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The New England Center for Children

Engaged Employer

The New England Center for Children reviews

3.3

47% would recommend to a friend

(335 total reviews)
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Dr. Jessica Sassi, BCBA-D, LABA

50% approve of CEO

48% positive business outlook

The New England Center for Children has an employee rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 335 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The The New England Center for Children 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

335 reviews
1.0
Sep 18, 2017

Good at first but...

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Generous vacation, (somewhat) flexible schedule, LOTS of training, somewhat average salary, teamwork makes the dream work

Cons

No opportunity for advancement unless you're in the WNEU MABA program. The hours are tough, and the work can be truly dangerous. I was tired of seeing my friends and coworkers hurt because upper administration is unwilling to listen to legitimate safety concerns brought up by direct-care staff. Once I was promoted I lost time on the floor, and distanced myself from the realities of direct teaching, which lifted a weight off my shoulders. As a teacher you work terrible hours, holidays, weekends, nights, are expected to come in through snowstorms (or sleep at the residences), major holidays, and to just be ok with it. If you dare to speak out you are reprimanded and held back for promotions. I kept my head down and I am ashamed to say I witness SO MANY human rights violations during "assessments" and said nothing, in order to get by. For a behavior analysis company, they sure haven't looked into why their employees are so miserable and have a high turnover rate.

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The New England Center for Children Response
8y
Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience. I realize that direct care work can be difficult at times for teachers, given the hours, schedules, and challenges of working with a special needs population, many of whom have behavioral disorders accompanying social and communication disorders. The nature of the job is that our students require continuous care. Children with autism benefit from routine. To provide the best education possible, NECC teachers may have to work irregular hours to provide continuity and steadiness. I take very seriously both our students’ and staff safety and well-being. We have procedures and processes in place, refined over years, to ensure our students have the best care possible. When I walk the halls of the school, I am always impressed by our staff. I have nothing but confidence that our students are cared for with compassion, patience, kindness and strength of mind. – Vincent Strully, Jr.
1.0
Mar 10, 2017

What actually happens at NECC

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The benefits are pretty good. You get 5 weeks of vacation.

Cons

NECC claims to be a leader in ABA, but they don't actually practice it. The majority of what happens at the company is anything but impressive. NECC has somehow created an environment in which the leaders justify and rationalize the unethical treatment of students on a daily basis. It turns out that if you say something like “unsafe environment/circumstances” or the ever-so-common “we are going to do (some form of neglect or abuse) while we reassess the student’s guidelines,” nobody will question your actions. Note: the “reassessment” gets put off for months and sometimes years. Primarily uses food as a reinforcer. Instead of going the appropriate route of conducting assessments to find more highly-preferred and functional reinforcers, they do not make it a priority. Extremely toxic workplace. They are consistently short staffed, which means that the teachers who are there are overworked and overwhelmed. To make it worse, they are not appreciated. If someone makes a negative comment about this or makes a suggestion to improve the system, they get scolded. I've been at NECC for 3 years and I've heard them make excuses for why they are short-staffed, but nothing has ever been done to fix the problem. Don’t get sick. Calling out will result in an inappropriate amount of hostility. You get negative feedback and poor reviews for using your sick time. Being in one of their master’s program is a requirement for any promotion. You will not be eligible to move up if you are not in the Simmons or Western New England program. They don't tell you that you HAVE TO JOIN A MASTER'S PROGRAM TO REMAIN EMPLOYED. High-strung staff and supervisors that care more about their reputation than the kids.

3.0
Feb 9, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The New England Center helps you get your Masters of Education at a very affordable price.

Cons

Does not promote career growth, staff is treated as disposable and easily replaced.

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The New England Center for Children Response
7y
Oh no! We don’t want anyone at NECC to feel disposable. Our students and staff are our priority, and we place a lot of importance on professional development so that staff know they are valued and can progress in their career. It’s not easy to replace our dedicated staff - you learn advanced skills in assessment, direct care, teaching, de-escalation, and more. As we’ve stated before, we truly believe our staff are the best in the field. NECC runs an organizational planning meeting every week to review current positions in the organization and review career growth pathways. If you have a specific career path you would like to follow, please let us know, either via your supervisor or by reaching out directly to me. We can provide additional support and advice on what is necessary to achieve your goals. We want you to be as successful as possible in the path you’ve chosen. - Rachel McGrath - Director of Human Resources
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Glassdoor has 354 The New England Center for Children reviews submitted anonymously by The New England Center for Children employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if The New England Center for Children is right for you.