teacher

elementary school teacher

special assistant

special education teacher

senior custodian

Arlington Public Schools

The day has many ups and downs in terms of things going on at once.  There are several times during the day when the office has a lot going on and I have to multi-task at high speed.  There is heavy communication with staff, students, administration and parents.  Confidentiality is key.

I have learned that I am very capable of doing many things at once.  I have great time management and have learned to plan ahead well. I have also learned much compassion and patience by dealing with the parents and students in the area.

Management is rather volatile and a thick skin is necessary.  The two supervisors are very different in their management style and I have to adapt depending on who I am working with.

My co-workers are very different in work style and ethic. One is very efficient and thorough.  She tends to like to work on her own most of the time.  The other tends to be unmotivated and spends a lot of time on her phone or chatting with other co-workers not in the office area.

The hardest part of the job is seeing the children struggle due to their lives outside of school.  Another challenge is dealing with bureaucracy of a county establishment.  One has to be able to navigate through the many layers.

The most enjoyable part of the job is knowing that I am making a difference.  I like being able to work with and help people.  I get great energy from the moments that are fast paced.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Compensation was nice. Job Security.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The administration’s poor coordination, planning and overall operational efficiency prevents them from effectively addressing the necessary actions. Instead, they prioritize conformity with rules and regulations, neglecting the primary concern of staff and students’ well-being and involvement in decision-making processes. In most instances, the management appears to prioritize their own interests over the needs of the team, resulting in a one-sided approach that leaves me with limited options.


What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Teachers are isolated in their respective spheres. The system excessively burdens teachers with training that is unrelated to classroom instruction, resulting in an overly busy and noisy environment without proper consideration or prioritization. Instead of imposing excessive requirements, it would be more beneficial to provide teachers with the necessary support and resources, based on their own needs not the admin’s. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Adhering to the established set schedule involves meticulously laying out each item and allowing them to view it.

I work for Extended Day with APS and am overall impressed with the experience. I work about 5 hours a day before and after school with the children. My hours allowed that in between the AM and PM shift, I could go to NoVA and take classes that are usually only offered during the daytime. My coworkers are kind and helpful and I feel very supported by my supervisors. Going to work at 7 AM would normally not be my thing, but seeing the kids and having a kind work environment makes it worth it. COVID has made everything complicated because you can't really supervise children virtually, but the time I have spent physically working at my school was great. I know people who have been with Extended Day for 10+ years and can understand why. Also, there's a program through VA and APS that pays for a couple of college classes a semester for you! 

Being a new teacher who is flexible will make administrators more supportive in general.  They realize that you may be overwhelmed at first.  Follow and implement the training and policies provided at the start of the school year, especially those related to classroom management.  Also, if you are part of a collaborative team you can seek advice on lesson planning and classroom management from other experienced teachers.  You can expect to take work home to meet grading deadlines.  Maintain good relationships with your department chair and by volunteering to cover other teachers’ classroom during an absence if a substitute is not available.  Also, build good relationships with your students but have a clear understand of what behaviors should be addressed decisively with recalcitrant students or escalated to administrators.
The days pass fairly quickly and before you know it will be summer.


What is the best part of working at the company?
Professionalism!!! Committed teachers and administrators….all onboard for a common purpose. Welcoming and helpful to ALL students and particularly caring for students with differences of any sort. Supportive of LGBTQ students.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Nothing honestly….other than a few teachers have messy rooms and I therefore choose not to sub in those rooms. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Super positive!!!! Soooo friendly. Very professional.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As a sub I tend to have structured days, with plans left for me by teachers. I rarely experience a day of chaos ! I feel supported by each school. I never have to put up with disrespect.

During a typical day at work I monitor student progress and needs through daily contact with them. I serve as a liaison between the student, the school and virtual instructors and supervisors regarding student performance and progress.  When needed, I proctor tests and examinations.  I work with the local technology staff to ensure that all students have access to the appropriate technology. I retrieve and provide the school with student grades on locally designated dates. There is no part of the job that is hard.  The most enjoyable part of the job is my students.  I love each and every one of them.  We learn from each other.  They have made me a better person/parent.  I am truly going to miss them when I retire.

Not a good work experience in a public school system.  The administration tends to side with the bossy parents and spoiled students of this politically situated County.  A very demanding work experience that insists on perfection (nothing wrong with that), but does so by micro-managing and expects all teachers to adapt the same style of teaching. Very poorly interpreted standards both for students and for the schools.
No room for creativity, all teachers good works are unacknowledged and brushed aside in favor of fault-finding. Students are mostly good, but it only takes a few to wreak havoc in the lives of many. 
The system is badly broken.

Greeting parents, students, visitors, and staff upon school entry (daily) 
Register students, update all their info. Into database (Synergy Software)
Answering phone calls and responding to messages/emails 
Updating the school calendar while keeping the parents and students updated on upcoming events and any changes that have been made through emails
Use of Cavans in order to send emails out weekly informing parents and students of upcoming events at the school for the following week
Maintaining office conference room and substitute scheduling 
Mail package distribution to the staff and in charge of free reduced lunch forms 
Give parking passes to visitors and also in charge of the Weekly Quarterly Today 


You get to know the school teacher's students. Working for an extended day you're the first and last person the students see throughout the day. You get to know your students on a personal level. You get to have fun with them every day and learn something new about yourself and them, The workplace is very diverse and every school site is different in their own way. One hard thing is keeping an accurate count of yall your students usually every school has 100-200 children in an extended day. I learned a lot of patience and leadership because the students look up to you as a certain role model they watch everything you to and copy it, so you'll have to be careful around them.

My day starts with me making sure that my bus is safe and operating properly. This is called a pre- trip inspection.Once I complete that.I go and see if management need me to do anything other then what I am assigned daily. My day starts on time we have a set time to start,and a set time to be at school.When I get to school and my students look at me and smile and say have a good day, this a the bright point of my day.The hardest part of the day is traffic,and crazy drivers in cars,joggers with dark cloths, people in cross walks crossing against the traffic lights and bikes on the road.I have to remember  to be cool and patience daily.Through all that I enjoy working for Arlington Public Schools.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 9 salaries reported	$76,252 per year
Elementary school teacher 1 salary reported	$23.50 per hour
Special assistant 33 salaries reported	$25.14 per hour
Special education teacher 4 salaries reported	$17.52 per hour
Senior custodian 41 salaries reported	$19.36 per hour

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