Pros
Sheppard Pratt has a lot of opportunities for upward moves, lateral etc. I worked in one of their schools, and had great chances to move around and up in my time there. Administration is supportive of you building a career as a Special Educator, as well as some very dedicated employees. While cliche, you really are making a difference in student's lives. With the right attitude, you can build a really good rapport with them, which makes the day go by that much faster and fun. Mental Health and Special Education is a much-needed resource in Maryland. So it can be rewarding to work to provide that. Graduate degree options with different partner schools
Cons
Pay could certainly be improved, but you will have to keep yourself aware of the field you are in. Benefits are okay, depending on your needed use and dependency. Behavioral challenges with students from time to time can lead to certain safety issues, and sometimes with different enrollment. It can be extremely fast-paced, so if you're not keeping up with important documentation, that can be a struggle. This was ultimately a learning lesson on my end. Turnover is high, which can lead to ever-changing staff support and even student schedules. Stability can be compromised at times. For one staff member that goes above and beyond, you may encounter another completely burnt out or not so helpful, which can affect your success, in my opinion. There seemingly is a huge disconnect between clinical to educators, where the morale and teamwork are severely compromised at times with that. I had maybe one or two clinicians willing to work with me on students, the rest were extremely stand-offish which just makes an educator's and aides' jobs that much more difficult. If you're brand new, it can be a feeling of being left in the dark or unaware. Advice to new employees is to be proactive and extremely accountable.
