High Turnover Rate in Special Ed
October 9, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
This post references an article from back in May in the Herald Tribune, but the topic is as timely as ever: Have you ever visited your child’s classroom and noted that the aide your child most liked is long gone, and that there’s at least one new aide, if not two?
The Herald Tribune notes that there have been at least four substitute teachers for students in a special ed class, after their teacher was arrested on allegations of child abused in February. The article comments on the high turnover rate of special education teachers:
The turnover rate among special-needs teachers is one of the highest in the profession, with Florida losing about 14 percent of the educators in this area each year.
The high stress of the job, along with what teachers say is limited support and resources, drives people out of these classrooms.
The annual attrition rate for special ed teachers is estimated to be 8% to 10%, according to the Education Resources Information Center. Over the years, aides have appeared in Charlie’s classroom one day, been gone the next or suddenly and the teacher has been as in the dark as me about why. None of the aides who had been with Charlie and his classmates for the past year (and even two years) went with them to middle school; all the boys have adapted fine to new staff, but it wasn’t easy as first.
Coupled with an autistic child’s need for consistency and routine, a high teacher/aide turnover rate seems to be the last thing needed—-and instead it’s more of a commonplace
As far as aides go, in my years teaching, I’ve discovered there tend to be 3 types:
1. Future teachers. These are very often wonderful, but they eventually leave for their own classrooms.
2. People looking for a job. These tend to go one of two ways. Either they *get it* and stick around and become type 3, or they find themselves in over their heads and quickly fade away.
3. Career types. They have chosen to be an aide as a career. Although I’ve run into a couple who have done this long enough that they try to take over for a teacher, for the most part, they have simply found a career they love and that they’re good at.
As much as the kids thrive on routine, I have to say that as a teacher, the rotating troupe of aides is difficult for me too — not only because there’s training to be done, but also because everything must be explained, and that takes time I don’t always have.
Yup. We sure have had that happen a lot. Very frustrating.
I used to be a educational assistant in special ed. I was good at it and very dedicated. I lasted 1 1/2 years. The stress and all that is a factor, but most of all it’s the lack of pay.
In 2003 in the state of Washington, I made $12.07/hr, for a 6 hour day, 189 day/year contract. That’s just over $13,000 per year, and pay is spread out over all 12 months. It worked out to $1140/month gross. After taxes and medical insurance, my take home pay was $800/month. What can you do? Get a second job. I’d work from 8am to 2pm at the school, then drive to my second job at a drug rehab clinic and work 3pm to midnight.
I didn’t last very long at that lifestyle, and despite deep attachments to the students, moved on.
Alec is in grade one and we have had our aide for the past 2 and 1/2 years, at the end of last term she was talking about what she would be doing with him when he was in year seven. Helen is shared among many children in many years at our school but I loved that she could see herself still with Alec several years down the track.
Being a catholic school the rules governing aides and aide time are different from our public school system (in Australia) so we are forever in negotiations with the school for more time.
We have had some anxious moments, when Helen started with Alec she did 4 mornings a week at the school but that wasn’t enough work for her so we put up a good argument and Helen was taken on full time, it was a stressful time especially for me as continuity is so important.
The school of 450 students has one aide, she is a precious commodity
We have lucked out. Matt had same teacher for K-1 and then another school and teacher for 2-5 with the same aide until Feb of this year, this one is to follow through High school, was a new hire to LAUSD so think he will stick around awhile as he likes Matt and is eager to learn. The current teacher has been in the same class for 17 years.
I’m the only teacher in my hallway right now. The one next to me left after 5 weeks, and I don’t think the guy two doors down lasted even that long. The class next to mine was split, and I have one of the students. 2 months later, I still get an occasional question about whether I am going to leave to go to another school. My own class was through several teachers before me, and without a teacher for a while. So, I understand sometimes the questions about whether I am coming back tomorrow, and the over the top excitement in the morning when they find that I have come back. I left early today to go see a doctor because I was hurt. Again, some of my students seemed really worried that I was hurt, and I was leaving. I came back that afternoon, when all but two of the students had left, and I’ll of course be back tomorrow, just like I said I would.
All that said, I can understand their concern. I’d be scared too if people kept coming and leaving. On the other hand, I can completely understand why people do leave.
@Alli, Very very precious—-
@Ted Munat, I see what you mean. Asking–requiring—that aides have adequate (at least) support (including, as you note, financial, and also training). I think one reason my son’s school program has been good is that the aides have sufficient support. I’ve thought more and more about this as my son has gotten older—-many of the aide when he was younger tended to be mothers who lived in our town. This was ok for preschoolers, but things are different now that my son is in middle school. This is a concern I’ll be revisiting……
My mother has been an aide since I was in junior high school. She might retire soon… and the districts in California have a difficult time finding qualified teachers and aides for special education settings.
It’s hard work, especially with one-on-one or small groups. The children seem very much like “grandchildren” to my mother. Their issues are as much hers as they might be a parent. The emotional drain is hard to calculate, I know.
I work in special ed. One of the causes of turnover is borne of the very frequent references parents make to “fighting for their child.” Those of us who are the targets of these fights eventually tire of them. I don’t know many special educators who undergo the training because they can’t wait to get into a school setting and rip off the kids and parents — yet that is the kind of suspicion we are treated with.
I have known of people who have quit when the straw breaks their backs. One behavior specialist wrote his resignation to the special ed director during yet another nasty meeting with a parent who denigrated his integrity and his intentions, as well as his skills in developing a plan to address the child’s significant behavior problems. His wife had told him that if he worked to X date he would be allowed to buy the boat of his dreams, but he didn’t make it.
Enough, sometimes, is enough. I wish the parents who decide to take out their frustrations on their school teams would think through what the repercussions might me. (I can even imagine someone reading this thread and saying, “I’m going to raise hell because my son’s aide quit.” Good luck with that!)
thanks for this view from what I think tends to be seen as the “other side of the table, and not rightly. So many therapists and teachers have become friends and advocates over the years and have provided continued support for Charlie and for us. I’m wary of “fighting” metaphors even though that does seem to be the frame of mind many parents get into—–I hope for conversation and honesty and openness very much.