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 hA3IDgV03818; Mon, 3 Nov 2003 13:13:42 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 13:13:42 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <OFFCA22ED3.99B138AE-ON88256DD3.0061FD15@dbm.com> 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: peggy_fish@dbm.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9598] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Status: O Content-Length: 8326 Lines: 234 What great insights all of you have on this topic! I am a student completing my Master's Program in Library Science (California) and my class this semester is a Seminar in Literacy. I have chosen the ESL as my topic to explore as my aunt has a Pacific Island immigrant who works for her and wants to learn to read English. I have been trying to help her find classes and/or tutors, and the process has been interesting. The poor do not have the resources to readily get from point A to point B so finding classes for learning to read is not as simple as it might seem. I was also interested to hear that teachers of the less fortunate in our society are also equated with those same less fortunate-interesting and" unfortunate". Peggy Fish Student - San Jose State Laurie Ketzenberg <lketzenberg@resolutionpictures.com>@nifl.gov on 11/03/2003 09:12:08 AM Please respond to nifl-esl@nifl.gov Sent by: nifl-esl@nifl.gov To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> cc: Fax to: Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9597] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle 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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