special assistant

educational assistant

nutrition assistant

teacher

custodian

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System

I wish I never accepted this job.  I came in during the school year, mistake number one.  I took over a classroom that already had a bad reputation, mistake number two.  I contacted the human resources department to file a complaint on the prinicpal, mistake number three.  My students had it easy thier first semester, so when I came in, demanding they do some real work, they revolted.  I had a 70% failure rate.  This was mainly due to the fact that my students refused to do the work.  I tried calling parents, asking for help from the vice-principals and other teachers.  No one could lend a helping hand.  I tried being mean, tried being nice.  Nothing worked.  On parent-teacher conference day, I had six parents show up.  I taught five periods of 30 or more students, and only 6 parents come to visit with me?  This was a bad experience for me.  I never knew students could be so heartless.  I had threatening letters, one student flicked a rubber band at me (left a bruise on my arm), and no one did anything to help me.  The principal kept telling me "What can you do that you are not already doing?"  My asnwer was the same, "I'm not doing the work for them."  After 2 months, the prinipal called me into his office and gave me a choice.  Either I resign from my position or he makes sure I never teach again by putting my name on something he called "The Black List".  I resigned.  (This is what I contacted human resources about, not knowing the head of the department was friends with the principal.)  I stayed on for the remaining 3 months, finished out the semester.  During my time at this particular school, I learned the principal cared about one thing and one thing only: the graduation rate.  I cared about somehting different: the students' ability to learn.  The prinicpal was in charge of the school with the highest drop out rate and lowest graduation rate and he wanted these numbers to be reversed.  I was not helping.  Salary was $1900 per month.

Typical day at work try to get in as early as possible to get things ready, learn where the kids are at so you don’t look like a fool. Try to figure out the technology in the room, sometimes you’re not living into the room until right before class starts at some schools, every class and every school is different, I’ve had wonderful classes and others have given me anxiety fits. Substitute teaching is a very tough way to earn a buck, definitely way underpaid and not appreciated. They say they appreciate you, but don’t be surprised when full-time staff  And leadership treat you poorly. I understand now why they continually have to do hiring campaigns. Biggest thing you have to try to do is maintain classroom management, which is nearly impossible. The kids run the schools anymore. Do not fool yourself. Discipline is a major problem, they can do whatever they want and they know it. You’re pretty much at their mercy.
What I learned was tonight be a substitute in a large metropolitan area public school.
Management is a bunch of paper pushers, just trying to fill holes with people. Don’t expect any help. At the schools some  really pretty good, others you’re just a guy and expect to be disrespected. They say they love their subs, I’m from Missouri show me.
Workplace culture is most teachers seem very stressed, almost all women ready to pull their hair out. Very few men there for a reason.
Hardest thing about the job is numerous things, very poor pay no benefits, stressful job environment. Difficult to watch children acting out, but no discipline. And expectations and in some schools the hostile relationship.
Best thing about the job was working with the kids, 90% of the class are great kids the other 10% run it and ruin it.


The leadership team for this department is extremely unorganized and have NO idea what or how to run a department to include boosting employee morale,etc. Most people think that driving a large vehicle or managing others children would be the hardest part of the job when actually its the co-workers, management team... A typical work day is to get up, go to work, pre-trip your bus to prepare for your route then get switched to someone else's route that you are completely unfamiliar with daily, and monthly and when its finally time to return to your route either the kids don't know you or they have gotten completely out of control needing to be re-trained. The management team purposely looks for ways to write you up to eventually end employment. For all that goes into getting the children to and from school safely the pay SUCKS!!!! Bus drivers and Aides are technically considered part time personnel w/full time benefits, but pay the most in medical insurance. Bus drivers are generally paid 5 hours per day w/some being 6 if you drive (pre-K). Bus drivers and aides are NOT paid for all the off days that are associated with a school year to include SUMMERS thus making taking care of your family financially extremely difficult. This is NOT a job for those with families to support, or anyone wishing to maintain sanity!!!

The highlight and most important part of the day is working with the kids. The kids come first, however as an Educational Assistant the thing you must learn is flexibility. Although you may want to work with the kids many times teachers will use you in a more administrative way so they are free to work with the kids more. The hardest thing about this position is sometimes feeling undervalued, and underused. Some of the teachers assume that you haven't completed school, when in fact they now require all applicants to have a degree of some sort so that they can have highly qualified assistants to ensure the kids get the best. Most of your co-workers will be women, so unfortunately there is a lot of talk that floats around the building, but for the most post everyone gets along, and puts aside any differences, for the sake of the kids. There is no typical day, one day you may be teaching a class while the teachers takes care of some other matters, or attends a meeting, the next day you may be filing papers, or grading papers. Overall its a good job, if you are in transition, or just want something that allows you to work with kids, a job that doesn't consume all of your free time, or just want to make additional income, but don't necessarily need it as your only source of income, as the pay is not very high.

