Knowing that I have a big mouth, a local teacher called and asked that I publicize the fact that our local schools do not have enough substitute teachers or classroom aides, and that this situation was having a huge impact in the classroom. Another teacher who teaches in the specialized autism program in a nearby public school told me that the lack of support staff had reached such critical levels that neither the students or teachers were safe. Without the right support, kids were having serious meltdowns, and people were getting hurt. 

My friend, the local teacher, said that staff in our town were quitting and taking jobs in other towns that paid benefits and higher wages. To help her out, I lit some bombs on the five Facebook pages for our town. (Fun!) A few weeks later, the topic was discussed by the school board. The superintendent said that they didn’t have the funds to increase salaries for support staff. An increase of $2 more per hour would cost the school district a quarter million dollars.

Read more at my newsletter, Apt. 11D