Hey yo, I didn't forget to update, I've just been hella busy.
In the next couple weeks, I'm going to be moving, and after that things should be a little bit easier to manage. I'm gonna be doing a couple of pieces that I already have partially worked out, but to give me enough time to make them the super special stuff that you crave when you come and hang out on my blog, I'm gonna need you to wait patiently.
(Yes, for those of you who don't know, that's a phrase I use occasionally in the workplace. YOU'RE PART OF MY IN-JOKES, CONGRATS!)
Anyways, stay frosty, and I'll be back soon. Give me... like... Two weeks. Three weeks. Somewhere between two and three weeks.
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Sunday, April 13, 2014
When you have to fail so that your team can succeed
The teacher of the classroom I am employed in is moving on to another workplace (congrats by the way). Before she moved on, she reminded me something which I've had to teach other people before. She told me, (paraphrased) "If you do everything, and fix everything, then no one else will need to help, and the participants are going to suffer for it."
She's a bit of a pragmatist, but it's a piece of vital, and multifaceted wisdom that we continually forget as we try to hold together our weird little families. If "I" do all the work, then there's no reason for my employer, my team, or the participants to work together. All that we teach each other is that I am immensely capable, and that people should rely on me.
Which, by the by, she reminded me that this was despite knowing that I WAS immensely capable, and that people probably COULD rely on me. You can imagine me standing proud and tall in a superhero position if you'd like.
But the profession of paraprofessional isn't to fix everyone's problems for them. Hell, if anything, our job is to create more problems, and toughen people up. Before you question that, remember- everything that we do is for the participants. Everything. So when we spend fifteen minutes waiting for a student to open the door without prompting them to do so, it's not because we're letting people rely on us and letting people get off easy. It's because we know that if we do everything for our participants, their quality of living will be worse, and that we will have essentially failed in our duty of trying to create a more independent person.
It goes against our better nature, and sometimes you have to catch yourself doing it, or hope that one of your teammates has the bollocks to remind you. When you see a participant spilling their food all over themselves, your first instinct is to run over and help. You don't want them to have to lose part of their lunch because they don't have fully developed hand/eye coordination (also, you probably don't want to have to clean up afterwards, letsjustbehonest). But if you never let them fight through their lunch period and try to get their food for themselves, you eliminate the opportunity for them to ever really develop those skills, which affects so much more than that very moment. With developed hand/eye coordination, you get a person who can open doors, pick out choices, perform work, bathroom... By 'fixing' that problem for them, you're stopping all those possibilities from ever happening.
But if I haven't made it clear by now, people with special needs aren't some strange alternative lifeform that works differently than you or I, parapro or rocket scientist (though, if you are a robot or an alien, maybe we work a little differently. Also, thanks for reading to any robots or aliens out there). The psychology that stumbles a person with special needs from developing hand/eye coordination, or prompt independence, or emotional intelligence, or whatever... is the same psychology that stumbles a paraprofessional who never gets to deal with a crisis, bathrooming, or community interaction. And, for that matter, it's the same psychology that stumbles a classroom that never has to deal with the graduation of a student, paraprofessional, or teacher because the rest of the team continues on as if nothing ever happened.
If I decided to keep everything going without the teacher, what would happen when a new teacher DID get hired? Being loyal to a previous teacher's ideology, classroom setup, and planning might get you through a week or two when you're holding the fort, but when the new teacher arrives, it puts you at odds with them, and often gives them an uphill battle to fight against to get new insight put into place. And what does it gain you? Plans which haven't been updated for the duration of the transition between teachers, frustration, and possibly enough stress on that new teacher that it might cause them to rethink taking this position. Or, worse, an enemy which you have to deal with for the remainder of your mutual cohabitation. Remember that teachers are not having a turf war, that we can learn from one another, and that we're all in this together.
And if the organization decides that my effort can satisfy the room and allow them to take their time to find a replacement? Let's face it, I don't get paid enough to be as amazing as I am. My guess is that you don't either. Why do you want to worry about all the planning that a teacher has to do, when you're not making teacher pay, and may not even be qualified to handle the position? Ask yourself: Do I really want to deal with the parents, administration, and write things out like IEPs, while I continue to be paid as little as I am, more or less (because sub stipends are not quite the same as a for real pay upgrade)?
Finally, consider what happens to your team when you, eventually, find another workplace, find yourself with health problems, or leave the job for some other reason. Sure, you might have been able to play the circus act without a high wire, but what happens when you get rid of the safety net as well?
I am thankful that the teacher I worked for reminded me about this. And now, you can be thankful for my reminding you about this. Remember: We're a team. There may be a "me" in team... But they'll have to get ripped in half to do it. And what are you left when me leaves? Ta.
