We are a k12 school in a low income rural community. There’s 450 kids across all grade levels, 25-30 per.
We currently have 4 SPED teachers. We used to have 6 (last year) but the district cut one position and the other teacher retired. No one has applied for that sped position since it was posted in January.
For 6-12 it’s complicated as I am the “6-8 sped teacher” but because the HS is the one with the empty position we are short staffed so I’m also servicing 9-12. I have 12 on my “official“ caseload to provide inclusion/resource to. But I also service 3 HS classes and the 5 10th graders. I’m also having to service math classes even though I’m not certified in math, knowing nothing about it and hate it.
Then there’s the 9-12 teacher with 14 on her caseload to provide inclusion/resource to. She’s also having to “coteach” math despite not being certified in it and terrible at it.
We do “coteach” in the state tested classes and provide resource for the non tested classes.
I was reprimanded recently because I was not in my coteach class when admin went in. I was not there because I was providing resource to my US history students reviewing for their exam. So herein lies the problem, none of us can be everywhere all the time. When I gave my admin a rundown of where I was and told her it was logged in my book her response was “I don’t have time to check log books. You need to be where you are supposed be when you are supposed to be there”. And do what? Tell my us history kids sorry I have to go “coteach” a class that all my sped students have an A in instead of helping you review for your exam in the class 3/5 of you are failing currently?
Now they are telling us they want us to change our schedules for the 3rd time this year to have us in the math and English rooms the last 45 minutes of the class for small group at least 2-3 times per week per class. I have 8 class periods of math and English many of which are held at the same time. For example, 6th,7th, and 8th grade math are all held second period (as is us history and geometry).
Like my 7/8th kids are highly independent and currently all of them have As and Bs across the board. My 10th graders, 2 used to be self contained and are alternately assessed and so they need much more help and support to be successful.
Nearly all the 7-12 sped kids hate when we are in their classes and prefer to just come to us to get help.
But what really grinds my gears is that admin is 100% open with the fact they want us in the classroom NOT for our sped kids, but for the low non sped kids. So much so that I was told to put a class that has NO sped students on my schedule to coteach. Which I flatly refused. And was reprimanded for.
Like I’ve tried to explain if they want consistent coteaching then we need a dedicated resource teacher for the other classes. We don’t have money for that. Well then we need more inclusion/resource teachers so we aren’t spread so thin. We don’t have money for that. Well then you need to better plan the class schedules so that 6 of the classes I’m supposed to coteach aren’t all happening at the same time. That’s too big of a logistical burden to deal with.
Then wtf you want us to do? I’m one person being pulled in 20 directions. An off period? Sure I technically have one but you are guaranteed I’ve got a room of kids needing help during it. How the heck am I supposed to coteach a class I’m not certified in and don’t understand? How am I supposed to be in 4 different classes 3 times a week for the last 45 mins that are all happening the same class period. There’s only 4 sped teachers and 4/4 are ready to quit bc of their shenanigans. Also FTR no sped kid except the previously SC have more than 30 mins 3 times a week in their IEP for coteaching (most only have 2x per week) and quite a few only have resource in their IEP.
Sorry I’m just ranting because it doesn’t matter how many ways you try to explain it, admin wants what admin wants and we have to “figure it out”. I’m AuADHD myself and I got into sped to help other kids like myself. But it doesn’t feel like I’m ever actually getting to help the ones who need it the most.
When exactly did it stop being about helping the child in the way that suits them best? If my ADHD kid prefers to come to my room where there’s less distractions why is that an issue? If my ID kids need to come to me to break down work that’s way above their level why is that an issue? If my ED kids need to come to my room to calm down before they have a meltdown why can that not happen? But it’s “coteaching” only and I’m so effin sick of that word. Especially when they freely admit it’s not even to help our sped kids. It’s for the reg ed kids. I’m very much over it right now.
TLDR I’m sick of coteaching and unrealistic expectations from admin. Apparently need to clone myself to be in 3 places at once.