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lydamorehouse Um, so, remember when I was like, "Ah, I guess the Loft is okay? They accepted my class!"
They just pulled it randomly. LIke, it was supposed to start on Sept. 20, and I got, instead this e-mail, this morning:
I was immediately suspicious since listing me as a manuscript critiquer/editor literally costs them nothing. I mean, outside of whatever they pay to keep their web server running. I can't see how NOT offering a class improves their budget, although I suspect that Wet.ink does cost them to continue. Likewise, I have very rarely had an evaluation that could be considered lukewarm, even. Most of my evaluations (unless there are some they have not shared with me) have been glowing. The other two things "programmatic priorities" and "strategic engagements" sound like CYA corporate-speak to me, so I mean, I guess I could be in violation of those, since they are nonsense terms.
But, then I get a panicked email of a friend of mine that has signed up for the class who is concerned that either I, or my wife, has had an accident and/or is in the hospital, because this is what they wrote to my students--making it seem as though I have chosen to cancel the class.
THEY LIED. They very much implied that I cancelled this class. There is no teaching artist conflict, unless that covers "we fired this teacher vindictively" as a conflict which they do, in fact have, since they created it.
If you have been following along you know why this happened.
If not, I will try to tell this story briefly. I did make a thread of it on BlueSky, but I know not everyone is there (or even wants to be.) The short of it is, I yelled.
To be clear, OVER A YEAR AGO NOW, I yelled at some Loft staff because, two weeks before I was set to teach a class for teens, they informed me that I had a co-teacher. You heard that right, a CO-teacher. Someone whose name, I suddenly realized, had been appearing on all the advertisements for this class! Someone I didn't know. At all. Someone who does not, in fact, write science fiction--although might have been working on a YA novel with some fantasy elements?
When I asked what was going on, I was told that this other person (K) would be taking over the second half of the day, because their market research showed that parents of teens want full day classes, not the half day I'd proposed. This change? Not reflected in my contract, btw. They also "assured" me that the other person wouldn't be trying to teach science fiction and fantasy, that was still MY job, but they'd just do activities to fill in the rest of the day.
Okay, so I was mad.
I told them flat out that if I were a parent (or, worse, a nerdy kid) who had signed up for a class on writing science/fiction and fantasy, that's NOT what I'd want? Not one half what I signed up for and one half busywork. I also told them that they had to change the website to reflect what they were really offering and not make it look like K was a legitimate co-teacher, because co-teacher implies that she designed the course with me and she did not. I also aske to see what kinds of activities K was doing so that I could maybe build on what she'd planned so that we could have something that felt more like a unified and planned course? I also told that that while I was mad at them, I was most angry on behalf of my students, to whom I felt I OWED the experience that they had paid good money for.
In the end, my part of the class was not the best I've ever taught. I will admit that. Even though my evaluations came back mostly positive, I know that having K waiting in the wings (though I only saw her once, even though I asked if we could maybe debrief so that we, again, could have a unified sense of the temperature of the class that day) eroded my confidence in my abilities. However, I have taught at the Loft for a long time and figured this was just a bump in the road.
Until I got called into the main building for a "chat" with the Director of Education (an ally, it turned out) but who did tell me that I was persona non gratis among much of the education committee because of the stink I'd raised. Even though, at the time, the person who just sent me this e-mail y(and who is, incidentally, the person I yelled at) praised me for my professionalism in the end.
The good news is, as you all know, I have been expecting this? I was, in fact, surprised that my class was approved since the Education Director who was my ally quit and went on to work elsewhere. So, now I have to get serious about figuring out how to teach (if that's what I want to do) on my own, without the Loft.
It all seems easy until I get to the part where I have to collect money from people. Like, I know how to advertise and use Zoom or rent spaces if I want in-person. But, the financial aspect scares the crap out of me. I don't even balance my own checkbook because I'm THAT BAD at math and finances.
They just pulled it randomly. LIke, it was supposed to start on Sept. 20, and I got, instead this e-mail, this morning:
Dear Lyda,
The Loft is streamlining some of our course offerings and services including scaling back and phasing out some of our Manuscript Critique engagements and our asynchronous course offerings using the WetInk platform. These decisions are based on budgetary constraints, participant feedback, changes in programmatic priorities, and a desire for more strategic engagements with teaching artists. Unfortunately, this impacts our work with you. We will be phasing out our use of Wet Ink and canceling the "Mars Needs Writers" flex online asynchronous class proposed for Fall 2023. In addition, we are revising our list of recommended editors and will no longer list you as an editor for the Loft's manuscript critique services.
