Houston ISD reviews

Expect to work 11 hour days if you teach after school tutorials. I am constantly being pressured to come in on Saturdays and to volunteer for various evening events-to which, save my sanity, I have to say no. The gaps in student learning tend to be huge and difficult to close when kids are reading several grades below grade level. Students are generally really low because parents do not push their kids to succeed in academics or in their behavior. Severe behavior issues are mostly ignored by administration. My to do list never ends. I don't feel like anyone notices or appreciates my dedication to this job. I work hard because I have high expectations for myself, and that's how I can keep going.

The culture is oppressive. It's very top down and authoritarian. They say they are instituting a "meritocracy" system, but your merit is subject whims and caprice of the super intendent, his minions, and local administration. Everyone is constantly on edge because at any moment 1-5 people could storm into your classroom with clipboards and spend 10 minutes deciding your value effectiveness. The spot evaluations are out of 15 and no one gets a 15. Some of the APs have copped to how subjective and flawed, and intentionally harsh, the evaluations are. It's really hard to work here sometimes. I've had panic attacks and been incredibly depressed. I'm not the only one and I'm not just writing this as some spurned, whingey prat. This has been a very tough two years and I am constantly trying to find some way to get out and stay financially secure. Oh yea, that reminds me. Admin is very comfortable threatening your job. Dr. Giddings spent in hour berating an auditorium full of teachers, telling us how we aren't doing enough/putting in enough effort, and that if we don't like it, "there's the dorr." He repeated it so many times. No one walked. We need our jobs and they know it.