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Something really odd & puzzling just happened and I'm wasn't sure what section I should post it in. This is a vent or rant as you really can't answer why the person did that.
I recently retired after teaching special education for over 30 years and I now occasionally tutor, plan individualized educational programming or babysit special education students to earn a little extra cash. Obviously the type of payment varies dramatically depending on what services the parent wants for their child. In my area special education babysitters (if you can find them charge $15 or more an hour) but tutors or educational programmers charge $30 to $60 an hour.
I recently posted an ad on Craigslist looking for babysitting positions listing my qualifications and stating that my minimum fee is $15 per hour for a child or teen with mild special needs.
Yesterday, I received a lengthy email from a parent stating that she was looking for someone to design an "educational program for her autistic child" and listed in great detail the types of individual educational planning, tutoring, community involvement and that she needed someone several hours per week (possible more). She stated that she was looking for someone who would be able to do this on a long term basis, etc, etc.
I was really excited and then I got to the end of the email where she stated that she couldn't pay me anything but was hoping that I would want to do this as a "volunteer". What????
Who answers an ad where they want to offer a job to someone for zero payment?
Hmmm, does she think that her child is so special that people will want to work for free just to be around her? Or is Mom's sense of entitlement so high that she feels that special education teachers would want to continue working extra hours for free even after they are retired? Or does she simply want something for nothing?
I wrote her a very polite response stating that I would be happy to provide educational programming for her child if I was paid but I was not interested in doing it as a volunteer. I also wished her luck in her search.
Really odd.
Last edited by germaine2626; 03-27-2013 at 08:59 PM..
Mom is just broke, and is hoping (somewhat irrationally) to find a Good Samaritan. That's a lot of stuff she wanted to sign you up for. You might suggest she approach her church, or a support group for parents with autistic kids, to see if any volunteer help could be found. Or she could hold some bake sales, or something, to come up with the cash for you to at least do the design job. She may be able to get help from Social Security for a disabled child.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 03-27-2013 at 09:33 PM..
Mom is just broke, and is hoping (somewhat irrationally) to find a Good Samaritan. That's a lot of stuff she wanted to sign you up for. You might suggest she approach her church, or a support group for parents with autistic kids, to see if any volunteer help could be found. Or she could hold some bake sales, or something, to come up with the cash for you to at least do the design job.
I did suggest to Mom that she contact one of the local Universities and she may be able to find a graduate student who could do (at least some of the things) for free to gain some practical experience.
The interesting thing is that this has happened before (although not as dramatically).
One parent wanted me to design a home tutoring program, monitor the data, teach other trainers how to implement it, etc for $10 an hour. Correction she wanted me to do the program with her child & demonstrate it to others for $10 an hour. She said that I should "design the program and monitor the data at home on my owntime". Typically, professionals with my qualifications get paid $40 to $50 an hour to do that type of programming, designing, direct service and training others.
The Mom actually got angry with me when I said "No". She said "Don't you love children with special education needs and want the best for them?" Well, yes I do, but I also want to get paid for my work. I wonder if that Mom would say the same thing to a doctor or attorney. "Don't you love medicine/the law and want to do what is best (and not charge me anything)?"
BTW In her neighborhood 14 year old kids normally get paid more than $10 an hour just for babysitting one child and she got angry when I told her "No". It is puzzling.
Last edited by germaine2626; 03-27-2013 at 09:56 PM..
Some people are not plugged into reality. But they're also up against a wall, financially. They don't realize that nickeling and dimeing the professional is an insult. They're hoping against hope. It does seem a bit weird, though. You'd think she'd cut back on the menu so she could afford to pay more/hr. Someone needs to take these people aside and explain reality to them. Next time, for a comeback, say, "Don't you want me to be able to pay my bills, so I'll be able to help more children?"
No, they know what they're doing. They assume that teachers do what they do "for the love of the children" therefore there is no need to pay them for their services. Unfortunately, many parents of special ed kids also assume that the rest of society is obligated to help for free. Public education is obligated to help them, the government appears obligated to help them, so therefore you should too.
I run into a similar issue. I have skills in high demand in the disabled community, I can set up and teach almost any adaptive computer program and trouble shoot equipment. I can teach in sign, and read Braille.
I paid for that skill. I did not learn it for free. People often want me to "help" them....no. I am a professional and I get paid a salary for my knowledge. Not giving it away for free.
Not sure why people think those in the helping professions should not be businesslike as well.
No, they know what they're doing. They assume that teachers do what they do "for the love of the children" therefore there is no need to pay them for their services. Unfortunately, many parents of special ed kids also assume that the rest of society is obligated to help for free. Public education is obligated to help them, the government appears obligated to help them, so therefore you should too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jasper12
I run into a similar issue. I have skills in high demand in the disabled community, I can set up and teach almost any adaptive computer program and trouble shoot equipment. I can teach in sign, and read Braille.
