Pros
There are many positive things to be said about GCA, including a fantastic new administration for the 2013 / 14 school year. Anyone who states that the only pro is being able to work at home is someone predisposed to being lazy and working from home as a teacher. Some classes at GCA are taught by PhD's who teach at college as well as GCA.
Cons
1) I don't quite understand someone who takes a job, signs a contract, Then complains about the pay. If you don't like the pay, don't take the job. If you can't earn a raise, look within. 2) Virtual school is different than brick and mortar school. It is an entirely different way of teaching,and one cannot replace the other. The previous poster clearly does not understand that. Clinics for online teaching are a critical aspect of this new learning model. 3) I am a teacher, my siblings are teachers, my mother was a teacher. I know tons of teachers. None expect to work a 40 hour work week. Maybe it is correct. Maybe it is not. But dedicated teachers work 50 to 55 hours, just like dedicated doctors or business owners. 4) There is nothing about this school that requires more than Windows XP and a very simple computer. The computers provided far exceed those standards, though they may be recycled. Only lazy teachers stick to Word and Excel. The more enthusiastic use Wix and Prezi and other 21st century tools. That critique, again, seems to come from someone too lazy to use the new tools that exist. 5) The paperwork requirements are, indeed, absurd. The same can be said for all schools. That is the state and federal government at work, not the individual schools. 6) Entry level teachers at every school move around to try to find the best career path with tenure and good prospects for advancement. 7) In every situation of which I am aware, a teacher was replaced by a full time replacement within days. That is just my window of experience. As per extra pay, brick and mortar teachers have to grade quizzes by hand. At GCA, the computer grades multiple choice tests automatically. This gives teachers far more time to concentrate on essays and homework assignments Does that mean that less pay is appropriate, since there is no grading of multiple choice tests? 8) I am curious as to why an individual would be aware of a supposedly 'better' job with superior pay and benefits, yet opt to stay at their old job and whine about the inferior analogs. If the claims of a superior job are true, then go take it!! 9) The school is not constantly under review. GCA is a charter school, and by state mandate must have that charter renewed periodically. Every school in the United States is constantly under accreditation review. Two year ago, the school was notified to clear up a paperwork backlog concerning special needs students. GCA has a level of special needs students dramatically higher than brick and mortar schools. As such, they have more paperwork, especially since the originating school must send it to GCA in order for it to be processed. In the absence ot cooperation from the originating school, it is impossible to fulfill the mandate. So ti took a little longer. In January of 2013, this issue was successfully addressed. For the record, several dozen Georgia schools has similar requirements placed upon them at the same time. Currently, the administration of GCA is excellent with a new High School Director and a trio of assistants who are as good as any in the state. GCA students have more access to AP classes than virtually any brick and mortar school in the state. GCA is a very active partner in Dual Enrollment programs with local flagship colleges. Unlike brick and mortar schools, GCA employs a series of family engagement coordinators, who assist with everything from test format to college applications. The best recommendation? Most GCA teachers I know take their kids out of local public schools and enroll them in GCA.
