long talk with supervisor

[Zoe Girl]

I had my check in with my supervisor yesterday and we had a long talk about some of the issues. I didn't keep telling everything here but basically last week got a lot worse. One specific thing was during a camp day (when we have kids for about 12 hours). I had a staff call out sick the night before and I reached out to him and a colleague, tried a few people, and when I didn't get anyone just planned on going in myself for her shift. It was pushing the staffing but workable. I already was stretched thin because of a student who needs extra support in diapering, however he does really well in the large group. So then a staff person was not there on time. I called one other staff to come in early and then I tried her phone and it went to voicemail, I texted, and then I tried her husband before I called my supervisor. When I called my supervisor she was 45 minutes late and I asked if he or the other supervisors had any people I could call or if they had time to make any calls for me. He was nice about it but didn't have anyone, and then started into a long winded thing about how it is PS's responsibility to plan for these things, that we are supposed to be prepared and it is our job to be prepared, and that he would be holding me accountable. I was not okay with that. I could feel myself getting really angry so I just cut the conversation short, I was supervising 24 kids with one other staff person so I told him we needed to talk later but I had to go continue to supervise. Right after that the missing staff was able to come in and we were okay. I called him back to update, he still visited us but everything was working out then.

Yesterday we spent a long time discussing our communication styles. I think we made progress but I still think he is sticking to his statement on that, basically I should have not taken the special needs kid for that day if the plan was for me to be his helper instead of having another staff hired specifically for him. My point of view is that I had a plan that was only a problem when one person was sick and another over an hour late. I think we agree to disagree. I shared that with his style of repeating a lot I feel that I am in trouble, sometimes a lot of trouble, because he brings the same thing up over and over. I think he has the 'lawyer syndrome'. That is my own new term. He just needs to give the disclaimer for the situation every time. So when we talk about these camp days and how I want to share the work he always includes 'It is the expectation that you work all these days, and that all PS's work 8 hours on these days,...' Could be from a lack of confidence in his job or a personality trait or who knows. At least when I shared that I felt I was in a lot of trouble he said I wasn't and he would tell me if I was. That helps my bottom line fear that my job is somehow on the line.

Anyway need to get to work!

[Tammy]

He doesn't want to hear about the details – he just wants you to fix the problem and he wants everything to be just fine. So every time you tell him the details, he repeats back to you what he already said 1 million times.

I think that's how he would view this.

[Zoe Girl]

Yes Tammy, seems like that makes sense. Basically I just needed to know that whether I am doing a great job or making mistakes he is still going to tell me several disclaimers all year long. Gonna drive me nuts so I will come up with a mental mantra while I listen.

I also am meeting a friend for dinner who is having similar work issues, so it isn't just me going on about my thing.

[herbgeek]

Not sure I'm following. First you say:


I already was stretched thin because of a student who needs extra support in diapering,

and then you say


My point of view is that I had a plan that was only a problem when one person was sick and another over an hour late.

I think your supervisor's point may have been that its your job to plan for foreseeable contingencies. If you were already stretched thin, then any little thing could throw your plan out of whack. Which it did. You didn't give yourself enough margin to be able to cope with foreseeable emergencies, and then it sounds like based on what you said, that you tried to make it HIS problem by calling and asking for more staff and asking HIM to do the calling around.

But I could be wrong.

[JaneV2.0]

How's that job search going?

[Zoe Girl]

herb, that could be his point of view I think. Mine is that I did everything to be prepared for the day including calling several subs and others to prepare for the special needs kid. Honestly what I am allowed in staffing hours is stretching thin. I managed one staff out sick, two was beyond my resources. As far as making it his problem I simply asked for help as I would have in any previous year with any other supervisor. That is normal, and it is expected we will do our part by trying to cover any absences ourselves by calling staff, subbing ourselves and holding staff accountable for no-shows. In the beginning of the school year in fact he and all the other supervisors were out at sites helping out with short staffed situations, it is part of this work unfortunately.

