tweeton Adult Esol > Program Directors are not the problem; they (for the most part) do what they > can with what they get. This is a much larger political/societal issue in > terms of how resources get allocated. A colleague once pointed out that, > "you are only as marginalized as the population you serve." Much experience > bears this out, particularly but not only when working with adult > immigrants. The adjunctivization of higher education is also part of how > the power structure views education's role. (Read the headlines and it's > obvious of what's important and what's not to those who control the purse > strings.) However, this can turn into its opposite; given that our role is > critical and we have strength in numbers, there is reason to believe that we > can change the declining path, but of course, not without significant > struggle. > > Laurie Ketzenberg > Temple University > > > From: "Sinnes, Elizabeth (CCPS)" <esinnes@ccboe.com> > > Reply-To: nifl-esl@nifl.gov > > Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 11:41:44 -0500 (EST) > > To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> > > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9596] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle > > > > Just a note to defend those of us who hire people hourly part time. > > Our program can serve many more students and offer many more classes by > > using part time hourly staff. For a salaried person with fringe benefits > > it costs an additional 35%, but it is 7% for hourly staff. That really is a > > huge difference in the services we can provide to our students. > > Having worked part time hourly for 10 years I do understand the draw backs > > for some employees, myself included. I also know that I had some advantages > > working hourly. I was able to accept the number of hours I could handle and > > had the flexibility to be with my family. Many of our current employees are > > teaching only 5-10 hours a week by choice. It fits their schedule. > > But, we also lose some good people who need benefits. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: ttweeton@comcast.net [mailto:ttweeton@comcast.net] > > Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2003 9:39 PM > > To: Multiple recipients of list > > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9593] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle > > of Higher Education > > > > > > 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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