10 days from being homeless with link to GoFundMe

[citizen blues]

I tried to get off the adjunct merry-go-round by getting additional training in instructional design. I slammed out a Masters degree in information technology in 15 months while working PT as an online GTA. My ultimate goals was to relocate from Oregon to my home state of Colorado to be near my family and stop being so isolated. I even submitted for early retirement, so I could cash out my very meager adjunct pension to cover the moving expenses. Things have not worked out.

1) I don't have the software skills I need to be truly marketable, so I'm applying for adjunct positions again.
2) I didn't know I was vested until late May, and the state moves very slow on such things - as in months.
3) I'm trying to sell most of what I have to raise the money to move what's not sold into storage.
4) I started a fundraiser on FB, that's raised $500 which paid for half of July's rent.
5) I have to be out of my apartment July 16th.

Not sure what else to do. I'm scared and trying not despair. Thanks for listening.

As suggested when I originally posted this, I've started a GoFundMe and I'm sharing it here:

Avoiding Homelessness

[ProudLib72]

1. Ideas

I was in your position for the last year, and it is scary as hell! Here are some of the things I have learned that might be useful.

1. Where are you adjuncting and are there any more adjuncting possibilities nearby? I was an adjunct for a long, long time, so I know that networking with different schools is the only way to stay afloat.

2. Have you looked around for free lance work? I know it's really lame and risky, but I see a heck of a lot of smaller opportunities on craigslist.

3. A corollary to number 2: Are there any professional organizations you can become involved in? I'm being totally serious here: look on meetup for groups and google around to see if there are any organizations.

4. If you aren't already, you should be on Linkedin. Learn how to really use it. CO has some job force programs with several different seminars to teach you resume writing, interviewing strategies, and how to network using Linkedin.

[citizen blues]

5. Thank you for the tips

I've been adjuncting at 2 and 3 schools at a time for 6 years. I might be able to get on temporarily or even as subsitute at a 4-week session private language school.

I'm looking at online ESOL opportunities overseas as well as domestic ones. I have not checked Craigslist yet. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for the tip. I will definitely do so now.

I'm already on LinkedIn and quickly becoming proficient with it. I've also gotten help with my resume and interviewing strategies.


I took a break from being an adjunct, so I could go for instructional design training in an effort to get out of the adjunct world. I have found out through interviews that I don't have critical software skills to be truly marketable. Apparently, the program I was in hires their students right after they graduate to teach the classes they just took. The end result is that they're recycling materials and are not keeping up with industry standards. So, I'm back to looking for adjunct opportunities, etc. for now. I'm planning to use Lynda.com and/or Coursera to fill the gaps in my training.

To put in over a year, not to mention the money and the effort, to have this outcome...it's going to be a long while before I finish sorting through how angry I am. Sorry for the rant.

[ProudLib72]

9. I hear ya!

Lynda is good. You might also check around on meetup. I know a couple of software design schools here in Boulder, CO that use meetup as a platform to attract new students. I took a three hour intro to javascript class for free!

I was adjuncting as an English prof for 18 years. Then I found out about the alternative licensure program that CO offers. I just got hired to teach middle school, and I don't have a teaching license! You mentioned you were thinking of returning to CO, so you might look into the program.

[citizen blues]

11. Thank you!

I am returning to Colorado. I will definitely check into the alternative licensure program. I have a BA in technical writing, an MA TESOL, and just completed the MS Ed Information Technology.

I'm going to be living near my daughter in Loveland, but Boulder's my home town. I will look for those software design schools and check around on meetup too!

Thank you, again!

[ProudLib72]

13. The class I took for free was through Galvanize. They are in Boulder and Denver

There are also shorter programs through Boulder Digital Arts. When I was contemplating going into web design, everyone I spoke with told me not to take a bunch of classes. They said I should just work with free programs online or take stand alone classes like the ones Boulder Digital Arts offers. Then I should work up a portfolio. I am not much of a freelance type, so I didn't pursue it.

Here is the link to the CDE Alternative Teaching license: https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprof/checklist-alt_teacher

You need to figure out what subject area you would be able to teach (TESOL most likely), send in your transcripts and resume, and see what the CDE says. It costs $90 to apply for the license, and you can apply without being hired yet. They then give you one year to find a full time teaching position and enroll in an alternative licensing program. I was going to go through the program at UCD, but I ended up so far away that I will just be going through the eastern CO BOCES.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. At the risk of sounding truly heartless,

I'm going to say get any kind of work you can. Even retail. Anything that brings in some money is better than nothing at all.