The job search is really just starting, however I heard that our state licensing agency has had some people quit and they will be waiting awhile to post those jobs. There was a job in Alamosa as a licensing inspector, I can't relocate if I even want to until May. But this means there may be the same job in my area! I am going to keep checking that.

[Teacher Terry]

The guy is a jerk. In this line of work it is expected for supervisors to step in and help as needed.

[Zoe Girl]

Well i just got a link to an anonymous survey from the senior supervisor. She is coaching her direct reports (including my sup) and wants honest feedback. A couple years ago my sup got a lot of honest feedback from us and went through extensive management training and i liked working with her much better after that. So i will take it seriously and be fair,

[Tradd]

The guy is a jerk. In this line of work it is expected for supervisors to step in and help as needed.

I'm not in education, but I've heard enough from friends who are that agrees with what Terry says. The regulations for staffing levels are a PITA and really, what are you supposed to do when you have a situation like Zoe had? People out sick, coming in late, no subs available to come in?

[Teacher Terry]

Also when someone suggested that you not take the severely disabled child that might have been critical for the parent in some way. They may have had appointments or work duties, etc.

[iris lilies]

Also when someone suggested that you not take the severely disabled child that might have been critical for the parent in some way. They may have had appointments or work duties, etc.

I dont think there is much question that it would have been a bad thing ranging from inconvenient to critical for the diapered child’s family if the child was turned away that day.

I was surprised that ZG’s supervisor suggested a solution was to not accept that child on that day. *But* if that is the official reccomended action, that is the action she should take.

Our public library system had The rule that a building never opened to the public without a minimum of two staff persons on duty. For small branch libraries, and at times, that was a challange. sometimes (not often) a building did not open on time of posted hours. Certainly that was problematic for taxpayers who expected regular hours.

[Teacher Terry]

If that is the official rule I would want it in writing because I could see a lot of fallout from not accepting a child. Just crappy leadership on so many levels.

[early morning]

I could see a lot of fallout from not accepting a child
For sure, including lawsuits. Turning away a child based on his level of disability is not a smart thing to do without a clear understanding of IDEA, ADA, and state/local laws addressing access. About the only thing you could fall back on is if you could document clear and present safety hazards caused by that child. And even then, a good lawyer could tear most arguments to shreds.

[Zoe Girl]

I know I can deny a child if I don't have an appropriate aide for them. I have done it before, or just had the child on my wait list until I hired someone. I have been able to serve everyone except the one child I expelled. It was extreme behavior and no one was safe at that point. This child is a sweetheart who needs some extra attention and a diaper change, so I had a plan. And one the late staff showed up my plan worked for the rest of the day. But like you all pointed out, I need to follow guidelines to show that I have made every attempt to serve them. BTW when mom picked up from another dismissal day we had yesterday she said that when she told P he was going to camp he got excited and said my name. He only uses a few words, but he knows my name!

A much worse situation is my friend who runs a middle school program. She is very ill with the flu and had a big event last night and recently had a strong staff person quit. When she contacted him he asked what her plan was and what the school was doing about it. No attempt at all to help. She called the principal who came right over, but my friend still felt she needed to stay at least on site. I even offered to be on call if they needed it.

One reason I want to expand my career into educational mediation is to work out issues like this without going to court. I think knowing the school side, the family side and having my background in both education and mediation training would be a great fit. A long term goal

[razz]

What do they call it when preparation meets opportunity - luck. You are wished all the luck in finding a job that uses your skills accumulated over the years.

[mschrisgo2]

I suspect not taking the disabled child would leave the program wide open for a law suit.

[iris lilies]

I suspect not taking the disabled child would leave the program wide open for a law suit.
But arent there credentials required for at least one person to be onsite to care for this child? I had assumed the credentials were for the safety/health/security of the child. I dont know how that stuff works but it isnt traditional ADA accommodation because if the safety and security cant be assured, the gig is off.

This is me interpretting ZG’s posts and of course I could be wrong.