substitute teacher

paraprofessional

tutor

teacher

school secretary

Fort Smith Public Schools

Our typical day at work started with loading up a bus full of three and four year olds, buckling them into car seats, ( yes because we had preschool age children, our bus was equipped with car seats) and driving for an hour and a half picking up students while handling as many as 15 preschool children, in a 72 passenger school bus. 
I had the most wonderful aide a driver could have, and she was a great asset to our bus.
The management of transportation was very fair with extra curricular trips, as they paid quite well and everyone wanted to take them. I got my share or more of those trips and usually they consisted of taking a bus load of students out of town to functions or activities.
Because I was on a bus with just my aide and the students, there was little comaderie with other drivers, except when we checked in each morning and  returned from our routes afterwards, though we did often have numerous buses going on the same field trips and activities and we got to visit then. My co-workers were great. Many had other jobs that they went to after their bus route, and some of them were substitute teachers as well. 
I respected every one of them as we had a challenging job to do. As our superintendent often told us, we were very brave for crawling up on a huge vehicle and placing 60 teenagers behind our back for hours at a time. :-) 
The hardest part I think was driving in the bad weather that sometimes came in after school had started and the kids were already at school.
Most of the little children we had on our bus were of Hispanic descent and most of their parents could speak little or no English. Since our main route was for 3 and 4 year olds, it was often difficult to converse with their parents, and it was hard to pass messages along with a 3 year old, but we managed and had no incidents.
For me, the most enjoyable part of the job was being out among the public and knowing that I was providing a service to these children and parents.

The school you teach at (19 campuses) is everything! If you are placed somewhere where the students and teachers come first, and your boss will back you up with behavior, perfect! Some are more focused on work outside of the classroom that can be draining. The district requires quite a lot of training for new teachers as well as current employees. This is great for the growth of students, new teaching strategies and collaboration. The ongoing professional development is what makes good teachers right? Yes but the key is to have boundaries of a work/home balance. I have seen several colleagues and friends quit between 5 and 7 years of teaching, including myself, do to the lack of balance. They give a raise each new year you sign a contract. So say you start at 38,000, next year 39,000 and year 10 of teaching would be 48,000 and so on. They give raises for additional college hours and masters grads. Health insurance is alright....I suggest a health savings account if you have a family. The district will provide a stipend when they hire you $2000 if it is still the same. Overall, most schools are welcoming and teachers grow to become family 

I really enjoyed my time working for Fort Smith Public Schools. The district has supportive staff, wonderful students, and a lot of resources that help teachers do their jobs well. The community genuinely cares about education, and there are many opportunities to build strong connections with families.

Like any large district, experiences can vary widely from campus to campus. Some principals are phenomenal leaders who truly value and support their teachers, while others might bring unnecessary drama or favoritism that can affect morale. My best advice: do your homework on the specific school’s culture and leadership before signing on.

Overall, Fort Smith is a solid district where you can grow as an educator and make a real impact, just keep an eye on campus leadership dynamics when you choose your placement.

     I was hired as a Substitute Office Clerk, and worked only when a office clerk called in to be absent that particular day.  The work was answering the phone, assisting the Principal, other office employee, and the children (students).  Each office I worked in was a learning experience, as I started with the District in March 2013.   I was willing to work in any school city wide within the School District so never was at the same school twice.  The school year ended, as did my duties in May, but I am still employed with the School District, and will be on call when school resumes in August. 
     I am on part-time basis, so there are no benefits.  I do like this type of work I have done with the School and even applied for a full-time job, though I was not appointed, being a new employee.

I got calls to sub at night and early in the morning. To be able to interact with kids of all ages in such a large school system was really interesting. I interacted with parents, lead teachers, and students. The lead teacher would provide me with instruction and I would independently handle my own group of kids. 

Management was kind of all over the place. I'm not even sure who my supervisor was technically. 

Your co-workers totally depend on what school and classroom you worked in. I was fortunate to work with very pleasant, very encouraging people. 

The hardest part of the job would be dealing with sickness. But that might just be me. My immune system couldn't handle all of the germs.

Working with kids, loving on them, and teaching them is one of the most rewarding jobs out there!

Like all public schools Fort Smith schools is mired in bureaucracy, rules and red tape. 
If you are the type of person who is obsessed with regulations and procedures then Fort Smith Schools is right for you. 
Being a backstabber and a tattle tale is also a bonus. Being able to pretend to be friendly to people while all the while you are reporting on everything they do is a plus. 
If you actually care about your students and their education then you might want to look elsewhere. 
Starting next year Fort Smith Schools will require physicals for all employees. So if you are of ill health in any way or smoke weed then you will probably be fired. Welcome to the new American School System! 
Good Luck!

What is the best part of working at the company?
They are always needing people to cover absent teachers. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Minimal. Any problems in the classroom, call the office.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Friendly and supportive staff.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Working with students and getting them to do their assignments and teaching them how to do it.

I would come in and supervise the children while they waited for their buses to take them to their schools.  When bus routes were finished in the morning, I would supervise the remaining 300 children until their teachers and the principal would come into the auditorium to begin the school day and take them to their classrooms.  After school, I would supervise the students to catch buses back to where they came from in the morning.

Every school is different in this district, but there is a very clear difference between schools on Northside versus schools on Southside. The funds and "good" atmospheres are only given to one side of town, and the other side is neglected. Leadership is poor and more like a boss, than someone who is interested in retaining and developing you as a teacher. The pay is higher than some of the surrounding areas, but I'm not sure if that makes the job worth it.

Very good place to work for. The staff at most of the schools i taught where very helpful as well as the Teachers.  I didn't have any issues with none of the student's, every student was willing to listen and learn. 

I would like to thank Fort Smith Public School, for giving me the most wonderful opportunity to work for them and the district.

If your needing a job, or new to the Fort Smith area and looking to work with some wonderful people and Student's this district would definitely be your place to go to.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Substitute teacher 6 salaries reported	$90.00 per day
Paraprofessional 6 salaries reported	$80.00 per day
Tutor 6 salaries reported	$22.33 per hour
Teacher 4 salaries reported	$55,000 per year
School secretary 6 salaries reported	$90.00 per day

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