Pros
Students are always a good part, that is why we go into this field to begin with. Just so you know, IDEA targets or tries to serve underprivileged kids, kids from poor neighborhoods. They are not bad kids, some just need a little bit more understanding.
Cons
Where do I begin... Over stressed, overworked, unrealistic expectations, deadlines, administrators constantly breathing down your neck. An IDEA principal once said "you came to work at IDEA, you should have expected this amount of work". That in many ways is the problem, landing a job at IDEA is seen by them(IDEA), as if you owe them something. They make it seem as if you are working at this top, Ivy League School system, and you should feel honored to have gotten hired. Many people have to start from the bottom even if you are certified. The way idea moves its employees up the ladder is, those that have been there for some time and have been brainwashed to think the way IDEA wants them to think, then those are the ones that get picked to move up to teachers or assistant principals of instruction (API). Which by the way an assistant principal of instruction at IDEA isn't a real assistant principal like the ones you find in public schools. They are trained for a year (brainwashed) and after they have completed their training they get the title assistant principal of instruction(API) which is a terrible job to have in my opinion because you are overworked and overstressed 10 times more than a teacher. I got hired as a co-teacher with promises of one day being a full-time teacher as long as I proved myself. But once there, I saw co teachers that are not certified being given teaching jobs, while fully certified co teachers were denied those jobs simply because they hadn't been there that long. I knew a co-teacher who have been working for idea for 3 years, had taken her EC-6 exam 6 times and still hadn't past it, and yet she got a job as a second grade teacher. Which is another thing, many teachers at IDEA are not fully certified, and maybe that's the reason many of them don't leave or quit IDEA, simply because they will not get a job anywhere else. Don't expect any personal down time you will not have it. Expect administrators going into your room and observing you even if you are a co-teacher. I was observed at least 2 times a week, principals, assistant principals, principals from other IDEA schools, and even people from headquarters, including the founder Tom Torkelson, will stop by and observe you. Benefits are mediocre at best. The health insurance is the worst that I've seen. Teacher turnover is the worst in the valley and I could imagine it's the same in Austin and San Antonio. This should be a BIG red flag when looking for potential employer. When you know that turnover is terrible so they are constantly hiring teachers and coteachers every year and throughout the year, you should stay away. Bottom line is, it's not a bad place to get your experience out of the way, but don't stay more than a year. Get your year of experience and try to find a job somewhere else. You will see a big difference and you will live happier.
