KIPP DC reviews

Hard work, long hours, great teacher pay and vacation schedule, but not as strong for admin staff.

Can only speak for MY former school, Lead Academy: Extremely long hours, mandatory after school meetings adding to the extended day, meaning that we'd often get home around 8 with no planning for the next day done. No shared planning time built into schedule to facilitate teacher collaboration and cut down on out-of-school work hours. Minimal support for student behavioral issues, no consistent plan in place for responses to extreme or dangerous behavior. Leadership is reactive (and often reacts inappropriately, ie: picking a child up or shutting down a classroom for being "too loud"), and only responds when convenient or absolutely necessary. Expect curriculum/schedule to change multiple times per year with little to no notice. Teachers are treated as "weak" or "not committed" if they struggle, and "support" takes the shape of leadership taking over classrooms or demoting struggling teachers without coaching. Minimal observation and coaching. I could go on, but it's really more of the same. School lost 2/3 of its staff after year two (last year) and has already had a revolving door of teachers this year.