special education paraprofessional

elementary school teacher

high school teacher

paraprofessional

substitute teacher

Poudre School District

Working for Poudre School District was, in many ways, a rewarding experience. I have always enjoyed working in school environments, and being able to contribute to a clean, safe, and welcoming space for students and staff is something I take pride in. Schools have a strong sense of purpose, and it is fulfilling knowing that your work supports the daily experience of students and the community.

One of the biggest strengths of the district was the work/life balance. The schedule was consistent and predictable, which made it easier to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal responsibilities.

In my role, I was able to bring leadership and facilities experience to the position by supporting custodial operations, assisting with maintenance projects, and helping ensure the building remained clean, safe, and functional for students, staff, and events. Working closely with staff and fellow custodians created a strong sense of teamwork at the building level.

Compensation and benefits were fairly typical for school district custodial work. They were reasonable but not necessarily above average compared to similar roles in facilities or maintenance.

Where the district could improve is in management and communication. Leadership and workplace culture sometimes felt inconsistent, and clearer communication from management would help teams operate more effectively.

Unfortunately, my employment ended very suddenly and without prior notice or clear communication, which was disappointing given the work and commitment I had invested in the role. Greater transparency and communication around personnel decisions would help improve trust and morale among staff.

Overall, I appreciated the opportunity to work in a school environment and to contribute to the daily operations of the building. For someone who values a structured schedule and wants to support a school community, it can still be a meaningful place to work.

Generally I arrive 30 minutes before classes start so that I have time to review through the teacher's notes and to prepare, either on the white board or on Smart Notebook, the class agenda.  This way, I can have it posted for the students as they enter into the classroom.  I always write my name on the board as well so they have it to refer to throughout the class period.  I have learned that by and large, all kids, whether they are in middle school or high school, are very respectful and want to learn.  They do not want their time wasted.  Thus, I make sure every minute of their class time is productive.  Most often I don't have to add any activities to the teacher's already prepared plan, but I am ready if it's necessary.  I prefer to teach subjects with which I am familar.  Secondary science is my qualification, although I am comfortable with history, english, and business.  The hardest part of the job is not getting to know any of my co-workers or students because I am in so many schools through the week.  I don't teach in just one school.   I do enjoy seeing students from previous classes in previous years, though and I do use that to my advantage.  They have a little more respect toward me when they realize I remember them from last year!  The best part of teaching is teaching.  Students of all ages want to learn and I very much enjoy helping them do just that.  As a substitute, I don't have to worry about the paper grading or any of the other "housekeeping" duties.  My goal is to teach students science or whatever subject I am teaching that day, and that learning has great rewards.

I am writing to address my experience as a paraprofessional at PSD for over a year.

When I began, I had no prior experience as a paraprofessional and expected to receive comprehensive training before the school year commenced. However, this was not the case. The training consisted of two video sessions and a two-hour session, which I believe was inadequate to prepare me for the role.

On my first day, I was assigned to the autism program and given a two-hour course on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. I was expected to implement these strategies with students without proper supervision or the necessary qualifications. As a paraprofessional, I should not have been tasked with the responsibilities of a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), which requires 40 hours of coursework and an exam. I believe whole heartily I did more damage than good for those children. 

I often felt unsupported and struggled to obtain adequate assistance. Additionally, I encountered issues with my pay and had to engage in a lengthy dispute to rectify the situation. PSD does not have a clock in or out system. They go by contract. Yes, even though you are hourly, PSD go by contract and so that means if you leave early or stay overtime you will not be penalized or recieve overtime. 

Despite these challenges, I found the students to be the most rewarding aspect of my job. However, the political climate and the overall management of the PSD system left me disappointed with my experience.


