School district/staff issues

[packrat]

Has anyone who works for a school district ever taken on the Superintendent and not lost their job? Ha, even typing that has me looking around, waiting for the axe to fall.

This is my second year working for the school. It's really opened my eyes to what teachers deal with on a yearly basis. I don't like it, but I'm not sure what exactly is considered "normal" that is just part of being in education and you just are expected to suck it up and deal w/it, and what is wrong. Such as, suspected misappropriation of program funds, being forced to work and not being paid for it, being forced to take time off b/c aides in the other buildings have to take time off and it has to be "fair", having non employees come in and do work on the building b/c the proper (janitorial/maintenance) staff refuses, being forced to choose between working when very ill b/c there is no one to sub for you or going home and leaving your coworkers short. (when a lot of the time if you go home, legally the program is over ratio and should be shut down) That kind of stuff.

This year is starting off horribly, and I just wonder what a person could do about it. Are these things just part and parcel with working in education?

 

[sonnyjane]

My mom has been teaching for 38 years and based on how many tears she has shed to me over the phone, I hate to tell you that I think it's par for the course... Eventually if you're lucky, the bad principal/superintendent/teacher next door, etc. moves on or is fired but that only solves that problem. The budget cuts, the asking you to work extra for free, the "you only get 18 minutes for lunch and you have to eat your lunch with your students", the "you can't go to the bathroom for your entire 8 hour day because you can't leave your kids unattended and that's why you're currently in the ER with a kidney stone", the "you're teaching 2nd grade this year so go out and buy all those supplies...oh wait... now you're teaching 5th grade, OOPS! hope you saved the receipts!" is standard among my mom, her friends, and my younger teaching friends.

 

[TooPatient]

We have a friend who was a teacher for several decades. She retired last school year for just exactly those problems and others. She tried to fight stuff and got no where. (She was in a position where her family didn't need her income so was able to really fight some stuff.)

One of my aunts is also a teacher and has been for 20+ years and she's dealt with similar stuff too.

 

[packrat]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I figured it was just how it is. I'm not a teacher getting salary, I'm an hourly punching the clock employee, so I thought maybe things were different. It's hard to stand up to the powers that be when you, your coworkers and the program itself, the kids and the kids' parents are getting shafted. It's to the point that we talked the other day that our program might lose funding and we'd be let go. Even tho *we're* not the ones that "lost" over 100k, being part of a 5 star program and having it shut down would be black marks for us. Husband is fed up and making comments that I need to look for a different job or a supplemental job.

 

[Lulie]

You’re witnessing is a broken system. I would listen to my husband just this time

 

[packrat]

I had *no* idea it was this messed up. I knew it was to a certain extent, basically every system we have in place is ridiculous in some way shape or form.

And it's not even just the system itself being screwed up, cuz lord knows we don't have enough committee's for everything on the face of the planet, it's the district too. I'd done a thread on going back to school to become a teacher just a couple weeks ago, before the crap really started to hit the fan here, and now it's like well shoot, at least I'd be making over 3 times what I do now, and even tho I'd be putting in a lot of hours at least the extra money would be there. Jeez.

The two new hires are making fun of me for working extra when I don't get paid but..dangit, I love my job and I love those kids. One of the teachers is making plans for the next school board meeting, so we'll see what happens I guess.

 

[royalstarrynight]

packrat, I have no idea what's normal and isn't but I commend you for caring so much for your students! They are so lucky to have you!

 

[KaeKae]

packrat, if my experience in any indicator, a lot of what you are experiencing is common, if not normal.

I am a paraprofessional/aide as well. My school has the autism program and we are stretched thin. I got lucky this year, and was placed in a the Learning Center, with the teacher who pulls kids from the gen ed classes for their academics, instead of the the special ed classes, so this year may be very different for me. We've only had three days, and so far, so good.

I will say, we do get our breaks, though there are times I have left the room, hoping all will be well when I return. We also get paid for the hours we work. On the other hand, there is not chance of getting a full time job. They only hire for three or three and a half hour shifts. We can sub the rest of the day, if asked, but will never be offered a permanent 6 or 6.5 hours position. which would make us qualify for benefits (other than sick and vacation leave, which we do get.)

I don't have any knowledge of funding misappropriation , but frankly, the state of California has screwed the schools so badly, that there just aren't any funds to go around. I can say that, and this is just my opinion, there are kids getting screwed because their situation is such that they should be receiving services (ie a one-on-one aide, being educated outside the district) but the district won't approve it due to budget concerns.

I don't know that what I'm saying helps, but I feel your pain. I wasn't sure I would be returning this year, but being given the assignment I have, I am hoping it will be a less stressful situation.

 

[distracts]

From what I know... par for the course. If it helps, par for the course in many jobs, not just teaching. Not a comforting thought!

And from the teachers I know, standing up to this stuff just gets you blackballed from teaching in your geographic area. Not even the union will necessarily stand up for you. However, any concerns you have should definitely go through your union rep, assuming you have one who can be discreet. If not, look for someone in your local who is. (Although if you're not actually a teacher, idk that you have a union? idk, I don't imagine it could hurt to talk to someone from the local teacher's union anyway. Their interests are pretty clear-cut.)

 

[packrat]

Argh. You know what else is totally par for the course-finally last year at the age of 37/38 after working since 16, I found THE job for me, and then I have to find out it's really not as perfect as I thought! It sucks that basically no matter where I've worked, and I've run the gamut from a packing house to making ball caps to secretarial, there always will be people telling you how to do your job when they have no clue how to do it themselves. 'Cept this time part of it is the gov't in addition to just a direct supervisor. Bah.