[citizen blues]

6. I completely agree!

I know I'm having to down-sell big-time! Otherwise, I get passed over for being overqualified.

[MLAA]

3. You have your first donation 😉. Good luck!

[citizen blues]

7. Thank you! nt

[redwitch]

4. Kicking!

Come on DU!

[citizen blues]

8. Thank you! nt

[trueblue2007]

10. I SHARED ON FACEBOOK AND MY TWITTER. I donated to your fund. Good Luck and God Bless You.

[citizen blues]

12. Thank you so much!

Many blessings to you too!

[Rhiannon12866]

14. Pitched in plus K&R!

Wishing you all the best and please keep us updated about how you're doing!

[mnhtnbb]

15. Kicking.

[Niagara]

16. Kicking for visibility!

[hunter]

17. As someone who has NEVER had his life completely together, not even in "success..."

... I've depended on the kindness of family, friends, and strangers more times than I care to admit.

The most awful times in my life have been when I didn't feel I could go home to anyone. Most of those times my fears were unfounded.

I learned, maybe in my mid-twenties, not to alienate those who would scrape my road kill self off the streets.

[redwitch]

18. This post made me want to laugh and cry at the same time.

Your road kill self! Know the feeling all too well.

[citizen blues]

21. Thank you for sharing this

It's a good reminder to me to find the courage to ask for help sometimes. I sometimes isolate when things are at their worst. This whole experience has been teaching me to do the opposite.

[mnhtnbb]

19. Kicking again for visibility.

[citizen blues]

20. Thank you!!! nt

[DFW]

22. I almost never jump into these things for fear of being scammed

Making an exception in your case!! Best of luck!

[citizen blues]

23. Thank you! nt

[DFW]

25. No need to "find the words."

I just hope it helps!

[citizen blues]

27. Thank you! nt

[NJCher]

24. write the head of the pensions fund

and copy the governor. Make sure you are clear that it's the adjunct pay that has caused this problem and also the fact that there are no career opportunities for adjuncts. No career path. You, however, have created a way out and you just need a little help to tide you over until your plan is complete.

When you write to the head of the pensions fund, ask for your case to be given priority.

I think anyone would want to help you in such a situation since you have clearly initiated very practical plans of your own. No plan is perfect, and yours just needs a little adjustment.

Another suggestion is to contact your union executive board. If you have been a dues-paying member, they may be able to help you. Sometimes they will give you a cash grant in such a situation. In addition to checking with the local, visit the national union's home page and see if they have anything to offer. They might even have some jobs open now for canvassing for new members.

[citizen blues]

29. I like this idea.

I hadn't thought of the union, but I'm not a dues paying member right now. I also thought I was going to be substitute this past year, but was terminated last August. Probably because I'm an adjunct. That means my employment ended 6 months too early for me not to have to pay federal and state taxes on my pension. (28%)

Yeah, it's been one big clusterfuck!

I will definitely check into the union. And write the head of the pension and the governor's office.

[AJT]

26. Just donated

[citizen blues]

28. Thank you! nt

[redwitch]

30. I hope things are looking up for you.

I have been watching the progress of the go fund me page and hoping it can get you on solid ground and home to Colorado.

[tanyev]

31. Kicking.

[Skittles]

32. question

you have an Masters in information technology but no software skills?

[citizen blues]

33. Good Question

I know that seems strange. I do have some software skills and know my way around multiple LMSs, but that's from job experience and what I've taught myself.

Everything I heard about the program I went to before I went was how great it was. Once I was in it, I found out how out of date it was. For example, I took a class in video production which met once a week for 3 hours. The instructor lectured and shared a few tutorials for the first hour, then we worked on things the the rest of the time. While I did learn some new stuff in terms of filming strategies and sound, we were solely using iMovie for our actual production when Camtasia is the software I've found listed on job descriptions and understand from people in the field is what's most commonly used in the industry. When I took this class, I already knew I needed Camtasia and had access to it on a work computer, so I did my homework after hours and taught myself the basics of using it. I ended up feeling like I had paid graduate tuition for a class I could have just as easily taken at a community college.