Hours work well with family, perfect opportunity for moms with children in school. Pay is lacking in being competitive with other similar jobs in the area. Benefits are slim and only certain benefits are available to all workers. 
Typical day is fun, fast paced, no down time waiting for the next thing to happen. Working from 6:30 am start getting breakfast items ready for students, then serve breakfast to 200+ in 25 minutes or less. As soon as breakfast is over, lunch preparation begins and work is steady and quick for 2 hours getting ready to serve. During both breakfast and lunch I am the cashier. Typical lunch service lasts 40-50 minutes during that time I see between 150 and 300 students for various purchases. Restocking food, drinks and clean dishes and flatware during these periods is part of the job. The most enjoyable part of my time is interacting with my customers, students and adults. The hardest part of my job is the inconsistency from upper management and numbers of students we serve different items.

I worked as a substitute teacher at a variety of schools. There were some schools that were supportive and ethical. The atmosphere was inclusive of all children. That was the minority. I witnessed more schools to be racially motivated in discipline by the actions of some teachers. This was more common in the elementary grades. It was disheartening. In some cases and I spoke up. I was never asked to return. I learned to remain quiet. I needed to work. That is not who I am and it was quite disturbing to me. As a Native/Latina woman I found myself disliked by some teachers in the high schools  because I made a quick connection with the students ( especially the students who looked like me). I was also working on my PhD. 

I found this racial discrepancy when it came to discipline in other school districts. So Poudre school district was not the exception.

Working here was a constant struggle that left me utterly disillusioned. While the joy of teaching and my interactions with students provided a brief respite, the overall environment was frankly toxic. The administration's inability—or unwillingness—to support teachers, especially those who were new, was glaring. There was a profound disconnect between leadership levels that fostered a cliquey, dismissive atmosphere where even basic support was in short supply. Despite repeated attempts to seek guidance, I found the assistant principal shockingly out of touch and unsupportive. In the end, I realized that the so-called reputation of this company is nothing more than a façade, and I’m relieved to be moving on to an environment that truly values its staff.

All of my direct co-workers and direct supervisors are great to work with. However, the highest leadership fail to represent their staff and students well. Morale amongst central office staff is not very high since there has been a lot of turnover and now some ruthless cuts of people and pay ranges for those who have been here the longest - don't feel appreciated and some have been forced to move offices back and forth since new leadership came on as if we're being herded like cattle. Can feel dehumanizing for theses changes to happen at the whim of new leadership. It can get so political, but day to day is great and meaningful work. Benefits are okay - lots of good, but usually unnecessary and unused little perks. They need to step up with time off benefits, family leave and insurance. 

You must love children! They were the best part of the day.The work is very demanding, stressful, physical, and non-stop. I learned how to use commercial cleaning equipment, how to clean large buildings in a short amount of time, event setup, working with many different cultural backgrounds, and working with different trades. 
You must be able to work in a fast pace environment, with hot and cold conditions, as well as a loud environment. Workplace culture can be political at times and it is best to stay out of that mix as it can cause issues with management. You must be self motivated and  be willing to do what it takes to get the job done in a timely manner.

I have daily cleaning responsibilities, along with maintaining the night security of the building. I am the night custodian. I have interaction for a brief period with children and teachers. I let other schools into our gym for basketball practice. The hardest part of the job is working at night, and a completely unexpected demand to help carry some heavy equipment up three flights of stairs, which was not in the job description. The most enjoyable part of the job is being responsible for my work only. The culture of the school is the everyday life of children and teachers working together. I have learned team work and some instructions on equipment which I have never worked with before.

Working with students from diverse backgrounds can be rewarding and stressful.  The district tries to create a professional working environment with amenities to reduce stress.  These amenities are available for full-time employees only.

The district is also under financial constraints from the state.  These restraints effect the employees and students.  The schools are understaffed and are unable to meet the needs of students that require academic, emotional,  behavior and family support.  

The hardest part of the job is continuing to work in an environment that doesn't get financial and personnel support necessary to meet the needs of Colorado students.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Special education paraprofessional 284 salaries reported	$20.80 per hour
Elementary school teacher 116 salaries reported	$21.41 per hour
High school teacher 73 salaries reported	$73,714 per year
Paraprofessional 22 salaries reported	$20.12 per hour
Substitute teacher 66 salaries reported	$199 per day

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