Why am I hiding from this blog?
Because I feel like a total hypocrite.
Last May I reported 10 reasons to be a school-based Speech Pathologist.
And it was true. It really was.
But now?
I'd advice against going that route.
For reals.
My pessimism stems from so many changes that have occurred recently. Most importantly these include:
- Last year my school had 3.5 full time assistants to help our extremely needy students mainstream into their general education class for most of the day. This year we have 1.
- These students without sufficient support are blowing out and hurting themselves and others. Multiple times per day.
- The teachers are angry at the special education team because we aren't "dealing with" these issues and behaviors.
- I had 21 hours/week of speech assistant support for the last 9 years. In September, I had 1 hour/week. Now I (thankfully?) have 10 hours/week.
- Daily 35+ min lunch duty that I've never had taken out of my schedule before, now my duty because our "vice principal" position was eliminated.
- My printer was taken away.
- Parent complaints about my services
Almost every single one of these issues stems from lack of funding for our schools.
I am tired.
I am frustrated.
I am teary eyed. A lot.
And although I have cool new ideas to share with the blogosphere, I may be hiding under my covers a little bit too.
17 comments:
All my friends in special ed feel this way. All of them.
Heartbreaking. ((hugs))
This is terrible. What can I do? Write a letter to someone? What?
You are so gifted and strong and creative and valuable... I hope you can always find a corner of joy in using your giftings despite all the unfairness and hardship. You are loved!
I agree 100%. Your sentiments are shared in Iowa.
Oh honey-we all feel your pain. Hang in there.
I know youк pain, really! It can get so bad that you come home, pass a used car dealer's lot, and wonder if they have a vacancy. But you wouldn't do it, would you? Because but none of the reasons that really matter have gone away, have they?
Just hold on. These things come in circles, now a fall, then a rise.
As my 9yo said the other day: "There's a great comfort in knowing that everything ends. When something bad happens to me, I say to myself: 'This shall pass, too. I can't be scolded for all my life for tearing a textbook cover in third grade!'"
Write something for your blog instead - it helps to ease the pain :)
I yiyi, I had a similar conversation with my sister who is a special ed teacher this morning. Her district has cut everything to the bare minimum and it's clearly not working but falling on deaf ears.
I'm sorry you are having so many problems and I'm sorry for our kids. This is a true national shame.
Hang in there, jj
I wish I could say something encouraging. I fear we haven't hit rock bottom yet in our school funding. Our governor wants to strip MORE from our great schools, goodness knows they've taken huge hits until now. The repercussions are so terribly scary, yet people haven't begun screaming yet here either.
I hope you have some joy to balance your day job.
There are no easy answers, but take comfort in knowing that you are not alone! SLPs are NEVER alone and have a co-worker in the next room, next city, or next state in the same boat! I've been reading your blog for 3 years, when I was an elementary SLP and down in the dumps under mounds of paperwork! And I've learned that we are NEVER alone! We are such caring individuals, that SLPs often shoulder the burden and sadly burn ourselves out! Find the things that you can let go of this year, the things that are the musts, and find the few things that while take more time can be the ones that glue everything together and bring happiness and joy! We love your blog! Don't avoid, embrace!
Don't give up! We need enthusiasm from superheroes like you...i have a child with special needs and think the world of his teachers :-)
Yes I have to agree with jcarsi don't give up and I know you haven't as you won't be writing that post if you had. You are a true Superhero and those kids don't have a voice so they badly need you. Keep it up things have to improve right seems they can't get much worse.
While I understand that budget cuts and education rules/regs have made it nearly impossible for some school based SLPs to be effective and enjoy their jobs, it is not like that for all school based SLPs. I think it depends on the state, the district, and the administration. I have been a public school SLP for over 20 years and I still love it. In my district, we are not experiencing the problems you mention. I would hate to steer all future or potential SLPs away from school based settings.
This to shall pass! I understand a lot of your frustrations since I have endured some of them myself. My only advice is to try to focus on the little victories and keep a "happy file". Every time you get a nice note from a parent, teacher, or administrator put it in your "happy file" so you can look in there for positive vibes when you are having a rough day. Since we get overlooked so often it may even help to write down when something goes right (an unexpectedly smooth IEP or surprising progress made by a student) and stick that in your happy file too!
I just read your post and I'm sorry you are having to deal with this. A speech teacher like you who truly cares about her students is a treasure to mom's like me who are very grateful for your efforts to help our children.
Hang in there.
I totally hear you, sister! I loved the four years I spent working in public schools in Indiana, but as the sole breadwinner for a family of four, I simply couldn't afford to stay. I now work in a skilled nursing facility, where the pay is better, but I'm a pediatric SLP at heart. I drive past two elementary schools every day on the morning commute, and it tears me up inside knowing that I should be in there working with the kids.
[Side note: please, no one tell me I live in the "wrong state". I've heard all about how teacher salaries and benefits are so much higher in Calitexamichisota, but I'm not in a position to just pick up my family and move. I live where I live. This is my home, for better or worse.]
I'll make you a deal: you hang in there, and I'll hang in here. We do what we do because we care about those we serve. If it were just about the money, we could have gone to law school or gotten an MBA--we're easily smart enough!
But at the same time, we should not be silent, suffering martyrs. We need to be advocates for ourselves, our profession, and our students/clients/patients. So many people have only a vague idea of what speech-language pathology is, or what SLPs do. Blogs like yours are a great way to get the word out, so keep it up!
I am sorry that you and so many other incredibly dedicated SLP's are in the same situation. I went into the schools from the perfect alternative therapist position this year (low caseload, low paperwork burden, but also low pay, benefits, and not so much time off). I will tell you some things I am enjoying despite all the issues that you understand well enough: I love the energy of a school. I love the human interaction--the dynamics in classrooms, hallways, playground. I love seeing how my students (some of them former clients) manage in the complex world of school. I love that I still do things every day that help a child learn, smile, and feel valued. Tahirih
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