Anonymous wrote:How many years do you have to work in the schools to have access to the healthcare when you retire? Is it the same as when you can access retirement or different?

LCPS is 20 years. My friend has 1 more year to go until she hits it and then she's done. She's going to retire and either go to a private or just do substitute teaching and tutoring. She teaches at a Title 1 school and is 90% burnt out. The distance learning over the past few months really did a number on her. It kills her watch her students struggling so much and have so many limits on what she can do.

I teach students with severe disabilities and it’s disheartening how many people on here think it’s so undesirable. I love it. I don’t have to teach to the tests like the general education teachers do. I have a lot of flexibility with the curriculum. My class is small and I have IAs to support me. Whereas the gen ed students can be really unkind and disobedient, my kids are sweet and I have very strong bonds with them. I get to keep the same kids for three consecutive years, so I really connect with them and witness a lot of progress and growth. Yes, I do a considerable amount of work at home (paperwork, IEPs, data binders, individualized work for goals, differentiation, etc). There’s not enough time in the workday and there are certain things that can only get done in school. I would still much rather do this than work with the “regular” (DCUMs word, not mine) kids.

Anonymous wrote:PP here who mentioned Math. To get more math teachers, FCPS needs to advertise the way IN and make it reasonable. To teach Calculus and below, I don't understand why the teacher has to have coursework above Calculus, and be a Math major.

I agree! I'd be interested in a second career teaching math through Alegebra 1 or Geometry. I'm not interested in taking high level math classes to do it. I took Calculas AB in high school back in the day and passed. I got a 780 on the Math SAT. I think I could succeed as a middle school math teacher but right now it seems like too much work to get certfied.

PP here who mentioned Math. To get more math teachers, FCPS needs to advertise the way IN and make it reasonable. To teach Calculus and below, I don't understand why the teacher has to have coursework above Calculus, and be a Math major.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why there are so many terrible special ed teachers and aides. They will take any warm body. It is really frustrating.

-A sped teacher

+1

Well what choice do they have? You can't make people want to work in Sped.

Anonymous wrote:This is why there are so many terrible special ed teachers and aides. They will take any warm body. It is really frustrating.

-A sped teacher

+1

Anonymous wrote:You are talking about teachers. Is fairfax going to call these IA’s teachers after one summer course?

This is nothing new. This is how a lot of high needs positions have been filled for ages. You take one SPED course the summer before, and then you have 3 years to get all the coursework completed while you teach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why there are so many terrible special ed teachers and aides. They will take any warm body. It is really frustrating.

-A sped teacher

Well, why would anyone want to do it at the current comp level and legal climate? I’m a regular sub. They would love me to sub in the self contained rooms which always have absences, literally almost every day. But the pay is the same so why would I take that over a regular class? It’s way more work and stress. God bless you.

I worked in a district that paid $20 more for SPED assignments. They were always filled

Anonymous wrote:This is why there are so many terrible special ed teachers and aides. They will take any warm body. It is really frustrating.

-A sped teacher

Well, why would anyone want to do it at the current comp level and legal climate? I’m a regular sub. They would love me to sub in the self contained rooms which always have absences, literally almost every day. But the pay is the same so why would I take that over a regular class? It’s way more work and stress. God bless you.

This is why there are so many terrible special ed teachers and aides. They will take any warm body. It is really frustrating.

-A sped teacher

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just sent out an email soliciting substitutes, IAs, PHTAs, and PHAs to take an online class this summer and become certified to work in Special Ed, specifically in the severe disabilities classrooms. I've never seen such a thing before, and they've always had trouble filling these spots. They must be scrambling.

Will they pay more than $18/hour.

Yes, but the work doesn't stop when the school day ends. The amount of paperwork is staggering and you also have to deal with a lot of pressure from parents and admins. I bet if you divide the starting salary by hours worked, especially in the first couple years, you'd end up at about $18/hour.

You are talking about teachers. Is fairfax going to call these IA’s teachers after one summer course?

Because of the shortages in SPED you can be granted a provisional license with a BA and an initial class in sped procedures. You then complete the coursework while teaching

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just sent out an email soliciting substitutes, IAs, PHTAs, and PHAs to take an online class this summer and become certified to work in Special Ed, specifically in the severe disabilities classrooms. I've never seen such a thing before, and they've always had trouble filling these spots. They must be scrambling.

Will they pay more than $18/hour.

Yes, but the work doesn't stop when the school day ends. The amount of paperwork is staggering and you also have to deal with a lot of pressure from parents and admins. I bet if you divide the starting salary by hours worked, especially in the first couple years, you'd end up at about $18/hour.

You are talking about teachers. Is fairfax going to call these IA’s teachers after one summer course?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS just sent out an email soliciting substitutes, IAs, PHTAs, and PHAs to take an online class this summer and become certified to work in Special Ed, specifically in the severe disabilities classrooms. I've never seen such a thing before, and they've always had trouble filling these spots. They must be scrambling.

Will they pay more than $18/hour.

Yes, but the work doesn't stop when the school day ends. The amount of paperwork is staggering and you also have to deal with a lot of pressure from parents and admins. I bet if you divide the starting salary by hours worked, especially in the first couple years, you'd end up at about $18/hour.

Sped would have to pay double and even then not sure I’d do it. But for the same pay NO WAY.

Anonymous wrote:

Who wants to get a master degree (plus huge debt) to only make 60k, work 10hrs per day (8+1hr before and after), then do yearly training and required courses and renew teaching license every 5 years. On top of ridiculous pressure from the State, Principals, parents and students all at once!

VDOE just amended the requirements to become a teacher in VA - a master's degree is no longer needed. I know this because my daughter wants to be an elementary/special ed teacher and will be attending MaryWash in the fall. Most schools have now amended their education programs to do away with the 4+1 programs where you'd get a Master's/Teaching License in 5th year. Virginia colleges are now able to offer a 4 year BS/BA in Education where you will get your teacher's license in 4 yrs. VDOE did this to address the state-wide teacher shortage.

Good luck to your daughter! Please have her study the science of reading, dyslexia is by far one of the most common learning challenges. I work with so many teachers who wished they had understood it sooner and had been able to support their students effectively from the beginning.