This past weekend I was compared to a lady's daughter. Her daughter teaches at a local high school. I had to hear all about how she decorated her classroom, what she is teaching, her extra curricular assignments, etc. I like the person she was talking about, I know her personally. She then looked at me and asked, "How does that compare to what you do?" How do I answer that? I thought about it and then just said, "While we were are both teachers, we couldn't be more opposite during our work day." It hit me, how many people don't really understand what it is I do on a daily basis.
I run a type of alternative school (or "day reporting" for those of you with some criminal justice education) for students in Steuben County. Students who have been suspended or expelled can be referred to my program. This keeps the schools happy because the trouble makers aren't in their building (they are in mine) and the parents stay happy because their child is still working on state approved curriculum and working toward graduation. I also accept referrals from DCS and the courts. Often times my program is used as "last chance" or "first stop out." Juvenile placement costs are ridiculously high. The cost for 1 day of placement runs anywhere between $175 to $200 a day. If the juvenile has medications that need monitored, or they need mental help, the cost jumps close to $300 a day. The Judge likes to avoid paying that much when local resources (Northeastern Center, Cameron Counseling, etc) go unused. In a "last chance" manner, the kids are court ordered into my program. We will work with them, but if they cannot prove they deserve to stay home, we will make a motion for placement. We are their last chance to prove they can/want to change. When it comes to "first stop out" the judge will sentence kids coming out of placement into our program for a period of time. Coming out of a strict placement center into a public high school can be a shock that will cause the kids to revert back to their old ways. By having them make a brief "stop" with us, they can be slowly integrated back into their home and school life.
Our program can take up to 15 students at a time. We work with students in grades 6-12. At one point two years ago, I had a student in every grade doing a different level of Math. It can get crazy having 12 or 13 kids all working on a different class. I think I thrive on the craziness!
I often say that we work with the kids that public schools can't/won't/don't care to work with. But I realize now that may come across wrong. I have been a public school teacher before and I know how hard it is to have 100+ students a day and that one student can just ruin every one's day. We allow those teachers the option to remove those students and know that the "trouble maker" will not fall behind in their education. In most cases, we can not only help a student maintain the proper class standing (credit wise) but allow them to catch up.
Someone once told me, "You work with the worse of the worst." I used to think that, but I don't anymore. We simply get the misunderstood and confused students. Many of our students have had a "moron moment" that got them kicked out of school. They realize they screwed up, and are now taking the proper steps to rectify the situation.
What I do, really can't be compared to a public school teacher. Both jobs have their pros and cons. At times I miss the convocations, pep rally's, and seeing all the players in their uniforms before a big game. I also have to remember that I have a lot of flexibility with my job and if I need to take a day to just talk with a student and help them deal with their home life, I can do that! We can take Friday afternoon's and have "fun days." I get to know another side of these kids that their public school teachers will never get to see. I have made so many connections and love to run into former students when I am out running errands. A former student actually lives across the street from my office. He is working towards his college degree and has a beautiful fiance and two great kids. I find myself watching them play through my office window. Watching those moments, I realize why I do what I do. Had I not been willing to work with that one student, he would have been shipped off to placement till he was 18 and then who knows what his life would be like now.
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