teacher

special education teacher

elementary school teacher

educational assistant

assistant principal

Albuquerque Public Schools

A typical day at work is very difficult to generalize as far as substitute teaching goes.  Its a contractual job, so, as a substitute teacher, you could end up in just about any kind of classroom environment.  If your not good with changing and adapting to a varying degree of circumstances, this isn't the job for you.  As such, I learned how to be adaptable to varying circumstances from this job experience.  However, the problem with this is that I could only be so adaptable on my own merit.  Substitute teachers already have a lot to deal with when they enter a classroom and don't understand the environment as it is.  If that wasn't enough, the school district I worked for was, and already has been, plagued with many problems.  It happens to be one of the statistically worst public school districts in the United States in terms of the overall goal of education.  It was that, coupled with many of the jobs I received coming from inner city middle schools, that made this job an absolute nightmare.  Often times, the best that you could hope for is a classroom that was well behaved; because many of the students in your classroom would be of lower socioeconomic status, and they didn't have a positive view of authority, or new authority for that matter.  Co-workers were non-existent in this job because your co-workers were other teachers who already had their own long list of problems to contend with.  Therefore, the hardest part of this job was simply trying to make it through the day.  I know how silly that sounds but in a school district unresponsive to its workers, that's pretty much what the job involved.  It was, even at the best of times, a contest of wills between teacher and student.  Nevertheless, the most enjoyable part of this job for me, and why I wanted to go into education in the first place, is seeing that one in a million student learn something, or seeing that student have that moment of epiphany.

APS isn't bad if it's not your main income source, or if you've got a masters as a teacher and can earn top tier. As an EA, you're basically supplementing your family income, and it's perfect as far as supplementing benefits, days off, and the hours worked, but you can't make a living as an EA; unless you're milking the system for food stamps, etc., and keeping yourself below the poverty line for those benefits.  You'll basically never earn what you're worth in any position in APS.

There is a hierarchy within: principals can tell you whatever they want, that they'll pay you extra stipends or differentials, without actually having to follow through, principals can make your life difficult if they don't like you and want you to leave, teachers don't always treat EAs very well, teachers don't always treat other teachers very well, lots of drama. It's ridiculous that people can't just do their job they know they should be doing without complaining about having to do it. I've never been around so many adult crybabies. 

The lack of discipline within the system is awful. Kids are getting away with everything. Their parents are enablers. You can't do anything about the behavior because it's your fault, not the child's. Most the time the principals won't do anything, because they don't want to suspend. There's a lot of "how does this make you feel," and "red zone/green zone" baloney. That's great, but we aren't counselors, and we need to teach the kids without other kids disrupting with bad behavior no one (principal) is going to do anything about.

The kids in APS are great!  They really seem to enjoy learning. Unfortunately, most staff and management had difficult allowing cooperative work between professionals to enhance student learning. That led to isolation rather than collaboration, so my schools were not happy places to spend 8 hours per day.

My days were spent taking children from classrooms to a therapy site where individual and group therapy happened and then returning them to classrooms. So teachers did not have an opportunity to learn techniques they could use to assist students in learning in their own classrooms. In the elementary schools, I assisted with lunchroom duty everyday. At the middle school level, I monitored the  detention room everyday at the noonday hour. Those students were, also eager to learn when given the chance to discuss classwork. 

Overemphasis on upper management at APS means that there is not enough funding to hire enough frontline staff to care for all student needs. As a result, school management is stressed which affects employee attitudes.

Entering data for Medicaid funding was the hardest part of the job. The most enjoyable part of the job was meeting parents and getting to tell them about the progress their children were making and to find out what their hopes and dreams for their children were.

I learned that I will be happiest at a job that takes personal needs and an employees' family life seriously.

As a former Teacher Assistant, I assist the teacher and students with class room instruction and assisting the students with their classroom assignments. I also assist the students to lunch, recess and ensure safety of students entering and playing at school grounds outside of lunch area, assist students coming from bus at school and getting on bus and organize and clean classroom. 

I learned that it is a very challenging job and you are always on your toes.

As far as Management, They were not in-compliance

The workplace culture is great!

The hardest part of the job is not knowing when you come into the class room everyday to work and unsure of the students reaction because there are days when they do not want to participate in the classwork assignments or some students might have different issues attitudes, anger etc.

The most enjoyable part of the job is that once I have a established a relationship with that student and he/she likes you because the student senses that I care and show compassion, treat them with the equality of respect, I felt the students respected me a lot for that. I see the students progressing in their assignments and continued to be successful.

