elementary school teacher

teacher

high school teacher

school teacher

substitute teacher

ASTEC CHARTER SCHOOLS

First and foremost, the kids were the best part of this job. They were the reason I kept coming back despite hardships and tension with the Administration. 

The Admin did a great job of not only demeaning you for a small mistake, but never take accountability for their own actions. If there was a miscommunication and you did not email them back, you were the issue. However, if you did communicate with them, but they did not respond (and have proof), they would tell to us to remind ourselves on how busy they are and that they deserve grace. 

They constantly demand things be done on time and in a short time frame: lesson plans, clocking in, submitting worksheets, reports, etc. And if you are even a MINUTE late, better believe you will receive an email asking why you are incompetent. It did not matter if there were outside issues like weather, family loss, losing your planning period, internet issues, or sickness that prevented you from getting things done. You are expected to be on time. Period. 

But Admin was late on everything: approving important documents, making decisions that literally affect your job, and even order materials you need for your classroom. They will take MONTHS to get things done. But if we call them out on it, we're reminded on how busy they are and we need to be understanding. The double standard was incredibly unfair and unreasonable.

Although they always encouraged teachers to talk to them about concerns and come up with solutions, it was usually met with aggression and retaliation. If you put up with their unfair favoritism, difficult double standards, and allowed them to walk all over you, they pretty much would praise you for being a human doormat. But if you had an issue with leadership on any level or tried to communicate boundaries on what you can reasonably manage as a teacher, you'd be met with hostile conversations that practically made you question if you are even capable to have the job. Hence why I'm writing all of my concerns here because I did not feel comfortable sharing this with them and be prone to a hostile work environment.

This administration is know for pushing out teachers they do not like. They will overreact to the smallest things one teacher does, but suddenly its not an issue if another teacher does it as well. It depends if you are a favorite. They micromanage to the point the teacher either gets frustrated and leaves, or use the "concerns" they have against them and use it as an excuse to not re-hire.

Words cannot describe how frustrated I am seeing leadership question why the school has a high turn over rate, but never once think that they are the problem. They always blame the teachers who quit for not having a "growth mindset" and will talk badly about them in all teacher meetings to boost their ego and prove why admin is not the problem.

Don't get me wrong, I did have people/upper staff who supported me. But it was more emotional support and trying to keep me positive because of how strenuous this job was. I was also extremely disappointed with how I would share my goals I had for the school, admin would tell me they support me and get my hopes up, but always be the ones to be my biggest obstacle and reason why I could not achieve them. 

Admin would constantly tell you to do things their way. It did not matter if you were knowledgable in that area or had a better solution, they would tell you to either do it their way or not at all. Even if they had no clue how to do certain things. So when you do it their way, and it goes poorly, they tell you that you should have been more proactive and recommend a solution that, get this, you recommended to do beforehand. 

It makes me so frustrated how I tried to follow their standards, do the procedures like they wanted me to, even gave up my own autonomy and did everything they demanded without question. And they still made me feel like I was incapable.

I have made wonderful memories, but most are stained with how rough this job was. The kids were the biggest reason why I kept waking up and working another day. But I, unfortunately, couldn't handle the mismanagement and hypocritical leadership anymore. Especially from the CEO, who I think is the biggest reason this school is not reaching the potential it has. 

I truly hope things get better for the teachers and the kids. I did not discuss the weird policies and the micro-racist dress code the kids have, but know that the teachers are not the only ones struggling with the school. Everyone has their own experience here. And this one, like many, was mine.

The students were the reason I stayed as long as I did. They are genuinely great kids, and many of the teachers I worked with were caring, hardworking people who wanted the best for their students.

Unfortunately, my experience with the school’s leadership and overall culture was overwhelmingly negative. I often felt micromanaged rather than trusted as a professional, and communication from administration was frequently frustrating and inconsistent. Things I would communicate would be swept under the rug or deemed unimportant, but if something did happen that I didn’t report I would be chastised like a child for it. Sometimes I would even be reprimanded and yelled at in front of students instead of having a professional meeting scheduled in an office. I It was difficult to feel supported when expectations seemed to change and follow-through was not always there.

The workload also made maintaining any real work-life balance challenging. There was a constant feeling that more was being asked of staff, making it hard to fully disconnect from work during evenings, weekends and sometimes even the holidays.

What disappoints me most is that this school has so much potential because of its students and dedicated teachers. However, in my experience, the management style and workplace culture created unnecessary stress and made it difficult to enjoy the job. I left feeling exhausted, frustrated, and undervalued.

