teacher

elementary school teacher

school counselor

special education teacher

tutor

Catapult Learning

Very little quality training, and a system of dominance over the school help and teachers,  so that they make a very nice work opportunity a nightmare of red tape, time wasting chores, and harassment. 

The myriad of obscure, ever changing rules and documents to be constantly completed every few weeks are so cumbersome the time it takes to do them isn't covered in your pay. More pop up out of nowhere, aren't relayed professionally, ensuring no one understands nor can excel here The only teachers that remain long term aren't the most competent ones, but are the ones who have remained by successfully charming  the incompetent, insecure leaders. 

This system of dictatorial leaders who got their jobs by brown nosing and not competence, provide very poor leadership. They lose good talent by falsely documenting and defaming good tutors for problems they themselves instigate through incompetent communications skills with the teachers, schools and other professionals, to keep their own positions intact. 

In two years I have watched a constant revolving door of good teachers leaving, because there is no professionalism and respect here. It runs like a free for all of duplicated mindless meaningless forms, inhibiting rules and regulations that are huge time wasters and are ever changing, all to justify the leadership's existence. 

Bizarre, meaningless mountains of documentation rules and regulations are foisted upon instructors, after being designed by a team that has never instructed, and doesn't want instructor input. "Just do it, and be quiet" is the rule here. What could be handled on one form, takes 5. They must be followed to the letter by all instructors, while the superiors disregard any and all of them at will, to fit their own convenience. 

What a shame! The government waste here is staggering, with little support for the instructors working often in sub par conditions, like rats on a wheel that never stops, while the leadership enjoys very laid back, high paying positions.  

One example is that you will be scheduled each day, often with many half hour breaks in between, spend 4-6 hours in a building, but only be paid for the actual time you had a student in front of you, say 2 hours. If a student is sick that day, your pay is gone. So teachers are spending many more hours a week unpaid, than they are paid for, while physically at this job. Expect your supervisor to try to cut even more hours out of your pay. 

Don't expect to be supported here. Instructors exist to be seen and not heard, keep the cog running at the lowest possible denominator and to be the scapegoats for the many poor management decisions which are the norm.

This company is not what it seems.  A lot of talk and no action.  Unrealistic data and expectations by the egotistical and condescending "management" team who do not know what they're doing.   All about keeping the Title I funds in their pockets, sometimes not using the funds to provide adequate services to the students like it's supposed to.  This job is not really flexible as it's made out to look and offers a lot of uncertainties from the curriculum to payroll, and hours.  The pay is low for the workload and stress.  The hours are very very few.  How can you be expected to work 7 hours per week?  Very misleading during hiring regarding hours and expectations.  They tell you, you're being hired for full-time or at least 20 hours per week.  However, they only allow you to work 10 hours or less per week even if Title I Fund allocation allows for more hours and the workload calls for it.  The employee retention ratio is nothing to write home about...there's a huge revolving  door.  The "management" is all about paper pushing, putting more emphasis on data even if the data is wrong and misleading just to say they've done it.  The current management in my region is all about negative competition, favoritism to those who dance to their unprofessional and misleading ways, and lip/eye service to upper management and District Title I Coordinator(s).  Meanwhile, school administrators complain about their unprofessionalism and lack of communication.  Working under this management has been very challenging and unnecessarily stressful.  I stayed on to finish the school year because of the main reason I teach, the students.  I wouldn't recommend this company to any teacher looking to genuinely help students with their academic growth and earn an income.

