school program staff

school teacher

elementary school teacher

teacher

substitute teacher

STAR Education

The best part of working at this company is the kids, the worst part is the management. Their policies just don't work, having absolutely no discipline is a recipe for disaster when you want children to behave perfectly. Walk in exactly a straight line, sit down in neat little lines, and not make any noise ever. At least that's what it feels like when the cluster leaders come to visit. They have overstructured after school and make it difficult for the teachers and students to enjoy learning and discovering new things.

The first site I worked at was a total mess. My boss was a stickler for the rules, was overwhelmed with the expectations they put on her. The staff were immature and uninspired. There was hardly any communication, and our bosses were oftentimes passive aggressive.

If I had only worked at that site I would give the company 1 star, however my second site was much better my boss saw the clear issues with management and had more realistic expectations. She seemed to mediate more between management and staff to create a better middle ground environment. Kids at my second site connected with their teachers and had genuine moments of fun and learning. 

It really depends on the site they give and who your director is. I think they could use a little work on their management style and maybe lower some of their expectations for the kids. (They are kids after all) At the end of the day, I would recommend the organization, it has room to improve but overall has good intentions.

My experience started off positive, but changed significantly after a new site director took over. The workplace became heavily micromanaged and increasingly difficult to function in.
Leadership was the central issue. Decisions lacked transparency, concerns were escalated without clear evidence, and there was little to no opportunity for staff to review or respond. The direct supervisor remained professional, but it was clear they were not empowered to resolve issues and were left to carry out decisions they did not control.
One of the most concerning aspects was the impact on students. They frequently commented on how often staff came and went, building trust with people who would suddenly no longer be there. It created a sense of instability that was noticeable and concerning.
Staff were called into meetings over complaints allegedly made by students, yet there was no meaningful process to verify or address those claims. Toward the end of my employment, multiple disciplinary charges were presented all at once in a way that felt rushed and difficult to reasonably respond to.
HR refused to review the charges and insisted they be signed in order to receive a final paycheck. The site director who authored the documentation was not present during the final meeting leaving the supervisor clearly stressed.
This reflects a breakdown in leadership, accountability, and basic workplace standards. Very much below the benchmark. Until those issues are addressed, I would not recommend this place for work. 

I have worked at STAR for over 10 years and it's one of the best jobs I've ever had! Most of the bad reviews on this site obviously come from employees that were let go due to poor performance or attitude or got laid off because of the pandemic which is understandable considering their industry was basically shut down for a number of months. You'll find a good number of employees that have worked here over 10 years too. That's not too common in many workplaces. STAR management lets you be creative, innovative, and lots of autonomy. Those who say this isn't true, they may have had an isolated experience at a particular school site but that is not the culture of STAR. STAR definitely makes you feel welcome, appreciates its employees and frankly cares more than most employers. In my opinion, the workplace culture overall is fantastic compared to a lot of other employers. Everyone, for the most part, really likes working here and working with kids. If you don't like working with kids -- stay away! It's a non-profit and focus is largely placed on giving back to kids.

Until COVID hit, STAR Education was a stressful, if rewarding place to work. Upper management was well-meaning but inefficient, but the day-to-day staff who actually did the work with the kids were all dedicated, motivated people.

However, the COVID pandemic brought out the worst in the company. Long-time staff who have put their life's blood into the company were let go without notice, often at the last minute. No coherent plan was put forth to keep the company functioning during the crisis: instead, a series of badly-planned schemes (like starting up a competitor site to Youtube Kids!) were brought forth, put into action, and invariably failed. More disturbing was the company's insistence on attempting to maintain in-person teaching during this time, their lax safety protocols, and their outright falsehoods regarding COVID outbreaks among the students.

With the announcement that LAUSD will be returning to in-person teaching, STAR has begun a hiring blitz. I cannot recommend working at this company unless significant changes are made to company culture and upper management.

