having a rough time at my work lately. My employer has had a lot of turn around and after one of the other special ed teachers left, I was given a total of 25 students when I should have been given no more than 23. Because I do better in writing, I requested calendar invites and got pushed back, with them saying the netting info is in a weekly newsletter and that I can make my own calendar blocks with it. I actually asked for it as an accommodation. Now I’m filling ada papers to ask for this with hr. Other workers are leaving because of not feeling supported.
Some of the other teachers were telling me things in passing that I needed to keep my door closed and various other things and I was already late to another group because the group before went late and there was literally no passing time in between. I already had 5 things on my plate at that exact moment and this verbal thing in passing is not comprehended. Now I’m being given a thing to sign that is a “verbal reprimand” but a paper is going in my file. Doesn’t sound verbal to me. Anyone know how to advocate? I tried to say it’s my adhd but then I’m not taking ownership somehow.
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Mamamichl
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I had a manager who did something like that. I was an assistant manager for a retail store. The manager wrote me up for a bunch of things over time. After that manager had left, and I was being considered for the manager job, the district manager read the notes in my file. The DM was confounded, because he said that each of those issues (all minor issues) should have been a verbal reprimand, but because they were in my file the DM couldn't ignore them. (Those notes cost me the chance of promotion.)
*I have a lot more on that story, but I'll stop there and get back on topic.
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I am not an expert on this. Rules, regulations, policies, guidelines, and laws differ from one place to another.
Your employer should have an employee manual and written policies. Those are available for you reference.
(However, as I learned at another employer, those policies can be hard to navigate and hard to understand. In some cases, they can even contradict each other. I discovered way too late how I could hand responded to a write up and escalated my requests girl a transfer all the way up to the HR Director.)
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The following is my opinion, based upon my general understanding.
Please seek official answers from official sources within your employer (school and district) and within your state.
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You can't do anything about the note that is already in your file about a verbal reprimand, but here's what you can do:
• You don't have to sign it. (That might get you in more hot water, but you are a human being with your own free agency. Nobody can actually make your sign something that you don't want to sign.) --- At least, don't sign it until you have spoken to someone in HR to ask how you can respond. If you are part of a union (and if you're a public school teacher, I'm certain that you're part of a union by default), then you can speak to a union representative to find out how you can respond.
• You can write your own note in response to the supervisor's note, and specifically mention the accommodations you've mentioned.
• You can request an advocate (union representative, perhaps a disability advocate, even a lawyer if you think you need one).
Keep in mind that the employer will tend to side with the supervisor in situations like this, but you have a right to respond.
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Question: are others leaving because of this particular supervisor?
Mamamichl P.S. - I know I'm feeling reactive about your supervisor's actions, especially because it's happened to me.
Try your best not to get too emotionally caught up in the situation. It will distract you from your real work.
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By the way - years later I ran into that manager who put all those notes into my file, after we both had left that company, and he apologized to me quite sincerely (not specifically about the notes, but for taking me for granted...he said that he moved to a different store where he had 3 assistant managers who all put in way less effort than I did).
Thank you for that information. I’m in it for the kids, not the supervisor. I am going to make efforts to do better, but I still can’t believe she thinks I’m lying instead of just not remembering.
Unfortunately, some people are just inconsiderate like that. They think they they're right, without giving the benefit of the doubt to what people are telling them.
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Being a teacher is very demanding of your attention. As a special education teacher, you have to be prepared to address needs beyond the scope that other teachers have to.
Is your supervisor also trained as a special education teacher? If so, they ought to have at least a basic understanding of ADHD.
Regardless, even neurotypical people can be distracted and not catch what someone is saying to them.
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Is there an ombudsperson or a mediation process for dispute resolution?
(Sorry if I'm rambling too much. My thoughts are a bit jumbled...it's been a busy week, and my brain is worn out.)
Don’t apologize. I felt that way all day every day the past 2 weeks. Would you mind if I pm you images of the reprimand and my initial response? I will contact HR as well. It’s good to know I can refuse to sign it. I will contact HR before I sign.
Infortunately it’s a charter school here, so no union. There’s a ton of turnover. I actually asked earlier that day for ada paperwork through HR. No clue I would have this issue again. My quality goes down so fast when overworked.
Ah, a charter school. I worked at one about 20 years ago. They march to the beat of their own drum.A lot of the teachers at the charter school that I worked at came out of the business world. It was good in some ways and not so good in others. They had an interesting independent study program, which worked very well for students who liked to learn at their own pace.
The downside of this one is that they aren’t reprimanding the kids hard enough. They are urban kids with urban issues but we are still more lax than the district we are in. There, it’s like the movies about the kids in Detroit, MI.
I am just starting to work with Vocational rehab, they are supposed to be able to help with this kind of stuff. My first counseling appointment with them is next week. The problem is, I got fired today. Because I went to the boss for help knowing how to ask for accomodations in learning differently from how I was being taught, which wasn't working. I am much less auditory than kinesthetic and visual and nearly all the training was auditory! Not wanting to make "excuses" I didn't use the key words like "disability" and I was let go because "everyone else learns this way and we are too busy to train another way" I am so sorry you are having trouble, I feel for you! If you can buy some time, try voc Rehab.
I’m getting the same kind of push back. No one told me to look in certain folders for training that I’m lacking. I’m filling out Ada paperwork this weekend and seeing my doc Wednesday. The sister location liaison actually told me there are videos for all of this information. Why my supervisor doesn’t say “you don’t seem to understand our discipline style. You should look into this folder that has videos and our tier explanation” rather than “you’re not taking ownership”.
Individuals with ADD often excel in teaching roles, captivating students with their enthusiasm and innovative approaches, thereby adding significant value to educational institutions. My own experiences have affirmed this, as I found myself in high demand among students.
However, it's essential to recognize that administrative and HR departments may not always acknowledge this unique value, as their primary aim is to ensure the smooth operation of the institution, adhering strictly to established rules. For those with ADHD, navigating an environment that may not fully understand or accommodate their needs can be challenging and, at times, emotionally taxing.
Moreover, encountering a manager who does not appreciate the strengths and challenges associated with ADHD can be particularly detrimental, acting as a significant stressor that could potentially lead to emotional distress or even PTSD. In such scenarios, it may be prudent to consider seeking employment elsewhere, where the environment is more conducive to your well-being and where your unique contributions are valued and supported.
It’s like you’re seeing into my soul. Thank you for those kind words. It’s weird, because I specifically talked about my adhd and strengths and weaknesses that come along (especially going in detail with rsd). They called me to hire me 3 hours later. I’m looking into moving over to the sister location to my charter school. That’s where my daughter goes.
I am so sorry you are dealing with this. I can relate. Quick question/suggestion: Are you part of a union? If so, call them to see if a union rep could assist you facilitating the reasonable accommodations process. Alternatively, find someone at work who is an ally who could either coach you or serve as some kind of ombudsperson (such as another manager or colleague you are friends with). I haven’t had a chance to read all the replies so this may already be in the thread.
Wishing you the best. The accommodations process is so confusing where I work that I avoid it. I had a negative review once due to completely unfair assignment I refused to do. My response was to write a letter explaining the situation and have it formally included in my personnel file so that both sides of the story were there.
Unfortunately, there is no union at my employment. It’s a charter school and is having a lot of turnover for this reason, I believe. My counselor said she wouldn’t sign it if it’s not true information.
nope.im at a charter school. My doctors mental health provider is helping me get to some disability support service group that will heblp me fill out Ada paperwork.
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