Bell rings at 8:30 am students had to be accompanied into the building by the teacher. Four times a week we would have pull-outs of Art, Steam, PE and Library. One day of the week would have no pullouts and another day would be collaboration with team members. When students arrived back in the classroom the hardest thing this year was getting them to work on their assignments Behavior was extremely challenging with some students throwing chairs, desks, papers, pencils at their classmates or in the room. Writing and math was probably them most challenging with behavior. Students would be very disruptive and disrespectful while I was teaching. They would shout out, disrupt, act out, and scream, then they would be at the back table asking for help because they did understand the material. Parents and administration was not helpful or supportive. 80% of students were below one or two grade levels in reading/writing and math despite all the work I did to try and help them.

I am an employee of APS for over 10 years. I have enjoyed my time working in an elementary school with a variety of early childhood learners. However, I am currently a full-time student at New Mexico Highlands University in the Social Work program. I am graduating with my bachelors in May of 2018 and would like to begin a career in Social Work. I want to advocate for vulnerable groups of individuals and promote self-determination.  I do have two Associates degrees that can also assist with my future career in advocacy as well. It is a bittersweet moment for me to change careers from Albuquerque Public Schools, but I am ready to what the future will bring me. Working with children has taught me vast lessons that will be helpful as a future social worker. I will miss my students, but I have confidence that my time at Marie Hughes Elementary School has taught them that no matter the situation, there is always someone in their lives that will help them, show empathy, express positive modeling so that they will take these crucial tools into their future.

Students  out of control  throwing bottles at cars cussing at drivers students bulling other students.  I tried everything I could to help my students on my bus I met with my managers and school officials I had one student hit seven different girls in the face each time he did it I did a report on it they wouldn't discipline him.  it was very discouraging. In order to  fix APS schools you have to have a set discipline across the board for each student if they act up on the bus!!  right now it's left up to each School some schools are good they will back you up some students you'll write them up 10 times and the school says there's nothing they can do about it I would have loved this job if I got support from my supervisors and I felt like I could make a difference with the students a lot of students want to just go to school to learn there needs to be disciplined so that those students can go to school safely and focus on education I quit because I feel like I could not have an impact even though I went all the way to the top and spoke with some of the main bosses at APS to correct the student discipline problem.

As a teacher for the past 21 years in Albuquerque Public Schools, the job is different everyday.  You never know what will happen on any given day since children are unpredictable.  I learned that I am a strong classroom manager and scheduler, and am able to effectively direct adults and children to achieve desired results. I am experienced in dealing with emotionally charged situations and people (conflict resolution), and working to achieve resolution. I effectively motivate others, organize, troubleshoot, and establish rapport with others. I effectively manage my own time, as well as the time of others. I am able to balance multiple tasks and responsibilities while remaining composed and meeting deadlines.

Management varies, depending on who the principal is of the school.  I have had very strong leaders, as well as others who did not know how to lead.  The culture of the staff is directly related to the principal, so that varies as well.  However, teachers tend to support one another.

The hardest part of my job is making sure I am the best teacher for my students everyday I enter the classroom. 

I enjoy seeing growth and making connections with students and my peers.

APS fits the "School to Prison Pipeline," scenario,

The hardest part of the job is managing the management and trying to provide engaging learning for students.  The administration/management  passes down issues and blames the teachers, while demanding that teachers DON'T facilitate learning.    This is especially true in Inclusion classrooms that have  mandated Special Education services .    

The administration dos not support Special Education and I can attest that many schools: deny, subvert and absolutely refuse to provide mandated IEP accomodation, modification and so much more.  

Management and principals specifically in my experience, are especially complicit in practices that collude to deny, subvert and refuse services to students with specific needs and IEPS.   This is common and sanctioned from the top of APS, down.  This is common and part of the culture that protects the desires of the system not students.  In fact and again and strongly; too many students in APS are being let down and they know.

School system needs a major change.
Focus on student needs.
Reward great teachers
Dismiss poor quality teachers quickly- they damage children
Spend less on administration.
Close many of the departments and move more employees to the school sites.
Contract out work when the costs would be lower.
Have everyone certified to teach( not in the classroom) substitute at least twice a month including the superintendent. 
Increase teacher pay especially in schools that are 90-100% Free and Reduced lunch.
Spend more time on professional development with follow-up in schools all year.
Increase the school day by 30 minutes
Bring in community resources, to include real world job experiences on a regular basis
Use brain based learning
Keep parents informed of the expectations needed to be successful and help them find resources.
Homework should only be for practicing, not for new content.  Many parents are not able to help students at home.  Homework should never be graded, but encouraged.  Like reading to younger siblings, or even the family dog.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 5 salaries reported	$72,815 per year
Special education teacher 4 salaries reported	$60,500 per year
Elementary school teacher 15 salaries reported	$55,567 per year
Educational assistant 4 salaries reported	$24,500 per year
Assistant principal 2 salaries reported	$95,625 per year

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