special assistant

server/cashier

custodian

tutor

monitor

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Work in the lawn crew is fairly easy, from 7am-3:30pm with a 30 minute lunch at around 11am. At the start of the week the supervisor assigns weekly duties to the crew, an example may be 2 people on push mowers, 1 person on riding mower, and 1-2 people on weed-eaters.

The culture of the workplace is very team-oriented. Without teamwork, getting a school mowed would take days longer than with teamwork, depending which school the crew is at. 

The hardest part of this job is working in the rain. Not only is it bad for the grass, but both riding and push mowers clog up with wet grass clippings. Riding mowers are more susceptible to getting stuck, and equipment is slippery.
Another hard part of this job is when equipment is broken, it takes about 3 days for it to get repaired. This impacts riding mowers the most. 

The most enjoyable part of this job is finishing a school and looking at our impact on it, keeping it from becoming overgrown and litter free.

Substitute teaching begins everyday with first ensuring that I know the location of the particular school where I am expected. I learned to quickly read all teacher instructions and determine student schedules before the students arrived in the morning. This dynamic position requires quick thinking, the ability to remain calm while maintaining a positive demeanor in the classroom.
The administrative/management team of each school was different. Some schools were very kind and accommodating to Substitute Teachers while others were dismissive and rude. The hardest part of my job was not having anyone to rely on for help with either a difficult student or a confusing situation.
The most enjoyable part of my job was knowing that I was providing a vital service to the Anchorage and Mat-Su communities.

Working with students in a school setting can be a highly rewarding job. The pay is lower than some other opportunities, but if you are raising a family and love summer vacations, and are looking for a supplemental income, it may be a good fit. Certified professionals may fare better in the workplace social dynamic. As a paraprofessional with a higher skill set and professional background,  I struggled to fit in to the social dynamic among the classified staff. Would return as a teacher. Not all schools/classrooms are alike.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Fellow Teachers, Principals, and Students.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Politics on occasion, parents and students, short notice assignments.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Diversified,  Inclusive and Generally happy.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Get there 30 minutes early pick up your assignment speak with adjoining teacher and see if they have any other things to add to their curriculum. I was asking to see if there is a drill happening in the timeframe you were assigned.

Cons: Worked as a special ed para pro for a few years in the district, constantly being moved around, low pay/benefits, first in first out mentality, depending on the location and admin some rigidity in ways of doing things.

Pros: had some amazing co workers, purposeful job, hard work but worth it.

Biggest thing was not being financially valued and schools valuing teaching licenses over critical thinking and capable employees. Which i get, unions and all, but there's not reason to not listen to your staff and also no reason to pay many of these positions as low as they do. 

MSBSD is a great school district to work for. Class sizes are moderate, expectations are fairly well delineated, and teachers generally feel supported. Each school has a different culture and services a variety of kids. 

During a typical day the other employers and I would paint, and remodel school buildings throughout the Mat-Su Borough School District.  I became much better at painting and landscaping over the course of this job and in general gained a better work ethic.  My co-workers were fellow students and we enjoyed our time working together.  The days of work could sometimes be physically taxing but the work was very good.

As a substitute teacher, I mostly dealt with kids in the classroom, which was rewarding and fun. The district itself, however, barely made the work worthwhile. I was frequently jerked around, my pay was not what it was supposed to be (difference of $7/hour, too, so substantial) and there were no benefits for subs. Got paid better being a barista than a substitute teacher.

Working at the district, you should never expect decent pay.  Teachers there while well meaning are rather toxic to each other, especially if you disagree with them ideologically.  I love the management, the staff backs you up when it comes to tutoring kiddos and unless you are a blatant screw up you are encouraged to do better.  

I'd say the hardest part of the job is working with fellow teachers who do not agree with your position as a tutor.

I happen to work at a great school site with excellent administration. Unfortunately the school board stripped us of our preferred healthcare provider and only offered a 2% raise when inflation is at 8%. They also only gave me three years teaching experience as they wouldn’t accept all 13. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Special assistant 1 salary reported	$19.77 per hour
Server/cashier 3 salaries reported	$17.83 per hour
Custodian 1 salary reported	$17.83 per hour
Tutor 14 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour
Monitor 15 salaries reported	$16.94 per hour

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