Colleges Have Their Own Best Interest in Mind Not Your Child's
Posted: Thursday, August 06, 2009
by Jeff Brown
Inner Projection
What exactly does "colleges" mean?
Here we're not talking about faculty or staff but those who make the decisions. They are trustees (board members) and presidents. And this is a problem. Why? Because they do not live lives similar to that of students, faculty, or staff. Most live in comparative luxury looking to better their lot by keeping themselves--decision makers--around. If cuts need to be made, they will be done at the low end, getting rid of adjunct and fulltime faculty, staff, and by increasing fees, tuition, and so on.
Here's an example to elaborate.
Years ago, I was working at a community college and joined a group to get a union on campus, for without one teachers will get near nothing. Even with one they often don't get enough, but a union helps. But sometimes they even help in major ways, life saving even. In my case, I was between insurances when I was told I had cancer. And only with the help of the union was I able to get health insurance. The union had ensured people in my situation that even with one foot in the grave they would get access to good insurance. Most employers do not have such strong insurance obtainment policies for employees. To this day, I am literally alive because of the AFT (American Federation of Teachers). After that the AFT continued to help me on several occasions to obtain fair treatment. To continue the example.
At the time I was attending board meetings, the economy took a dive and cuts had to be made. Who was affected most? Faculty, staff, students. Classes were cut, adjuncts (non-guaranteed, semester to semester contracts) were left unemployed, fulltime were asked to retire early, and tuition fees were hiked. That may not be so bad in itself, but on the other end, I sat in meetings during this time while the president gave herself consecutive, back to back annual $25,000 increases while board members were giving themselves $7000, $10,000, $14,000 annual increases and so on.
More recently, during the fiscal pay-calendar shift (where pay is usually the last of the month but shifts in July to the 10th so teachers are going more than five weeks without pay), teacher after teacher was discovering that their pay was not coming on the 10th of July but the 31st, basically going two months without pay.
Upon calling the AFT, I was told that Payroll intentionally did not specifically warn instructors with a memo about the change (it was buried in the new contract with some vague language, that which the chair of my department had to read several times before she could make sense of it) because the district wanted to cause hardships so that the teachers would complain thus enabling a greater opportunity for additional monies to be place in the state budget for community colleges. Of course here we're talking about monies that would not necessarily be distributed to faculty or staff. It may be earmarked for them, but monies allocated by the state do not always get to their intended targets.
In effect, since the change was stated in the contract, no matter how vague, the AFT couldn't do anything, at least according to the president of the AFT local I spoke to.
Another thing to consider in your child's mistreatment and lack of regard expressed by the actions or inactions of the trustees is the fact that part-time faculty or adjuncts outnumber full time faculty by 60 to 40. The majority of teachers are adjuncts or temporary, semester by semester employees of a district so that money can be saved (i.e.: less money spent on pensions and benefits). This is solely done to save the district money.
Sounds good?
Guess again.
Because of this, along with the rule that an adjunct cannot teach more than 9 units in any given district, adjuncts (the majority of teachers) become freeway flyers, often going not only from college to college to college but district to district to make enough money to pay for the necessities. Along with this, most are not compensated for office time to meet with students. Some districts do compensate for an hour a week, but that's rare. Most give nothing or one district pays for one hour a month. Not many student issues can be addressed in such a short period of time.
So the problem is that students don't get the attention they deserve and teachers don't get the motivation they need to keep teaching. It's basically a lose / lose situation.
There are other injustices being incurred by your children too numerous to mention here, but the next time you hear colleges spouting a great mission statement be careful of the hype that most likely lies beneath it.
Nothing is as it seems? Yes, we can say that here, for certain.
Here we're not talking about faculty or staff but those who make the decisions. They are trustees (board members) and presidents. And this is a problem. Why? Because they do not live lives similar to that of students, faculty, or staff. Most live in comparative luxury looking to better their lot by keeping themselves--decision makers--around. If cuts need to be made, they will be done at the low end, getting rid of adjunct and fulltime faculty, staff, and by increasing fees, tuition, and so on.
