My Experience at Lincolnway Elementary and Laurel Life – A Cautionary Warning
Working as a school aide at Lincolnway Elementary was one of the most disrespectful and emotionally draining experiences of my life. From the start, it was clear aides were treated as disposable. We were referred to as “nothing” by the teacher Burno, a blatant reflection of how undervalued we were, despite being on the front lines managing students and maintaining classroom stability. One of the most unprofessional and shocking incidents I experienced involved the Laurel Life team lead, Addison. During a moment of chaos where students were arguing over blankets in the absence of both the teacher and team lead, I tried to de-escalate the situation by offering another blanket. Instead of support, Addison returned and screamed in my face. I was stunned, disrespected, and humiliated for doing my job in their absence. There was no apology. No accountability.On another occasion, the student I was assigned to was doing his work, and the teacher told him he could play at recess if he finished. He completed everything. I stepped out briefly, and when I returned, that same teacher turned her aggression on me, targeting me with a tone that made it seem like she was looking for a fight. It wasn’t about protocol, it was about control. And they made that very clear. They didn’t want me there, and they made it known by kicking me out of the classroom repeatedly, despite prior permissions to stay and fulfill my duties.The hypocrisy was blatant. The school claimed I couldn’t stay on days my assigned student wasn’t present, but I was told otherwise in person. It was as though they were setting me up to fail, creating contradictions and then punishing me for following instructions. Even when I stepped up, showed up, and worked through difficult days, there was no recognition just hostility. A student even threatened me with a gun and spat in my face, and instead of receiving real support from staff or leadership, I was met with dismissal and indifference. The lack of communication, the disrespect, the false pretenses, and the constant undermining of my role wore me down to nothing. No one deserves to feel unsafe, silenced, and unwanted at their place of work, especially in a school, where the goal should be growth, inclusion, and support. If you’re considering working at Lincolnway Elementary under Laurel Life or Amergis, I strongly encourage you to think twice.
- Otro (personal de la escuela, miembro de la familia, alumno reciente, etc.)