Safety Issues, New School Behavioral Program
November 9, 2024 3:20 PM
I was asked to start a rural high school alternative program for special ed students who struggled in traditional programming. There have been some problems and I'm now thinking of leaving, but what teacher isn't. For the record, I have been very successful in this work for many years, so the task is not new to me although this type of student is new.
My background is a special education behaviorist supporting struggling students and I was asked to create one at a local high school. 3 months in, I feel the program is not only ineffective, but it's unsafe and I'm officially overwhelmed.
* Specific problems: there are 4 academic blocks daily. Originally told I would be supporting kids 3 blocks per day, I now have 5 classes, 2 occur in the same room simultaneously.
*The program has no staff other than me, so if any kids need support, I'm there to provide it. If a kid is having a panic attack, is angry, is crying, is refusing to work, I'm the only one to help.
* My supervisor has gotten on me a few times about meeting IEP goals and kids failing classes. I've explained the clusterf*ck of the classes and that gen ed teacher do literally zero modification but that did not help.
* The mix of kids has kids with intellectual disabilities combined with severe behavioral challenges and even though I've shared studies to my admin that this is a very bad practice, the kids are still together.
* I have about 5 teen males with significant gaps, lower IQs, anger issues, and they have a tendency to be very nasty to me. They curse, they use their phones, they talk over me, they offer to pay other kids to ignore and endlessly ask when I'm going to quit. They actually scare me.
* I was promised some freedom in planning, but I was not allowed to bring in a service dog, have the kids volunteer, cook or offer online classes.
* I have to actually share my large space with another 2 teachers whose kids come in on different schedules so our class is essentially a revolving door. They have refused to move although they complain often about how loud my kids are.
* In the few times I have felt forced to send kids to the office, I have been blamed for triggering them and got zero admin support.
* The program is placed at a high school that I do not think wants us there, and my off campus supervisor is a cheery and overworked person who would prefer that I not complain but instead focus on the good things.
It's now completely overwhelming and I think I want out. Not sure of next steps. I've been asking for support and a room change and more flexibility since day one, and have been told it's a process. But it's 3 months and nothing is changing.
My background is a special education behaviorist supporting struggling students and I was asked to create one at a local high school. 3 months in, I feel the program is not only ineffective, but it's unsafe and I'm officially overwhelmed.
* Specific problems: there are 4 academic blocks daily. Originally told I would be supporting kids 3 blocks per day, I now have 5 classes, 2 occur in the same room simultaneously.
*The program has no staff other than me, so if any kids need support, I'm there to provide it. If a kid is having a panic attack, is angry, is crying, is refusing to work, I'm the only one to help.
* My supervisor has gotten on me a few times about meeting IEP goals and kids failing classes. I've explained the clusterf*ck of the classes and that gen ed teacher do literally zero modification but that did not help.
* The mix of kids has kids with intellectual disabilities combined with severe behavioral challenges and even though I've shared studies to my admin that this is a very bad practice, the kids are still together.
* I have about 5 teen males with significant gaps, lower IQs, anger issues, and they have a tendency to be very nasty to me. They curse, they use their phones, they talk over me, they offer to pay other kids to ignore and endlessly ask when I'm going to quit. They actually scare me.
* I was promised some freedom in planning, but I was not allowed to bring in a service dog, have the kids volunteer, cook or offer online classes.
* I have to actually share my large space with another 2 teachers whose kids come in on different schedules so our class is essentially a revolving door. They have refused to move although they complain often about how loud my kids are.
* In the few times I have felt forced to send kids to the office, I have been blamed for triggering them and got zero admin support.
* The program is placed at a high school that I do not think wants us there, and my off campus supervisor is a cheery and overworked person who would prefer that I not complain but instead focus on the good things.
It's now completely overwhelming and I think I want out. Not sure of next steps. I've been asking for support and a room change and more flexibility since day one, and have been told it's a process. But it's 3 months and nothing is changing.
Oh, this sounds untenable. I have worked in a similar position with such students and your bosses have no understanding of the issues, obviously, or they would not put you in that situation and expect results. What they really want of you is to babysit these young people, although they rightly deserve an education, until they leave the school.
You haven't actually asked a question. If it was me, my next step would be to find another job. But if you think that you want to stay, you need to work out a way to get your own room, an additional adult such as a support person, and be able to offer educational opportunities the students might engage with such as cooking and online courses. Will an ultimatum (backed by a safety net) work?
posted by Thella at 3:53 PM on November 9
You haven't actually asked a question. If it was me, my next step would be to find another job. But if you think that you want to stay, you need to work out a way to get your own room, an additional adult such as a support person, and be able to offer educational opportunities the students might engage with such as cooking and online courses. Will an ultimatum (backed by a safety net) work?
posted by Thella at 3:53 PM on November 9
You're clearly not currently employed to help these kids, just to let some fuckwit administrator tick a required box on some checklist somewhere. They've set you up to fail because they don't give a shit about you or their students or anything beyond keeping their own seat warm. You can't win with fools like that in charge. Flee. Find an employer that reveals some evidence of Clue.
posted by flabdablet at 4:11 PM on November 9
posted by flabdablet at 4:11 PM on November 9
Is this a public school? Do you have a union you could reach out to?
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 4:19 PM on November 9
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 4:19 PM on November 9
You know this program can't work the way it is. You know you can't do effective work the way it is. You have already tried to state your case and have been ignored.
