Should I stay or should I go now?

[Griff]

I gave my two weeks notice at work last week. I'm going to be finishing my Masters in Special Education this summer and originally wanted to do work and school. Unfortunately, my boss questioned my need to take a day off the week before to get my on campus affairs in order. Five weeks before this, I sent her an e-mail giving her my class schedule and suggesting we talk about reducing my hours so I could work and handle the 1 hr 40 minute each way commute. We spoke about the second class and decided that I'd be better off taking a leave of absence since the timing wouldn't work. She didn't get back to me on the first class and considering her attitude on the day off, I could see I was about to get shafted. As I spent another Saturday putting data in for staff, I worked myself into a real pissy mood. I was up against the two week notice deadline so I dropped my letter in the slot. I was careful not to burn any bridges, because I love working with this population of kids. As these things always go here, I was accused of taking advantage of the school by doing my student teaching here last semester. When I didn't reply to that, I was asked if I'd consider coming back. I replied honestly that I wouldn't rule it out. Everyone has been super nice to me in the interim.

The Good- The good parts of working where I do are very good. We use Applied Behavioral Analysis the only scientifically valid approach for children with Autism, (btw Time Magazine in full of crap, but you already knew that) While we still use discete trial training, our bag of tricks is expanding with the support of administration. The kids are awesome and we make their parents lives easier. I work with an extremely dedicated group of folks. We rely heavily on data in our decision making processes, when we do something we have reasons we're not just throwing stuff against a wall to see what sticks. I have moments of pure joy watching my kids progress. Good benefits package and our 1/2 lunch is about the funniest thing you'll ever listen to. I'm good at this job.

The Bad- Being run by the psych dept, folks with education degrees are generally looked down on. I understand the attitude because I've seen the products of many ed depts and look down on them myself. Importantly, the ed folks who stick with this program are not lazy tax farmers and know ed and psych so maybe a little respect should be forth-coming. No-one gets a positive stroke from administration. The only positive reinforcement you get at this job is from your co-workers and from the graphs of performance and behavior data. Administration assumes everyone is biding their time to jump ship, creating an attitude which makes folks bide their time to jump ship. You cannot get your job done in the time allotted. You will work a lot of unpaid over-time at a job which pays about 50% of public school wages. Right now we don't have desks and computers for everyone so you wait for your turn to do the data entry work. Appearance is valued over function- we (or maybe they) will be getting brand new computers! Unfortunately, what we needed was a scan system to put data in automatically. A ton of money is spent on shiney objects for folks to look at and every year we get the "different piles of money speech" to explain why there will be new shiney stuff, no raises, and a little bonus check to prove sincerity. This is a stressful job.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Bummer! What a position to be put in. You’re doing a good thing, and doing it well. The kids and their parents appreciate you and what you do. You love the job......and the kids.

But, your boss(es) only tolerate you in order to obey the law and insure funding from the government.
Oh, and to babysit the kids, the law says they have to accept, even though they don’t fit the McAgenda of feathering the administrative caps by graduating college bound clones.

Is the situation better anywhere else?
Is there any financial or professional advantage to another school?

You are attached to the kids but I suspect you would be anywhere they have kids. Have these Bosses pissed you off so much you feel you have to get away from them?
It would be nice to think you could punish the bastards by withholding your services, but that’s wishful thinking, because they don’t appreciate you now.

There’s so many things to consider, ones you outlined and I suspect many you didn’t, we can’t possibly know what’s right for you.
However, if you do stay, you might get the staff and parents together for a little PR campaign to make the general population know what progress you’re making with these kids and the handicaps in equipment and supplies.

Of course this all started because of time constraints during the next semester so I guess you won’t have time for that.
Man, it’s not easy being green.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

But, your boss(es) only tolerate you in order to obey the law and insure funding from the government.

I hadn't organized it in my head that way but you're probably right that they resent having to have ed degrees in the building. There is a turf war about this on campus because the ed people are pissed that psych runs the program, but ed depts are just as insular and close minded.

I think the bosses care about the kids but they have no administrative, communication, or people skills. The one I've been dealing with is over worked as well, so maybe she thinks nobody should have a life outside?

[Trilby]

Griff-my heart goes out to you. I was in a very similar situation in 2001. The people I worked with were Golden, our comraderie overshadowed the shitty way our Evil Overlord (and her familiar) treated us, we loved each other, we worked hard, we loved our clients (steel workers) and we had a BOND. However--Evil Overlord, sensing our dedication to our patients (and, not to the Company) and our happiness, ramped up her efforts to make us misreable. It worked. We all, in a matter of months, jumped ship. Evil Overlord wanted a much more cowed group of people to guard the medical histories and physicals of 3,800 employees--a group so cowed that, when she demanded medical records on someone, she got them (note, this woman is a high school grad. who has been at the company 40 years. She worked her way up to Benefits and Accident Administrator. She was constantly questioning the actions of RN's---all of them, except me, had their BS in Nursing, and I was a COHN, Certified Occupational Health Nurse*--NOBODY was a slouch!) She was, in a word, draconian. After 9/11, I re-evaluated my position. I felt I could no longer tolerate this woman. I quit. So did everyone else. Did she care? She was thrilled! She hired brand new grads, so green they did not transport a suicidal employee (and, he said he was going to kill himself, so, there was no 'call' to make--his intent was actually NOTED in the medical record!) to the local hospital--they LET HIM DRIVE HIMSELF HOME! I could go on, but, why? You see what she wanted. Here was a dried up old prune of a woman who walked around in high heels and expensive perfume (gag!) clipboard always in hand, and she got what she wanted: A medical staff that would lay bare all medical information, all private records, from our staff and from outside doctors, to her.

