intervention specialist

substitute teacher

elementary school teacher

instructional aide

teacher

ACCEL Schools

I was a teacher at south columbus preparatory academy back in 2023. I really enjoyed my time. But, I like things many others don’t. 
Micromanagement is no issue, you are free to teach, and you just need to meet certain deadlines and scores. It’s a relaxed environment when it comes to grading/expectations/etc.
BUT, the caveat comes with the students behavior. As someone who loves students, especially the challenging ones- I found myself “somewhat” thriving. Some days were challenging- many behavior issues, theft by students, and overall verbal and even physical abuse at times from students. But, it’s a charter school. And our duty is to really help these students so they can thrive. I found it rewarding, and I myself really connected with the kids. I tried diligently to foster relationships with the students, grades K-8. I found that because of this connection I was able to build, that students had a lot of trust in me and honestly behaved better for me because of our connection. That was not the case for everyone though. If you did not connect with the students, and you showed your stress in your everyday work, the students also thrived on that, and made sure to eat you up for it. The more you were bothered, the more the students went out of their way to make you upset. The less you “cared” for lack of terms; the better the students behaved. I recognized early on that many of these students needed to feel safe, loved, and like you were a trusted friend- and that’s what I was for them. 
Now, I like chaos, so I really enjoyed my time. The pay was not good, but I didn’t expect it to be. My hours were great. I worked maybe 6 hours a day max even as a full time employee. It was really nice. Parents weren’t very involved so that was never an issue. It felt more to me like I was a life coach rather than a teacher. Education was a priority, but the top priority was establishing the students so they could be productive and safe members in society. I managed behavior more than I did educate. I liked it that way. If you thrive with challenges, then you will love it. The staff was supportive for the most part, and I sometimes think it was maybe even my best educational opportunity I’ve had. I’ve even taken jobs with higher pay and easier positions, but it was not as fun and engaging. You really feel like a family. These students really rely on you. You feel fulfilled here, for sure. But, you max out at 50K. No matter the position. 

Former Employee/ East Cleveland.  I had been an educator for many years before being offered a position here.   Was hired for, what I would call an admin. position working with young teachers.   However, don't be fooled by the interview process here...what you see is not what you get!  Soon after I learned (from my own observations and remarks from the young teachers I worked with) :  you now have lost any autonomy as a person or an educator, every tiny move you need or try to make is micromanaged by and insecure, solely business minded, "head-of-school",   you are not allowed to make copies for your students (give them to the office 24 hours in advance if you want any,) teachers manuals given however somehow no books for students, through some of my teachers I found they were told they weren't allowed to attend specific meetings for students with parents (this action is not allowable by law)  teachers have no support, you cannot get into the main office to even get to your mailbox unless they unlock the door for you to enter,  you must sign in and wait and sign out in a line at the end of the school day,  was so bad there that over one break 4 teachers never returned, no warning, just never came back,  even subs finally stopped coming there, glorified maintenance person was placed in middle school room for days at a time, and to keep order just played the music they liked all day, testing was not conducted ethically from start to finish.  If you love being an educator, or are a young teacher just out of school, please do not apply to this place.  Take something else until you can get a real teaching position that actually allows you to use and develop your skills.  Working here is not teaching, you are not respected or valued as an educator or human being.  Those that left there have let me know that I was right, they now love teaching and are extremely happy working in real schools, utilizing their skills, helping their students to be successful!

I'm sure this will come off as a disgruntled employee, but people should know what they're in for.  The only redeeming quality of working for ACCEL Is the staff who've also been caught in the foxhole with you and the shared comradary you feel from the abuse they pass out. Teachers and aids are required to work 9 hours, and often without a lunch break because they can't, or won't, hire subs to cover for absent teachers. The kids are viewed as nothing more than a paycheck from the state. Students with severe and even violent behavior who have physically or emotionally abused staff and peers are allowed to stay because corporate doesn't want to lose money from the state. The pay is low and the out of pocket cost of benefits is high. Staff turnover is ridiculous (which hurts the kids and the remaining staff). Some positions see multiple teachers fill it in one school year (how can a child learn when they have a new teacher every month?). Corporate promises bonuses and incentives but never follows through. Staff is often demoralized by corporate bigwigs who insist they jump through rediculous hoops but provide little or no support making their goals unattainable. (For example: asking teachers to provide more hands-on activities but not providing any materials for them.  Setting deadlines for teachers to print report cards but there is no paper, and so much more) Working for them felt like selling my soul to the devil. I never met an employee that had positive things to say about the company. It's sad that they continue to get away with mistreating staff and treating the kids they are supposed to be servicing as walking dollar-signs.  They care more about profits than they do about educating kids.

I have been teaching for several months, and I have never encountered a workplace as challenging and poorly managed as this school under ACCEL. The administrative structure is deeply flawed. The office assistant appears to wield more influence than the principal, who seems unaware of how to appropriately interact with or support teachers. It often feels like the office assistant is constantly looking for opportunities to report or complain about teachers, rather than focusing on the overall success of the school or well-being of its staff.

The administrative team seems completely disconnected from the educational mission. They prioritize minor rules and procedural formalities over the real needs of students and teachers. There is a noticeable lack of concern for student learning, access to educational resources, classroom environment, and the mental health of teachers. This creates a toxic and demoralizing work environment that makes it extremely difficult for educators to perform at their best.

What is particularly frustrating is that the students themselves are talented, well-behaved, and eager to learn. They deserve a much better learning environment—one that nurtures their growth and curiosity. Instead, the school’s current leadership seems to prioritize bureaucracy over education, which is a serious disservice to both the students and the teaching staff.

