special education teacher

paraprofessional

school counselor

special needs advocate

van driver

Austin Centers for Exceptional Students

My experience at ACES was deeply concerning and ultimately unsustainable due to ongoing issues with leadership, communication, and workplace culture.

There was a consistent pattern of misleading or incomplete communication from the administration, particularly surrounding serious incidents and expectations. Information shared with staff did not always align with what was actually occurring, creating confusion, eroding trust, and making it difficult to feel confident in decision-making. In a setting where student safety and staff support are critical, this lack of transparency is especially troubling.

The overall workplace culture was highly negative and, at times, unprofessional. There was frequent gossip among staff, with colleagues openly speaking negatively about one another. This created an environment of mistrust and division rather than collaboration. Instead of feeling like a team working toward shared goals, the atmosphere often felt tense and fragmented.

Staff were frequently expected to navigate high-stress situations with limited resources, and concerns raised were not always addressed meaningfully or in a timely manner. At times, communication from leadership felt dismissive or disconnected from the realities happening in classrooms.

Additionally, staffing challenges placed a significant strain on the team. Operating below recommended support levels impacted both staff well-being and the ability to consistently provide high-quality services to students. While only some of the educators worked hard to maintain stability for students, the lack of systemic support made this increasingly difficult.

What stood out most was the lack of psychological safety for staff. It did not feel like an environment where concerns could be openly shared without fear of being minimized or becoming the subject of workplace gossip. Over time, this contributes to burnout, turnover, and a breakdown in team cohesion.

There are dedicated staff members at ACES who genuinely care about students and do their best under difficult circumstances. However, without meaningful changes in leadership practices, communication, and organizational culture, it is hard to recommend this workplace to others.

The job wasn’t horrible at first but the longer you work there the more workload they put onto the experienced workers. I was helping manage multiple classrooms and filling in for the insane amount of people quitting every day due from the mistreatment of the administration in the company. Meanwhile seasoned employees don’t get any more compensation, appreciation, and treated poorly. After being there for 3 years and working through all of covid and helping the company in every way they asked of me, and brought in 2 exceptional employees as well. I felt as if I and everyone else was deserving of a pay raise, after I talked to administration about a pay raise for the overworked and under appreciated workers in the company they immediately accused me of mistreating the children, saying my work ethic was no longer there, lying and making up completely false stories about other staff members saying things about me.  After that they also started to move me around to different classes every day, they would put me in the classrooms with the more difficult students. They continued to move me around from classroom to classroom to make me uncomfortable with the work place and eventually pushing me to the point of quitting. This companies administration is pitiful, they don’t care about their employees and will gladly replace anyone that decides to tell them that. The principal of the school refuses to acknowledge any of this disgraceful behavior and continues to just replace workers like nothing rather than improve the work conditions and provide a somewhat enjoyable work environment. 

I love working at The ACES!  The school has a wonderful mission and vision and it is super rewarding to be a part of it!  My job as a behavioral coach is to mentored and supervise students with special needs such as autism, emotional disabilities, and intellectual disabilities that also have behavioral challenges, and support them in any way that I can.  Lots of training is offered by The ACES administration in how to help the students in positive ways.  The ACES has small class sizes and a high ratio of staff to students, with at least 3 trained adults in every classroom so each staff member is a part of a large team of professionals that are dedicated to helping these students succeed. I have been able to see many students successfully transition back to their home school district after learning coping skills and proper anger management techniques here at The ACES.  Some of the students started at The ACES with very extreme behavioral problems due to their disabilities but in less than a year were able to change and become totally different  students  - safe, happy, excited to learn, motivated to succeed.  I have witnessed students make 3 to 4 years worth of academic growth in 1 school year.  Best job ever!

I love working at The ACES!  The school has a wonderful mission and vision and it is super rewarding to be a part of it!  My job as a behavioral coach is to mentored and supervise students with special needs such as autism, emotional disabilities, and intellectual disabilities that also have behavioral challenges, and support them in any way that I can.  Lots of training is offered by The ACES administration in how to help the students in positive ways.  The ACES has small class sizes and a high ratio of staff to students, with at least 3 training adult in every classroom so each staff member is a part of a large team of professionals that are dedicated to helping these students succeed. I have been able to see many students successfully transition back to their home school district after learning coping skills and proper anger management techniques here at The ACES.  Some of the students started at The ACES with very extreme behavioral problems due to their disabilities but in less than a year were able to change and become totally different  students  - safe, happy, excited to learn, motivated to succeed.  I have witnessed students make 3 to 4 years worth of academic growth in 1 school year.  Best job ever!