It is absolutely the worst toxic work environment that I’ve ever encountered.  The teachers are constantly devalued and belittled, and not treated like professionals although professional dress is always expected.   The atmosphere is filled with mistrust and negativity.  Morale is low.  The expectations and extra responsibilities are unrealistic yet this is our every day reality.   The teachers are expected to sub in other classes during their plan period so they never get a break.  The weekly lesson plans are cumbersome and time consuming by having to follow an inefficient and ineffective format.  Financial and emotional burden is placed on the teacher for normal wear and tear and loss and shrinkage with 130+ scholars going in and out of the classroom on a daily basis.  This and many other things (I could go on and on) make it a very stressful and exhausting job. I worked harder, yet was encouraged and supported less than anywhere else I have worked.  

What is the best part of working at the company?
The students are the best part about ASTEC. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Everything about this job was stressful. The top tier of administration ensures that morale is low and staff turnover is high. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
ASTEC has a revolving door of teachers, so there aren’t many people around you that can offer support. You will be expected to attend MANY long-winded meetings that serve no real purpose. While the tech/classroom resources may be nicer than average, the school culture and quality of education is LACKING. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I was typically required to cover classes , since many teachers leave ASTEC throughout the school year. There were weekly meetings labeled as “professional development”, but they were far from supportive or growth-focused.

Disregard the other negative comments on here. Many are disgruntled teachers who for the first time in their educational career are held to a standard that does NOT promote mediocrity. Is everything perfect? No. I have been to several schools in my educational career and this school offers many things that others do not, potential to lead, serve a diverse staff and student population and more. There are no drug issues here, fights with students, or rampant removal of students found in other schools just down the street.

The pay and benefits are higher than what you will find at other similar schools. Yes, there is oversight, but it is clearly demonstrated that if you are doing your job, there are promotions, raises, and praise. 

Do your research, speak with a public school employee and ask what life is like there.

Working here started off great but ended up feeling like a prison. Employees' time is often treated as though it means nothing. Teachers are treated like they are babysitters rather than educators and they are constantly receiving the short end of the stick as a result of lack of communication and coordination at the hands of administration. Administration also displays favoritism and it becomes very clear, through their actions - who did not make the cut. Meetings are a waste of time and are mostly about the same things every week, and they are rarely ever important things. Sometimes meetings are used as opportunities for sponsors or sponsored companies to sell their products or services. The school itself runs like a business rather than an educational facility. 

If you are considering employment here, proceed with caution. Based on my experience, the leadership environment lacks professionalism, discretion, and effective communication. There are consistent concerns regarding internal culture, including the handling of sensitive information and decision-making practices at multiple levels of administration. Additionally, there appears to be a disconnect between executive leadership (CEO)  and the day-to-day realities of the organization, which impacts overall morale and operational effectiveness. These are not minor issues they are systemic and should be carefully considered before making any commitment. I strongly recommend doing thorough due diligence before accepting a position.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Fellow employees, safe environment 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Administration looking over your shoulder, time expectations, last second meetings called which lasted after 5pm, unnecessary work loads, CEO and superintendent would target certain employees negatively, liberal political beliefs pushed on employees, some financial discrepancies.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment could be very stressful 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Long, long days,  weekend work necessary to keep up.

The kids are great, however the admin and environment in general are toxic. Teachers are encouraged to report on each other for the most minor things. I went to the bathroom during my plan period and came back to an email about not wasting my plan time. They also use the cameras in every classroom to micromanage and find reasons to write you up to a very concerning level.  When I left, they took most of my final paycheck claiming classroom damages which turned out to be the various general wear and tear middle schoolers place on books and desk with no way to fight it. They admitted they knew I didn't do it but its their policy to make teachers pay for anything the kids cause wear and tear on or damage.

A typical day at work means being micromanaged for things that have no positive impact on student success. You are stuck in archaic practices and expectations. There is way too much admin at such a small school, and they run around looking for problems while not themselves being held accountable. 
This school needs to understand that with high expectations needs to come high support, and it doesn’t. 
Overall the students are above average behavior wise and they come from strong families. 
It’s too bad that admin and the shady practices in the district offices create such a toxic environment for teachers.
Great place to get some education experience and move on!


Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Elementary school teacher 3 salaries reported	$47,167 per year
Teacher 4 salaries reported	$50,250 per year
High school teacher 1 salary reported	$54,250 per year
School teacher 2 salaries reported	$54,500 per year
Substitute teacher 1 salary reported	$138 per day

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