Pros
Success academy has a great mission and that is to tackle the achievement gap between under represented communities and more privileged communities. They offer children and parents a safe, rewarding and constructive alternative where some schools in the area are not an option. Kids are exposed to many bodies of knowledge whether it be a plethora of field trips, field studies, project based learning, Biological sciences and physics, art, dance, swimming, soccer with even more programs offered after-school. Just by interacting with the children there, you can see that they are more articulate and knowledgable than other children their age. Teachers are given many perks including a great starting pay, very affordable healthcare and retirement plan and discounts from choice companies. There is room for rapid growth, plenty of professional development, most leaders are very helpful so teachers are rarely left without direction or support. Leaders do in fact listen and try to make changes, I'm sure many leaders have taken recommendations from Glassdoor to implement a better work environment. Teachers are rarely asked to shell out their own money for supplies. There is more than an abundance of supplies for everyone. Their operations teams bust their buns to make sure everyone has what they need and then some. Any issues such as technology, payroll, etc, there is a detailed ticketing system that is swift and effective. You receive an I-pad, I-book and flip phone when you start. There is also a high level of accountability for everyone. Students are held accountable for their actions and parents are held accountable for making sure their children adhere to a specific value. Fighting, disrespect, bullying, threats, vandalism, etc is absolutely not tolerated from student or parent. Suspensions happen more often and harmful parents are banned. It ensures a safe environment for everyone. Kids are pushed very hard to succeed which we all hope when the oldest SA kids are applying for college, that they have little barriers to face and the SA experiment has lived up to its name. It's a good place for a young teacher and they offer a program through Touro college which allows you to work through grad school and get your M.A. and certification tuition free. It is apparent that children are learning at a higher rate.
Cons
The length of the work-day is inhumane. 7:15am-4:30pm for the kids and anywhere from 6:45am-6:00pm for teachers with half-days on Wednesdays for the kids and PD until 5pm for teachers. This doesn't take into account the work that you take home with you. Trust everyone that says that THERE IS NO WORK/LIFE BALANCE. ZILCH! Between take-home work, after-school requirements, being shuttled to rallies, after-school meetings, etc, this organizations requires you to eat, breathe and sleep Success Academy and if you don't, you're not a team-player and you must want children to fail. The work requirements for both children and teachers is excess and border-lined illegal. (testing teachers not allowed to take lunch, teachers sent to kids' homes to make sure they get to school in time for their test, keeping the school open with the threat of 2ft of snow) This often leads to frequent last minute changes, classroom switching, inconsistent teacher assignments, inconsistent leadership and the well known high-turnover. The children are often belittled, humiliated and strong armed into succeeding. This leads to them stressing out and breaking down as well. The culture feels more corporate than educational which comes with all the problems of a corporate environment (pulling rank, bullying, hush orders) and this also makes the children seem like little drones instead of actual children. SA encourages you to NOT treat them like children. Leaders can come in your classroom when even they please and can literally tell you how to run your classroom down to what to say and when which can undermine your relationship with the children. Data is their religion and if your data is not good, then expect to be raked over the coals, have someone shadowing you constantly and giving you orders. There is a specific way they want their classrooms run so there is no room to develop your own teaching style. It must be uniform, unless your data is good, then you can almost do whatever you want. Favorites are played, despite the narrative and the SA indoctrination seems almost cultish at times. Teachers unions and the public school system are looked down upon and are touted as not wanting children to succeed. (SA doesn't believe in textbooks for example) There are unnecessary shows of power like rallies where teachers are required to attend, carry signs and stand out in the cold, there is a mandatory overnight PD in August on top of the annual 350 hours of PD and for anyone who speaks out against success, SA goes on a relentless campaign to show the world how great they are without addressing the troubling concerns many people have. Most teachers are just there to complete their certification program and leave ASAP which is why you'll notice your average teacher is between 21-30, unmarried with no children. If they are married, it's usually to another SA employee. You are encouraged to invite your friends to join their organization and you getting a signing bonus to do so but I'd never do that to a friend.