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Pros
The silver lining was that I met some pretty awesome dear teacher friends, because we bonded through surviving the daily fire of working at KIPP Miami. Another pro was that I experienced an indescribable level of liberation once I left that toxic environment. Prior to joining this organization, I had never yearned so desperately for such a deep sense of freedom and relief. My prayers were answered when I finally had the opportunity to move on with my professional life.
Cons
-You will meet a child in an upper elementary grade who simply cannot read. Your educator heart will just hurt wondering, how is it possible that this child is so severely behind in reading after attending KIPP Miami for grades K-2? -Answer to the wondering above: Admin is known to change student grades. Teachers have been caught cheating student achievement data. -Enormous class sizes with non existent classroom support (30 students in one class with one teacher) -Teacher burn out (reports of teachers increasing anti depressant dosage and anxiety medication to cope) -Extremely high turnover rate (teachers walking out during their lunch break, dropping like flies in October, November, December) -3 principals in 3 years -Awful school operations -Students with IEPs not receiving the services they legally deserve (where’s the integrity?) -Title struck novice leadership who lack emotional intelligence and the necessary qualifications and experience to effectively run a school -HR that does not take appropriate action to stand up against verbal abuse or attempted physical intimidation from staff to staff -A teacher broke a student’s arm breaking up a fight (this was in the news, you can search it up) -A child suffered from a broken leg at the car line -Exhausting, draining long hours, multiple unnecessary meetings per week every week -Extensive micromanaging -KIPP Miami is excellent at sweeping unacceptable issues under the rug and they simply do not value their teachers. Hence why they are always hiring. It’s been about 8 years since they founded in Miami and they are ALWAYS hiring. Never ending revolving door of teachers in and out. Need I say more?