teacher

bus driver

nutrition assistant

special education aide

elementary school teacher

Washington County Public Schools

When applying to work in a school, most people would probably like to help children and to make their educational experience great. I set out to help children who had some behavioral difficulties. There was barely any support from administrative staff. When I asked several times for just a 15 minute break, I was told that there was not enough support staff in the building that could accommodate that request, another time the response was a blank stare. According to State and Federal Laws, I was supposed to get 2, 15-minute breaks. However, I only saw a handful of 15 minute breaks in my months of dedication to this job, the school and students. I accrued over 13 days of time that I will never get paid for. In addition, the ideology that staff are to cave to every wish that a student has in order to "keep him calm" or even "just get through the day" is not an accurate depiction for how life works. What boundary lines are in the school system, depending upon the Administrator, are blurred. To the point that you have no idea, as an adult staff member, how to navigate them. They are more worried about numbers than the actual well-being of the student. I watched as fellow co-workers, as well as students, battled PTSD, verbal abuse, mental abuse and physical abuse by students and nothing was done, all while earning a salary that is below a living wage.

My only complaint is about my former supervisor.... not following policies in regards to meal preparations and constant cross - contamination and when I draw this her attention the response was that (It was no big deal)... and was advised to continue with doing as she instructed. I have children attending the same school district and I am appalled that a supervisor would be blatant enough to say it was no big deal. When a child is restricted from having a certain products due to FOOD ALLERGIES or RELIGIOUS REASONS - IT IS A BIG DEAL!!!! Cross contamination is a violation of the training of Safe Serve and I am embarrassed that management is taking short cuts instead of constantly ensuring that our children are being protected at all times. When lower management is not performing up to standard, this is a reflection on Upper Management....supervisor played favoritism with subordinates and gossiping, sensitive information should only be fed to fellow management or HR, not senior employees(who also gossips). This creates a hostile environment. Common Sense does not apply here. My resignation was due to choosing Not To Participate.

Aside from the abruptly halted funding for my FACS program in 2012, I have no issues with WCPS. My supervisors were competent and always available if I needed to speak with them. The students were well-behaved, overall, and the faculty members I worked with were knowledgeable without being arrogant. We all learned from each other and from our students, which is an important part of teaching. The hardest part of my job was learning that I would not be returning for the 2012-13 SY. The easiest was going to work each day, knowing that my subject area was helping my students learn skills they'll use for a lifetime, as well as boost confidence they may not have otherwise known they had. I liked it enough to have applied for 5 different positions for the current school year, but was only able to manage to get hired on as a substitute.

Getting up early check your bus and equipment also sweeping if you want clean up your area on the bus. I've learned in this job you never know how hard a kid's life can be at home so always be positive towards them and coworkers your day will go by faster. Management does not play with tardiness not showing up because structure is for these kids they do not like changes so being there everyday is a big part of this job. The hardest part of this job is figuring out which option is the best for each kid and how to deal with them and just figuring them out and what really works the most enjoyable day or part of the job is getting the kids home bonding with the kids and getting everyone home safely and having an enjoyable ride home

What can I say? It has a quarter of a billion dollar budget in a rural county. This combination is toxic when you enforce the constant drum beat of world-class expectations on a teaching staff generally overloaded with responsibilities. Home life and personal time are just expected to be sacrificed. And for what? The children, they say. Best practices, they say as well. Best practices would mean a lot of things are done a lot differently, if research studies of children learning and the environment that most benefits them were taken seriously. The brunt of politically-driven decisions is borne by the teaching staff, who are left to look stupid on the ground for policies and practices that often don't make sense to the average person.

Your coworkers are all fantastic people and are doing it for the kids, obviously not for the pay. Mgmt is hit or miss, depending on which school you end up at. Substitute teachers come in with very little experience but, if you're reliable, committed, and trustworthy, you will be treated like family. Pay depends upon your own education and experience. Discipline is relatively nonexistent, so be prepared for instances where the students are running the show. Even major safety infractions do not result in suspension and students nearly immediately return to the classroom as though nothing happened. While minor injuries send one to Health At Work straightaway, violent behavior problems frequently place teachers in harms way with no consequences for either students or parents. Breathe deep or burn out.

It’s a very rewarding job working with children. The staff/teachers are friendly.  You have a lot of responsibilities, when you can only work 5.5 hours a day, most of the time you’re rushing to finish, thus  the students aren’t getting all the help they need. The lunch staff, custodians and bus drivers are paid better than the people who work directly with the students.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Excellent opportunities. I feel it is one of the best systems that I worked in - in Maryland The others were Prince George's, Baltimore City and Calvert County. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I had to be the Summer School principal my first year.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
As a school leader, it was up to me and we had a great relationship with each other. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Working with staff, coordinating with outside resources, observing teachers, calling parents, walking in and out of classroom and interacting with students and staff hourly.

Working at WCPS has been a positive experience as I was able to take advantage of many professional development opportunities. I learned how to collaborate with other teachers and administrators on best teaching practices and lessons. I learned how to teach the most struggling student to the highest achieving. WCPS holds very high expectations for their teachers, but lacks effective communication from the top to the bottom. Standards are high, which makes the job enjoyable because you are always growing, but it can also, at times, be overwhelming. There is little understanding regarding the need of work/life balance. Teachers are expected to "get it done."

This is a wonderful place to work.  This is the type of job most people would like to have with the element of people being courteous, kind, caring, and friendly while also being professional.

There are a few things that could stand to be changed - but the culture is rapidly changing with the kid-culture.  Lots to learn and teach.  This is a welcome environment for bi-lingual folks (Spanish and Chinese/mandarin) speaking.  Lots of diversity is on the scene...and they need folks to push the diversity and help it grow!

Great place - professional, friendly and caring - if you are seeking these elements, this is the place for you!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 1 salary reported	$62,658 per year
Bus driver 4 salaries reported	$26.30 per hour
Nutrition assistant 1 salary reported	$1,800 per month
Special education aide 1 salary reported	$15.00 per hour
Elementary school teacher 1 salary reported	$19.12 per hour

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