Frankly, ACCEL’s management practices here are unacceptable, and the school could benefit from a serious review or intervention to address these systemic issues. Teachers, students, and parents deserve an administration that genuinely supports education rather than focusing on minor administrative control.

I worked at one of Accel’s school for a very brief time in 2023. It only took a month for me to realize that this school was toxic and that I would not be receiving the help and support a first year teacher needed. The days are long and they require you to stay even longer than contract hours to participate in school events. There is only one 25 minute break when the kids go to lunch, but that doesn’t account for dropping off and picking up the kids (and the lunch room is so disorganized that you’re left with maybe 10 minutes to yourself). There’s no time to plan lesson. The student behavioral issues are high. The kids destroyed my classroom within two weeks. My co-teacher wasn’t certified (along with a good majority of the other “teachers” there). The dismissal process is so chaotic and long. Students are just a number to the admin and it shows in how they act in the classroom. I went from wanting to be a teacher for the rest of my life to never wanting to step foot in a classroom again. Please don’t be like me and actually do your research on this school before accepting a job offer. The money is nice but it definitely was not worth the depletion of your dignity and mental health. 

Working as a teacher for ACCEL is hard and not necessarily rewarded. Teachers make well under what public school teachers with the same qualifications.  Promotions do not seem to happen often and the ability to make more money comes at a cost to your personal life. Coaching, tutoring and other extra roles that have tiny stipends consume more time than they are worth. Upper management is constantly setting goals for schools to achieve without taking into consideration that each school they manage is different. Each year it feels like a moving goalpost in terms of what ACCEL expects us to achieve. Administrators in my building are amazing but anyone above my building principal is out of touch. Company constantly builds up hopes for the future then pulls out at the last minute to tell us to wait for next year. COVID response wasn't great. We were given disposable masks, face shields, bleach, paper towels, and hand sanitizer to keep ourselves and the students safe. I love my building coworkers and building admin but we have to fight for every little thing with the company. I love my coworkers and they have become some of my best friends. They make coming to work bearable. 

I loved working at ACCEL but it's important to remember that this is essentially a private school for disabled, emotionaly disregulated, aggressive, occasionally brain damaged and sometimes mentally unwell students. I'm sure no parent wanted their children to be the way that they are but this is the reality of working at ACCEL. I really appreciated the behavior training and management so that when you get into the classroom you are ready and capable to help and deal with the students. The students will try to bite, scratch, and do harm. As a part of this job it's very important to recognize that you have to take none of this personally and that none of the students attacks are personal to you. They are unwell and that is where they're at and every day includes understanding the students and forgiving them for their faults. 

One of the greatest benefits of working at ACCEL is that you have a team of behavior interventionists and you have an amazing team of teachers who watch out for you and the students. You also have to watch out for yourself and keep your eyes and ears open at all times while on the clock because the students are often prone to sudden outbursts. This is the reality of working in special Ed and I really enjoyed the time that I spent at ACCEL. 

This is the worst and most toxic company I have ever worked for. Terrible principal who has you walking on egg shells daily. You will be micromanaged to death, treated like you don't matter, told to take or leave it, my way or tje highway mentality. Your job description changes all the time and without very much notice. Supervisors/management is hired based on ability to be a "yes" man, and not on experience. A lot of hires come from a retail background and NOT education. The buildings are all old, leaky, asbestos filled cast offs that smell moldy and are falling apart and not much is done to make them better. Just the bare minimum. They hire just about anyone and accept kids who've been booted from all the other schools because it's about the money for having them in the seats and not education. They have unlicensed teachers in classrooms at multiple schools because they can get away with it. I mean this place should seriously be shut down. Complaints to upper management are just ignored. The hardest part about the job is making yourself go in to deal with the toxicity and stressful environment. You would be smart to just stay away. There aren't any good benefits. I do not plan on coming back next year.

ACCEL has taught me more than I could ever have guessed I needed to learn about the field in which I worked there. I found the experience to be challenging, but pleasantly so. I was gently pushed to new and better heights in my experience, and took on new responsibilities and unlocked new opportunities as I became ready for them. 
My coworkers and supervisors were all wholehearted and genuine people with a sincere zest for what they do. Staff relations were always pleasant and there was a strong team-oriented atmosphere to the workplace. Excellence was almost always recognized, despite the often hectic pace of working in a school. The pace of life at the school is fast, very busy, and no one spends a moment just watching the clock. This is an ideal atmosphere for someone like me. I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure here, and will always treasure those who helped make my first venture into school employment a delightful and flourishing one.

There is definite flexibility and minimal micromanagement. This is an average employer.  Nothing horrible, but nothing spectacular either. PTO is good. My pay is decent (I do not know about other positions). Since this is a charter management organization (which is for-profit, while the actual schools are non-profit). The bottom line is money. I am not saying they do not care about education, but they over-produce schools and then do not properly assist them during the first shaky years. There is assistance, just not good enough assistance. The schools I believe do their best. Communication from Accel to the actual schools needs significant improvement. I can honestly say, top leadership is brilliant. They know what they are doing. The problem is I can't really say how important their employees are to them and if they are concerned with employee retention. But again, this isn't necessarily a bad employer, just nowhere near being excellent. HEALTH BENEFITS ARE HORRIBLY EXPENSIVE. FAMILY COVERAGE IS OVER $500 PER PAY CHECK. But it is great coverage. Just more than I have ever had to contribute as an employee.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Intervention specialist 1848 salaries reported	$48,868 per year
Substitute teacher 947 salaries reported	$131 per day
Elementary school teacher 939 salaries reported	$46,146 per year
Instructional aide 893 salaries reported	$15.74 per hour
Teacher 403 salaries reported	$47,579 per year

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