Pros
Fantastic dual mission. Lots of great high tech equipment and beautiful facilities.
Cons
-Toxic work environment. Inhumane working conditions (no bathroom breaks, hardly any planning and preparation time, teachers need to be standing or walking all the time, having two teachers in the classroom is still not enough to do the amount of work which is asked of us) - hostile staff and leadership, overly critical, - hours of irrelevant professional development - scripted teaching (they don't want thinkers --- love followers) - instill fear in staff and students on a daily basis - behavioral management of children which is modeled on correctional facilities ("lack your hands that's a correction", "drop and lack", "take the timer and server your time") this is just an example of the language used in elementary school with children Kg - grade 4. - students are required to be silent most of the time (often during breakfast and lunch as well, they are required to sit still with straight backs, hands locked in front and feet together (if sitting on the chair) or feet crossed (if sitting on the carpet), they are required to walk with their hands locked in front of them on a line - resembling a prison lineup, they are required to raise a straight strong hand --- resembling that of the Hitler greeting) - Teacher work unreasonably long hours (12 -14 per day, although they tell you during the interview that it is a 10 hour work day) - there are often impromptu staff meetings which go past 5pm and take up all of the after school prep time - Most of the staff is very young, including leadership and lacks proper training and life experience in dealing with each other. - Surely not a place for individuals who have children (you basically will not see your children at all while working there) - Families of students and staff are forced to attend rallies organized by the Network - This school is basically working towards creating robot teachers and students who follow commands and repeat scripts
