Log in

View Full Version : everyone sick, all the time



Zoe Girl
11-29-17, 1:24pm
OMG, this is getting really overwhelming. I am waiting for my supervisor to call me back so I can ask for help.

My one staff has been dealing with health issues since her accident last spring, was recently diagnosed with lupus, and will be out the 3rd day this week with some type of flu. She is at the ER getting checked for pneumonia.

My morning person, 3 mornings a week, just resigned from all her positions in our district. She is a literacy teacher and did the 3 morning programs a week, however she has been struggling with staying basically healthy since last May. We thought it would be better when she got her tonsils out. One shift she missed because she was admitted to the hospital because of medication issues stemming from how sick she has been.

Now my primary staff was diagnosed with strep! She said she would try to come in but I said no way, that is contagious and I cannot have her here. Besides she obviously feels like crap. She has missed a few other shifts and has to be really sick to miss any work.

Meanwhile the kids are fine and healthy overall! I am hiring a new guy, it takes a couple weeks to process and it can't go fast enough.

Tybee
11-29-17, 1:37pm
Zoe, why doesn't your district hire subs for these positions--why can't substitute teachers be brought in to fill the unexpected absences, so that your program can go on with adequate, legal staffing levels?

Zoe Girl
11-29-17, 2:15pm
We do have a floater position open that would be for any of our schools. There are literally no candidates in that job, and I have not seen any this year apply. The first 2-3 weeks of the school year most of our supervisory and qualified office staff are at sites in programming helping out.

So I am hiring what is called a program leader, I can have one program leader and one staff aide for 30 students (staff aides cannot be left alone with children). With one more program leader than I can also hire an additional staff aide, and I can find staff aides pretty easily. I have interviewed 2 this year I liked but then couldn't hire because I needed another leader in order to hire them.