teacher

elementary school teacher

english teacher

substitute teacher

special education teacher

Arlington Independent School District

-Very fun work day, I get to teach kids and influence kids everyday.
Being a long term Sub is pretty much just like being a teacher. I arrive at 7:55am to greet the students as they walk in, school starts at 8:20am. From there I take the kids to P.E. or music and have a conference period. This is where I will either get ahead of some grading, or make phone calls to parents or meet with other teachers etc. After specials the kids have Math where I will go over the lesson plan that I have mapped out for them. After math is science following the same guidelines of a lesson plan. Our classes then switch so they can all get a chance to learn all of the subjects. Right after we switch we go to recess, and then lunch. We go back to the class to finish up the other classes with Math and science.
- I have learned a tremendous amount with my latest opportunity the past 3 months I have been long term subbing in a bilingual classroom and No. I am not bilingual. No. I do not have a translator.
I found this to be somewhat of a challenge at first but soon grew to love it, I asked the kids to teach me Spanish, and so far I have learned classroom lingo in Spanish dialect which has honestly made my experience there way smoother.
- Classroom management. If you have not heard of it, it definitely exists. Classroom management was the first thing I had to learn becoming a substitute. Most students think its free day when a sub walks in the building, me on the other hand I creatively engage them to think and thus make learning fun. By using brainstorming techniques, KWL charts, concept mapping. We break out the colors and get creative with it.
-The hardest part of the job would actually be the most enjoyable and I say that wholeheartedly, the kids. Most of the time they are great, and listen and mind, everyone has there day though, and sometimes the whole class syncs up and they amplify each other. It can get overwhelming.
- The most enjoyable part of the job would be the kids. Honestly seeing the initial look of "Aha!" come across a kids face is the most rewarding thing I have ever been apart of, when ever a kid gets it and it clicks its great!

I have been an employee of Arlington Independent School District for the past 16 years.
I am a Developmental ABLE teacher, supporting students with Autism within the public school system. I have nine students and over half of them are out in the general educational setting with minimum assistance. Supporting my peers the general educators is very rewarding. I feel at times that I serve as an interpreter for both the student and teacher negotiating the expectations of both. Students with Autism often will miss the necessary social emotional norms needed to be part of a successful classroom. Teaching the teacher to be aware of triggers and sensory issues that often company  students with Autism is beneficial for everyone. Eventually, the general ed teacher will be able to predict and  pre-teach the necessary steps to avoid any miscommunications that can disrupt the learning environment. I love watching and supporting both student and teacher. When I am not involved with one of those students I am teaching within my own room. I love shaping behaviors while teaching necessary academic  content to keep my students within grade level reach.

Most of the administration understand that there will continue to be those students that do not come to the school system ready to share, attend and understand the rigors of a educational day. Knowing that students do not have the background or schema that is necessary to be successful the teachers have to build and instill this on to the students  before they can approach the curriculum. Most of my co-workers use the first weeks to build a sense of community. Arlington Independent School District is a fine learning community. They provide many opportunities for staff development and technology trainings. Moving up within this district is difficult as no one retires. I enjoyed my many roles within the district. 























As a public school teacher, I typically deal with behavior issue on a regular basis. There is always work to keep me busy, whether I'm grading papers, creating new assignments, analyzing student performance data, creating interventions for student performance data, attending professional developments, etc.; productivity is never an issue. I've leaned that the job of a teacher is often undervalued by those who aren't aware of our duties responsibilities, as we are constantly on an uphill battle as we push towards student success. Of the few obstacle I've faced as a teacher, one that always makes me squeamish is when I have a formal observation. Student behavior is very unpredictable, so a well-planned lesson can go really good or really bad depending on the mood of the students. Some flaws are often overlooked, as some who evaluate show mercy because they comprehend the struggles teachers face. It can be very tough when under that pressure, but that is not the hardest part of my job. In fact, the hardest part of my job, thus far has been dealing with other adults. As I learned in college, being a teacher almost forces you to be innovative on a consistent basis. Many teacher that have been teaching for years are complacent and shy away from trying new things. The hardest part of my job is the unwillingness of teachers to "go there" with me. I feel that some of the ideas I share with my peers do get acknowledged because of other teachers' fear of how well the idea will work and because of their pride in what they already do. On the other hand, I do enjoy using my ideas and other shared ideas to benefit the students who are in my classes. At the end of the school year, after all the grading and other miscellaneous pandimonium is over, I LOVE the 3 month vacation I get over the summer.

