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Great Hearts Academies

Engaged Employer

Great Hearts Academies reviews

3.4

51% would recommend to a friend

(496 total reviews)
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Jay Heiler

69% approve of CEO

48% positive business outlook

Great Hearts Academies has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 496 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Great Hearts Academies employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

496 reviews
1.0
Jun 3, 2025

Only if you are desperate

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Small school. You get to know everyone. No tuition paid by students, although they will eventually get what they paid for.

Cons

You are expected to work all the time including evenings and weekends for a very small pay. You are disposable and get very little respect from the headmaster and administration. Most teachers are very young and don't stay more then 1-2 years. Most have very little experience and don't know how to teach, or how to control students. You are also expected to sub for free during your prep hours once or twice per week, sometimes more. You are expected to be on campus from 7:30 to 4:30 PM, do lesson reviews, contact parents, attend 504 meetings, meet with colleagues, and also attend sport events, fine art night events, etc. The list is never ending. The "library" is for elementary school kids only. There is no library for middle school or high school. Computers are at least 8 years old and incredibly bad. There is no cafeteria. Students eat outside, rain or shine. Student plays, talent shows, and dances are also done outside, in Phoenix weather. The so-called Socratic method is a joke among faculty, and seniors, despite their "classical education" are incapable of writing any basic research paper (the "senior thesis" is a joke), speaking about art movements, discussing history or geography, or making any old-fashioned logical argument. Great Hearts functions like a cult: they have this glossy, superficial appearance to the outside world, but the sad reality is that the more students they enroll, the more money they get from the state. They are not interested in instruction quality, SAT scores, or where students will end up (most of them go to community colleges or in-state colleges, if they attend college at all). Their obsession is growing and building more Great Hearts schools, like a disease.

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Great Hearts Academies Response
1y
Thank you for taking the time to address such an important issue for employees, which impacts our overall health and wellbeing. Finding balance in a work environment is a collective effort on the part of administration and the employees, and that partnership is not always aligned at times. We appreciate your input on this issue, and we have in recent years made it our goal to eliminate the non-essential burdens on teachers. As a public education model, Great Hearts yearns to provide access and community for all students and faculty, and we are disappointed to learn that you have not experienced that sense of community at our academy. We acknowledge that school culture may vary from academy to academy, and as a network, we see the culture as guiding force in its overall adherence to the mission to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty. Please know that your comments are valued and reviewed to help us ever improve in this very human endeavor. Please send your specific concerns with this academy to us at hr@greatheartsaz.org.
5.0
Jun 3, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Supportive Administration Team Excellent Benefits Paid Training Opportunities for Advancement Smaller Caseload Involved Parents Excellent Culture

Cons

Not on the state retirement system.

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Great Hearts Academies Response
1y
Thank you for your constructive feedback. We know our ESS staff help to make our schools a special place to learn and thrive for all of our students. Thanks for being an important part of that. Great Hearts does provide excellent benefits (medical, dental, etc.), with employee premiums that are significantly below the national and regional averages. In the last year, we have worked to make changes and we have increased our salary schedules for the upcoming school year. Moreover, our benefits package is excellent and enhances our compensation package. We will continue to make improvements in this area including looking at retirement and 401K options.
4.0
May 12, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I did not require a degree in education to be able to work here. They hired based off of competency and if I could actually teach well. The staff was and is supportive. Admin has been supportive.

Cons

Teachers seem like they dedicate a large majority of their life outside of school to their work. Admin has been supportive although there have been several people who become targets if they do not abide by strict rules, none of these rules are actually taught or found in the employee handbook but rather are implied. Hopefully you don’t step out of their line.

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Great Hearts Academies Response
1y
Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We believe our teachers should have a passion for teaching the subject they are well trained in and appreciate. We know our the best learning environment is one where we have a supportive faculty, staff and administration working well together. Thank you for taking the time to address such an important issue for employees, which impacts our overall health and wellbeing. Finding balance in a work environment is a collective effort on the part of administration and the employees, and that partnership is not always aligned at times. We appreciate your input on this issue, and we have in recent years made it our goal to eliminate the non-essential burdens on teachers.
Viewing 34 - 36 of 496 Reviews

Glassdoor has 508 Great Hearts Academies reviews submitted anonymously by Great Hearts Academies employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Great Hearts Academies is right for you.