She's a bit of a pragmatist, but it's a piece of vital, and multifaceted wisdom that we continually forget as we try to hold together our weird little families. If "I" do all the work, then there's no reason for my employer, my team, or the participants to work together. All that we teach each other is that I am immensely capable, and that people should rely on me.
Which, by the by, she reminded me that this was despite knowing that I WAS immensely capable, and that people probably COULD rely on me. You can imagine me standing proud and tall in a superhero position if you'd like.
But the profession of paraprofessional isn't to fix everyone's problems for them. Hell, if anything, our job is to create more problems, and toughen people up. Before you question that, remember- everything that we do is for the participants. Everything. So when we spend fifteen minutes waiting for a student to open the door without prompting them to do so, it's not because we're letting people rely on us and letting people get off easy. It's because we know that if we do everything for our participants, their quality of living will be worse, and that we will have essentially failed in our duty of trying to create a more independent person.
It goes against our better nature, and sometimes you have to catch yourself doing it, or hope that one of your teammates has the bollocks to remind you. When you see a participant spilling their food all over themselves, your first instinct is to run over and help. You don't want them to have to lose part of their lunch because they don't have fully developed hand/eye coordination (also, you probably don't want to have to clean up afterwards, letsjustbehonest). But if you never let them fight through their lunch period and try to get their food for themselves, you eliminate the opportunity for them to ever really develop those skills, which affects so much more than that very moment. With developed hand/eye coordination, you get a person who can open doors, pick out choices, perform work, bathroom... By 'fixing' that problem for them, you're stopping all those possibilities from ever happening.
But if I haven't made it clear by now, people with special needs aren't some strange alternative lifeform that works differently than you or I, parapro or rocket scientist (though, if you are a robot or an alien, maybe we work a little differently. Also, thanks for reading to any robots or aliens out there). The psychology that stumbles a person with special needs from developing hand/eye coordination, or prompt independence, or emotional intelligence, or whatever... is the same psychology that stumbles a paraprofessional who never gets to deal with a crisis, bathrooming, or community interaction. And, for that matter, it's the same psychology that stumbles a classroom that never has to deal with the graduation of a student, paraprofessional, or teacher because the rest of the team continues on as if nothing ever happened.
If I decided to keep everything going without the teacher, what would happen when a new teacher DID get hired? Being loyal to a previous teacher's ideology, classroom setup, and planning might get you through a week or two when you're holding the fort, but when the new teacher arrives, it puts you at odds with them, and often gives them an uphill battle to fight against to get new insight put into place. And what does it gain you? Plans which haven't been updated for the duration of the transition between teachers, frustration, and possibly enough stress on that new teacher that it might cause them to rethink taking this position. Or, worse, an enemy which you have to deal with for the remainder of your mutual cohabitation. Remember that teachers are not having a turf war, that we can learn from one another, and that we're all in this together.
And if the organization decides that my effort can satisfy the room and allow them to take their time to find a replacement? Let's face it, I don't get paid enough to be as amazing as I am. My guess is that you don't either. Why do you want to worry about all the planning that a teacher has to do, when you're not making teacher pay, and may not even be qualified to handle the position? Ask yourself: Do I really want to deal with the parents, administration, and write things out like IEPs, while I continue to be paid as little as I am, more or less (because sub stipends are not quite the same as a for real pay upgrade)?
Finally, consider what happens to your team when you, eventually, find another workplace, find yourself with health problems, or leave the job for some other reason. Sure, you might have been able to play the circus act without a high wire, but what happens when you get rid of the safety net as well?
I am thankful that the teacher I worked for reminded me about this. And now, you can be thankful for my reminding you about this. Remember: We're a team. There may be a "me" in team... But they'll have to get ripped in half to do it. And what are you left when me leaves? Ta.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Bob Sandidge from The Care Campaign: Interview
Hello Mr.
Sandidge,
Thank you for being willing to spend your time helping me answer some questions on behalf of the paraprofessional community. I know that some of these questions have been answered by the audio interview that you have posted on the Care Campaign website, but I also know that many of my readers may be confused about the intricacies about how funding staff happens in the field that they work in. I appreciate any answers or resources you might share with me, and I know that my readers will as well.
Thank you for being willing to spend your time helping me answer some questions on behalf of the paraprofessional community. I know that some of these questions have been answered by the audio interview that you have posted on the Care Campaign website, but I also know that many of my readers may be confused about the intricacies about how funding staff happens in the field that they work in. I appreciate any answers or resources you might share with me, and I know that my readers will as well.
1. Why are you petitioning the State of Illinois to raise the wages for direct support workers, when many of these workers do not work for the state, but rather for private or non-profit companies?
The direct support workers who work
primarily for non-profit agencies are paid by allocations from the state.
This is part of a service formula for each client we serve whether in the community
or in a community residence. A certain amount is allocated for DSPs for
the support and care of the individuals being served. Generally, the public, and sometimes the
employees, don't know that the employing agency doesn't have discretion over
pay increases for the direct care staff.