This company is by far the worst company for which I have worked. I work as a school counselor in a private Christian school, but I am hired under Catapult Learning. From the start, the higher-ups made it extremely clear that they were only concerned about expanding the company across the country and making more money. They require us to fill out extensive documentation for the sole purpose of using it as marketing to get into new schools. Supervisors and higher-ups place requirements on us that do not benefit the population I work with and are only suitable for optics. I genuinely feel like I am just a number here. I became a school counselor because I genuinely care about the students and want to help them in any way I can. My background is in social work. I love helping people, but this company makes it difficult to do so due to the overwhelming number of additional duties that have nothing to do with my job description. For example, I have to fill out a document every day that accounts for every minute I am at work to show what I am doing each day. It is very tedious and time-consuming. The pay is also horrible. It is not a living wage. I had to get a second job despite working full-time. I am only given 16 hours of PTO a year. I am required to host events for the families in my school outside of school hours, but I am not given a budget, so I need to find a way to host events for free, and I am not allowed to work overtime. It is unfortunate because I genuinely love the school I am in and everyone I work with at the school but this company is forcing me to find a new job. 

A typical day at work start off with preparing for the class. Preparing for the class includes: making sure that all computer work assignments are completed for the day or week. I most also make sure that all completed lessons are filed in each student's folder. When the class begin the student can work on their class work, homework or computer assignments. This is the begin which set the mood for the rest of the day.

While working for Catapult I have had to opportunity to work with teen boys for five years and now I am working with teens which is something different from the boys. I have learned that the boys are more open than the s about their everyday lives, events and sports they are on.

My co-workers have all been great and fun to work with. I have had the opportunity to meet new people and enjoy their presence on a daily basis.
The Pricipal at the all boy school was wonderful to me. He is one of the men in a school that I would definitely work for any day.

The hardest part of the job is when a student may come in and they are having a difficult moment and lash out at the teacher or students. I think this is the hardest part because you say and do everything you know how, but they just do not seem to brighten up.

the most enjoyable part of the day is when I can make my co-workers smile when they are having a bad day. It is such a joy to know that you can brighrten someone's day with just a hello with a smile included. Another enjoyable day is when the students are having a great day and getting along with each other which really makes the day smooth and enjoyable.

I had the opportunity to work for Catapult Learning last summer through Fresno Unified's Summer Enrichment Program, and overall it was a very positive experience. During my time with the company, I built strong relationships with students and enjoyed creating a supportive and engaging learning environment. One experience that stood out to me was when a parent approached me and shared that their child would not stop talking about me at home. Knowing I made a positive impact on a student meant a lot to me.
I also had the pleasure of working alongside a wonderful co-worker, and together we created a positive experience for the students we served. Because of my experience, I was excited about the possibility of returning this year. When I learned that my former co-worker had been invited back, I was hopeful I would receive a similar opportunity.
After seeing a position posted, my co-worker encouraged me to reapply. Although my application was received, it was ultimately rejected by the hiring manager. While I respect the company's hiring decisions, I was disappointed given my previous positive experience and the relationships I built with students and families.
Catapult Learning provided me with a meaningful opportunity last summer, and I remain grateful for that experience. However, the lack of an opportunity to return despite my successful prior experience left me feeling discouraged and changed my perception of the company.

Be careful: Catapult Learning is a diverse, for-profit corporation.  Some divisions appear to run well, but the Schools Division has real problems, particularly in the Midwest Region.  These schools are supposed to serve the individual needs of students with significant issues, but High Road Schools have adopted a one-size-fits-all approach to behavior modification.  Management enforces this strictly.  Deviate from their program, demonstrate creativity, or attempt to integrate your own ideas and you're gone.  My school has lost 3 directors, a social worker, 2 LBS1 teachers, an operations manager, 2 administrative assistants, and countless TAs in the past 12 months.  The folks who stay need their jobs but staff morale is low.  There is always a reason for a high turnover rate.

Job orientation/mentoring/training - something Catapult refers to as "onboarding" - is haphazard, at best.  New employees at all levels are basically thrown into a classroom or office and they are expected to figure things out.  Nobody on staff is certified to provide training in holds and restraints.  Trainers are flown in from out-of-state when available, leaving the school understaffed with adults who are allowed to handle these difficult incidents, and they happen multiple times a day.

Recognition
New management and rebranding are OKAY. 