Another example was a class that based on its title and description, I thought would talk about current trends in info tech and ed tech. Instead, we read negative article after negative article about the woes of social media. We even read about software like "Oregon Trails," but didn't even touch on where to find and evaluate current educational apps or tell if they are FERPA compliant. I know from a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) class I took 6 years ago at another university that there's a lot being done out there in education with augmented reality, but that wasn't even mentioned. Instead, we jumped from 20 years ago to 20 years in the future with little being relevant to today.

Articulate was offered for the first time (and only time) while I was there. I got the basics of it, but can't even begin to estimate how many hours I spent reading or watching tutorials on my own to do so. Adobe products were not offered at all, and what I've learned by looking for work and being interviewed is that Adobe Pro-Suite is in high demand. Having at least an intermediate proficiency on Adobe Captivate seems to be a bare minimum. Another thing that's not offered, but I've been able to pick up the basics of is HTML although I still don't know CSS.

What's sad is that when the program began, it was a really good program. It was structured well and encompassed current trends at that time. What's happened is that they have continuously hired students who have just graduated to teach the classes - at times it's been the very next term after they graduate. This is called academic incest, and there's a reason it's frowned upon. The end result is that old materials are being endlessly recycled.

[Skittles]

34. it is hard keeping up in IT

Last edited Sat Jul 13, 2019, 04:42 AM - Edit history (1)

I know, because I have been in the field for decades. I have had to constantly learn new things, which is as much a curse as it is a blessing. It's not an easy field to be in, especially if you are American - it's like having a constant target on your back. I know that the college instructor field has seen a lot of upheaval and uncertainty too.

Wishing you luck.

[Demovictory9]

35. ..

[citizen blues]

36. ...

[redwitch]

37. How are you doing?

Checking in to let you know I am thinking about you and hoping your situation is improving!

[citizen blues]

38. Thank you for asking!

Well, I got moved out of my apartment in what turned out to be an incredibly stressful move since I really didn't have much support from people I know where I live. Fortunately, I was able to get help cheap! I sold almost all of my furniture, so everything fit into one of those small U-boxes from Uhaul, which they are storing until I move.

I also had acquaintances offer me a place to stay. I can't thank them enough! Wonderful, wonderful people. Once things get sorted out financially, I do want to pay them something for rent. It may not be a lot, but I am certainly committed to paying their kindness forward!

Now, that I'm out of my place and in an okay space, I've turned my attention to the job search. I've been contacted by a recruiter for one job and have a phone interview for another job I applied for. It's also the time that the teaching positions I applied for should start calling, so I'm doing my best to stay focused, update job sites and continue to put in resumes daily!

I'm also going to be talking to my union rep at my last job to find out more about my pension, why it's taking so long, and how they are figuring the disbursement amount. One way or another, it's not passing the smell test.

My biggest concerns now are having the money come in to move and securing the job to sustain myself in Colorado. The rest I can figure out when I get there.

I do want to say a HUGE Thank you to everyone who donated and supported me here. I've raised enough to pay my first month's rent in Colorado which is due August 1st and sustain myself in the meantime. Still doing my best to stay focused and stay positive.

[redwitch]

39. I am glad you got through the move.

A job offer or two and things will be looking up! Hang in there!

[redwitch]

40. Good morning.

Checking in to see how you are doing.

[citizen blues]

41. Sorry for being offline for a while...

My retirement came through the same day I had an interview with a company that ended with them asking when I would be in Colorado. They said they were planning to interview within a week and half, so I moved within 5 days. The wife of the couple of who took me in is a bus driver and is off for the summer. She offered to drive out with me if I would fly her home. We made it in two days and were exhausted by the time we got here.

I let the company know I'm here, but I haven't heard anything back. My belongings didn't show up for a week, and I've had to buy furniture (Marketplace). I'm still looking for a job. I'm going to start teaching online. Pay isn't great, but it will help cover the bills. I will also keep looking for something else. Not out of the woods yet, but getting closer. Just extremely frustrated with the job situation.

[redwitch]

42. Thanks for the update, glad you made it to CO and got your retirement pay.

Sending good energy for a good job!