I’m Not Made of Money!

My district doesn’t offer full time hours, benefits, or really any incentive to be a para. We aren’t paid well, don’t get vacation days and have 10 sick/personal days for the entire year. My job is basically a joke but it works with my kids schedule so I do it.

This time of the year especially it’s like we are milked for money. We already pay to dress down once a week, now we have to pay to dress down for the rest of the year. We’re paying for gifts for coworkers who are having big birthdays/life events (including one teacher who treats paras like absolute shit). Christmas, random things the staff decide to raise money for- a gift for the pto, fundraisers, people selling homemade goods etc.

Sure we don’t HAVE to buy into this stuff but there is a lot of pressure around it, it’s obvious if you don’t, and quite frankly in this week alone they’ve asked for more than what I make in an entire DAY AND A HALF. I missed work for almost a month due to surgery earlier this year and I’m still paying for that and trying to save for summer (we are NOT paid for summer and aren’t able to claim unemployment).

I can’t take it anymore.
I quite literally cannot afford to keep doing this!

Is this common anywhere else or just where I work?