Cons
Many paraprofessional staff have left due to a 13% hourly rate decrease while teachers and other salaried staff earned raises. The reasoning for this was to pay paras for breaks. But now many employees are struggling to work for $15-$16 an hour and more are looking to relocate. This will not help our staffing situation. It’s hard to believe that a company with a 100M-500M revenue can’t afford to pay paraprofessionals and teaching assistants fairly for their contributions and knowledge. Education and experience are not weighed or brought into consideration for pay rate. The work load gets bigger but the pay stays the same. 

Pros
The students are the best part about this job. Some days are challenging, but their success and growth and smiles make it all worth it. I can’t remember ever not feeling like I’ve made a difference in a students life. They help me grow just as much, if not more, than I help them. It’s amazing to have the experiences I do. There are many days I’m left feeling drained, yet I keep coming back. The students make each day worth it.

Overall
I have hope that this company will learn to show the respect the staff deserves. I love my
Job. I want to believe I can love my workplace again. Holding out for change and growth.

Great entry-level opportunity for structured, curriculum-based teaching

I highly recommend this role for those who are new to the educational field or have minimal experience. I joined with only two years of tutoring experience and was initially concerned about my readiness for an interventionist position, but the support I received was excellent. My coach guided me through the entire process and ensured I had all the necessary resources. I was able to text her on the spot if I ever needed any information from her. Unfortunately she was not on site so our communications was only through phone unless she came in to do a semi-annual performance check. 

The organization provides all materials and curriculum, which eliminates the need for lesson planning. However, because the curriculum is very standardized, it is not always a one-size-fits-all solution; some students moved through the material quickly while others found it challenging. You are expected to strictly follow the provided course, so there is little room to incorporate your own assessments or creative teaching methods. If you prefer a highly structured environment and clear guidelines, this is a fantastic entry point into education; however, if you are looking for creative freedom in the classroom, it may not be the best fit for your teaching style.

A typical day at Catapult involves working with small groups of children and playing a commercial role in their RTI. It’s a great space to work because you are trusted to do your job and the private schools that you work at, depend on you.  The managers are very nice and they do not micromanage you. They’re very understanding and very willing to teach you to do the job. When you deliver, they are very happy and supportive in every way.

What makes it difficult to work for Catapult as an interventionist is that we are not paid 12 months throughout the year. We are forced to work part-time hours at the beginning of the school year and that could last anywhere from two weeks to two months , depending on the budget.  We do not have an opportunity to work through the summer unless summer school is provided in that too depends on resources and funds. Often times, we do not have extras supplies, although they do try to provide us with some little things.

I love this job, because I am able to teach and I love the environment that I work in. Catapult is a great place to work. I just wish that they would make it easier to really have a full-time job buying us throughout the entire year.

I was given the option to leave or be fire because I would not send enough kids to time out or place them in holds. The job description on site and in person, is not not what the job is like at all. I went to school to be a special education teacher, and nothing prepared me for this. I worked the center for autism and dyslexia, and maybe 2/3 kids actually had autism and the rest all had extreme behavioral issues.

Students work on a point system and work up the levels. Each student gets a prompt, warning, and double minus for certian  behaviors and actions. When getting a double minus, they have to be escorted to time out, which turns into a whole big problem because they do not want to go. So they will throw things, damage property, try to hurt you and others, yell and cuss, and etc. They can be sent for just about everything: being in unassigned work area, language, completing tasks or not, language, destruction of property, making gesture, staring at you, refusing to work, not liking an assignment, and etc. 

I did not like how they ran the program because it did not help students, but made them more annoyed with school and their whole situation. If you want to better kids' lives, do not work here.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 23 salaries reported	$24.30 per hour
Elementary school teacher 3 salaries reported	$24.83 per hour
School counselor 5 salaries reported	$26.46 per hour
Special education teacher 8 salaries reported	$59,063 per year
Tutor 2 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour

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