site coordinator

group leader

lifeguard

delivery driver

Fort Bend Independent School District

For the district as a whole you must understand there are over 10,000 employees. Unfortunately bad apples, as with any organization, exist. But if you come in, do the work, stay out of drama, and run with the Growth Mindset - you will be fine. It is possible to move up and network in the district. If you're in it for the right reasons, it will show. You also have to understand that there are 81 schools in the district - it is VERY diverse. Some schools house affluent students and involved parents others are Title 1 and have less fortunate families. Some schools have supportive Admin, others not so much. You have to ask around and if you end up at a weird place go elsewhere there is always a demand everywhere. You have options. If your position proves to be difficult or unenjoyable, look into other titles - you'll be surprised. 

I've held several positions since starting in 2017. I started as an Extended Learning Group Leader - the pay was not great because there weren't many hours but at the time I was simply exploring and trying to save up for a car and college. My hours were 2:30 PM - 6:00 M-F. There was a lot of opportunities for growth as a Group Leader - I attended several trainings and I really developed some useful skills such as class management, incentives, and curriculum development. My Site Coordinator was tough on us sometimes but she really loved the children and encouraged us to do the same. She ran a tight ship and even though the Department Leaders were not always on point, she made the best with what she had and treated us with respect. Later on I picked up a second job as an AVID Tutor - like the Group Leader position, being a tutor is best fit for someone in college who is not looking for an income to live off of. Tutors make their own schedules and are trained before stepping into the classroom. You choose what High School and/or Middle School to work at. The kids are usually pretty respectful because they are very determined to go to college and the program is designed to create a family feel in the classroom. I was in both positions simultaneously for about a year and then I became serious about making more money for school. I was hired by an Elementary School in Richmond as a District Aide. This was a full-time position with benefits. My hours were 8:15-4:15 with a 30 min lunch break. The leadership, the culture, and the resources were all phenomenal. My pay was not great but the people definitely made it worth while. District Aides are busy bodies - most of the work is clerical but occasionally you will be running around the school. Some days are pretty chill and others are high-stress. When I was about to hit the two year mark as a District Aide I started searching for an instructional position because I missed working with kids and I wanted to spread my wings. My Principal was super supportive and gave me an amazing reference. That led me to my current position as an RtI Behavior Support Aide. In this position a typical day is a bit unpredictable, it is not for the faint of heart but the pay is good and the work is very independent. I've only been at it for a few months but overall I am loving what I do so far. 

I find great fulfillment in supporting underserved communities, which made the work itself enjoyable. However, I must address some significant issues with management and upper administration. Despite the dedication of the staff, the persistent problem of understaffing continues to impact the students. This could be attributed to the misalignment between our workload expectations and the inadequate compensation provided. The current salary of $33,000 per year, coupled with minimal annual increases, falls drastically short of a livable wage, especially considering the cost of living in the greater Houston area.

One of the glaring issues exacerbating this situation is the lack of pay transparency. Employees deserve clarity regarding how their compensation is determined and how it compares to industry standards. Without this transparency, it’s challenging for staff to advocate for fair compensation and to understand the value they bring to the organization.

Furthermore, the consequences of understaffing are not limited to the students; it also places a considerable burden on the existing staff members. With shortages in both regular staff and substitutes, those who are present must shoulder an increased workload, often leading to burnout and decreased morale among employees.

This situation creates a domino effect where the quality of education and support provided to students is compromised. When staff members are stretched thin, they are unable to dedicate adequate time and attention to each student’s needs, ultimately hindering their academic and personal growth.

Moreover, the relentless pursuit of meeting quotas and maintaining numbers, even at the expense of student well-being, is concerning. It seems that the organization’s priorities may be skewed, prioritizing arbitrary metrics over the holistic development and success of the students.

It’s imperative for management to recognize the detrimental effects of this numbers-driven approach and shift their focus towards fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for both students and staff. By addressing the root causes of understaffing and prioritizing the well-being of all stakeholders, the organization can truly fulfill its mission of serving underserved communities effectively.

I am having an outstanding time while at Fort Bend Center For Independent Living.  This location is assisting me with retaining my capacity for functioning within office and clerical settings, which is what I believe that I can be capable of pursuing in further work settings.  I am continuing to learn how to manage office details, including the organization of paperwork, alphabetizing of files, message reception, necessary computer functions (e-mail, notepad, Word, Excel), and the assistance of working with other workers in an office settings.

Additionally, I have the privilege of assisting a disabled young lady with her needs, while she visits the center!  I am able to help her with acquiring items, as she requests, and to do various tasks for her when asked.  As she is wheelchair bound, I am furthering my knowledge of how to assist individuals in how to be able to assist them precisely, when their needs are to be met!

A typical day at work requires at least an hour to an hour and a half of preparation before the presentation. During this time, great meditation and gathering of resources ensues to sharpen up the prepared objective from the day before. For the next 7 hours, the facilitation of knowledge is implemented. This craft is an art form of people that includes a skill set of selling ideas, rehearsing possible questions and answers, and strong adaptability. After students are dismissed, instructors then begin to communicate with parents and students alike, and stay after school for any students that need tutoring. Once those agendas are taken care, the final part of the day is preparing for the next. Blueprints for the next lesson are made. Included in this plan are devices to make the lesson entertaining and a preparation of artifacts and labs. In the door at 6 a.m. and out of the door no earlier than 5 p.m.

