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Statement of Purpose for COPTEC

The part-time educators phenomenon has been around for a very long time and is all too common within the field of ESL across the United States, if not worldwide. School districts across the United States employ thousands of professional ESL instructors regularly, usually at low salaries and with reduced (if not absent) benefits. Citing the "cost-effectiveness" of such a system, these same districts defend the policy and continue to hire part-timers. Although they are as dedicated as their full-time colleagues, part-timers feel the pressure of underpay, little recognition, low morale, and stress from lack of job security. What can be done to address and improve the situation? 

Goals

Goals for the Caucus on Part-time Employment Concerns (COPTEC) are as follows:

• submit articles on part-time condition to TESOL publications to raise awareness of the situation and encourage more in our profession to speak out on the issue
• set up and manage a presence at future TESOL conventions to inform all interested parties of caucus and convention events, publish newsletters on developments regarding part-timers in general and in given notable cases, such as what's happening in other regions with respect to part-timers
• provide formal meeting opportunities at TESOL conventions and other professional functions for colleagues to meet, discuss, and forge connections; to raise morale and keep communication lines open and running.
• encourage informal gathering outside of TESOL convention time to offer members and interested parties the opportunity to further meet and share experiences and issues of concern in a relaxed, casual atmosphere
• publish a part-timers' newsletter containing articles of interest specifically to those who work part-time, or work alongside many peers of such status
• develop an action plan to encourage individuals and organizations (e.g., school administrators, accreditation associations, unions, legislators, and other professional associations) to work toward addressing the concerns and improving the working conditions of part-time faculty
• raise the awareness of TESOL membership in general by showing, through our own caucus within the organization, that part-timers are a dynamic, serious, and vital element within our profession
• compile and make available to interested TESOL members a list of part-timers' concerns, taken from research and feedback within the caucus membership

History

A task force, composed of ESL educators--both full- and part-time--met at the 1995 TESOL convention in Long Beach, California, to address the issue. Each member reported how part-timers were viewed by accreditation agencies across the country, within each of the six accreditation regions. From this task force grew an interest to expand the notion of part-timer representation within TESOL: Why not campaign to form a bona fide caucus for part-timers' concerns, open to all concerned TESOL members, regardless of full- or part-time status? Support for the caucus has been strong and widespread. The steering committee gathered signatures of support from around the United States, thus earning approval by the TESOL Board of Directors in 1996.

Leaders

For questions or comments, please e-mail coptec@tesol.org.