I paid for that skill. I did not learn it for free. People often want me to "help" them....no. I am a professional and I get paid a salary for my knowledge. Not giving it away for free.
Not sure why people think those in the helping professions should not be businesslike as well.
After thirty plus years in special ed this still seems odd and unfair to me.
No one would ever consider asking/demanding that other professionals do their jobs for free.
"You must love being a financial advisor. Please spend five hours going over my records and setting up a portfolio for me, but, of course, I don't need to pay you (because you do it for the love of finances)."
"You must love being a hair dresser. Please wash & cut my hair, color my hair and do a fancy up do for me, but, of course, I don't need to pay you (because you love your job and want me to look my best)."
"You must love being a doctor. Please do my surgery, but, of course, I don't need to pay you (because you do it for the love of medicine)."
Those examples sound pretty silly, but most people would be absolutely shocked to hear about some of the "extra" things/services/special privileges/beyond the call of duty requests that (some) parents of special education students demand for their child.
A friend of mine teaches severely cognitively delayed students. One parent is routinely late (four days out of five) in picking up her child from school at dismissal. Usually it is about 10 to 15 minutes Hmmm, guess who needs to stay and watch the child? You are right the special education teacher.Once or twice a month the mom is 30 to 60 minutes and then it may be the secretary or principal who needs to stay late with the child (after the first 15 minutes).
The mom doesn't even apologize, just says things like "I needed to pick up a prescription for Special Snowflake" or "I was taking a nap because it is so hard to care for Special Snowflake at night".
Every month or so the school gets tough on Mom about being late and Mom will be on time for a two or three weeks and then starts being late again. This has been going on for three years.
One recent early dismissal day (the students get out two hours early) Mom never showed up until 15 minutes late for the normal dismissal time (ie. 135 minutes late). Her phone was turned off and no one else would get the child. Mom told the teacher (who had been watching the child while she should have been writing reports & doing report cards) "Oh, I forgot that it was early dismissal today but you are probablyvery happy that you got some extra 1 to 1 time teaching Special Snowflake today." ARRRGGGG!!!!! As you probably can guess, the teacher was not "very happy" to have the extra 2 hours and 15 minutes with Special Snowflake.
Thank you for letting me vent.
BTW Most parents are reasonable, grateful and thankful for any extras but there are a few that just "blow my mind" with their unreasonable demands and sense of entitlement.
Last edited by germaine2626; 03-29-2013 at 11:22 AM..
This has quite a bit to do with being a public employee as well (or at least associated with public sector work). An astounding amount of people assume that public employees are essentially on the clock all the time, and since they are paid by taxpayers, then taxpayers have a right to free labor from them.
A friend of mine teaches severely cognitively delayed students. One parent is routinely late (four days out of five) in picking up her child from school at dismissal. Usually it is about 10 to 15 minutes Hmmm, guess who needs to stay and watch the child? You are right the special education teacher.Once or twice a month the mom is 30 to 60 minutes and then it may be the secretary or principal who needs to stay late with the child (after the first 15 minutes).
The mom doesn't even apologize, just says things like "I needed to pick up a prescription for Special Snowflake" or "I was taking a nap because it is so hard to care for Special Snowflake at night".
Every month or so the school gets tough on Mom about being late and Mom will be on time for a two or three weeks and then starts being late again. This has been going on for three years.
One recent early dismissal day (the students get out two hours early) Mom never showed up until 15 minutes late for the normal dismissal time (ie. 135 minutes late). Her phone was turned off and no one else would get the child. Mom told the teacher (who had been watching the child while she should have been writing reports & doing report cards) "Oh, I forgot that it was early dismissal today but you are probablyvery happy that you got some extra 1 to 1 time teaching Special Snowflake today." ARRRGGGG!!!!! As you probably can guess, the teacher was not "very happy" to have the extra 2 hours and 15 minutes with Special Snowflake.
The solution to this is that after school the child goes into paid daycare. If you are late, you pay for the privilege. The money should go to the teacher who has to supervise the child. It should be a significant amount to deter late pickups.
The solution to this is that after school the child goes into paid daycare. If you are late, you pay for the privilege. The money should go to the teacher who has to supervise the child. It should be a significant amount to deter late pickups.
The school does have after-school day care right in the building but Mom won't sign her child up "because it is too expensive" and the school can't force her to do that or to charge Mom for late pick-ups from the public school.
A little side story. The day care is open until 6:00 PM and has a very strict late pick-up policy. Ii changes $5 A MINUTE for late pick-ups and the parents must pay the late charges in cash before the child can be admitted back into day care the next school day. I once discussed this with the director and she said that they used to have a huge problem with parents coming late when they charged $15 for each 15 minutes. Now at $5 a minute they rarely have a parent that is even a minute or two late.
Yes, it is too bad that the classroom teacher who needs to wait with Special Snowflake can't get extra money for it or even an "I'm sorry that I'm late" from Mom.
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