Things will not get better. Things will get worse. You will be blamed. Get out now. You have no obligation to right a sinking ship and you aren't going to help these kids because you know that these kids need personalized, calm environments with boundries and appropriate staffing before any work can actually happen.
posted by AlexiaSky at 4:23 PM on November 9
Things will not get better. Things will get worse. You will be blamed. Get out now. You have no obligation to right a sinking ship and you aren't going to help these kids because you know that these kids need personalized, calm environments with boundries and appropriate staffing before any work can actually happen.
posted by AlexiaSky at 4:23 PM on November 9
You will be blamed.
In fact it sounds to me like that's exactly what you were hired for.
posted by flabdablet at 4:37 PM on November 9
In fact it sounds to me like that's exactly what you were hired for.
posted by flabdablet at 4:37 PM on November 9
It is unsafe. Can you have your doctor write you off for stress leave? You not being there will force admin to face that it is not a safe situation for staff or students.
And look elsewhere for a job. Not sure if you can transition to another school within your system or a whole new school system, but the current admin are happy to throw you under the bus. Personally, I would write a report and distribute to the Board of Trustees (or whoever is ultimately in control of your school system) so the narrative does not get twisted while you are off.
posted by saucysault at 4:38 PM on November 9
And look elsewhere for a job. Not sure if you can transition to another school within your system or a whole new school system, but the current admin are happy to throw you under the bus. Personally, I would write a report and distribute to the Board of Trustees (or whoever is ultimately in control of your school system) so the narrative does not get twisted while you are off.
posted by saucysault at 4:38 PM on November 9
Union? Your off-campus person, is that at the district level? If not, how about your district office that deals with special ed? If any of these students are immigrants, how about the district-level Title III office?
You can, of course, leave! But I can't tell from your post if you're looking for permission for that, or if you'd rather try to fix it.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:15 PM on November 9
You can, of course, leave! But I can't tell from your post if you're looking for permission for that, or if you'd rather try to fix it.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:15 PM on November 9
I'm going to assume that none of the parents of these kids has means to challenge the school or district... because if one of those students was my kid, I'd be in mediation about how their IEP isn't being met, and I'd be labeled a litigation risk, which is way more expensive to the district than hiring another aide for the classroom.
Ask me how I know.
You're right that the environment is unsafe. That alone is in violation of IDEA, and should also violate your employment contract. The trick is getting someone to challenge the district legally, or doing it yourself, on your way out.
In the meantime, I recommend resistance. Ask for forgiveness rather than permission to do creative things like bring in a service dog, have the kids volunteer, cook or offer online classes. Make sure the kids know you're fighting for them against the district. If they know (believe) you're on their side, you may stand a chance with them. Not enough to make a difference in their lives when the deck is stacked against you and them, but maybe enough to prevent a physical attack on you.
posted by nadise at 5:55 PM on November 9
Ask me how I know.
You're right that the environment is unsafe. That alone is in violation of IDEA, and should also violate your employment contract. The trick is getting someone to challenge the district legally, or doing it yourself, on your way out.
In the meantime, I recommend resistance. Ask for forgiveness rather than permission to do creative things like bring in a service dog, have the kids volunteer, cook or offer online classes. Make sure the kids know you're fighting for them against the district. If they know (believe) you're on their side, you may stand a chance with them. Not enough to make a difference in their lives when the deck is stacked against you and them, but maybe enough to prevent a physical attack on you.
posted by nadise at 5:55 PM on November 9
In the meantime, I recommend resistance. Ask for forgiveness rather than permission to do creative things like bring in a service dog, have the kids volunteer, cook or offer online classes.
Yes, I did all of things and was told to not do it again.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 5:12 AM on November 10
Yes, I did all of things and was told to not do it again.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 5:12 AM on November 10
In your shoes I'd ignore those directives and just keep on doing whatever it took to keep myself safe and the kids engaged, and if they wanted to sack me for that then they'd sack me, and that's Nightmare Over. And if they didn't sack me, that would be a clear indication how desperate they are to keep my position filled because seriously, who else are they going to get who will put up with bullshit that deep?
I would have no hesitation whatsoever in responding to such prohibitions by saying "You can tell me not to do that, but the only way you're actually going to stop me from doing that is sack me. Which I suggest you don't do unless you want to deal with lawsuits for unfair dismissal and creating an unsafe work environment, instead of just the second one."
Bully supervisors are not going to stop being bullies just because you explain to them that what they require of you is impossible. They know. They've always known. Which is exactly why the situation you've walked into was ever allowed to become as wholly untenable as you've found it to be.
Bullies don't care about good student outcomes, they only care about maintaining their own positions of power. The kids know this too, which is why they're behaving like the prisoners that they are rather than the students you know they could be.
posted by flabdablet at 9:09 AM on November 10
I would have no hesitation whatsoever in responding to such prohibitions by saying "You can tell me not to do that, but the only way you're actually going to stop me from doing that is sack me. Which I suggest you don't do unless you want to deal with lawsuits for unfair dismissal and creating an unsafe work environment, instead of just the second one."
Bully supervisors are not going to stop being bullies just because you explain to them that what they require of you is impossible. They know. They've always known. Which is exactly why the situation you've walked into was ever allowed to become as wholly untenable as you've found it to be.
Bullies don't care about good student outcomes, they only care about maintaining their own positions of power. The kids know this too, which is why they're behaving like the prisoners that they are rather than the students you know they could be.
posted by flabdablet at 9:09 AM on November 10
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What the heck did this school do to support these kids before this program?
At this point I would go over the supervisor's head. If there is no district-wide IEP director or Special Education Director I would to the superintendent of schools and/or the school board.
This is the kind of story a local or semi-local (nearest big city where the rural area uses resources) newspaper should be interested in covering as well.
You deserve better and so does the program itself.
posted by ponie at 3:52 PM on November 9