Thank you for your contributions and wishing you the best,
[name redacted]
[name redacted]
I was immediately suspicious since listing me as a manuscript critiquer/editor literally costs them nothing. I mean, outside of whatever they pay to keep their web server running. I can't see how NOT offering a class improves their budget, although I suspect that Wet.ink does cost them to continue. Likewise, I have very rarely had an evaluation that could be considered lukewarm, even. Most of my evaluations (unless there are some they have not shared with me) have been glowing. The other two things "programmatic priorities" and "strategic engagements" sound like CYA corporate-speak to me, so I mean, I guess I could be in violation of those, since they are nonsense terms.
But, then I get a panicked email of a friend of mine that has signed up for the class who is concerned that either I, or my wife, has had an accident and/or is in the hospital, because this is what they wrote to my students--making it seem as though I have chosen to cancel the class.
Subject: CANCELLED: Mars Needs Writers! Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy for Publication
Hello Loft students,
I hope you are doing well. I'm writing because you are currently registered for Mars Needs Writers! Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy for Publication, which was set to start on Wednesday, September 20th. Unfortunately, I'm writing to let you know that this class has been cancelled due to a teaching artist conflict.
We'd be happy to transfer you into another class and simply charge or refund the tuition difference.
THEY LIED. They very much implied that I cancelled this class. There is no teaching artist conflict, unless that covers "we fired this teacher vindictively" as a conflict which they do, in fact have, since they created it.
If you have been following along you know why this happened.
If not, I will try to tell this story briefly. I did make a thread of it on BlueSky, but I know not everyone is there (or even wants to be.) The short of it is, I yelled.
To be clear, OVER A YEAR AGO NOW, I yelled at some Loft staff because, two weeks before I was set to teach a class for teens, they informed me that I had a co-teacher. You heard that right, a CO-teacher. Someone whose name, I suddenly realized, had been appearing on all the advertisements for this class! Someone I didn't know. At all. Someone who does not, in fact, write science fiction--although might have been working on a YA novel with some fantasy elements?
When I asked what was going on, I was told that this other person (K) would be taking over the second half of the day, because their market research showed that parents of teens want full day classes, not the half day I'd proposed. This change? Not reflected in my contract, btw. They also "assured" me that the other person wouldn't be trying to teach science fiction and fantasy, that was still MY job, but they'd just do activities to fill in the rest of the day.
Okay, so I was mad.
I told them flat out that if I were a parent (or, worse, a nerdy kid) who had signed up for a class on writing science/fiction and fantasy, that's NOT what I'd want? Not one half what I signed up for and one half busywork. I also told them that they had to change the website to reflect what they were really offering and not make it look like K was a legitimate co-teacher, because co-teacher implies that she designed the course with me and she did not. I also aske to see what kinds of activities K was doing so that I could maybe build on what she'd planned so that we could have something that felt more like a unified and planned course? I also told that that while I was mad at them, I was most angry on behalf of my students, to whom I felt I OWED the experience that they had paid good money for.
In the end, my part of the class was not the best I've ever taught. I will admit that. Even though my evaluations came back mostly positive, I know that having K waiting in the wings (though I only saw her once, even though I asked if we could maybe debrief so that we, again, could have a unified sense of the temperature of the class that day) eroded my confidence in my abilities. However, I have taught at the Loft for a long time and figured this was just a bump in the road.
Until I got called into the main building for a "chat" with the Director of Education (an ally, it turned out) but who did tell me that I was persona non gratis among much of the education committee because of the stink I'd raised. Even though, at the time, the person who just sent me this e-mail y(and who is, incidentally, the person I yelled at) praised me for my professionalism in the end.
The good news is, as you all know, I have been expecting this? I was, in fact, surprised that my class was approved since the Education Director who was my ally quit and went on to work elsewhere. So, now I have to get serious about figuring out how to teach (if that's what I want to do) on my own, without the Loft.
It all seems easy until I get to the part where I have to collect money from people. Like, I know how to advertise and use Zoom or rent spaces if I want in-person. But, the financial aspect scares the crap out of me. I don't even balance my own checkbook because I'm THAT BAD at math and finances.