Pros
Teachers and staff work hard because they fear the administration and cower whenever the CEO is in the building.
Cons
Democracy Prep operates with glaring governance failures and a disturbing disregard for basic accountability. I repeatedly witnessed contracts going to vendors with personal ties to decision-makers—people who, in my view, had no business being awarded that work. Merit, capability, and responsible use of public funds never seemed to be the driving forces behind these decisions. The process felt insider-driven, unprofessional, and deeply inappropriate for an organization entrusted with public money. Procurement rules exist to prevent exactly this kind of behavior. They exist to protect students, families, and taxpayers from conflicts of interest and incompetence. My experience at Democracy Prep made it clear that these protections were not taken seriously, and the board provided little to no meaningful oversight. Taxpayer dollars were handled with a level of carelessness that would never be tolerated in a properly run public institution.