2. When was the last wage increase for DSPs?
2007 was the last legislative pay
increase which went into effect in FY2008.
There was some great news this last
week though- Governor Quinn heard the
Care Campaign and included $1 an hour increase for DSPs in the FY2015 budget.
The $1/hour increase is due to begin in January 2015!
3. What sorts of people and organizations, other than DSPs, are signing the petitions and working with the Care Campaign to help meet their goals? (I sort of imagine other organization administrators, parents, individuals with disabilities, and other persons being among the crowd, though if it is only other DSPs that seem to be supporting The Care Campaign, that is useful information as well)
Good
question. Actually, The Care Campaign
is a coalition of a number of service agencies, unions, and parents
organizations.
The
Arc of Illinois parents and families are supporting the program because they
know that better pay will mean that people providing supports for their
relative will be able to stay in the job and provide a continuity of support
through time.
AFSCME
is also part of the group and are getting out the word to their members across
the state.
Currently
the sponsoring members of Core Campaign are contacting senators and reps. from
districts across the state to enlist support and have them sign on to support
the bills. Many of the homes and organizations employing DSPs are all
over the state and the money that DSPs make flows into those communities for
housing, food, living expenses so there is a plus to local economies across the
state.
Clearly,
communities as well as families, clients, and workers have a stake in this
increase. As people understand the flow of increases into the local
economies it is easier to enlist support of community members and leaders.
4.
I've talked to many DSPs who have not heard of the Care
Campaign, and yet you seem to be having a lot of success already in your
endeavors. What means have you been using to gather DSP support?
We have reached out a DSPs primarily through their employing organizations, however, at this point not all agencies throughout the state are on board with the campaign. In fact, the next phase of the Care Campaign is reaching out to every impacted organization in the state to position them to respond when we need calls to their legislators. The fact that Governor Quinn put the $1 in his proposed budget by no means insures that the actual dollars will be passed in the House and Senate.
We have reached out a DSPs primarily through their employing organizations, however, at this point not all agencies throughout the state are on board with the campaign. In fact, the next phase of the Care Campaign is reaching out to every impacted organization in the state to position them to respond when we need calls to their legislators. The fact that Governor Quinn put the $1 in his proposed budget by no means insures that the actual dollars will be passed in the House and Senate.
Reaching all of the DSPs in the
state… there are about 24,000, is a challenge. The Care Campaign needs the
support of DSPs and others as we get to the voting stage on legislation that we
have been working to get in front of the legislative bodies in Illinois.
5. How does The Care Campaign hope to accomplish
their goals?
The first stages of the Care Campaign have been to enlist sponsors of legislation, which we have in both the House and Senate, and to make the Governor aware of the issue, which we have with our delivery of 18,000 postcards to him. The steps of getting legislation to support have been done. That part doesn't require massive support but is done by sponsoring members of the Core Campaign.
Now that we have something to
support, we go to the next phase which is to reach out to not only DSP's but
all members of the support community across the state.
6. If one of my readers were interested, in what ways could they support the Care Campaign?
We need to
keep encouraging people to sign the petition on the CareCampaignHQ.com site and
to sign up for the newsletter and to thank the Governor for putting the $1 in his proposed budget (at CareCampaignHQ.com/gov). Every DSP and support worker needs to be a self-advocate to family, friends, associates, neighbors and community leaders and influencers- Not only to enlist support for the bills we need to pass for appropriations, but also to inform the community about the good and important work they are doing. We’d also like to encourage DSPs and other workers throughout the state to blog, talk and share on social media so that more and more of the community is aware of the issue and, hopefully, will give it their full support.
This is a multi-year task. Even if we get what we are asking for, the increases will be a few dollars a year for a few years. And, depending on other budget variables, we may not get a vote this session but will need to push ahead for next year’s session. We are in it for the long haul and need long haul support.
to sign up for the newsletter and to thank the Governor for putting the $1 in his proposed budget (at CareCampaignHQ.com/gov). Every DSP and support worker needs to be a self-advocate to family, friends, associates, neighbors and community leaders and influencers- Not only to enlist support for the bills we need to pass for appropriations, but also to inform the community about the good and important work they are doing. We’d also like to encourage DSPs and other workers throughout the state to blog, talk and share on social media so that more and more of the community is aware of the issue and, hopefully, will give it their full support.
This is a multi-year task. Even if we get what we are asking for, the increases will be a few dollars a year for a few years. And, depending on other budget variables, we may not get a vote this session but will need to push ahead for next year’s session. We are in it for the long haul and need long haul support.
Thank you again for answering my
questions, Mr. Sandidge. It was a
pleasure to have you on Paraconfessional.
Good luck in your efforts.
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