substitute teacher

special education teacher

teacher

elementary school teacher

paraprofessional

American Leadership Academy

American Leadership Academy really does not provide any assistance to first-year teachers or new teachers. There are no mentor teachers there are no department meetings. The department rarely shared lesson plans or ideas. Veteran teachers often resented when you asked for lesson plans and or lesson plan ideas so I quit asking.  We all had different lunches so there was no emotional support. As a first-year teacher, I always felt that I was on my own. 

The administration doesn't provide feedback on what you're doing right or wrong. if you ask for help then you are given cognitive coaching they use the Socratic method to ask you a series of questions to help you be a better teacher.  They would ask me patronizing questions like you have been in a classroom before what did you see? After the discussions, I just felt lost with no clear answers there just was no way to coach someone that way in a 20-30 minute coaching session. 

The Principal would ask you questions full of educational jargon like "what are your processes?" and you wouldn't have a clue what that means. You just felt like you're wandering around in the dark. Then the 30 minutes is up and you have to leave and go back to your class. 

Weeks and months would go by and I would not even see my boss. Every time I spoke with him it felt like I was talking to HR and I did something wrong or was on trial and I was on the witness chair. For example, let's say I needed the computer cart for the day I would then have to justify using the computer cart. They would tell you not to do something liked closed notes, but never what to do. So after awhile you either ignored them or you felt like you were breaking the rules all of the time and you had to hide your behavior. So after a while, I just went to another academic dean I had a much better relationship with he would approve things like who could use the computer cart without any problems.

ALA requires in-depth lesson plans to be written in a google docs spreadsheet. If you didn't write an in-depth lesson then you would be put on written warning.  In your lesson plans, you needed to write a check for understanding questions you are going to ask each day.  There were no clear instructions on how to do lesson plans or what to say. Even the veteran teachers were unclear on what to do. Then you rarely received feedback. My boss would occasionally write what are you doing do drive student achievement?  it felt you were pouring hours of your life outside of the classroom for nothing. it was never good enough and they never told you why. 

They don't provide time for a weekly PLC meeting. Occasionally maybe once a month you will have a half-day so you lose a day of instruction and then administration takes several hours to go over some HR thing or something that could have been explained in an email. 

Many of the things that the Administration did were not thought through properly. Ala Administration are not your traditional educators. They are often former businessmen or military. In terms of office supplies, ALA is extremely cheap. If it isn't markers for the board or white paper for printers.

There are no counselors or librarians they are fully staffed in the Athletic Department. Although they do not have Chromebooks for each student or classroom they did millions on a new basketball arena to replace old one. 

They really really stresses morals so unless you believe in a dress code this isn't the job for you.

I went to ALA as a student for about 8 years and when I became an adult I wanted the opportunity to work in a school due to having so many amazing people working with me in school and being an amazing influence. ALA had an opening and I was thrilled to be hired. However being new to working in a school, I fell pretty sick quite a few times. I ended up having covid-19 at one point and was out for nearly 2 weeks. (Was asked for doctors notes for absences over 1 day and acquired those for management each time). I absolutely loved working at ALA as a SpEd paraprofessional. I can easily say it is the best job I've ever had. I had beyond amazing staff surrounding me, I worked with amazing students who taught me so much and I actually enjoyed my work for the first time. I had a great work/life balance and couldn't have asked for better. A few weeks ago I was fired due to me being out. I was given a warning for my absences about a month after being hired (hired August 2022) due to being sick. I hadn't heard anything about my absences and didn't think there was an issue. I called in one day for stomach pains after not calling in sick for awhile and was fired the next day. I understand I was given a warning but I was not talked to for months then just suddenly fired after one call in. Compared to other staff I was not absent often unless I was sick enough to not want to give it to anyone else. I was also a one on one paraprofessional meaning I was with one kiddo all day. I didn't want to risk getting them sick. 
Staff members with kiddos could be absent as often as they needed without management batting an eye because they're kid goes there. If it's not a Staff parent it's a Staff members adult kid who works there. They all seem protected from any disciplinary action due to absences. Anyone else is not protected the same. This is sad but its how it is. Other staff members agreed as well. 
I was ( and still am) so sad over losing my job to being sick but I am onto other things. Overall I would highly suggest working at this school. They're is amazing staff and you'll feel like family! Truly too not how most companies say it. Haha. 

Only con is watch how often you're out sick. It's nothing you can control just take precautions!

A typical day begins with me arriving at work around 7:00 am. Once there, I prepare copies and papers for the students to work on and ensure I have all the materials ready for the day. When the students are in the room, I take pride in having an orderly and respectful environment with set routines and organization. After school ends at 3:00 I have an afternoon duty then usually stay until 4:30-5:00 grading, planning, or tutoring. 
The biggest thing I learned while teaching is patience and the importance of being kind. With all of my students, I make an effort to encourage their success by being involved in their life and by showing them that the easiest thing in life to give is kindness to one another. While a special education teacher I also learned how to manage a team of professionals to ensure that all students special needs were met. Our workplace is fun and relaxing! I enjoy each day and each meeting with my teammates. The hardest part of my job is leaving my coworkers. 
The hardest part of teaching is dealing with the growing apathy in the classroom that is a result of the parents also being apathetic or not putting their child/child's education first. It is hard to help children when the family does not enforce consequences or when they undermine the teacher. This behavior is seen in each classroom in each school I have had the pleasure of working at. I no longer want to work for an institution that bases my performance on the performance of students and families who do not put in the same effort that I give. 
The most enjoyable part of my job is working with students who strive for excellence, show integrity, service and respect. I love the days when we stop reading from the textbook to google a question someone had and then we have a class discussion on the results. When we have these open discussions, we talk about what they want to learn and their curiosity spikes. When the kids are happy learning, I am overjoyed.

