instructional aide

special education teacher

speech language pathologist

education director

curriculum specialist

Spectrum Center Schools and Programs

What is the best part of working at the company?
Getting my own desk and space and full teaching responsibilities over ages 14 to 22 helping at risk, emotionally disturbed youth get their GED so I learned assistant teaching and head teaching skills, teaching group and individuals with an array of different disorders on the spectrum as well as high functioning but behaviorally challenged youth. This company gave me a lot of responsibility and I had just graduated college so I am so thankful that I learned hands on straight out of college with a company that helped some of the most challenging and dangerous students and it made me realize I was given the patience and caring genuine characteristics that are necessary to thrive in this environment.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Broken bones, Pro ACT practices weekly and I was in danger every day but when u are down to earth and not fake the students treat you with respect so luckily I only got hurt during restraints or breaking up fights.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Never a dull moment and have to be on guard and prepares for anything so it was exciting but overwhelming sometimes being given so many responsibilities with no prior experience except graduating with bachelors months prior in psychology.

Spectrum is a terrible place to work and it is a toxic work environment. There is so much gossip from management and it so unprofessional. When I worked there, I constantly felt like I was walking on eggshells and did not know who to trust. Don't count on a raise..EVER! Barely got a raise in the years I worked there. Favoritism is a thing here, they will constantly pick on good working people and not do the same for others who are awful. Benefits suck here, it is not worth it. Don't work here unless you want to be stressed, ever since I've gotten out my mental health has increased and I can now sleep at night. The students do make it better but there were some days that it did not seem worth it. There is a huge turnover rate with both aids and admin. No training, they will throw you in a classroom and expect you to know. You will be put in uncomfortable situations with students and have no leadership or help. There should be some sort of counseling that comes with this job. Leadership is unprofessional and will gossip with the aids and get information out of them. Very toxic. They want you to be professional and follow guidelines that they don't even follow. I had never experience that before. Strongly consider working here, I did for years and it is not worth it. 

Lots of gossip from upper management all the way down to teacher’s aids and everyone in between. Upper management can give their non favorite staff a hard time regardless of your position while making life as easy going as possible to their favorite staff. Upper management does not listen to staff’s suggestions. As a behavioral school, they do not provide enough and adequate training to help staff succeed. Admin expects all staff to follow every single rule while setting a horrible example at actually following the rules themselves! Admin talks behind each others back and the rest of the staff.  Wages are bellow average, rarely give a wage increase and when they do is about .10-.30 cents or to adjust to the county/state’s mandatory wage increases. There is high turn over for every position in the school specially IAs and teachers so expect to be down staff constantly resulting on a much bigger/dangerous workload than what should be. That being said most of the teachers and aids who remain there truly care about the students and you can truly count on them having your back unlike admin. 

One positive aspect of working here is the opportunity to build meaningful connections with the students. However, the challenges significantly outweigh the benefits. There have been multiple instances of dishonesty from management, creating an environment where trust in leadership is nonexistent. For example, several staff members were promised hiring bonuses, only to have those offers rescinded after their employment began. Additionally, staff have reported incidents of harassment to management, only to have these concerns dismissed or minimized as trivial interpersonal issues.
Concerns regarding student safety have been raised by staff, but these issues remain unaddressed due to ineffective management. Furthermore, retaliation from leadership has been a significant concern at this specific location, which undermines morale and professional advocacy. While this feedback is based on my experience at one location, I would caution others to carefully evaluate other locations before pursuing employment. I would not recommend working in this environment to anyone. 

I worked at Spectrum Center for 19 years in various capacities.
The overall focus of everyday regardless of the position was to keep students safe, and provide a quality and individualized program for each child.
I learned how to develop jobs for individuals with disabilities in supported employment opportunities out in the community.

I learned about the laws that govern the services that are to be provided to students with special needs.

I learned about evidence based practices in the field of Applied behavioral Analysis.

I learned about the importance of data to support and promote the individuals program.

The team of professionals that I had the privilege to work with and learn from were well prepared and continuously sought to improve their skills through staying on top of research based practices.

There was never a dull moment, the day went fast.

The most enjoyable part of the job was seeing students improve and learn skills that promoted their independence.

As the title denotes, the Spectrum Center staff are great people, they are really devoted to making a difference in the lives of the students who attend. Another great point is (in my experience) they are willing to repay you for certain expences such as getting certified in CPR or taking the CBEST exam.

The biggest drawbacks though are the rate of pay and the limited opportunity for growth. The job can be challenging at times and it requires some physical and mental strain which should be better compensated, at the entry position there are no benefits or paid time off and you start at minimum wage. As far as the opportunity for growth, there are always so many things going on, while they may tell you its possible you really have to push, with the rate of turnover you'd think those who show potential and the will to stay would be moved around with more structure...

Assisted teachers with classroom paperwork
•	Ran small group and individual instruction- Math/Language Arts.
•	Implemented classroom management through a point/level system.
•	Supervised students in structured and unstructured times.
•	Attended staff meetings/trainings.
Communicated with staff about students’ individual needs.
•	Helped the teacher create and implement the student’s individual academic and behavioral goals.

Everyday I felt I had the opportunity to help young people with very challenging adolescent behaviors and everyday was fulfilling and awarding, seeing the positive affect I had on these students. Their growth, behaviorally and academically, through much adversity made me feel like it wasn't work at all, it was moving and meaningful and I felt like it was what I was put on earth to do.

There is lots of room for growth with spectrum. Management supports staff that want to grow with the company and pursue higher education for teaching/clinical positions.
This can be a high stress job, but is worth it if you are passionate about working in special education. 
Unfortunately, the pay for instructional aides does not support cost of living in the Bay Area. This typically resulted in low staffing and subsequent burnout. By the time enough new staff were hired, already burnt out staff would take that as an opportunity to quit. 
When the school is fully staffed, it can be a great place to work. 
Management works hard to retain staff, and are flexible with staff's schedules for those that need to pickup their children, attend a second job, etc. 

I worked for 1 year between 2018-2019. This was during an expansion of the branch in Inglewood when they hired a large number of employees. The benefits and compensation were good. However, the job itself felt unsatisfying for a number of factors. A severe lack of supervisors due to the expansion (I rarely was able to communicate and receive support from my supervisors). High turn-over rate (I had about 3 different supervisors during my time as they found better opportunities). Low resources, structures, and support from the school district for school staff and contracted employees. It's a generally okay job for an entry-level and stepping stone for your career, but not something I would do a long time. 
This does not reflect the current work conditions since it has been a while. Feel free to apply and ask questions to see if it's a good fit for you.

Overall my classroom coworkers were awesome and so supportive, but there was an uncomfortable gossipy culture outside our classroom. I'm sensitive so that was difficult for me, maybe it won't get to you! If you are really doing your job, you will be exhausted at the end of the day, and its a feeling of exhaustion and VERY rewarding. Hope that you get good coworkers to cheer you up and connect over the days challenges.
The students can be physically aggressive but if your staff is supportive you will be okay. Maybe  request a younger or less aggressive classroom if you have concerns about your physical strength or limitations.
Also, you will change diapers.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Instructional aide 87 salaries reported	$22.49 per hour
Special education teacher 117 salaries reported	$71,985 per year
Speech language pathologist 63 salaries reported	$114,405 per year
Education director 62 salaries reported	$92,944 per year
Curriculum specialist 66 salaries reported	$87,576 per year

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