In the state courts, two separate groups of part-time instructors have filed two class action lawsuits against the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges. Some teachers estimate that they spend twice as much time preparing for class as they do teaching the material. Yet they can't bill the college for that extra time spent. Full-time faculty members have salaried positions that factor those extra duties in. But not part-timers.
Responsible teaching involves meeting with students, preparing tests, grading papers.
Yet we're only paid for showing up in class. College administrations are evidently taking advantage of this group. That's an overwhelming 71 percent. And, the Washington Federation of Teachers points out, at some campuses, part-timers actually teach half the classes. Earl Hale, the director of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, says he would like to pay part-time instructors more.