u/Firm-Syrup-9858

I accepted a week long assignment for the final full week of school. It is a smaller school where in the few times I have subbed have been asked to cover other classes during my prep because they cannot find subs for this school and they don'thave enough staff to cover. I check the assignment today and it has been updated telling me that I need to come in early Monday and Tuesday to supervise breakfast duty AND students playing basketball at the SAME TIME. I personally don't sub for PE as kids are feral and the last thing I need is someone getting knocked upside the head on my watch.

Also my district is now experiencing a severe sub shortage now (over 20+ unfilled jobs this morning!) as all the teachers are taking their PTO which means being pulled everywhere and students will be extra unruly. This basically guarantees that my planning periods will probably be me being pulled out to cover someone else.

I'm honestly thinking of calling it quits a few weeks early and put my efforts into applying for new jobs. It's exhausting and too stressful to be so understaffed. Everyone seems to be calling it quits, so I guess I should too?

Can anyone in Arizona please help me understand whether I need to pay NAU $ 1,500 to complete my 100 clinical hours in a school setting? I would ask our state's Facebook group, but it seems permanently shut down, and I don't know where else to ask this question. Previously, in that group, SLPAs said they were able to complete the 100 clinical hours in a school district without paying and going through NAU. However, it seems this has changed, as every school district I have spoken with has told me they won't accept me unless I am enrolled in the clinical practicum program. Even school districts that people reported previously having done the hours independently are telling me I need to be enrolled at NAU and commit to a whole semester, not just 100 hours. (To clarify, I live in the Phoenix metro, not the Flagstaff area.)

I think it is absolutely RIDICULOUS that I need to spend $1500 to find my own placement just because. Nobody needed to do this until recently. Maybe this is why they closed the Facebook group, so people wouldn't complain about this? But I am just so defeated. Pay in schools is no better than my current job, substitute teaching. I am honestly wondering if I should just cut my losses on this altogether or wait, assess, and try for grad school. If I want to try grad school, why am I wasting $1500 to find my own internship?!

Oh, and I have already tried to do my hours at a clinic, and that was a total disaster. More clients canceled at the last minute than arrived for therapy, and the two SLPAs almost got fired for upsetting a kid. That is a whole other story. Needless to say, I am fed up and lost as to what to do. Thank you to anyone who can send help.