We are contracted for 7.5 hours per day, 5 days a week for 36 or 40 weeks, I can't remember. We are supposed to get one 15 minute break in the day but don't have enough staff to cover, so even tho we're not supposed to take it after our 30 minute lunch break, that's the only time we can, b/c it's during nap time and the kids are sleeping..or kinda sleeping anyway. We do get medical year round, not just during the school year, and personal/sick/family/vaca time. It's not a bad deal, in those respects. ETA-we don't have a union, just the teacher-teachers do, not the para-teachers

JD's been coming down on his days off to do things that the school should be doing. Our building looks like it's been abandoned b/c they don't take care of the yard--and we all know it goes against our grain to have a lawn of weeds and bare dirt, so we're going to make up a proposal and take it to the superintendent and see if we can do a fund raiser to spruce it up. And if not, I guess we need to find it ourselves.

We have a child who we believed to be on the spectrum last year, and fought tooth and nail to get him the help he needs, since Christmas, and were given the run around. Now this year they're giving him an informal autism dx, they hired a one on one for him, and after his intake we were devastated to see how much he'd regressed over the summer. It took us an entire school year to get him to make occasional eye-contact, and now nothing. The kids really do get the short end of the stick.

Now they've added "teacher collaboration" for the other buildings (they made it sound like it was a new law passed down, but none of the other paras I took classes with in the area have to do this) so three days a month school gets out 45 minutes early. We won't, but we still have to take time off every couple weeks when we don't have kids to keep it "fair"--which gives us less time to clean the room etc, not to mention the hit to the paycheck. There are no subs, so we'll have another year of carting a garbage can around w/us when we're sick, working w/high fevers etc--and we can't get anyone to understand that it's dangerous for us and the kids. Ridiculous.

it's one thing when I was working at the plant making baseball caps to have the...stupidity, basically, of the higher ups. It's another thing when it's kids. KIDS. And not just our little preschool kiddos, it's obviously this way w/all of the students and it's just really pathetic that the kids are shorted this way.

I''m a little bit stunned-or maybe a lotta bit stunned honestly, that I had no idea it was like this in education. My mom has always been of the "teaching is the easiest job on the planet" mind, teachers have SOOOO much time off and they're soooo well paid..I ended up having a 2 hour rant w/her the other day so now she's seeing things more from a different perspective.

When we win the bazillion dollar lottery, we're adding a preschool to our list of "trying to make it a better place" things we want to do. And since it will be jillions of dollars, we'll be able to be vociferous about making changes across the board for everyone.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Packrat, sorry you have been disillusioned, but I kind of tried to express that in your other thread. In so many ways, I think the teacher assistants have the better job if you can afford the level of pay. I just wanted to comment on one thing. Please do not ever come to school with fever or a virus! As a parent, I would be very upset if my child's teacher or asst. did this (and as a teacher I wouldn't want a co-worker coming to school with something contagious). Better to be short handed than make everyone else sick.

And no, you would not be doing yourself any favors to go to the Superintendent. If the teacher unions there haven't improved conditions, I can promise you it isn't going to happen by complaining to the Superintendent or school board. I suggest always focusing on doing the best you can for the children in your class, and that is what it most important.

 

[packrat]

Thanks DS. I think if I were to continue on and become a teacher, in some ways, like the pay, it would be nice, but yet I wonder if I would feel even *more* disillusioned by the education system.

The kids' first day was today, and we were all so ready to have them back. JD and I will still do the proposal for the landscaping, and we'll continue to do extra stuff as we need to, and I'll just keep loving my school kiddos.

It's sad, the way things are, but they is what they is.

On a side note, one of our kids actually calls me Missi this year instead of Neesie. And another actually calls me Miss Missi instead of Missi Missi. Some of our kids that were getting to be pretty good talkers by the end of the year last year were talking non-stop today, and one who couldn't say "water" last year said "cowabunga" today. I got 27 thousand hugs and grins today, and had kids crawling up in my lap all day today for snuggles.

Love this job, faults and all.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

For the landscaping, you can look into asking a boy scout troupe to do the landscaping and they earn badges or a group of high schoolers who are looking for volunteer opportunities to add to their college or scholarship applications. With budget cuts, all schools are feeling the pinch so this is kind of how the grounds on many schools are kept up. Does your PTA have a volunteer coordinator? If so, that would be a person to talk to about this and see if they can line a group up. You can also contact the high school(s) in your district and ask about having a group of teens who are looking for "jobs" like this to add to their applications. I was told by a teacher that volunteering is very important, so kids ARE looking for opportunities.

The leaving the room to use the bathroom is a toughie. We had a teacher who was sick and literally spent half the year in the bathroom and left the kids alone during that time while she was throwing up. She wasn't my son's teacher, but I heard about it and she wasn't fired. It wasn't her fault but there was TONS of upset parents.

I had considered becoming a para-educator and volunteered for a few years and that was enough to burn me out. It was basic things like sending out emails and having to send multiple emails before getting responses (and I'd ask for $5 from each parent for the teacher appreciation gift and one parent came marching up to me and handed me her packet - and refused to give the $5 because she decided to make a point). It was a real eye opener. Also, when I volunteered, I had signed a confidentiality paper that said I'd not talk about other students' progress, but learned that almost immediately that teachers don't even follow this. They'd tell me flat out how good or bad a student is doing and I'd have to hear them talk about my friends' kids. It's just a stressful atmosphere. I'm going to miss my boys being kids and turning into teens and surely we'll have new problems then, but it'll be a relief to be over the elementary politics.

 

[packrat]

Good idea about high school volunteers, thanks! We'll add that to the proposal. I think some of our preschooler's parents would be interested in helping too, and maybe my parents. The grass was knee high and gone to seed last year-it didn't get mowed once before the end of the school year. Wait, no, it did too, once, b/c one of the school board members got sick of people calling her about it so she called the superintendant up and gave him the what for.