Working with special needs student is very fast pace especially in the morning.  Educational Assistance must be alert in getting students off the bus.  Mornings are very fast pace because students are preschoolers and they are very quick. EA management skills must be very high when observing students behaviors, because behaviors can flair up suddenly at anytime. EA will need to reduce inensity of behavior without drawing attention to other students. Basically our students learn while having fun.

The workplace culture is usually calm.  Teachers basically maintain classroom structure, and the setting of the classroom is child friendly.  The hardest part of the job is when staff donot work as a team, and the other team members are not carrying their own weight.  Ex.  All staff has been trained to work with difficult students, and only one staff usually steps up to deescalate a problem.  This can make the work place unpleasant.

The most enjoyable part of the job is when you see that a student has learned what you have been teaching.  EA has exhausted all techniques to get that student to learn, then when he/she is tested you see the results  of the efforts put into his accomplishments, and you feel proud!

I worked too many hours.  There was no time to even go to the restroom. You get to work between 6 and 7 am.  You work each day until after 5:00 and then you take work home.  There are no books to teach from and the students do not have any workbooks.  The teacher has to invent everything.  Then they will not let you make enough copies for the students. They are top heavy and have too many people telling teachers what to do.  There are the main principal, the assistant principal, curriculum coaches and mentor teachers.  They are all telling conflicting information about what the county expects but none of them help you.  They need to get rid of the coaches and hire teaching assistants to help the teachers.  It is definitely a place with too many chiefs. The teacher had a 50 minute planning time but by the time you walk the students to their class, it ends up being about 40.  They need to allow teachers to make as many copies as they need or purchase the students workbooks.

Typical work day consist of cluster and chaos too many chiefs not enough Indians situations. The rules are the rules but then you have those that are bending the rules but others that can’t. What I have learned is patience and peace just by connecting and interacting with students I transport not so much with staff. Language pertaining to children in staff areas beyond disrespectful. Management is management checking on things and disappearing rather quickly. Having job openings that you qualify for but they rather under employ and not utilize their career guided approach as mentioned in employee handbooks and website documents. Work place culture it works when you go with the grain but go against it and speak up on something that could be done better you quickly get marked. Most enjoyable part are the students, being able to watch them grow and elevate themselves every year is rewarding in itself.

A typical work day is building bonds with children and making sure they get the assignments the original teacher has left for you to give them. I have learned so much about children. The job is flexible, you make your own schedules and take off as needed.The more subs that are hired, makes less jobs available, however, if you stay on the site you will be able to get one just about everyday! One thing I love is meeting new teachers and building bonds with each student I come in contact with! Sometimes, it is tough when you are not the original teacher, some will try to run over you or act out, but one they get to know you, it truly is worth it. There are no benefits, we do not get paid vacations, when the kids are out of school, we are out and no pay, so some checks are very small. Overall, I love it.

I taught high school in this system. The only pro I can think of is the pay. Though the pay isn't high, it's higher than most districts in Tennessee. Other benefits are average. Teaching in this system has been a stressful, negative experience. Student behavior is horrible (common issues: blatant disrespect toward teachers, violence, theft, vandalism, cheating, constant classroom disruption). Administration at my school was not supportive or effective. I was expected to handle even the most extreme behavior without administrator intervention. This is unrealistic. Principals offered no help to classroom teachers. Teaching and learning are difficult in this environment. Administrators are passive-aggressive. They ignore huge problems in the school but micromanage insignificant parts of my job. I would never, ever teach in this district again.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Having weekends off and having sick days that recycle every year if you don’t use all of them.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
They can move you anywhere at anytime if their numbers aren’t right for that particular school. Tue will do this through an email. If you have good administrators, they’ll let you know themselves before you get the email.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It’s ok. It could always be better.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Basically, clock in and out. Depends if you have younger teachers there or not. If they are younger, they will not speak and keep to themselves. If they are older, you’ll feel more comfortable and welcomed.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Special assistant 105 salaries reported	$19.12 per hour
Educational assistant 45 salaries reported	$17.99 per hour
Nutrition assistant 46 salaries reported	$16.22 per hour
Teacher 3 salaries reported	$50,000 per year
Custodian 14 salaries reported	$16.10 per hour

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