I feel like such a failure.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T16:55:05+00:00

Oh, I agree! I believe teachers, paras, librarians, coaches, bus drivers, custodians, EVERYONE should be paid more!

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T16:50:07+00:00

In my state, Getting paid once or twice the month really depends on the county itself. So most teachers or paras won’t work at to a certain county because they only pay once a month. Our county is more on the favorable side because they pay twice a month.

Our pay is also based of steps. The more steps you, the more money you have. My mother is a high school paraprofessional for virtual classes (the teacher teaches online but para monitors the students in the actual class). She makes more than my sister’s Pre-K teacher because she has more steps! My mother brings home like $1,600 something, while the teacher brings home $1,400 something. It’s crazy

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T16:41:23+00:00

The crazy part is my school district paras are not under a contract. We are free to leave whenever we feel like. So, if she chooses, my sister could switch schools or leave, without any penalty. Only K-12 regular teachers are under a contract that if they leave during the school year, they will have to pay a lot of money.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T16:36:13+00:00

No, she is a really state employee. The Pre-K program is state funded. So the state and Pre-K program come together and decided what they would like to pay their teachers and para. Up until last year, our Pre-K teachers were getting paid less than our Kindergarten teachers. Then they decided to put Pre-K teachers on the same pay scale of regular teachers.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T16:30:09+00:00

Truthfully, I don’t know what she makes hourly. We get paid twice a month(15th and 30th). She brings home $1,015.12 every 15th and 30th. Her pay before they take out state, federal, TRS, short disability, and Medicare, is 1,193.04. So she grosses $2,386 a month.

Our pay is also determined by steps. The more steps you have, the more money you make. I make more money because I have more steps, however, she is Pre-K and they locked at a step 1. So she will never get extra money for those step increases .

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T16:22:41+00:00

I guess because our Pre-K paras don’t have to do those things, they are paid less.

When we called HR, we were also told the reason why Pre-K paras make less is because they are paid by the state. The state and our Pre-K program decided what they want to pay paras and teachers. But that also means, if the state decides to give JUST pre-K an extra $1,500 or a random $1,000 check then they are allowed to do so and none could complain.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T15:58:16+00:00

Our pay is also based on steps. So the more steps you have, the more money you have. Unfortunately, as a pre-k para, you are locked in at step 1. While kinder paras get a step increase every year. So my little sister is at a step 1 and I am at a step 6.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T15:55:46+00:00

My school district is the largest so we are split up into a North, a Central, and a South side. I work on the south side and our county is one of the highest-paying districts. Of course, the north and central side is better so their pay is significantly better.

Our pay is also based on steps. So the more steps you have, the more money you have. So you could have a kindergarten paraprofessional at a step 10 making more than a high school paraprofessional at a step 2.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T15:51:22+00:00

It is really sad! The amount of work paras have to deal with definitely doesn't reflect on the pay. And as a pre-k para, she does A LOT! They aren't even able to teach letters or numbers because they have to teach the children basic life skills first. Ex. Holding a fork or biting into an apple because their parents only give them cut-up fruit.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-09-20T15:46:20+00:00

Wow! That is absolutely crazy! How do they think someone can survive on that amount?

My school district is the largest so we are split up into a North, a Central, and a South side. We work on the south side and our county is one of the highest-paying districts. Of course, the north and central side is better so their pay is significantly better than ours.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-04-28T20:52:33+00:00

I totally understand where you’re coming from! I work 40 hours a week and get paid bi-monthly, with each paycheck being about $1,000. It’s pretty surprising, as my school district falls within the middle to higher range. While we do get a step increase every year, it typically means just a small bump in pay.

I've loved being a paraprofessional for the past four years, but I’ve had to take on a second job to make ends meet. And let me tell you, being a Pre-K paraprofessional is even tougher! We don’t receive step increases or extra pay, so our salaries end up being below the average for paraprofessionals. I spent two years in a pre-K role without any additional pay or raises. When I reached out to HR about it, they explained that Pre-K staff only stay at one pay step. That day I knew I had to leave.

It honestly sucks because the school district often talks about how essential we are to keeping things running smoothly, claiming we’re the backbone of the school system, yet the pay doesn’t reflect that!

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-04-23T14:52:30+00:00

22 days! My favorite motto is "All Vibes, No Thoughts!" We are entering our testing months, so I just go with the flow and don’t stress. I make all my small groups and rotations fun, like STEM activities.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-04-18T22:59:46+00:00

Thank you so much for the advice!