In my time at STAR I found a lot of errors within both management and training. The rules and regulations that are put on teachers are unreasonable, and you are immediately thrown into a teaching position where you must take leadership even if you’ve yet to develop confidence teaching. There is very little reward for all of the hard work put forth. You have high expectations, however there are no raises or promotions unless you strongly present your interest by luck to a director or regional admin. Even then, promotions to different departments may happen with no raise. Favorites are commonly played, and the environment is hostile and filled with gossip. You will receive no acknowledgment from admin even if you are doing great. The kids are awesome, however STAR expects a “Disney” image that is just not reasonable or realistic. Do NOT become invested with this company because you will not see reward long term. Short term it’s great- long term you will be used and become hopeless in this work environment. 

The lack of professionalism within this company is extremely disappointing. I was interviewed in September and told I would be contacted within a week. I was never contacted. Four weeks later, I reached out to the coordinator that scheduled my appointment. She informed me that I will be contacted by the end of that week. She then emailed me, a week later, informing me that I have been referred to a different department (without any additional information). It's almost like they forget that they ever interviewed me.
The department I was referred to contact me the next day asking me to come in for a second interview. I drove 25 miles out just to be told that the payment had been lowered to $15, DESPITE BEING TOLD IT WAS $33-35, in that department. This department entailed different duties and times, and salary, then I had applied for. This department was very kind and was not aware of the science and engineering departments and their lack of organization that led to this misunderstanding. 
I hope that their way of communication and organization can improve. Otherwise, this company might as well be run by its students.

I really love the atmosphere they bring to meetings  and trainings. They always have yummy snacks and water anytime you visit the main office. Whenever you have an issue wether it’s because one of your coworkers is constantly on their phone not paying attention or you’re running out of ideas or you need help presenting or are learning how to do a lesson they will literally come on site to train or help you! Very considerate leadership, at least at the location I work at. The program is amazing for kids and I think the new curriculum for this coming school year is awesome!we not only get to help the kids really learn we also get to have “fun Friday” which gives us endless amounts of options of games or activities to do with the kids! It has everythig from cooking with the kids to playing tag to creating a plant in a bag to creating wealths to take home! This is an awesome place to work at and a really good work environment. I only wish the pay was a tad bit higher than it is considering all we do. That’s my only complaint.

Typically, the beginning of a regular work day consists of various administrative duties such as answering phone calls, emailing, and inputting information in a database, etc. The other half of the day consists of direct interaction with parents, children, teachers, and other elementary school personnel. As a director, my duty is to maintain a fun and safe atmosphere for both the children as well the staff. Because of the type of business, the turn over rate for after school teachers is extremely high which meant I often ended up working with and training new employees. The most difficult aspect of this position is knowing that you are responsible for the lives of children that are not your own. This meant that extra precaution and attention to detail was not only necessary, but mandatory. The most enjoyably aspect of this career is working with children who have an uncanny ability to make any environment that much more delightful and desirable to work in.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Helping the kids with homework and showing them that being responsible and caring and understanding is a really good way to grow as a parent and develop friendships. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Nothing knowing when your supervisor is going to get back to you and never answering the phone, texts, email and forget to tell you when things are being changed. That is the most stressful part and tells you at the last second. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment has been okay not to bad but over all their needs to be improvement in this environment when it comes to making sure your teachers are being updated. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Getting things ready for the activity and making sure I have the kids attend and helping with anything and fixing a problem or talking to them about how it’s very important to follow the rules.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Most of the directors supported you which was great to have. It is helpful having a wide array of classes to teach, so each person can do well in the field that is their specialty.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
One year, the work schedule was very inconsistent which was very stressful. Sometimes feeling on edge in terms of being critiqued which at times can be unwarranted. People in charge should let their employers say how they feel and not assume everything that they are being told is true.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Coworkers are friendly which is great, some directors should give more of a heads up, and sometimes be more flexible. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
In depends on what you are doing at the schools.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
School program staff 224 salaries reported	$21.19 per hour
School teacher 79 salaries reported	$29.47 per hour
Elementary school teacher 2 salaries reported	$30.50 per hour
Teacher 17 salaries reported	$33.76 per hour
Substitute teacher 28 salaries reported	$26.57 per hour

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