After teaching at the public schools for several years, I was looking for something different in special education where I actually felt I could make a difference in the lives of children with learning difficulties both behaviorally and academically that didn’t include suspending them. The ACES provides a different level of structure, consistency, and high expectations for students with special needs that actually allows them to experience success at school. The most wonderful part about The ACES is the commitment to educate every child, even those that most people consider “the most difficult.” The team dynamic around the Phoenix West Campus makes all the difference because there is always someone to support you and you are never left to deal with a difficult situation alone. The ACES offers an effective system for teachers and support staff to track student behaviors that is easy to navigate and helpful when writing IEPs and tracking progress. The administration is responsive to feedback and does genuinely look for ways to grow and improve. 

From the first day, I loved engaging with the students and working on their DTT goals to help their development but something is seriously wrong with this place.

What’s worse is how many students they try to funnel into this school to make a profit, using storage rooms as classrooms. 

The culture of this company is a lie. Most teachers let their kids stay on iPads all day and treat them terribly. It’s hilarious and pathetic how the CPI training isn’t exactly implemented in the classrooms nor is there any consequence for staff that hurt kids. And I don’t mean high schoolers or big kids but the smaller kids.

Don’t people know how to control themselves?

The people at this company seem to care more about profits than the quality of education these kids are getting and I wish DCS would place a closer eye on this company.

If you’re a parent, avoid this place like the plague. Your child will be worse off and probably develop worsened symptoms. Please. For you and your child.

Also, remember that HR is not meant to make the workplace a better place, it’s a way to protect the company from potential whistleblowers.

As someone who came from a background working with people who have disabilities this workplace environment was very disappointing. The staff are not properly trained, unprofessional, and don’t actually care for the students wellbeing. The work load is stressful due to being understaffed because of so many call outs and not enough coverage. Students are being outright abused because the staff disregard their training and do whatever they see fit to mange the behaviors.  The hardest part about working at the aces aren’t the children, it’s staff professionalism , gossip and drama. Admin does not handle your issues or concerns when you address them. If you have a real passion working with children this is not the place for you. Everything about this company is money hungry, their mission goal is not to transition children back to their home schools . Children are being placed in holds & given unrealistic goals they cannot meet to keep them at the schools. Discrimination & favoritism towards staff is also a big issue , there is no room for you to grow with this company.

I worked at The ACES for my first year of teaching. Coming right out of college with a degree in Special Education, my expectation for education was high. This school did not disappoint. I've heard stories from other special educators about having lack of support in the class room. That was my main concern. This was never an issue while I was working at The ACES. I always had the support I needed. When i had a question about an IEP, or help with lesson planning, my coordinator was always so happy to help me. When I needed suggestions for instruction, everyone was so happy to give me the advice I needed. And they were kind and considerate about it as well. Teaching at this school has made a stronger teacher. Where ever I end up in the future, I know I will excel because of the skills I have learned teaching at here. Education is all about helping a student be the best person they can be, and this school does exactly that! I'd recommend working here to anyone interested in working in education! It's the best place to learn how to be a great educator!

I'm responsible for a group of kids in a certain grade.There is a teacher, aide, and I. I assist and assure children don't get out of line.
My tolerance is always calm so that I may demonstrate to the child respect and discepline towards himself and others. There's been times that I have to take over the class if the teacher steps out and assist the aide. My co-workers and I have proper training and help each other if things get out of hand. The hardest part of my job is making sure there is no harm or danger to the child, and making them feel needed and know they understand the difference between right and wrong. I love being around kids and participating in what they do. Some may need more attention than ohers and its good to be there for them. Sometimes its hard to not get attached to one or more, but at the end of the year I get thanks and praise from the parents of the child and sometimes they request the presence of me for the next year. That makes me feel good about myself and I know that I am doing a good job at what I love.

I have been in education for 22 years. Once I came to The ACES over 3 years ago, I finally felt that I found my home in special education. This is a place where you can be your own kind of beautiful person and teacher. Whatever it takes to reach each and every student is valued here. The relationships you establish with the students and families are like no other. If you need something special for your classroom? The ACES will do their best to get it for you. Teachers are given a monthly allowance to purchase what they need or want as well. Did your class earn a pizza party? The ACES will take care of it. You will never feel isolated and alone teaching at this special education school. Teamwork makes the dream work. Being unique and different is valued here. The administrative team is a class act. Leading the future in special education and showing what it truly means to individualize instruction. I highly recommend you come work with us!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Special education teacher 13 salaries reported	$62,519 per year
Paraprofessional 13 salaries reported	$19.54 per hour
School counselor 26 salaries reported	$59,000 per year
Special needs advocate 5 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour
Van driver 11 salaries reported	$18.41 per hour

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