Part-Time College Teachers

Larry Gordon’s article on part-time college teachers was an accurate picture of an unfortunate system (“Campuses Part With Part-Timers,” Part I, Aug. 1). As a six-year veteran of part-time English/ESL teaching in the community colleges, I would add only a few points.

Gordon refers to the “caste system.” This means that part-time teachers have either no office at all or one far removed from those of other members of the department. As a part-timer, when I passed tenured teachers in the hall, I was either ignored or given the barest of acknowledgements in response to my greetings. Although I had the same requisite education as they did, I was invisible.

However, there is a middle ground between being a part-timer and being a full-time teacher: for one year in every three-year contract period, a part-timer may be chosen to be a long-term substitute. This means a full class load, full salary and benefits, and, remarkably, acceptance by the other teachers as an equal. Twice during my six years I was anointed to be a long-term sub, and suddenly I was greeted by name and listened to at faculty meetings. I was encouraged to work on committees and asked to carry an extra class for a teacher who was unable to continue. Of course, I took the extra responsibilities, hoping that they might lead to a full-time job.

But the next semester I was back to being a part-timer and had regained my former invisibility. My former office mate who only the semester before had regaled me at length now barely twitched his mouth as we passed in the hall. Sic transit gloria .

During my last year of teaching I started working as a consultant and decided to leave classroom teaching. Of course, having decided to quit, I was then called by three colleges to interview for full-time jobs. I did not accept the interviews. I miss my students, but I do not miss the hypocrisy of many of the tenured teachers.

JUDITH R. BIRNBERG

Sherman Oaks