Pros
1. The students! They are cute and funny little sponges who are eager to learn and will keep you on your tippy-toes! 2. You will work alongside some ridiculously passionate and dedicated educators. I have made some amazing friends during my time at Rocketship and was inspired on a daily basis. 3. The pay and benefits are enticing. I would urge any salaried employee to keep in mind that you will be expected to work far more than 50 hours per week.
Cons
1. This is not a sustainable place to work. Unlike many young Rocketship employees, I am not new to the field. I did not go into this work because I wanted any "easy job". I wanted a meaningful one. Working at Rocketship left me a burnt-out shell of myself in a way that no other job has before. 2. The special education department claims to operate using an "inclusion" model. Inclusion is great in theory. However, pushing students with IEPs into general education classrooms without adequate support is not true inclusion. And it's a recipe for teacher burnout. I noticed that the turnover rate is especially high within the ISE (special education) department. 3. Rocketship operates with a very narrow focus on test scores, data, and compliance. Closing the achievement gap and serving low-income communities needs to be about more than test scores. There is so much more to a child. So, so much more. 4. Micromanagement. You will feel like you are back in college and will be "coached" and "graded" on essentially everything. This is largely due to the fact that Rocketship hires so many teachers who do not actually have a teaching credential. If you prefer to operate as an autonomous adult who is capable in their role, this is not the place for you.