One of the weekend days must be dedicated to preparation work and grading papers for the week to give feedback for 180+ students. On an average weekend 4-5 hours are spent on this preparation.

Working as a classroom Teacher and Special Education is rewarding.   I say this because even though the day can be stressful I have to be a leader, effective communicator, take control of any situation (violent or disruptive), team work with other staff, stay organized, provide structure, having to always be prepared, know how to transition, and help all students remain on task.  It is also rewarding because it keeps me a learner with creativity, planner, detailed, critical thinker, relevant, rigor, technology, giving instruction, and approachable.  I can not teach them if I can not reach them so I have to be peaceful and stay calm to get ahead of any plans of the day.  As far as management I create an environment for order which means knowing the rules and requirements and adhere to them for a safe and positive functional environment.  The hardest part of my job is I care about all of my students when they are going through something I have to learn how to let it go,  The most enjoyable part of the job is that I do care which helps me to stay positive, energetic, knowing how to reach them, being flexible, helping them to learn, and achieve the goal of passing to next grade.

Micromanagement & Lack of Trust
Teachers are constantly monitored, with frequent walkthroughs, strict lesson plan requirements, and little flexibility in instructional methods. Decision-making is often taken out of teachers’ hands, making it hard to feel trusted or valued as professionals.

Heavy Workload & Burnout
The workload is unsustainable—grading, endless documentation, after-school duties, and constant curriculum changes leave little time for actual teaching. The expectation to work beyond contract hours is unspoken but expected, leading to burnout. Many teachers take work home daily, sacrificing personal time just to keep up.

High Turnover & Low Morale
Because of these conditions, teacher turnover is high. New hires often leave within a few years, and veteran teachers feel exhausted. Despite feedback from staff, real change rarely happens, leaving teachers feeling unheard and undervalued.

Final Thoughts
FBISD has the potential to be a great district, but unless they reduce micromanagement, respect teachers’ time, and provide real support, the burnout cycle will continue. Teachers deserve to be treated as professionals—not overworked and undervalued.

I came to FBISD Extended Day after being laid off. A typical work day is sometimes challenging, you have after school students that have been told to sit all day, that has been awake since 5:00 am and they just want to move around or sleep. You learn to first get to know your students and make it a smooth transition for everyone.
 The management is hands on at all times, or whenever you need them. Building a cohesive relationship with your co-workers helps out a great deal because now the kids know, each leader is watching them  as well. The most difficult is having students with behavior problems that really needs one on one attention but you cant give it to them. I enjoy changing a students bad day to a good evening in Ext. Day.
After being here going on three years, a son starting college  I started looking for growth and full time employment within FBISD Well after several attempts and no responses I felt like I needed to look outside FBISD. So here I am.

I pretty much know what to expect before I get to work. The staff and my coworkers are very encouraging and supportive. The most enjoyable part of my job is interacting with the public. A typical day at my job is I come in to work I sign in, I unlock the front entrance, I log on to my computer, then I make sure the sign in sheets are in the proper place. As the adult students and their children arrive I greet and make sure that sign in. I also am required to transport the lunch warmers containing lunchs for the children's class to the proper places where they can be retrieved.
Then I pretty much are at my desk monitoring the entrance and hallways for trespassors and intruders. On the days that we dont have many visitors or when we dont have class I may be required to do some light filing, copying, rearranging office furniture, or to assist with inventory of incoming frieght.

Public school system as a whole is a nightmare job.Teachers are expected to work miracles with test scores. Test scores are the number one priority. You are expected to meet the needs of ALL learners in your classroom, because they don't provide help for students that are special needs - because they "test" them and say they don't qualify - even though they might have an IQ of less than 70, but they don't qualify for Special Ed. Parents are not told the truth about what the testing scores mean because administration is so afraid of getting sued over saying, "Your child has learning problems, but doesn't qualify for our Special Education program. It might be okay for the average kid, but if your kid "learns differently" than the average kid - they get lost in the system.

Too much paperwork and not enough quality instruction. Kids are rushed through curriculum pacing without regard of whether they "get it" or not.

The district tries to do a lot of things with the least amount of personnel they can.  Who suffers - the kids.

In the extended day your job consists of insuring that children have fun after school until they're picked up by their parents. Typical day = Get them in, get them fed, get them some fun, get them home. In the 4 hours after school a lot happens and you must stay on your toes because if you are responsible for 20-30 kindergartners do not expect them to be quiet; but those same children will be expecting you to run program with them. Program here being games, crafts, and other activities.

The hardest part of the job is having to deal with a terrible boss (disregard if your boss is awesome). I loved my boss, then she went on maternity leave and her sub was one who turned this fun job into something that I dreaded. When she came back so did my love of the job.


Bottom Line, this is a fun job if you have a good boss. The pay isn't bad for a part time job, but it is a stepping stone job. There are opportunities for advancement within the department but they are few and far between.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Site coordinator 4 salaries reported	$22.84 per hour
Group leader 2 salaries reported	$15.20 per hour
Lifeguard 1 salary reported	$12.50 per hour
Pt 2 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour
Delivery driver 2 salaries reported	$15.73 per hour

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