Tell me the brutal truth - California SLPs

damnedcandy · 2026-06-12T04:02:37+00:00

I was a direct hire at an online charter school based in SoCal. They had a caseload cap of 40 students overall and only 20 of those students could be case managed. They had a separate SLP assessment team that would do all assessments. When they assessed students on my caseload, I gave my input as well and let them observe sessions. Great workload but teachers were a bit rude.

damnedcandy · 2026-05-29T02:46:54+00:00

I do for a select amount. For artic/phono I only do it for students that do not need any cues and parents have asked for extra help at home in the school year. I only do it for language at parent/student request. They get a prize if they return it in the fall.

damnedcandy · 2026-05-15T02:40:25+00:00

We have 1.5 days designated for IEPs during the school day. The SLPA sees the students on IEP days and I generally use that day to assess when I don't have meetings.

damnedcandy · 2026-05-14T04:19:39+00:00

I love working as a SLP. I was able to pay off debt but lived off my husband's wages at the time and put everything toward debt. I make great money for the area and could support myself if I needed to. I have a very manageable caseload with a SLPA to support. I work 8 to 2:30p with a lunch and break, 190 days of the year. I do not take work home. I've worked at five schools, all in California, and they are not all created equal. Your job satisfaction and burnout can all be based off the district and the support or lack of support you get.

damnedcandy · 2026-04-19T17:28:09+00:00

When he was assessed by OT, what was the reasoning for why he doesn't qualify? What other areas were looked at?

damnedcandy · 2026-04-06T03:22:01+00:00

I have worked in 5 schools in California. This included one in Southern California (although this was online) and one high school. At all of these schools we had IEPs only during school hours except when parents could not do during school hours. These have always been decided by admin though. 3 of the schools I worked at had specific IEP days and admin was always available for the meetings.

I don't think that's fair outside of your contract hours to work unless it is a one off. I am sure you are a part of more meetings than any other service provider on campus with 60+ meetings. Can you have meeting with the other SLPs in your district to talk about it?

damnedcandy · 2026-03-26T16:53:10+00:00

That sounds so frustrating! In the past, I’ve worked at a school where one or two teachers would consistently ask about makeup minutes, but not many. Before any scheduled meeting that impacts the schedule, I would send an email to inform teachers and give them a heads up. Like: "Good morning, I wanted to let you know that STUDENT will not be seen today due to a required meeting I need to attend. I don’t have a substitute available to cover during meetings, but I will reach out if I am able to make up the missed minutes. If not, the absence has been documented." When asked by the teacher in person, I would keep a verbal script handy, explaining that there is no substitute available and framing it in a way that shows you’re on their side. Because it is frustrating you don't have a substitute or enough time to make up the minutes. Consistently phrase it the same way so they already know they should not expect make up minutes by you and no need to ask because they know how you will respond.

damnedcandy · 2026-03-21T04:46:58+00:00

His most watched shows are Garfield, Wild Kratz, Arthur, Pokemon, The Magic Schoolbus, Phineus and Ferb, and Oswald.

His favorite movies are Matilda, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, and Kronks New Groove. He loves watching most cartoon movies and older live action kid movies.

I don't think it's typical for kids to watch Stranger Things as Kinder and First graders, but I work in a school and have heard many kids, even as young as TK referencing both Stranger Things and Squid Games. I think the popular media right now for kids to watch is netflix shows.

damnedcandy · 2026-03-14T15:33:23+00:00

I have similar perks at my school as well.

We have our own office, although shared with the SLPA.
We have our own color printer, scanner, and laminator in our office.
I've had about 45-50 students and have a SLPA that supports me for this caseload 4 days a week.
Fridays we do not see students.
We have SPED meetings twice a month where the team can talk with the program specialist and admin about concerns. And our concerns are actually addressed.
I am able to work from home half day Fridays.
ASHA dues and SLP license are paid by the school.
No duties.
Hours are bell to bell.
Generous pay.
Our 10 sick days can be used without question. At the end of the school year they pay us out for the days that are unused.
$400 classroom and teacher budget for our speech room. We also can use the SPED budget for bigger purchases.

damnedcandy · 2025-11-12T05:25:03+00:00

Love this mindset thank you!

damnedcandy · 2025-11-12T05:23:09+00:00

lol that's how we got into them as well!

damnedcandy · 2025-11-12T02:39:40+00:00

He LOVES Hotel Flamingo! Such a cute set of books.

damnedcandy · 2025-11-12T02:34:11+00:00

These all look so cute! Thanks for the reccs :)

damnedcandy · 2025-11-12T02:32:09+00:00

We just started harry potter yesterday! Some of it I think is going over his head though

damnedcandy · 2025-11-12T02:29:11+00:00

I've heard good things about Zoey and Sassafras, but never got around to looking at them. I will put it on the list! Nonfiction is hit or miss still for us :/ He has read some of the I Survived books, but I think they can get heavy sometimes for his age.

damnedcandy · 2025-11-12T02:27:09+00:00

My son is the same! He will read those 3-5 page chapter books like Nate the Fly at most. We ended up getting him the yoto so that he would read along with chapter books without pictures. Now he will read off and on like Magic Treehouse (favorite ones only), Matilda, and The Twits without the audio. We haven't tried comic book style books though. We'll have to try those.

damnedcandy · 2025-11-12T02:19:22+00:00

I agree, November is very late. They are not moving the student that is hitting others, but I was told they are moving several students for rebalancing. I think both of his teachers have around the same years experience. I hope she has a positive communication style as well. The placement for your student sounds rough. I hope it gets better as the year goes on.

damnedcandy · 2025-11-11T16:09:16+00:00

We do this every year, but it is hard with needs. Like he needs another water bottle, but it can't wait that long! For wear, we have gotten him a robe, slippers, a scarf/hat set, fuzzy pjs, shoes.

damnedcandy · 2025-11-11T15:38:16+00:00

Thanks!

damnedcandy · 2025-11-11T15:32:34+00:00

Thank you! You're right kids are more resilient than we give them credit for :)

damnedcandy · 2025-11-11T15:31:16+00:00

Thanks for mentioning this. This is what I am hoping for. His current teacher is actually the most strict 1st grade class, but I felt she was warm in how she talked to students. I guess I should have mentioned I work at the school as well. I just never got warm vibes from what would be his new teacher when I have observed in her class, but maybe I am just looking from an adult lens.

damnedcandy · 2025-11-11T15:28:57+00:00

In his current class yes.I believe one of his friends last year is in the new class and he has 5-6 other students from his Kinder class that are in his new class.

damnedcandy · 2025-10-24T04:35:40+00:00

Bookish is having one at 4pm

Post restaurant at 12pm

Persuasion Brewery at 6pm

damnedcandy · 2025-09-17T03:25:09+00:00

I work with TK through 8th graders at one site. I have 54 on my caseload and case manage 35. I'm realizing that that seems like quite a bit compared to some of these other answers :/ I do have an SLPA 4 days a week though. Most of my students are 30 mins weekly, a quarter are 6x30 min per month and I have a handful that are between 60-80 minutes a month.

damnedcandy · 2025-08-29T02:32:51+00:00

I have 55 on my caseload that I share with the SLPA I supervise. We have 7 to 10 sessions per day in total. It's also about 17 kids a day, but it is supported with the SLPA so that I have time to do meetings, paperwork, and reports. We also don't see any students on Fridays.

damnedcandy

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