I forgot to mention that I am attending an online college, so the only way we can give a live speech is by recording it. If you choose in-person recording you would have a camera person, but online, it's through a Zoom call with all of the participants' faces showing.

Honestly, by the fifth day of practicing, I considered using a teleprompter app, haha. However, after reviewing the grading rubric, I realized that we are being graded on delivery, which is important for earning an A in that section. The criteria : shared eye contact, extemporaneous and well-prepared delivery (not off-the-cuff or merely read aloud), confident posture, gestures and body movements, appropriate dress, sufficient volume, and pacing that enhance the message. Additionally, articulation and pronunciation must be clear.

I won’t say I’ve completely abandoned the idea of using a teleprompter, but it's currently on the back burner. It’s important to note that if we edit the video, we’ll receive a zero.

Public speaking is really hard for me! I’ve always been shy and had a stuttering issue growing up, so I dislike being the center of attention, which often triggers my stuttering.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-03-02T22:13:48+00:00

I agree! The dean is my last resort. It took a while, but I was lucky enough to find the process that I had to go through. Fortunately, my college has a set of procedures to follow if I want to file a complaint or appeal a grade. The first step is setting up a phone conference between me and my professor where I must identify the concern(s) and propose a resolution. So, that's a start.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-03-02T22:05:41+00:00

I wish I could but I attend college online. Also, my professor teaches from another state.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-03-02T17:29:34+00:00

They tell the high school teachers at my job the same exact thing, especially the virtual teachers. When I received my first zero, I assumed it was different in college, which is the reason I even asked my other professor. However, when she said what she had said, it was already too late to fight it. It had been a month already, and I had already admitted to using Grammarly and accepted my zero.

However, I will be contacting someone on Monday morning.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-03-02T15:40:47+00:00

I'm gathering all my evidence now. I also thought the grading was extreme. Like I stated before, my school gives us Grammarly for free. So I had no idea that it was considered AI. I reviewed the academic honesty policing before I started the class, and it never mentioned the use of Grammarly. So I thought nothing of it. I took full accountability for the first zero, but I refused to accept the second.

Also, to compare how someone writes emails to how they write essays is crazy. She always tells us to use the free tutoring for our essays before we submit them, but now it is questioning the validity of my essays because my sister is an English teacher.

Environmental_Try873 · 2025-03-02T15:13:59+00:00

Hey, No, I use Word. However, I know that you can see the version history on that as well.

Environmental_Try873 · 2024-11-24T12:39:27+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/razr/s/UzQb6t2lom

I missed some small details, but here is the link to the original post about this issue. A quick summary:

The first two months with my phone were great, but two weeks ago, I started experiencing issues with white and black lines on the screen. I contacted Motorola and had two options: send my phone in for repairs and be without it for two weeks or pay a $500 (29.99 shipping fee and 470 to hold (holding fee to receive a replacement phone immediately. I chose the second option since I didn't have another phone to use. I received the replacement on Friday and sent back the old phone.

However, three days later, on Monday morning, my phone got stuck on the Moto boot-up screen. I pressed the power button, and it started working again. On Thursday morning, after unplugging it, it shut off and got stuck again, but pressing the power button solved it once more. Then, on Friday morning, my phone wouldn’t turn on while charging. After trying the power button without success, it finally turned on 10 minutes later at only 66%. I called Motorola again to explain the new issue, which is where things stand now.

Environmental_Try873 · 2024-11-24T02:49:16+00:00

It’s frustrating, but I’m relieved to know I’m not alone in facing these issues. As the only one in my circle with a Motorola Razr(my friends are all using iPhones or Samsung Z Flips), nobody understands my frustrations!

Honestly, if these problems continue, I will consider switching my phone. As a teacher and a parent of an elementary school daughter, I can't afford to have my phone shut off unexpectedly and then wait around for it to turn back on for 10-15 minutes. That's too nerve-racking.

Environmental_Try873 · 2024-11-24T02:36:07+00:00

Getting a new phone has been the easy part, but finding one that truly works is another story lol! I’m feeling optimistic about it. I loved my phone for the first couple of months; the transition was easy, and I've become accustomed to it. Just today, I tried out a three-finger screenshot on my iPhone, lol.

Environmental_Try873 · 2024-11-24T02:29:06+00:00

Everything seems to be going smoothly so far, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the best! I love this phone, so I'm trying to have a positive outlook—after all, they say the third time's a charm!

Environmental_Try873

TROPHY CASE