Hosler Middle School, a run-down public school in Lynwood, CA — I had visited this site a few times throughout my many years working in and around Los Angeles County Office of Education.
The school served as a high school at one time. Then the enrollment shifted to middle school students. The school was still a shambles when I went there during the first week of July last year.
This assignment was a unique yet very common example of the waste that takes place in the county schools. I replaced a teacher who went on an extended vacation for the week. Three paraeducators were assigned to the class, as well. And only one student showed up for the entire time.
This kind of redundancy is very common in public schools with special ed populations. In one classroom in Monterey Park, I showed up to replace a paraeducator, and along with the teacher on site and another assistant, there was only one student for the day. Both classes has a greater enrollment, usually three or four, but on those days, especially for the summer classes, not every students would show up.
I brought my books, my papers, and started studying. On those interesting days out and about covering classes here and there, I looked forward to those classes where all I had to do was show up, sit down, shut up, and read and write. And I got paid for it, too!
This routine would wear on me, sometimes, though. I never knew if an administrator would walk into the room or not, and then I would have nothing to say but "Hello!". That never happened, though, notwithstanding the fact that more often than not, I was a mere warm body in the room making sure that the students did not kill each other or trash the room.
Over the summer, I just covered a handful of classes. The students were diagnosed as emotionally disturbed, and so they were taking in medication. During the summer class, I was covering the class with just one student, nothing more. For that period of time, she was very quiet, caused no problems. The paraeducators who worked with her provided all the paper work that they wanted her to do. When she finished everything, she would play on the computer.
The staff were pretty good. One lady was kind enough to make cupcakes for everyone. She liked to bake, and I liked to eat what she made for me. The other ladies would spar from time to time, making jokes at each other's expense. Interesting how those two ladies would get through the tedium, making fun of each other.
For me, the most fun that I had was just going through the day, reading my books, writing and studying at me leisure. For the time being, it was fun, although I can look back and say that I wish I had wanted more.