Southborough job listings: Several new and reposted jobs for the schools

It’s time for another posting of jobs available in Southborough. If you have any of your own job openings in town to share this week, you can add them in comments below.

(If you’d like to share your company’s job openings in future weeks, email mysouthborough@gmail.com.)

Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough

Our school district is advertising more new jobs again. All of the following are listed as Southborough jobs, except for the ARHS Rugby Coach.

Click here to learn more about the school district and job opportunities.

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mike
6 years ago

How can we possibly need more special education teachers in our schools. Fully 7 out of 13 positions are Special Ed. This is unsustainable as well. Anyone have any other solutions for the incredibly large amount of Special Ed teachers in Southborough and ARHS?

resident
6 years ago
Reply to  mike

If you are concerned, it might be advisable to go to the School Committee Meetings.

Kate
6 years ago

Mike, I have tried to engage you on this issue before, but so far you have not responded, so it’s not clear to me that you are looking for a dialogue. In any case, glancing through the posting it appears that most positions are for Special Education Aides, not teachers. In the two long-term substitute cases, I would guess that there are aides who are going on a leave of absence (think maternity, possibly?) and will need to be replaced for a number of weeks. Aides are an important piece of the education process for a student with disabilities, and they are specified in the IEP process (an individualized education plan is a legal document). I assume numbers of students with disabilities necessitate the appointment of a Special Education teacher also. I agree with resident that you might want to attend School Committee Meetings – you appear to have a real interest in the districts’ Special Education services, and in that forum you would be able to ask and get answers to your questions regarding sustainability of programming. In the past I have also encouraged you to get involved with the Northborough/Southborough Special Education Parent Advisory Council (NSPAC.org). I’m confident that these expert parents would be an invaluable resource for you with regard to your quest for answers and solutions.

Mike
6 years ago

Beth – not sure if I used my original email address. Kate – my point is your education standards and the finances needed to support it are unsustainable, burdensome to others, and out right immoral to some who pay the town taxes and not as wealthy as the top 20%. Maybe for the very wealthy in town but not for the middle to lower income spectrum (I believe and assume I fall into the former but I see this from coaching Sports my entire life, so many athletes and young kids in town passed over because there parents cannot afford travel or AAU sports and they do not want to take a hand out). Your utopian view of education is financially unsupportable – and really not needed. Education in America is overrated. Most could go through the US K-12 public ed in 4-5 years literally and be done at 10 or 11 years young. To make a point, India has Cornell as a fallback school, literally 10th – 20th choice, to their Higher education, technical institutions. And most of us don’t want the terrible and irresponsible socialization of the liberal public school system. I would recommend, If the masses wish to donate the millions to support it, I would highly recommend it. I know this won’t happen until America is brought to its knees, which it will very soon, unless the massive financial monetary fiat system based debt, including the school systems are corrected.

Kate
6 years ago

Mike, thanks so much for your response, which was certainly a jam-packed one. My takeaway is that your belief is that all children should be able to participate in sports, regardless of ability to pay, while spending taxpayer money to educate them (particularly those with disabilities) is “unsustainable, burdensome and immoral.” I commend you for volunteering, and I appreciate and understand your passion, as I myself volunteered over all of the years of my children’s K-12 schooling – as a soccer coach, a room parent, girl scout leader and a board member of our districts’ Special Education PAC. To me, sports are important for physical growth, character and team building, but another part of a foundation is education, and my belief is that if we don’t try to realize the educational potential all of our children, then we will pay down the road anyway, when we have to support them financially because they cannot support themselves. And this is part of the social contract. I sense your real disappointment with our school system. It is unfortunate that your family’s experience with education in these districts appears to have been such a negative one – I feel that we are lucky in this state to have a choice of public options. Two of my three children attended public charter schools for grades 6-8. I applaud our state’s commitment to education, which culminates in the excellence of our colleges and universities which draw students from all over the world. My brother in Ireland noted that the important asset Americans bring to the table is their critical thinking skills, which are nurtured from the earliest years.

