I'm with Ya Wendy...Grrrrrr!!!     Martha Jean 

-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Wendy
Quinones
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 3:31 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 664] Re: Career pathways - what
doesourfieldhave to offer?

Hi colleagues,
I get so angry over working conditions in our field that I can hardly
see straight!  Part-timers are abused, in my mind, in everything from
space to work in to benefits to salaries to respect.

I am right now one of the fortunate ones to be full-time, although I
worked part-time for quite a few years both at my present center and
others.  I came in teaching mostly life-skills type things in a family
homeless shelter, and moved on to teaching GED.  Then I came part-time
to my current center, which posts all openings for full-time slots, so
part-timers are always aware of them and usually have the upper hand in
getting them, if they're qualified.  However, at least on the ESOL side,
part time, or at least subbing and huge amounts of it, WITH US doesn't
count, if you can believe that.  They have to have experience elsewhere
to bring to us. 
Sounds crazy to me, but there you have it.

As far as benefits are concerned, we are part of a city bureaucracy. 
Part-timers can't get health insurance, even at pro-rated costs,
although a few valuable perks are available -- highly subsidized rapid
transit fares, extremely cheap garage parking, some tuition
reimbursement.  But what really irks me is that health insurance.  It
seems to me that state or even regional advocacy organizations -- in
Massachusetts it's MCAE -- ought to be able to put some kind of plan in
place for the hundreds if not thousands of people who work their tails
off for not very much.  But people who have tried to get this going just
get stonewalled.  Grrrrrr.


Wendy Quinones 


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