Who won?

She did.

Don't leave your charges! They need you!!!!!

*Oh, I meant to say, in 2001, any RN could take the COHN test. I believe now the prerequisite is that you have your BN.

[BigV]

Remember Benjamin Franklin's method? Make a list of the pluses and a list of the minuses. Long list wins. You're already starting this process with the Good and Bad. I realize that is oversimplifying the issue, but the strategy is sound. I also understand it is difficult to quantify real and important issues like "...I have moments of pure joy working with the kids...". How do you measure that? It's hard but you can, in fact, only you can.

I will run down my read on the data you provide, with editorial comments. The remarks are in no particular order.

100 min commute each way. wtf. I worked in SoCal with 80 miler each way into LA for a couple of years. I would not wish that on a snake. It robs your living of life. If you've been doing it for a while, you may not notice how messed up it is. When you get a local commute, and you can spend more of your waking hours doing things in the service of your life and not your employer's, you'll see the difference. This goes double if you have to pay for fuel and drive yourself. This will only get more expensive and frustrating.

The pure joy of working with "these" kids. I know this one too from first hand experience. I include quotes around "these" kids, not to disparage your kids, but to distinguish them from another group of kids. I *know* the joy you speak of and it is a powerful positive factor in favor of this job. But I don't think it is impossible to expect the same joy from a different group of kids in a different situation where the negatives listed above are fewer or weaker. There are other kids out there who could benefit from your help, Griff. You just haven't met them yet.

Bosses who suck. Dilbert's funny because he's right, and we who laugh instead of cry do it because we know. But poor Dilbert can only see the one pointy haired boss he has. There are other bosses and organizations that are more compassionate than the one you've described. Ones that will recogonize your value to the organization and reward you in ways that encourage you to stay, for their own benefit. Reward you with >50% of public school pay, or flexible hours to accommodate your self improvement efforts, listening to your input about what equipment you need and don't need. They do exist, Griff, I promise you.

Dedicated support group. I reckon the professionals that get involved in this field do it for the joy the work, not for the glamour or the money. And the parents that get their kids involved are likely involved themselves. These dynamics exist in other places too. Where these other people are, I don't know, but I am sure that if I were a parent in this position, I'd be looking for a group like yours in my area.

You are working. Well, let me tell you from recent first hand experience, that is a real plus for those of us for whom work isn't an optional activity. Big kudos to you for leaving your bridges intact. Very professional and prudent.

Work while attending school. A very ambitious goal, but perhaps unreachable from your current position. When I need something a high shelf, I will reach for it, but if I can't get it easily, I may need to move closer or stand on something. You have set your sights on something good that you need. Great, now go get it. But if you can't get it here, adjust as needed. Now you need to ask yourself, what am I reaching for: Continued employment, or continued education. Sounds like one of them has to give for the time being. But, heck, you already knew that. All that talk just to restate your question. Sorry.

[Trilby]

Oh! About who resents who or thinks who resents ed. degree people in the building! That Shit NEVER ends! When I was an RT (radiologic technologist-peace be upon them), we all KNEW that RN's hated our guts and wished many evil and vile things on us and worked hard to make it so. Then, I became an RN! As an RN, we were certain, no matter what specialty we were in (cardiac, renal, psych) we were being dumped on by the Universe and pretty much doomed. It doesn't matter what your degree/specialty! There will always, always be someone to shit in your Wheaties! ALWAYS!

They are usually called by these names:
Supervisor
Human Resources Manager (and all her familiars)
Department Head
Employee Medical
EAP
Recruiter
Head---fill in blank-head nurse, head educator, head...whatever. How'd ya think they got there? Head!
Special Committee
FBI


Well, you get the idea...

[Trilby]

BigV--! Don't fuck up my diatribe with Sound Advice! You either, Bruce!



God, I miss my ex-co-workers.

[Griff]

Thanks guys. BigV I'm going to Ben Frank this at the end of the summer. I have a paper to write on choosing autism programs for kids. I'm gonna choose one for myself as well. I appreciate the input, I have to evaluate what I can do differently in this situation and if I can improve it... Much thinking required but a little distance just may help. Leaving my guys is some heavy shit because I have moved some mountains here. I just have to trust the next person to be a pro. 4 out of 6 of my guys are changing programs in the fall so I'm not totally running out on them. The undergrads were pretty bummed that I was thinking of cutting out. It seems that I have the reputation as the teacher who doesn't make undergrads miserable and understands how difficult their part in this is. eh, I ramble thanks guys.

[Elspode]

Ramble on, dude. You are clearly a person who *cares* very much about what they do. Having an unreasonable and unsupportive environment in which to do it is probably like fingernails on your spiritual chalkboard.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I think you can, I think you can, I think you can, I think you can.......