instructional assistant

food service associate

bus driver

care assistant

licensed vocational nurse

Los Alamitos Unified School District

In the midst of the fun & joy working with kids, I was met with the unfortunate truth that the higher ups do not always have your back. What once was an amazing place to work became hostile, biased, & toxic. If you are a young adult, in college/just graduated &/or trying to gain more experience working with children, I wouldn’t suggest for you to steer clear, but to rather tread lightly while here. I did like the flexible hours & the balance I had, but it only works well financially if you’re a student or have another job. The district in its entirety may not all be bad, but there are certain departments that have needed to improve for a while. Unfortunately, even if you try to speak up for yourself or others, it can be difficult to be heard. I often felt small and incompetent with certain higher ups & I found out gossip was going around about me & other staff among them. I was belittled & accused, but never praised. We work so hard to come into work & make a difference in kids lives. We may not be perfect, but this position is a learning experience & we rely on each other to grow in the best way possible. I have seen people treat even their best staff members & innocent students unfairly in multiple schools. I stayed for the kids & many do when working in education, but when your time is up, you need to honor that and accept moving forward. There’s no advancement here & hours depend on seniority & favoritism. I noticed many employees have family within the district & they are treated better than those who do not, but that was just my observation. Although I’ve met incredible staff members here who have changed my life & happily collaborated with me when I needed help, I knew I didn’t want to stay any longer after seeing how awful we were being treated. Many are afraid of speaking up & continue to work hard for the kids, but I hope that one day they change for the better. Prioritize your staff, prioritize your kids, & listen to what they have to say and what they feel because they matter too. A handful of higher ups lacked compassion & empathy in many areas, which was odd because you need both to work with children. I’ll definitely miss the students & I hope I’ve made an impact on them just as they did to me. I’m still grateful & I learned a lot while here. However, the entitlement, inconsistency, & hostility need to change, otherwise people will just keep leaving.

During a typical day I might assist elementary students with computer projects, help a sick student feel a little more comfortable, provide payroll, attendance, budget reports to the principal and vice principal, and announce news over the public address system. 

Working in this school district in any capacity has been a pleasure. From the students to the staff and administration, my experience has been positive. 

I've learned how the educational system in this city works, how the highest priority is placed on the well being of the students and that each student is important; their future is our future.  

Some days the hardest part of the job is at the end of the day, when the kids say good bye--substituting can mean you won't see them again for awhile. The best part of the job is when the students remember me and are happy to see me again.

This is a district where anyone would be happy to work.

Upper management is very detached from what is happening throughout the District. They are overspending their budgets and taking out loans for cosmetic upgrades while cutting employees hours and positions. They do not have a grasp on how to manage staff and it is evident through the apparent staff low morale. they expect you to work past your scheduled time without overtime and will make you feel guilty for inquiring about overtime. On a personal level they are quite invasive and judgemental when inquiring about your personal life. I am very thankful my time here was only on a temporary assignment because it is one of the most mismanaged and unpleasant places to work for. I would not recommend anyone to work here if you value your work-life balance and have any sort of integrity.

Let me be direct. The leadership at Oak Middle School only seems to show genuine interest in their employees when those employees align with a specific agenda. When you don’t fit that mold, the support and attention quickly disappear. Then they turn around and expect professionalism from employees, even when they fail to show it themselves. If you’re comfortable working in an environment like this, then it may be the right fit for you. If not, it’s best to steer clear, they don’t hesitate to treat employees’ livelihoods as expendable.

Applicants that eventaully become hired are mislead that they have promises of advancments/promotions. You are encoureaged to apply to other jobs, but I have noticed that the district hires whoever they want regardless of qualifications. Coworkers at the the classified job level are underpaid, do not recieve benefits, not alot of hours, harrassment, and gossip are a part of a daily routine. The hardest part of the job is to have the will power to finish the year without quitting because management will unite with toxic coworkers against you. Also, you do not get paid biweekly. You get paid once a month. 

Los Alamitos looks like a great place to work for an outsider. But when you actually do get there it’s evident how diversity is lacking in all areas, including the Board of Education and top management. People here have no problem commenting on their love and support for Trump. It is a strong Republican/Conservative workplace. There is a lot of favoritism. There are a lot of people who you just cannot fully trust. Management expects you to work hard and long hours without any form of compensation. Overall, not worth it.

The Los Alamitos School District is a great place to work.  Since it is a school district non-certificated staff are represented by a merit-system.  It can be a lengthy process because you have to test, get interviewed, then go through a second interview process.

There many job classifications so you can be put on several eligibility lists at thee same time.  Some positions require that you go through the testing process twice a year, but usually, it is only once a year.

Exciting work environment interacting daily with all levels of district management and teaching staff, as well as parents and children.  Every day held new challenges to meet and complete.  Collaborative and supportive educational culture throughout all 10 schools and the District Office.  Most enjoyable features were resolving problems which had positive impact on the district and systems.  Hardest part of the job was resisting the donuts available every morning!

While I was a substitute teacher there, I was a long-term teacher covering for a teacher on maternity leave from January - June. The day I sat with the teacher was the day she left on maternity leave. She was the last teacher that sat with to show me how things work. I worked completely and utterly alone. Not one teacher EVER reached out to see if I needed any help with being the new teacher at a new school. The only person that helped me with ANYTHING was the custodian. He was wonderful and I couldn't have known where the staff restroom was if not for him.

At Los Alamitos High School, Implemented lesson plans, conducted guidance lessons pertaining to career choice and college curriculum, followed district requirements and mandates, and organized and supervised the transition work program for special education classrooms. This was a strong team of educational professionals who devoted all of their time and energy to providing students with a top tier education.  A strong team equals exceptional results. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Instructional assistant 14 salaries reported	$25.81 per hour
Food service associate 7 salaries reported	$22.21 per hour
Bus driver 4 salaries reported	$29.73 per hour
Care assistant 2 salaries reported	$24.60 per hour
Licensed vocational nurse 3 salaries reported	$31.82 per hour

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