Mike fuce
6 years ago

I also applaud your balanced approach as well as your balanced reply. I agree with a lot of what you say however what’s never addressed is who is going to pay for it and how? My experience with the school system by and large was very good ( except with exception to some of the social choices the parents are allowing and the government enforces). I think you missed my point that it more has to do with wasting time and wasting money. Our kids can be done with American public school and the education system by fifth or sixth grade literally. We do have a $20 trillion deficit and growing with tax receipts higher than ever. And I do know a lot of that goes to the military and many will say unjust wars but as far as education goes who is going to pay for it. And to my point on sports, if all cannot be involved with the same privileges as the wealthy ( again, they say I am, I don’t believe I am) then why should only the wealthy participate in high school ? And I would have to agree with your friends point in Ireland. ingenuity and stick to-it attributes are indigenous to US culture and history. Hence, the world wants to come here. There are other countries that have these traits as well but none quite like America. Have a great day

em
6 years ago

Mike,

There are federal laws mandating adequate education for all, including those with a variety of physical, developmental, and learning disabilities. That right of individuals to that education, as well as what “free and appropriate” means, has been litigated ad naseum in recent decades. It is not up to school districts to decide whom to educate and for how long. If a student is deemed in need of a one-on-one aide due to a disability, by law the district must provide it. End of story. (Unless the district wants to pay for a lawsuit.) So when you see job listings for special education, know that these are in order to meet legal requirements; they are not luxury hires. And the law does not care not care how the district finds the money; they just need to do it. Believe me, districts take issue with unfunded mandates; however, they also take their job seriously and make it their priority to comply with the mandates and educate all children.

If you still don’t like the system, start fighting to have the law changed. It is not the district’s fault though, so give it a rest on blaming the district.

Frank Crowell
6 years ago
Reply to  em

Same laws apply to Hopkinton school district yet they are $2000 less per student in costs (article posted a short while ago). Can anyone in the superintendent’s office or our elected school committees explain that difference on this blog where all can read it? Understanding this could lead to millions of dollars in savings.

Mike fuce
6 years ago

So interesting between Kates and Em’s reply. You could sense the hostility in Em but kindness and consideration in Kate. It will all end at some point soon. Have a good day

em
6 years ago
Reply to  Mike fuce

I’m am curious though. What did you mean by, “it will all end some point soon”? It sounds ominous, if not threatening. I don’t think it’s personally directed at me (maybe I’m wrong) but I would like to know what you meant. Please explain.

em
6 years ago

You know, Mike, you’re right. I read your comment about hostility and thought to myself, wow, that’s not at all the tone I felt as I was writing it. What is he talking about? But then I re-read what I wrote, and realized that last sentence about giving it a rest definitely sounds hostile. So, I’m sorry. When I started writing my reply, I was legitimately trying to share information to broaden your understanding. My guess is that by the end I was annoyed with re-hashing what seems to me to be a recurring issue on this blog. In any case, you’re right, and I’m sorry.

Mike fuce
6 years ago

Em, Thank you and no problem at all. I have been trying to reshape the way I say things as well to rather influence people so it does not seem like I’m just popping in to start trouble. I’m really not I’m pro education, pro kids, I’m pro life, and I know we have to educate everyone. I just wonder where there’s a balance sometimes.

Mike fuce
6 years ago

No It was not pointed at you at all and the only ominous aspect is at some point we run out of money as we print more than we have and we’ve actually gone past that point. That’s the ominous and dark hole we arein. Have a good day.

em
6 years ago

Thanks for your clarification, Mike. I also appreciate your effort to keep an eye on tone. I know sometimes I get passionate and it can be hard to stay even-keeled myself, so I appreciate your effort to do so. Disagree as we (the many of us on this blog and in our community) might, we won’t get very far on issues if we are just combative all of the time.

