Castedra Francis from Brooklyn became a New York City public school teacher with the goal of making a difference in the lives of children with disabilities.

“I loved my kids,” she said.

But after just two years of enduring shockingly poor working conditions at a public school for students with significant challenges such as autism and emotional disturbances, Francis, 32,  “saw a very dark future for myself.”

Francis switched to a charter school and, to her surprise, is now living her educational “dream.”

At her first job with the Department of Education’s P79M Horan School in Harlem, Francis, who taught 12th grade, wasn’t given a curriculum to follow or classroom supplies – “so everything was on me,” she told The Post.

“I had to prep everything on my own without having any guidance to follow. I came up with every objective, every lesson plan. There was a lack of resources for students with disabilities.”

She also got no support from school administrators in coping with unruly students – one of whom bit her three times,  she said. 

“People saw me getting injured and nobody intervened,” Francis recalled. “My principal said they were sorry and that was it. And then it happened again. I didn’t have any support and it was pretty traumatic for me.” 

“I saw a trend in the building with teachers getting injured, and a lack of care or remorse for them.”

Knowing that she couldn’t last in an environment where teachers weren’t supported, Francis switched last year to teaching 11th grade AP Language and Composition at  Brooklyn Laboratory High School, a charter school in DUMBO – a position she described as “a dream.”

“I have a coach now – someone who comes and observes me teach and gives me feedback,” she said. “We have 2 or 3 preps a day here, so it gives me enough time to have my lessons prepared for my students. Before, I was kind of drowning. I didn’t have a break.”

“I can see why a lot of educators have left [DOE schools]. It’s because of a [lack of] work/life balance,” Francis said, 

At Brooklyn Lab, “whenever there is an issue, I have support. [The administrators are] compassionate and supportive.”