Summit Public Schools reviews

Teacher pay is not competitive for Bay Area living. A teacher with 3 years' experience makes about 57,000/year, which is far from a living wage here. -Teacher turnover is high, which makes a school environment less stable for students. -Teachers are not encouraged to make their own curriculum and are instead coerced into using a shared curriculum which is made collectively in subject level teams. -One of the directors of schools: "If you enjoy designing and implementing your own curriculum, then this is not the place for you." -The school model changes from year to year. One year a subject teacher could be responsible for 1 level of that subject and the next it could be 2. -Required meetings keep teachers on campus sometimes until 6:30 pm twice a week. -A culture of burnout: Teachers are expected to work at home, meaning time with loved ones, and time for yourself is sacrificed, leading to teacher burnout. -No sports or music programs for students unless a teacher takes it upon him/herself to create/manage one. -Summit has a de facto "no deadlines" policy for student work, meaning that teachers are expected to convince students to turn assignments and project in on time with out any real incentive or consequence when it's not submitted. This results in many students failing to complete several projects for each class throughout the year and by the end of the year, they are expected to complete almost a years' worth of assignments. This further means that the teachers are held accountable for getting students to pass. We are encouraged to come up with "creative solutions" for students who are far behind to help students pass because it's part of the culture that students don't get held back at Summit.

- It appears that innovation comes first--not students. Top-down decisions suggest that their desire to maintain a positive and cutting-edge public image trumps the needs of students. - It boasts a high percentage of students who receive acceptances to 4-year universities, but this statistic is deserving as some students are encouraged to apply to highly non-selective colleges. - Employees are paid significantly less than many surrounding districts