More than 63,000 students are enrolled in the Arlington ISD.
The AISD is the 11th-largest school district in Texas.
The AISD is the largest employer in Arlington and the sixth largest in Tarrant County, with a staff more than 8,500.
Seventy-five percent of secondary students are enrolled in the career and technical education program.
Elementary and secondary students identified for gifted and talented services are assured an array of learning opportunities during the school day and through co-curricular and extracurricular activities. Grade-appropriate research skills are incorporated in the curriculum through open-ended assignments, providing a continuum of learning experiences that lead to the development of advanced-level products and/or performances.
The AISD currently offers the International Baccalaureate World School Program at Arlington, Bowie, Lamar and Sam Houston high schools.
Students have the opportunity to graduate with college credit in 31 courses through the district's Advanced Placement program; that's the equivalent of one full year of college study. The Advanced Placement curricula include courses in English, math, science, social studies, music theory, art and foreign languages.
The AISD and Tarrant County College offer dual-credit choices at each high school. The district covers tuition costs and books for students who take advantage of this on-site opportunity. Students pay a $59 fee per course. This program was the first of its kind in this area.
The AISD is home to an award-winning and acclaimed special education program that focuses on academic success as well as the development of life skills.
The AISD is home to 12 National Merit Semifinalists and National Hispanic Scholars.

Teaching is such a rewarding job, however it can leave you entirely burned out when in a district that doesn’t support teachers. The provided curriculum is never enough (and frequently has errors) and we constantly have to make our own content or buy off TPT which uses countless hours of time and money. 

The district is obsessed with STAAR scores and data, meaning teachers are inundated with extra tasks outside of teaching to show that the students are growing. There is no flexibility in how we monitor the growth in our students, we are required to spend so much time putting together spreadsheets and justifying why students are or aren’t growing on assessments. Tasks and expectations are often poorly communicated to staff with short turnaround times and no support, and then we get yelled at when expectations aren’t met perfectly which makes you feel degraded and not enough. 

Students in my area of the district have a lot of behavioral problems however that’s due to many of the problems they’re facing at home and in their environment. This isn’t an issue on its own because good teachers are here to help students grow- but there is little to no support from admin when behavior is unacceptable/dangerous and there’s no meaningful consequences meaning kids learn they can take advantage of the situation because nothing is ever done. 

The district has a lot to improve upon and it starts with making the KIDS and their well-being and education a priority. Not STAAR testing or appearances. 

I appreciate the 4% raise we received but sacrificing my physical and mental well-being isn’t worth it. 

AISD used to be great.  When my family moved here, I went through the entire Arlington system and was one of the rare ids that loved my school experiences.

However.....AISD has degraded into little more than a "good old boys club."   Administrators at some schools are little better than dictators, good teachers are run out of schools for unethical and unprofessional reasons (i.e. the principal just didn't like you even though you were a phenomenal teacher and had the data to back it up), and bad teachers are virtually ignored.  I mean seriously, district visitors literally walked into a high school classroom where the teacher had nothing on his walls to show he had a warm and inviting environment, the lights were ALL off, and the kids were just watching a movie with nothing to do during it like a worksheet to analyze what they saw or anything while the teacher just sat at his desk.....and they said he was doing a great job!!!    

AISD is now going down the road paved by DISD.   Job instability, massive low income populations, no teacher support, teachers asked and expected to go beyond the normal "above and beyond" that they normally do, students get away with disrespecting teachers, parents get backup from principals on changing students grades just to keep school ratings high.....it goes on and on.

