elementary school teacher

special education teacher

special assistant

school teacher

instructional assistant

Lansing School District

Good: 
Salary

Consistent Parent-Teacher Communication (if the teacher is responsible)

The district employees, educators, and families need to know the school of choice their child is attending is getting the security, academics, love, and reassurance of safety when they come to school.

The Bad:

The late paperwork of families or students or students with special needs not filed completely prior to school beginning for teachers and students to be successful.

Assistant teachers should not be in the classroom when they are not yet fully certified to cover the classroom as a Lead Teacher when behavior issues occur.

I was told by my mentor within the same district if the GSRP Educator had any concerns about a child such as abuse to the children or teacher, the elementary school social worker would be the next to contact. The social worker stated aiding the GSRP Program was not her job.

All elementary educators should get fingerprinted twice, so they are able to aide in helping any teacher with a student at risk in removing them from the situation or classroom. 

Mentally exhausting due to lack of teamwork and support from administration.

Difficult to take days off, for health reasons, lack of substitutes.

If the professional assistant is unable to perform their duties, the Primary Teacher should not be put on an Improvement Plan when indefinitely the professional assistant is choosing not to perform their job duties.

I worked in the office of school culture for LSD. In the time I was there, work hours were not respected, with the administrators attempting to require we work over our contractual hours regularly. Additionally, we constantly were told to do things one way, and then two months later would get in trouble for doing things that way. They LOVE to send people to HR for frivolous reasons without explaining to the employee or union why, blindsiding both when the meeting occurs. The supervisor also chooses to send people to HR and then no show the meeting. I had HR apologize to me and tell me they wanted to support me for what happened in this office. You are not appreciated and are expected to work overtime repeatedly, causing the union to have to step in regularly. This office also attempts to make their own dress code that the contract does not support and get mad at staff when we simply follow the contractual dress code. I would not recommend working here.


A typical work day starts when the bell rings.  From sending kids to classes, to helping then to the nurses office, to calling mom because they left backpacks and lunches, to making sure everyone is signed in, classes are covered etc etc.   

What have I learned? I have learned to be patient.  Workplace culture is diverse. I work with all kinds of ethnic backgrounds and makes for such an exciting place to work.  

The hardest part is not being able to help everyone in need in a timely manner in which they need it.  I am pulled in so many directions its an uneasy feeling not to be able to accomplish something in that sense. 

The most enjoyable part is my ability to help the teachers, the staff and especially the administrators.  They are the reason I do what I do. I am there to help.  Makes my job just that much enjoyable.

A typical day was always challenging as my direct interaction was with students that were placed in an alternative program and faced many challenges such as economical and social differences.  Students were faced with children, criminal backgrounds, cultural differences and societal rejection.  My primary function was to provide these students with opportunites to overcome these obstacles and still be successful citizens in society and within their communities.  I was able to work with different organizations within the community therefore building relationships with federal and state agencies, churches, outreach programs, ect.  I enjoyed helping the students and parents see their children succeed and receive a high school diploma.

I usually went in early. I loved my job at the school. I would go in and check my phone for messages.. Make any phone calls that needed to be made. Get breakfast packed and sent to classes. Do lunch count for the day and get lunch in oven. Collect any money necessary and set up cafeteria. Put money in accounts. Then time to serve lunch. Put it away when done. Put lunch count in computer. Print off any letters that needed to go home telling parent there child owes for lunch. Two times a week go to the bank and deposit money. I learned that children are very impressionable. the hardest part about the job was knowing certain children was not getting enough to eat at home at the meals ate at school was all they were going to get for the day. The most enjoyable part of the job was making a difference in a childs life for the better. To know they looked up to me for guidance.

Their is much about education today, particularly in public K-12 schools, that is problematic--or can be. There is never enough money to have the materials, etc. that you think you need. The clientele--students and parents--can be difficult and unappreciative. Success at what you are doing is hard to measure. Many variable for success are outside of your purview to control. The pay is not commensurate with the education required or the level of daily decision making which directly affects individuals' welfare. But you are actually directly touching lives and making a difference in a positive way most of the time. The rewards are sometimes realized some years in the future when a former student meets you and gives you a hug and thanks. Then you know for sure you did your job!

Provided age appropriate child focused early childhood development activities for pre k children.  
I learned how to observe and write anicdotal notes and imput data in COR advantage data base
Hardest part of job was seeing children come to school without proper clothing or just knowing that the child's home environment was not appropriate for child's proper development and growth
Most enjoyable part of job was watching children grow and develop from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year

Teaching at Lansing schools was my first  time teaching in an in-person classroom, and it was a horrible experience. I received next to zero training, and my principal was awful. I did not feel supported or respected. The kids were wonderful but the staff, all the way up to higher administration and HR, were a nightmare to work with. Did not set clear expectations, then penalized me when I failed to meet them. I started on salary at the beginning of the year and was transferred schools and set to hourly pay halfway through with only one week notice. Overall the higher-ups don't seem to care about employees at all, which affects students' wellbeing as well.

From administration to management on down, the entire system is corrupt, archaic, and discriminant. They rule by fear and intimidation, and promote by favoritism or nepotism, not too often by merit or actual skill. Workers with personnel files full of incident reports and complaints are kept on, the district just transfer them to a different building to continue the same tyranny.

The staff at my school is great. Everyone cares about the kids and wants the kids to succeed, but we simply don't receive enough support to make it happen. Classes are huge for the behavioral issues we have - no paras. Coaches are spread between schools and mentor teachers have multiple mentees, making effective feedback and coaching impossible. School counsellors and social workers are also spread between multiple buildings. Admins from building to district level have poor communication, *especially in writing.* All staff wear multiple hats at work, and it is simply not sustainable.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Elementary school teacher 39 salaries reported	$72,112 per year
Special education teacher 42 salaries reported	$71,995 per year
Special assistant 70 salaries reported	$22.90 per hour
School teacher 30 salaries reported	$34.50 per hour
Instructional assistant 36 salaries reported	$20.82 per hour

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