I won't go into all the details - I've run this decision through my own head so many times that it just exhausts me. I got official notice this year that they will be reducing my hours to part time. How 28 students spread out over 7 schools counts as part time is beyond me. At the end of it all, I am just so pissed off that nobody understands how hearing loss can affect students in the classroom. Of the 28 I work with, only 10 are direct intervention students. Other students are ones I make sure accommodations are in place for (whether through consult minutes or 504 plans). According to the district higher-ups, those other 18 students just don't matter. If they're not getting direct services, then they shouldn't need any additional support. They will go through the RtI process and be "fixed" that way - they don't need closed captioning, CART services, interpreters, FM systems, etc. They can go through RtI until they reach 5th grade and everybody is scratching their heads about why it's not working. Argh. It frustrates me the ignorance that abounds, and then they want to get rid of the one person on staff who is an expert in all this.
~Anonymous
~Anonymous
You have a HUGE responsibility. Reducing your hours to part time is a horrible idea! I hope this does not happen.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
I hate hearing about DHH teachers losing their jobs. We all have to stick together. Deaf students need to be together, learn together.
ReplyDeleteUpdate! I did wind up being cut to part time. I left the school district and am now working at a hospital providing newborn hearing screens. But the school district has emailed me at least 5 times in the past 3 weeks asking me questions. I've turned them down all 5 times. Oh, you don't know how to set up interpreting services? Oh, a student's having problems with their amplification? I could fix either of those things in about 5 minutes, but you decided it wasn't necessary. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteHa! Serves them right. Don't know what you got till it's gone, right? People have no idea how important our jobs are.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your new position, hope you are happy where you are now. :)
You should offer to consult with them at an hourly rate of something awesome.
ReplyDelete