So like the title says, I am a social work intern operating in the capacity of a case manager/tech support/ substitute teacher role at a vocational training organization for adult learners, which specifically works with marginalized communities in our area. We work with almost entirely women currently and mostly individuals of South and Central American origin or ethnicity. And in my time worker here I am so incredibly disgusted by how our society works. Though this last few weeks have really been the last straw.
The program I am working with has recently partnered with LifeSpan. Anyone who isn't in the North East will not know, but Lifespan is a massive medical conglomerate that practically owns all the healthcare services in the New England area. They are actually the largest employer in my state which is disgusting, especially with how they run things. I am a social worker so I know I fall on the more liberal progressive side of ideology, but this stuff is like a few steps above slave labor.
So all the students are adults +18, almost all of the students have children (most have multiple), have survived some kind of trauma, and a majority have had to do the damn near impossible task of immigrating to this country and adjusting to life here. Lifespan does not treat these individuals like people at all. The students are on a “points system” where if they get 10 points they will be kicked from the program and possibly lose benefits or in some instances could face deportation. Students can get points for being 1 MINUTE late to class (3 points), missing class (5points), Smoking or vaping (5points), inappropriate language (3points), late work (1 point), dress code infractions as in wearing clothes that allow tattoos to be visible (5points) oh and social media posts that violate the behavioral standards of the program (10 points). All the students were drug tested prior to entering the program and are tested regularly throughout the program.
I brought up the racist nature of point systems and drug testing to my boss, who at first challenged my assessment of how these systems can be racist. After showing her the proof that they are she simply laughed at how those who systems like this are designed to hurt are pretty much the main demographic of those who we work with… This same administrator has openly told students that, and this is a direct quote “you need to work your lives around the program, this is your priority and should be the only thing that matters to you” Mind you she has said this to students who are parents about coming in 10 – 15 minutes late because their kids school starts at the exact same time as the program does. (I also have this same problem, my kiddo's school starts the same time my work day starts. I am allowed the accommodation to come in late, my students are not)
Also you may be like “oh a point system isn't that bad, there needs to be accountability”. Wrong! Students will be marked absent from a class if there camera isn't on in an online class (many students have shit internet and utilizing a camera in zoom meetings gobbles up the bandwidth and they tend to drop the zoom meeting). Students will also be marked absent if they have tech issues and the instructor finds to too frustrating to deal with (as they often do). And I am serious about the being 1 minute late thing. I thought it was hyperbole when I looked at the “infractions” list and saw it bolded that late is anything more than 1 minute late. Well today I substituted for a class and looked at the attendance. There were notes on the students were the instructor was like (1 minute late, 2 minutes late, camera off for 5 minutes, camera off first 10 minutes, and so on…)
Oh and I am saving the best for last, the instructors are freaken racist. Like straight up saying racist stuff about minority students during staff meetings and the administrators don't even bat an eye at. For example this instructor often characterizes Latinx students as lazy, unintelligent and not caring about their work. She actually called a student the other day “simple” and said that their was something not right about them. This was moments after finding out that this student was experiencing a serious life crisis. This same instructor has also complained and criticized students for speaking their native languages during breaks. As well as expressing extreme frustration that she can (these are her words) that she can tell the students have to translate in their heads what she is saying before they understand. Like no shit, most people think in their native language… This same instructor has also accused students of being “disrespectful” or “unprofessional” when they don't use perfect grammar and syntax in their emails. I email the students regularly and can always understand what they are conveying to me despite them mixing up word orders or similar issues.
The one thing that really pissed me off though and like I took personally is how the instructors often claim that the students don't care or are not trying when the test scores are low. They don't think critically and think maybe they are just not doing a good job teaching. I have actually taught classes with these students as well as work closely with them for their emotional/ psychosocial needs. ALL of my students want to be in this program and have high hopes for what it means for their futures. All the students try their hardest to succeed…
I talked with my instructor for my internship and he is also concerned about what is happening at my location and is going to try and get some accountability going. I don't even feel like this post does what is going on justice or express my concern for my students. They are all under an immense amount of stress due in part to the demanding nature of the course material. Then the program is adding all this extra stress on top of it. I had to sub today and I hadn't sent out the zoom link like a half hour before the class was set to begin and ALL the students were freaking out and messaging the teacher I am subbing for stressed about being late or getting marked absent. This is not even mentioning the stress that comes with being a minority in the US as well as what these students have going on in their lives (COVID, kids, families, housing, employment and food insecurities, etc.)