Pros
Many teachers are there for the children and everyday they find creative ways to reach these students. Although many students are inner city and at the poverty level, they are intelligent and eager to learn. They need a strong teacher who is willing to show them tough love and celebrate their success. Best part of this company is the teachers who work extremely hard and the students.
Cons
Poor leadership in many of the schools (even the high performing schools) which brings down teacher morale. Administration receives credit when school performance scores increase instead of the teachers who have worked hard all year long to ensure student success. Administrators do not listen to the teachers and often belittle them. Salary and raise freezes have sent many teachers to look for alternative employment. Some school have lost several teachers since the beginning of the school yet no one from the central office has investigated why so many teachers are leaving (they say it is due to ineffective teachers leaving due to the new evaluation system which is untrue). The teachers are leaving because administrators are abusing the evaluation system by giving their "favorites" Highly Effective ratings although it contradicts their classroom performance and student achievement. Also administrators are allowing some teachers to evaluate others and then turn around and evaluate each other. Teachers who have come in later in the school year are being awarded Teacher of the Year because they have mastered the "dog and pony show", while hardworking long term teachers are overlooked. I think that schools with high performance should have their principals sent to low performing schools to see if they are truly the reason behind student success.