Years ago, I was working at a community college and joined a group to get a union on campus, for without one teachers will get near nothing. Even with one they often don't get enough, but a union helps. But sometimes they even help in major ways, life saving even. In my case, I was between insurances when I was told I had cancer. And only with the help of the union was I able to get health insurance. The union had ensured people in my situation that even with one foot in the grave they would get access to good insurance. Most employers do not have such strong insurance obtainment policies for employees. To this day, I am literally alive because of the AFT (American Federation of Teachers). After that the AFT continued to help me on several occasions to obtain fair treatment. To continue the example.
At the time I was attending board meetings, the economy took a dive and cuts had to be made. Who was affected most? Faculty, staff, students. Classes were cut, adjuncts (non-guaranteed, semester to semester contracts) were left unemployed, fulltime were asked to retire early, and tuition fees were hiked. That may not be so bad in itself, but on the other end, I sat in meetings during this time while the president gave herself consecutive, back to back annual $25,000 increases while board members were giving themselves $7000, $10,000, $14,000 annual increases and so on.
More recently, during the fiscal pay-calendar shift (where pay is usually the last of the month but shifts in July to the 10th so teachers are going more than five weeks without pay), teacher after teacher was discovering that their pay was not coming on the 10th of July but the 31st, basically going two months without pay.
Upon calling the AFT, I was told that Payroll intentionally did not specifically warn instructors with a memo about the change (it was buried in the new contract with some vague language, that which the chair of my department had to read several times before she could make sense of it) because the district wanted to cause hardships so that the teachers would complain thus enabling a greater opportunity for additional monies to be place in the state budget for community colleges. Of course here we're talking about monies that would not necessarily be distributed to faculty or staff. It may be earmarked for them, but monies allocated by the state do not always get to their intended targets.
In effect, since the change was stated in the contract, no matter how vague, the AFT couldn't do anything, at least according to the president of the AFT local I spoke to.
Another thing to consider in your child's mistreatment and lack of regard expressed by the actions or inactions of the trustees is the fact that part-time faculty or adjuncts outnumber full time faculty by 60 to 40. The majority of teachers are adjuncts or temporary, semester by semester employees of a district so that money can be saved (i.e.: less money spent on pensions and benefits). This is solely done to save the district money.
Sounds good?
Guess again.
Because of this, along with the rule that an adjunct cannot teach more than 9 units in any given district, adjuncts (the majority of teachers) become freeway flyers, often going not only from college to college to college but district to district to make enough money to pay for the necessities. Along with this, most are not compensated for office time to meet with students. Some districts do compensate for an hour a week, but that's rare. Most give nothing or one district pays for one hour a month. Not many student issues can be addressed in such a short period of time.
So the problem is that students don't get the attention they deserve and teachers don't get the motivation they need to keep teaching. It's basically a lose / lose situation.
There are other injustices being incurred by your children too numerous to mention here, but the next time you hear colleges spouting a great mission statement be careful of the hype that most likely lies beneath it.
Nothing is as it seems? Yes, we can say that here, for certain.
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Top-level comments on this article: (10 total)I see you het the top of the heap, the "Bureaucrats." You are correct Jeff, a lot of students are not getting the attention that is needed. I somehow remember the teachers in my school days cherished their position as an educator. They respected the profession. Between then and now, somehow it has become a J O B, and a job of survival at that. This is a very good article.Yes, and a lot of that has to do with the economy, cost of living, savings rate falling and failing, etc. Few can financially afford to be teachers anymore, another issue. That along with the loss of control in the class room (one friend of mine using teaching as a stepping stone to another profession was told by teachers who had been at the school a long time that either he'd give in to student demand or quit) has resulted in 3 of 5 going into teaching as a means to get to another career. Thanks for reading / writing.
