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Success Academy Charter Schools

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Great autonomy and mentorship, but long hours and strict rules - Senior Scholar Talent Lead - Visual Art Success Academy Charter Schools Employee Review

3.0
Jun 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Design your own curriculum (at least I was able to). If you are good at the job, they will trust you to get whatever you need (substantial budget for special projects). Good mentorship (my principal was a great mentor for how to navigate the company and move up); the KIDS (I loved my HS students and art club). This is a great job to learn if you want to teach for the rest of your career, or want to pivot to grad school later. It will teach you perseverance, empathy, and resourcefulness. 10-weeks of VACATION is AMAZING, plus the bonus $$$ if you stay a few years. Overall, I loved teaching, and seriously considered staying for a longer time. This was great practice for teaching, creating a curriculum, and mentorship for when I eventually left to teach at the collegiate level.

Cons

Long hours for little pay, extreme rules for the children (but also my kids were very well behaved), parents who do not care (some parents are hard to ever reach and simply will not put in the effort to parent their child). Some of the senior people can be cult-like in their training (you have to pretend to be all in on their Success mumbo-jumbo; NEVER show doubts about their brainwashing. If you successfully learn their BS and act as if you subscribe to it, you can avoid their eagle eyes and be left relatively alone.)

Explore other reviews about Success Academy Charter Schools

5.0
Feb 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Experience to work with the smartest next-gen kids in NYC! Fast Paced!

Cons

None that come to my mind

2.0
May 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I have a small caseload (for better or worse). The organization has money so you are not paying out of pocket for materials, fidgets, stickers, etc, and it's both a pro and a con, basic behavior management is really emphasized to be a teacher's responsibility. Counselors are seen as behavior experts who should focus most of their time on mandated counseling, students in crisis, etc.

Cons

The hours are really long, the pay isn't the best, and honestly the organization is run like a business with the kids and their grades as the product. Mental health is extremely low on the priority list. You can only see students during the "fun" non-academic times of the day. Counselors might be asked to do extra non-counseling roles because the turnover rate for all roles is so high. There's also no personal development/supervision for counselors and no pathway for us to advance anywhere.

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