I spent a little over a year in an administrative role at one of the many campuses. At first ALA as a whole seems great. The RAISE values seem like something anyone can align with, and the staff are very friendly. Teachers are paid well, and upper level management I'm sure is paid very well. However, this leaves administrative staff severely overworked and underpaid. At the Elementary school campuses, they literally combine two jobs into one, at the pay of barely one of those jobs. Exempt position so no overtime, but expected to work a MINIMUM of 45 hours a week. Very little initial training for a very complicated and nuanced job. Additional tasks piled on at will, leaving you with very little time to complete anything. Everyone in the position I was in at different campuses would work late hours very frequently with no compensation. Great people, but sadly set this expectation as the norm. When explaining to management that there was not enough time to complete everything assigned, the response was simply "I guess you just need to stay later" .... with no compensation. While yes, it is a charter school, the focus is clearly on numbers and numbers only. Directors will bend over backwards for parents, not realizing the additional work and strain it puts on staff and other employees, and set the culture of parents demanding and getting whatever they want often outside of reason. COVID policies are horrible. Students get sick all the time, staff members were in the ICU and in coma. LOTS of nepotism. Completely unqualified people working in high level positions due to knowing one of the owners. General staff is excellent. Very friendly people who genuinely care about children's education. Teacher's put a lot of time an effort into their classrooms. Overall excellent place to educate your children, just not the best place to work. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Working with the kids is the sunshine of my day. I love the feeling of encouraging and helping a kid that does not often hear positive words spoken about their academic progress.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Dealing with the administration is constantly stressful. The administration is focusing on things like cell phone policies and dress codes, and not dealing with the actual behavior problems on a consistent basis. There is a very high turnover rate here. Some teachers have been told in the last month that they might not get contracts for next year and since then the morale here has been very low. I am not a fan of how the school is run by Charter One or the principal.  

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Low morale, distrust of the administration, frustration at the parents, burnout is high: all are big concerns. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Challenging is the best word to describe a typical day. I work in the special Education department so every day is a challenge.

The school itself has great values. I like the charter school and what it stands for. 
However, the management and leadership there are lacking. They care more about the students than helping and supporting the teachers.  You’ll never get the support from management that you need. They’ll claim their too busy to help but they’ll be quick to pick out your faults.
Turn around is always high. Teachers don’t stay very long. You’ll find that parents and students run the campus when they don’t like something a teacher does. In those cases they will side with the student and parent over the teacher. It’s tough to stand by the values because not all teachers and administration do. So when you discipline students for breaking rules, they’re hardly punished or nothing is done to the student.
Also there is no support for teachers. If you do something wrong or something they don’t like, they won’t give you the support or help you need to make improvements. Instead they will not renew your contract because they simple don’t like you or your method of teaching. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Most students are respectful unlike inner city schools. Grade level teams will help you be successful.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Substitute teachers should respect the dress code and adherence to learning objectives. Learning should not take a day off.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is friendly, helpful, and positive. You are greatly appreciated for your time.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
As an elementary substitute, I greet students outside at lineups at 7:50 am.
Students are expected to record homework assignments and other information in their planners. Typical announcements, pledge of allegiance, mission pledge before starting lessons.
Lunch and special periods are your break time.
Driveline is typically less than 30 minutes starting at 3:00 pm.
Grade level teamwork will carry you through the day. Best experience substituting so far.

I started my day as the before school recess supervisor. I taught my class from 8am to 3pm. Students were expected to work in pairs or on their own during independent work time. The hardest part of the job was classroom management and engaging the students in the prepared lesson. I enjoyed this process as a kindergarten teacher. I did not like it much as a 6th grade teacher, mostly because all of my teaching education and experience is in early childhood education. I loved teaching kindergarten students how to read. It was always magical to see their eyes light up with joy when they learned a new concept and mastered it. I would love to return to the world of teaching kindergarten. This is where I feel the most comfortable. It is also the grade I am most passionate about teaching. A child's beginning year in grade school sets the stage for every other year they attend. It's important to give them a good start.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Great families and children. The support from families makes the lack of support from admin bearable. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Being an advocate for low income children and offering them a better solution in education. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Ran a lot like a cult, no real opportunity for teacher growth or support if you do not align to their business agenda. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Over worked, underpaid, and no support from admin. Observations and PFP (payed for performance) offer an opportunity for admin to penalize you for not complying to their agenda which will affect your pay.

The teachers and staff are great to work with, they have good students, but the district administration is inflexible, micromanaging, and they don't treat their employees well. I never felt valued and they expected us to take extra duties, beyond the 50 hours per week we were already working, without giving us a way to do so. It was impossible to balance my family time with work. On multiple occasions, I've seen them push out hard-working loyal employees and give promised opportunities to others based on personal connections. They teach integrity as part of their RAISE values, but lack that integrity themselves. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Substitute teacher 3 salaries reported	$167 per day
Special education teacher 2 salaries reported	$50,000 per year
Teacher 18 salaries reported	$50,056 per year
Elementary school teacher 22 salaries reported	$50,136 per year
Paraprofessional 3 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour

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