It's the same way in hospitals, Jeff.But I remember struggling through college algebra. Who finally got me through? An adjunct teacher, (with a long beard and REALLY long hair!). In your description of the abuses heaped on the adjuncts he popped into my mind. An amazing educator who I'm sure never got the recognition he deserved.Another AWESOME piece, Jeff-meister.Yeah, for some reason some stay on against the odds to teach, but because of the nature / structure of the system only a fraction of what should be accomplished is being accomplished. So many students--I'm guessing upwards of 90%--fail because no one is preparing them for the rigors of reality. Too much here to even begin to go into detail. Another article to come, for sure. Thanks for the read / write.
Great article. Well done.I recall reading about ex NASA Administrator Sean O' Keefe he took a job as president of a universtity for an anual salary of... wait for it... half a million dollars a year. SOme sources will have us belive he took a large pay cut.Yes, that's where people go, career trackers, to make the money. It's certainly not being made in the teaching ranks, and with cost of living going up, up fewer and fewer will be able to afford to teach. Sad but true and a major reason why 3 out of 5 teachers use teaching as a stepping stone to other professions.
Here in Austin we have a different problem: if you play on the UT football team, you are exempt from learning anything. Sure, you have to read (kind of) and write (kind of), but the main goal is to play football. Football in this town (and this state) overwhelms everything, and those going to UT who don't play work harder to get the same grades. Any football coach making more than a couple of million a year, at the college level, should be ashamed of himself. Couldn't that money be better spent on teachers, equipment (not helmets and pads), and raising the level of education?Well done.Yeah, I know football in TX is king. I love football, but not religiously. And your point about money better spent, those at the top being in control use it as they see fit. In California--as in other states, I'm sure--even the money earmarked for teacher salary increases don't always reach their intended mark. Those at the top controlling its distribution. Or another thing I see is colleges getting beautiful new buildings and other infrastructure addons while classes are canceled and teachers lose jobs. Thanks for the read / write.
Hi Jeff.Thank you for this very informative and insightful well written article. I am flabbergasted about how extensive the problem is. Jeff, can we send your article to the Secretary of Education?I am truly honored, humbled and above all, grateful that you joined my fan club.Very sincerely,NenitaWell, I went into business to aid students and provide a general understanding of the issues behind education and its dire need for reform, and that being reform different from what most are speaking to. Thanks for the read / write.
Nothing is, Jeff...I'm like WOW on this write, Jeff. It always seem as if the 'low-man' gets the riff, when in actuality, it's the 'low-man' that is doing all the hard work! Thanks for sharing this with us.Sad but true. Thanks Ronyae.
I'm glad AFT advocated for your health care. I can see why you would be so passionate about this issue.Yes, I literally owe them my life. Thanks for reading / writing.
Ahh! I don't need to read this as my son packs for college! (Luckily I am a skeptic at heart.)Well, college is good, but way too many students go off ill prepared for the challenges of not only college (it dispenses knowledge, but really does little else) but career and life. They need a wise, informed ear to lean on. Thanks for reading.
Hi Jeff,I can certainly identify with your article. I am a student whose fees are increased every year; witness the exodus of lecturers; pay for accommodation yet deprived of some facilities which I pay for. And sometimes we students wonder what our monies are used for.Yes, too many teacher and students not getting what they deserve, what colleges should be about. But too many elitists use it for their own purposes. Thanks for commenting.
I will totally agree with you. When I started college in July'01, it was a unique experience for me. I never understood why my parents spent all their heard earned money that took them a lifetime to earn for my 4 years of college. I have seen and encountered people who are dropouts from high school, who are doing better than what I am doing right now. As a matter of fact, this morning on msnbc, there was a discussion on the BS delivered in business school and the BS here does not stand for BacherlorSHow right you are. I have heard over and again, time and again from those in business who are doing well for themselves how much college was a waste of time for them. For me? I went to school to be a computer programmer, never used what I learned in the real world. Same with teaching at the college level. I received a degree in English / Creative Writing but taught composition / grammar neither of which I was required to take. Sad but true. My friends with PhDs are struggling. The college and high school drop outs are thriving. There's got to be something wrong with this picture, yes? Thanks for reading and commenting.
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