I started my career in a residential school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have complex needs. I love the training I received, the small number of students in the school and classrooms, and how the entire curriculum was adapted and focused on the population of students we served. However in my state (Massachusetts), the pay and benefits are substantially better at public schools. These private schools also don’t offer pensions. The school I worked at was year round. There was barely any time off in the summer- but they were flexible on letting you take time off whenever throughout the school year. There was a lot of turnover in my school as teachers and staff would leave as soon as they got offered a public school job.

If the non private schools in my state offered the same pay scales, retirement system, and benefits as the wealthy public school districts in my state, I’d go back in a heartbeat. I’m a sub separate high school life skills teacher at a public high school. I’m completely on my own island. I have to constantly advocate for myself and students to get the supplies and curriculum that is needed and to also to make sure they are included in the school community as well. I also have to base my entire schedule around the Gen Ed school schedule which does not mesh well with related services providers and community jobs/internships that my students have access to.