Mission-driven organization . . . working with limited resources
Pros
Great Hearts teachers are some of the most brilliant and dedicated people I've ever had the chance to work with in my career. While I don't think this is equally true of all schools in the network, the faculty and the headmaster (principal) comprise a collegial and tight-knit community of people who think in similar ways about teaching and learning. (I know from my experience outside of Great Hearts, that this is rare indeed.) The Apprentice Teaching program has had the effect of bringing together teachers with very different backgrounds - veteran teachers that have studied child development, lesson-planning, assessment, etc. AND graduates of liberal arts colleges (they apparently recruit heavily from schools like Univ. of Dallas and Saint John's College). Some Apprentice Teachers have never set foot in a classroom and have MUCH to learn from their supervising teacher, but when the partnership works, it really works, benefiting the teacher, the apprentice, and their students (it also helps the teacher/student ratio). The workload is intense. Truly intense. But I have to admit that Great Hearts really did deliver on the part that drew me to the schools (more than a few) years ago: the academic culture of the faculty. Headmasters, and recruiters, and other administrators in the home office constantly say that this is the most essential characteristic of the school, and while they haven't followed through on all promises made to a passionate, idealistic young teacher, I do feel like they prioritize OUR learning- the continued learning of the TEACHERS themselves. I've read poetry, and more philosophy and history than I ever thought I would since joining Great Hearts, and these activities have engendered deep friendships with my colleagues, and have almost certainly made me a better teacher.
Cons
I think the company does as much as it can with very, very limited resources (Arizona is near the bottom in terms of educational funding), and I suppose no one goes into education to make good money. Nonetheless, I think the leaders of Great Hearts should focus on creating a manageable work/life balance for the teachers that they are not able to pay as much as they're worth. This seems especially important for keeping teachers around for more than 4 or 5 years. The leadership changes (at the top) over the last year or two have been unsettling. I largely trust that the organization is heading in the right direction now, but I'd be hard pressed to identify everyone in the home office and whose in charge of what.