teaching assistant

residential coordinator

residential assistant

speech language pathologist

special education teacher

Perkins School for the Blind

I found it extremely frustrating working here. It was not unusual to work with teachers who had no idea what the difference is between contracted or uncontacted braille. Or who had no idea how to get something put into braille after years of working there.  Or who had no idea what the correct age or nationality of their students was. Or who provided literally nothing tactile to their students when explaining new topics.

I think it's important to say I'm not against these teachers but it was shocking and depressing to realize the school continually hired teachers who had no idea how to teach to blind students and that the school was frequently aware and just...didn't care enough to try and change that. So in a lot of cases the teachers just never learned and students fell through the cracks who could otherwise have thrived.

People also frequently got monetary awards due to who liked them and not necessarily due to how good their work was. This resulted in bitterness and disagreements in multiple cases that I'm aware of. I think this is also partially why there's so little diversity beyond teaching assistants... because unless they're lucky enough to get chosen by a supervisor practitioner for favoritism no one will advocate for them and if no one advocates for them, they'll frequently get pressured into staying where they are because the school is shockingly understaffed when it comes to teaching assistants and residential staff (which is a whole other can of worms I wish they'd address).

The school also needs to stop with performative activism & accessibility. It isn't accessibility if you're providing something in braille that is located in such a way that it is virtually impossible for anyone blind to read it. Nor is it activism to give an award to a blind student for this very reason...and the braille dots you glued on for aesthetic reasons fall off right away. It might not look nice but had they literally just used a braille label maker maybe the student could've actually read what their award even said. Do better Perkins.

Perkins has a distinct work environment with a dedicated team. However, there's a noticeable divide between long-term employees (25+ years) and newer staff, with little middle ground.

The organization is divided into Teachers, Residential staff, and Administrative staff, each with different expectations and treatment. Unfortunately, Residential staff often seem undervalued despite their crucial role.

In 2024, Perkins faced significant challenges, including multiple executive leader departures, significant fundraising shortfalls, program closures/ mergers, and layoffs.

Some teams appear overstaffed and overpaid, while essential groups struggle with low pay and high expectations.

Career advancement and salary growth seem reserved for well-connected individuals. Departments can be siloed and cliquey, making it tough for others to advance.

Perkins has a unique mission, but it's essential to understand the challenges. If you're considering joining, ask questions and get a sense of the organization before making the leap.


Wonderful work and learning experience.  Perkins is the first school for the blind in the United States. They maintain a museum with photos and artifacts that document the evolution of education for blind and deaf/blind students at Perkins.  The staff and administration love the students and work together thoughtfully to address their needs.  The school believes in providing an "enhanced essential education" for students, including life skills such as mobility, work experience and self-care. The music program is unbelievably inspiring and and there are many other therapeutic,  expressive and skill building programs for students.  

ALL of my colleagues were supportive and friendly. I had no experience working with blind people before this. Everybody was happy to help and there were great learning opportunities.  

I was sad to leave this job, but being away from home for a year was tough for me.


As an intern at Perkins School For The Blind in the Grousbeck Center, I was exposed to an environment that offered hands-on skills to everyone, from the staff to the students themselves. With working at the online radio station, I was fortunate enough to be part of a team where respect and admiration of one's ideas and skills was completely mutual all around. I learned how to use top-rated software to edit audio and video and made it a priority to archive as many radio shows that needed to be done every day. I assisted the teachers in the radio classes every week and was able to learn about the everyday perspective of blind and disabled young adults. Troubleshooting under demanding circumstances was easily the most challenging part of the job, but interacting with the students whether in or out of the studio more than made up for it and was the biggest reward I received there.

There is no typical day at Perkins which is what makes it so amazing. If you like to be challenged, love to think fast, and hate sitting down, this is the job for you. I have learned countless things at Perkins but the main ones are: how to communicate effectively with co-workers, how to remain calm in high pressure situations, Hoyer lifts, G-tubes, student behavior management techniques, several modes of communication, direct care skills, and the intense connection you form with the staff/students. The history of Perkins brings me pride everyday and I am proud to work for this acclaimed institution. The workplace culture varies from program to program, however, right now, my students and co-workers are like family. The hardest part of the job is the pay and it is the single reason I am seeking alternative employment.

The students are by far, the most enjoyable aspect of this job.
I was constantly learning from my students, not just teaching them.

I woke students up, helped them get ready for school, assisted in any ADLs they needed assistance with (variable-depending on the student), helped in whatever capacity needed with breakfast, then walked them to school. 
At school I assisted with education, behavior programs, meeting IEP goals, building and promoting appropriate student-staff relationships as well as personal relationships, and made the process enjoyable.

The majority of of other staff - teachers, other TAs, even some management and therapy professionals - were always quick to jump in and offer any student behavioral support if and when it was needed.

My day starts at 7am everyday - this is the time that I can organize my day, take care of any emails that needs immediate attention and address any problems.  I've learned to be more patient - when you are around people who are blind or visually impaired you think differently.  I forget that the children or adults are blind, so I don't treat them any different, I just need to explain more of what I am seeing.  The hardest part and the most enjoyable is the kids that I known and see graduated.  I love my job - I love the challenges that management throws me on a daily basis or when things don't go according to plan.  For example, I organize Graduation every year and the weather doesn't always cooperate even though the weather men have said it will be a nice day.  Driving into work I come up with a few different scenarios to make Graduation Exercises' flawless.

Having worked as the afternoon/evening cook for the Perkins School for the Blind was a wonderful experience.  Working alongside the teachers and teachers assistants, physical & occupational therapists in order to deliver safe, healthy & fresh meals was a magnificent experience.   Serving the special needs population taught me more about myself and what I am capable of and willing to do.  Knowing that I could make a difference in the students lives meant so much to me.  I took great pleasure in being in charge of special& allergy diets as well as the other regular cooking responsibilities I assumed.  I considered for some time the possibility of never leaving that job.

You learn a lot working at Perkins. I worked as a TA and then Assistant Residential coordinator and was able to learn a lot about the human services field.  Work culture is very “college” like and is definitely cliquey. High turnover rates and low pay for a very difficult job. Some of the student behaviors can be extreme (this is a residential school). I would still  recommend the jobs of TA or ACRL if you are young and just out of college as a way to gain experience; but I would not recommend the residential jobs as a career. I do miss my time at Perkins and the amazing friends and students I met working their. However, it is not a job you can afford to do long term.

Perkins School for the Blind is committed to helping young adults who are blind and visually impaired succeed, advancing blindness education and being at the forefront of innovations that help build  a more accessible and inclusive world. Perkins serves students and trains teachers on its campus, in Massachusetts public schools, and across New England, the US and around the world. It's an environment where everyone is doing their best to serve and it's been a privilege to participate in and witness the commitment to Perkins' mission.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teaching assistant 3 salaries reported	$21.33 per hour
Residential coordinator 1 salary reported	$56,500 per year
Residential assistant 3 salaries reported	$24.00 per hour
Speech language pathologist 4 salaries reported	$72,250 per year
Special education teacher 4 salaries reported	$65,405 per year

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