Vern
6 years ago

As the mother of a child with special needs, I think I can speak firsthand to the level of support some kids need. It can be significant. And with rates of autism and other disabilities skyrocketing, there will be an increasing need for competent personnel. There is currently a shortage of special education teachers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, qualified special education aides, etc. That may be why we see so many openings for this type of personnel at the school. I feel your pain when you say that it’s easier for the wealthy to get their kids involved in sports because they can afford to pay for travel and whatnot. Please put yourself in the shoes of a parent of a kid with special needs. Many of us have lots of medical expenses and pay lots of money on therapies to help our kids. We take lower paying jobs or we don’t work outside the home because we need the flexibility to be there for our kids should the need arise. Our kids are just as deserving as typical kids of a public education that is appropriate for them. As another commenter wrote, it is far cheaper to help these kids develop skills which will help them get jobs and become productive members of society than to do nothing and then have to have the government take care of them when they are older and we parents are no longer around to care for them.

Kate
6 years ago
Reply to  Vern

Vern; I’m so glad you posted and shared your experience. It’s one thing to look at a list of job openings and think about taxpayer dollars, and quite another to hear what families with children with all sorts of challenges have to struggle with everyday. My 23 year old daughter, who was diagnosed with a specific learning disability at a very young age, successfully completed college in May and has a clear career path that she is focused on. It is so much hard work, but so worth the pain, and I wish you the absolute best.

Mike fuce
6 years ago

Absolutely I whole heartedly empathize with you and all that you have to do above and beyond those of us who don’t have special needs for children. I commend you in this sort of Move on, throw away society, that you’re so dedicated to your children. I guess we have to think of another model other than public school as the solution. One that doesn’t cost parents thosands And thousands of dollars , provides those people Who are caregivers and perhaps trainers a career path of decent pay, and that can work with all the special needs kids in a positive environment. Nice speaking with you and have a good day.

Kate
6 years ago

I have to say that this thread is a pleasure to read. It is so gratifying to witness a sharing of views which results in a greater understanding of each poster’s background and position. And it starts with folks being able to take a breath and reflect, and attempt to put themselves in another person’s shoes.

I really appreciate you putting your time and effort into maintaining this blog, Beth.

Julie Connelly
6 years ago
Reply to  Kate

I am must popping in to agree wholeheartedly. The civil discourse and efforts on all sides to understand different points of view is so refreshing. How do we replicate this everywhere?

J Saffran
6 years ago

As for most of the jobs being special ed jobs, that does not mean that there is a surplus of these positions. It simply means they are not yet filled. Nboro/Sboro , as well as other districts, do not fill jobs always until sometimes days (even hours) before the start of school. The number of sped aides and teachers needed is dependent on who enrolls each fall and who qualifies (needs) special education, literally who shows up on the first day of school. Those numbers are not so easy to predict. We all know, generally, how many 4th grade classes are needed each fall, but predicting highly individualized programs is not as easy. Also, it’s always been true, these positions are not easy to fill. As for cheaper ways of educating kids with special needs, that is another topic that has a long history. I suggest those who are curious should google Mass. Chapter 766 and also The Fernald School. Just as we cannot predict the long term outcomes of our typical kids, we also cannot predict the long term outcomes of kids with disabilities. To imply that we can relegate kids with identifiable disabilities to a learning program that is separate from others denies a history that already exists. Special education is a civil rights issue, and it was decided in a bi-partisan way about 4 decades ago that all children were entitled to a public education. As for it costing thousands of dollars, yes, it does. It also costs thousands of dollars to educate ALL of our children. Just one note here, classrooms that have an aide have a teaching ratio in Sboro of 1/11. Aides almost always help more than one student during the course of a day. All benefit. Is it more expensive to provide sped services? Of course it is. Do sick people drive up the cost of health care? Of course they do. This is no different. In purely economic terms, the cost of doing nothing is far higher in the long run. There are plenty of studies to show that. As for not being able to afford it, we have been for forty years. It is my opinion that MA has the best special education in the country, and I have yet to hear of any system that is better in Europe or Canada. As the parent of a special needs child who received a world class education here in Sboro, I make it my business to know these things. This town can be very proud of what they have accomplished. Other districts would have sent far more kids out to private special ed school placements. People look to what we have done here and model their own programs after our district.

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