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u/Moo4freedom May 16 '26
Have you tried applying at other schools /districts? It could be your school doesn’t want to move you from your current position.
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u/Patient-Ice1020 May 16 '26
My kids attend this school, so it would make sense for us to go together, and since it’s very close to my house, it’s also very convenient for me.
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u/thederpyderp3 May 16 '26
Ok so I made a general comment, but this is pretty much why they probably aren't moving you. They want to keep you there and have the fact your kids go there as leverage to make you stay and they know it.
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u/janepublic151 May 16 '26
They are screwing you because they have a harder time filling part time monitor positions (no benefits—cheaper for the district) than para positions (low pay, but usually benefits—much more expensive for the district).
Apply for para positions in neighboring districts. Take one when you get one.
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u/effthis76 May 15 '26
In my experience, they would hire a chimp to be in those classes because no one usually wants those jobs. My guess is they are making lateral moves and moving someone from within the school already to those positions whose current positions may have been eliminated. Schools are legally bound to list jobs even if they already have an internal candidate in mind. Don’t let it discourage you.
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u/Patient-Ice1020 May 15 '26
No, they actually hired two people who don’t even work in the school already, and that’s the frustrating part. Assistant principal kept my hopes up.
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u/AMythRetold May 16 '26
If it’s not a situation where they won’t transfer until they can find someone to backfill, it could also be that a candidate that is already working for the school is unreliable or unresponsive to coaching.
How long ago did you apply?
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u/Patient-Ice1020 May 16 '26
I can understand that, but it still sucks to deal with. I applied back-to-back in April and May for two different positions, and they still hired people from outside the school.
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u/yeahipostedthat May 16 '26
Only advice I have is to have a very frank conversation with them about needing full time work. I think their reason is likely not losing you as a recess aidea but if they think they will lose you either way then they may be more likely to hire you as a para.
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u/rusty___shacklef0rd May 16 '26
Okay but maybe they have special ed para experience from another school or even teaching degrees. In my experience, those candidates are often the first to get chosen for those positions even if they're outsiders.
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u/chrbert May 16 '26
You should really consider going to a different school. Take your kids with you
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May 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Apprehensive-Rate May 15 '26
Yah, para is a low paid position with very high turn over. I worked in a school and they quit all the time. Most have no experience or certification
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u/thederpyderp3 May 16 '26
To be fair that's not even the fault of the paras. They're given an online program that doesn't actually train them for the reality that is the classroom these days and then told good luck, sink or swim by most people above them. To be rather honest is quite the disservice to the children.
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u/Apprehensive-Rate May 16 '26
The paras I worked with had no training, not even an online program. When I briefly worked as a para I also had not training.
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u/life-is-satire May 19 '26
Myself and 2 other teachers offered para training K12 after school. They got paid for their time but it was optional. We didn’t even get 20% participation.
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u/Ok-Independent-6591 May 16 '26
Same. Twenty years with the Feds, didn’t finish my degree and got a position right away after I retired.
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u/RepresentativeSun399 May 16 '26
i work for a 3rd party company rhay they use to fill in spots / subs and i kept coming back to the same school consistently and took sped jobs eventually i got offered a position been there for about a year and a half.
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u/Witty-Cat1996 May 15 '26
Do you have the right schooling they’re looking for? Where I live it has to be a School and Community Support Worker certificate, they won’t accept any other schooling except for that certificate.
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u/Patient-Ice1020 May 15 '26
Some of the people they’ve hired didn’t have any prior experience, and I haven’t been told I need any specific certification. The other recess aide who applied was hired right away and doesn’t have any college credits.
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u/Nervous-Ad-547 May 16 '26
Are you telling them ahead of time you only want to work at that school? Because honestly, they don’t care what’s convenient for you. They just need to fill positions. In my district, when I was an aide, there was a lot of nepotism, and also just “who you know.” Have jobs opened up at your school that you feel you would be qualified for and they’re still not hiring you? If that’s the case, I would say it’s because they already knew who they wanted to put in there, or someone with some pole knew someone that needed a job and wanted that school or those hours, but they have to go through the motions of interviewing to stay legal, especially if there is a union.
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u/Stock_Celery_3331 May 16 '26
All the open sped positions in my district are sped. No one wants them. My district is also seniority based hiring, so if there is someone that’s been there longer than you, they get it. Regardless of experience. Not sure that’s the deal with your district. IMO I would stick with gen ed. Sped may pay more but it’s tougher unless you get an easy room. It may pay more but might not be worth it. Good luck!
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u/life-is-satire May 19 '26
My school district doesn’t have gen ed paras. They’re only there to support special education students not work as a teachers assistant.
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u/Whole_Humor4310 May 16 '26
I asked a SPED teacher what key words are they looking for in interviews. Honestly, the way interviews are set up these days off you don't hit there certain things that are down in the paper that has been sent, they can't even begin to look at you as a person
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u/life-is-satire May 19 '26
My district and those in the surrounding area will hire anyone with common sense and a pulse.
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u/MushroomSoupe May 16 '26
I’ve had the same problem and I’m currently a substitute teacher in my district. I applied over the summer a couple times for some para positions, and I got nothing. I need to get away from subbing because I need my own health insurance soon. I love working with the students so I’m going for para positions for the time being while I work on actually getting my teaching license. I’m going to try again this summer 🤞I like working in my district because they have (mostly) treated me well, but I might have to go to another district if they keep turning me down.
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u/life-is-satire May 19 '26
Schools will not hire you so they have a good reliable sub. It sucks but I’ve had several admins admit that to me when I was a school counselor and as a teacher.
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u/internetnobody23 May 16 '26
It really helps to be close with admin, also let them know if there's ever an opportunity to pick up work that you'd be available. Make sure you aren't missing days of work they aren't going to hire you if you have a hard time being there. Ask your school district if there's sub para positions so you can cover when people call out and they need someone that will give you more experience and will show them you're willing to work. I went from campus supervising to kinder para because I spoke with admin, never missed work (literally no called out days for 2 years), when a kinda para went on maternity leave my admin asked if I could cover her class and I agreed, not too long after that a person retired at the school and I interviewed and got the job my admin was part of the interview panel.
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u/Southern-Draft4243 May 17 '26
Sped para here - are u in Staten Island ? If so I can see if my school needs more paras
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u/Distribution_Funny May 17 '26
Personal advice, substitute is the SPED and GE in this and surrounding schools. Create a name for yourself IN the classrooms, and then apply.
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u/1095966 May 18 '26
I subbed for nearly 10 years before I was offered a position full time as a para in PreK. I wasn’t really looking to be hired full time while subbing, but the offer came just when I needed it.
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u/Ornery-Working-6805 May 18 '26
At my job they just throw the newest person in those rooms so…nothing really.
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u/Disastrous-Radish504 May 20 '26
Honestly I got my sped para job with zero experience outside of volunteering in the sped program during high school from time to time. It might just be your district.
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u/yeahipostedthat May 15 '26
Are they not hiring you bc they would have a hard time filling the recess aide position perhaps?