The School-Based Behavior Specialist
There is the clause "other duties as necessary" which is makes it so that the job is anything leadership tells you it is.
As I previously stated, the role of a school-based Behavior Specialist in the public school system depends on the Principal at the school. Yes, school districts define the role in their job description list. But no one cares about all that. There is the clause "other duties as necessary" which is makes it so that the job is anything leadership tells you it is (And this becomes tragically problematic when your Principal appears to suffer from extreme personality disorders.). Translation (from the perspective of the Principal):
>>If you do not do what I tell you to do, you have failed.
>>If you cannot figure out what to do, you have failed.
>>If you do something that I do not like, you have failed.
>>If you do what I tell you do to and do not get the results that I want, you have failed.
>>Also, don't forget to do whatever it is you are supposed to be doing with a smile to make sure I remain comfortable.
This is the set up.
Traditionally, a Behavior Specialist is a former teacher--sometimes an ESE (Exceptional Student Education aka Special Ed.) Teacher--who has "graduated" from the classroom. This "graduation" often is initiated by fatigue and/or disillusionment. They have been previously acknowledged as an outstanding teacher because they have had "good classroom management". What that "good classroom management" looks like in practice is largely unknown because Administrators only spend up to 30 minutes in the classroom between two and four times a year. Classroom management practices for ESE Teachers is even more questionable because Administrators avoid those classrooms like the plague. This leaves ESE Teachers with severe burnout from minimal support. So they just do whatever they know how to do.
Ask teachers about the "dog and pony show."
When that classroom teacher is pulled in the grand role of Behavior Specialist, they often have no specific training in the behavior modification of students (or people or data systems). They become overwhelmed in yet another role where they now have to meet the demands of multiple levels of people instead of being locked in a far away classroom with just their students and paraprofessional educator. One advantage to this classroom teacher turned Behavior Specialist is that they are primed to learn whatever new material the District feeds them in order to aid them in the role (this material is only as good as the people at the District office). Another advantage is that when they cannot manage to illicit any change within that school, they can call on the District for support (that support is only as good as the people at the District office).
With these advantages, school-based Behavior Specialist are less likely to suffer from external humiliation (deriving from people at the school)...although they may suffer from internal feelings of incompetence. They do not know any better. And if, by chance, they do know any better, they can feign helplessness to divert potential negative attention...such as blame.
Does your school District have school-based Behavior Specialists? How do others perceive the position?
