Re “The Offer from ACE”
I find the quote by Debbie Hamme, President of the ACE union, alarming. She is quoted as saying, “(The union’s proposal to the School District for the adjuncts at El Marino Language School) protects the positions of all the existing adjuncts and it is totally affordable.”
What and from whom do the adjuncts need protection?
Has anyone asked them if they felt like they needed “protection?”
While it is valiant of ACE to rush to the aid of the adjuncts, are they in need of protecting?
The only threat to them seems to be demands from ACE.
The adjunct program has been humming along for over two decades. What has changed that suddenly the adjunct positions need protection?
Is it that their hours might be cut by (the parent booster club) ALLEM (Advocates for Language Learning, El Marino)?
An adjunct’s hours will be cut if not enough money is raised to pay them. They know this, and this is why the parents work so hard to raise enough money.
Is it that they might be let go? The teachers at El Marino inform ALLEM if an adjunct is not working out in their classroom. Openings at ALLEM are rare. Many of the (20) employees have been there for over a decade.
So why is ACE jumping on the white steed and rushing to their rescue?
As for the words, “totally affordable,” what on earth does that mean?
At present ALLEM has no overhead, no paid administrators, consultants or others who run the adjunct program.
If that isn’t affordable, I don’t know what is. The hardworking folks over at ALLEM work like crazy putting on fundraisers, and the adjuncts are paid solely by the efforts of these people.
Affordable?
What does that mean?
Does it mean that there will only be a slight charge, or that the wages will be raised, or what?
Why should ALLEM have to raise any more funds to run its program?
Is ACE offering to help pay for the adjuncts by contributing to ALLEM, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. That would certainly make the program more affordable.
I look forward to learning the details of ACE’s “offer,” and most importantly the District’s response.
Ms. Wallace, former ALLEM president, may be contacted at ms.james648@earthlink.net
