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 hA42AnV14355; Mon, 3 Nov 2003 21:10:50 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 21:10:50 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <3FA7090A.8DB27048@udel.edu> 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: Ken Todd <kentodd@UDel.Edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9600] Re: Fw: [PartTime] article from The Chronicle of X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.75 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) Status: O Content-Length: 7332 Lines: 164 Weapons versus education figures into the equation, but comprises only part of the problem. The conversion to part-time, temporary instructors began in a good twenty years ago. It results directly from the program of tax-reductions for the rich and the corporations pursued by Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush again. These reductions resulted in dramatic cuts in federal direct aid to higher education, in equally severe cuts to federal aid to the states, and consequentially in deep cuts in state aid to public education and higher education. The cuts lead in turn to the substitution of private funding for public funding and put control over curriculum and institutional structure in the hands of the corporations and the rich. Since this government program coincided with the internal corporate restructuring that massively replaced permanent workers with part-time temps, the agenda of disenfranchising people as workers and voters, and of socially disenfranchising immigrants, has deep political roots. I am not sure that the rules of this list allow me to say that, since no politicians support increased taxation for the rich and the corporations or for increased public, democratic control over education, teachers and students would have to organize together with the much broader constituency victimized by these policies to gain the living and the education they deserve, I will not say so. karamera@boun.edu.tr wrote: > > When the governments learn that the key to a strong and prosper nation is > EDUCATION and start spending on it some millions instead of spending billions > on guns, none of us will have to worry about choosing the cheapest materials > over the best ones, or saving for our retirement working two or three jobs. > God, unfortunately it IS a Utopia, isn't it? :( > > Quoting ttweeton@comcast.net: > > > 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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