Arlington used to be a great district....but now it is ranked 593 out of 953 districts in Texas, with an overall rating of a "C".

The sped director has never worked in special education. She is absent constantly (week long trips to Europe during the first week of school, Disney world right after Thanksgiving break, etc) and does not respond in a timely manner.  She does not empower her employees to make decisions and the department as a whole is gossipy, micromanaged and disorganized. The personnel at AISD (other than her!) is actually really great. I work with so many passionate educators and leaders that inspire me daily. And the kids! The kids are amazing. Parents are generally supportive. 

My biggest complaint with AISD is the red tape and hoops you have to jump through to get the smallest thing done. The level of bureaucracy is absurd. I’ve never worked in a district with THIS many departments and this many leaders. It is WAY too top heavy and it feels like teachers aren’t taken care of like the people in the admin building are. It takes weeks to fix things in schools, they move buildings and classrooms with a weeks notice and do all sorts of nonsensical things without ever consulting the teachers these decisions impact. I like my immediate boss and love my colleagues but the sped director has got to go. She makes all of our lives harder. 

It varies school to school, but as a company, AISD is a decent place to work. The insurance is decent and the superintendent has good experience. Unfortunately, I worked during the pandemic. There was minimal work life balance since we were told to respond to parents whenever they contacted us (regardless of the time or our holidays). A few of the subjects (I taught math) were given curriculum to use and then instructed that we could only use the provided materials if they were hardcopies BUT everything we taught was online. Because of the ample resources that we were legally not allowed to use, my team spent hours each week, outside of work, building materials and resources for online learning. No one in the curriculum department (at least for math) offered any help or resources that weren't banned for online usage. I did hear that the history department was given built modules by the district (I'm not sure of the accuracy of that though), so it may just depend on what department you end up with.
The kids at my school were great, the school that I student taught at in AISD though was horrible. Really do your research on the schools individually, there is a massive difference in students, teacher satisfaction, and admin in schools just a few streets away from each other.

When I first attended orientation for Arlington ISD, the messaging was clear, welcoming, and optimistic. The district emphasized a culture of community, ongoing support, and collaboration, promising that staff members especially those directly assisting in the classroom would have the resources and backing needed to succeed. Unfortunately, the gap between what was promised at orientation and the daily reality of the position was vast.

In practice, the environment felt deeply unsupportive. Despite the high demands placed on Teacher Assistants to manage diverse student needs and maintain classroom stability, the actual guidance from administration and leadership was minimal. Instead of feeling like a valued part of an educational team, I frequently felt isolated, left to navigate complex classroom dynamics with very little structural backup.

Ultimately, the lack of genuine support made it incredibly difficult to care for or find fulfillment in the role. It became clear that the encouraging words shared during onboarding were a formality rather than a reflection of the district's actual workplace culture. It was a discouraging reminder that a district's public claims of supporting its educators do not always match the lived experiences of the staff on the ground.

At the beginning of the day I would report to the office of the school and receive the key to the room and a folder which gave me the teachers instructions for the day. I would go to the room and find out where everything was and review the work that was scheduled for the students. During the course of the day, I would manage the class room with respect to what the teacher planned for the day. The most enjoyable part of the job was interacting with young kids that were wanting to learn but unfortunately most of the kids were disrespectful of me ("the sub") and disruptive of the class. The most difficult part of the job is that I did not know those students and their personalities so it was hard to prepare for each students needs and how to handle them. By the end of the day I was beat down and felt like I did not accomplish much except that I was no more than a baby sitter for the day.
This job was a trial for me because I had considered becoming a teacher. I learned that this is not for me. I prefer to be working with mature adults that are professional and good at what they do and respect me for what I do. Teaching today requires some very special people with a great love for what they do.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 7 salaries reported	$69,157 per year
Elementary school teacher 3 salaries reported	$58,000 per year
English teacher 9 salaries reported	$64,139 per year
Substitute teacher 4 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Special education teacher 4 salaries reported	$63,125 per year

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