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The Grier School

While I initially felt enthusiastic about working at Grier due to the opportunities and openness presented during my interview, my experience quickly deteriorated after starting. There is minimal support for new staff, with a disproportionate amount of work falling on newer teachers and little to no assistance provided. The administration lacks transparency, frequently implementing sudden changes without prior warning. Favoritism is evident, and those not in favor face a challenging transition, with job security being at a minimum.

Mandatory extra hours are required, often without additional compensation, and when compensation is provided, it is often inadequate with little accompanying support. Similar to other reviews, from my first day, it was assumed that I understood how the school operated, but I was not informed of important calendar events until they occurred. Issues or concerns relevant to particular students or my areas were not communicated to me. There was no orientation, and opportunities to meet with others for guidance or to ask questions were rare. Even when these concerns were voiced, nothing was done to fix the issues, and those speaking often were either disregarded, or found themselves fearing retaliation.
Many administrative decisions were made without informing the faculty and staff, creating an environment where decisions seemed arbitrary. The work-life balance is nonexistent due to after-school and weekend duties. Additionally, faculty and staff frequently speak negatively about each other, fostering a toxic work environment.
Overall, Grier was a difficult place to find any sense of positivity or fulfillment in my work. The administration's favoritism and lack of clear standards made it challenging to feel valued, even when contributing significantly.

My time at Grier is nothing short of a disappointing ordeal, thanks to the presence of woefully inept administrators and a pervasive snitching environment. The school's new administration has proven to be a catastrophe, and the overall atmosphere among employees is one of unhappiness and frustration.

First and foremost, the administrators at Grier seem utterly incapable of effective leadership. They consistently make poor decisions and fail to address the needs and concerns of both students and staff. It's evident that their primary focus is not on creating a conducive learning environment, but rather on exerting control.
Perhaps the most disheartening aspect of this school is the toxic tattle-tale culture. Instead of fostering a supportive and collaborative environment, employees are constantly on edge, afraid that any misstep will be reported to the administration. This not only undermines trust among colleagues but also hampers the overall morale of the staff, resulting in an unhealthy work atmosphere.

The school's recent change in administration has only worsened an already dire situation. The new administrators seem entirely disconnected from the needs of the students and staff, displaying a remarkable lack of understanding or empathy. Their decision-making is questionable at best, often leaving us questioning their qualifications and competence.

As an employee of Grier, I can confirm that the level of job satisfaction among staff members is abysmally low. The negative impact of the administration's actions on staff morale cannot be overstated. The once vibrant and dedicated team has become disillusioned.

Upon entering the school community, I noticed that the workplace culture subtly penalized employees for being outspoken, which bred an atmosphere of caution. I recall having an informal meeting with the Headmaster, at the time, for unintentionally challenging her authority. 

As a  educator with an advanced background in secondary education,  I sent an email to all faculty members encouraging the building of cross-departmental bridges to create a more holistic learning experience for the student body. What I did not realize was that I should have sought approval, by the department head, before forwarding my research-based ideas and request.

As a consequence, I received  a formal evaluation two weeks after joining the team which felt a bit premature and unusually rigid!
The review was disproportionally critical and it felt more punitive than developmental! 

There was a lack of mentorship for teacher onboarding and limited availability for instructional guidance and collaborative planning by my department head. My second formal evaluation took place when other department heads were conducting the first formal  evaluation for their new team members. 

This has been my experience at the Grier School.


On the surface Grier School appears warm and welcoming, but it's a facade. Management is supportive of those that are part of the "in" crowd, but those that don't naturally fit are pushed away with little nurturing and promoting the strengths of the employee. From my first day there, it was assumed that I understood how the school operated. I was not informed of things on the calendar until they happened.  I was never informed of issues or concerns that would  be helpful to know when working with a particular student. I was not provided any type of orientation, and rarely met with anyone for guidance or to allow me to ask questions. I had to sign-off on having received the employee manual a month or so before it was available following updates. So much happened behind the scenes by admin of which the rest of faculty and staff were never informed.  Decisions seemed to be made on the fly. Work/life balance is non-existant for faculty because of after school and weekend duties. Faculty and staff talk negatively about each other. Overall, it was a difficult place to feel anything positive about the work you were performing. If you do not live up to some ambiguous standard, you are expendable.

Being a private school, you are afforded an opportunity to create your own curriculum.  Additionally, the majority of students are wonderful, talented, and fantastic overall.

That being said, new leadership has created a very toxic environment filled with paranoia.  Employees are expendable and this is communicated clearly.  Leadership does not use a person-centered or empathetic approaches.  There is little to no guidance for new or struggling educators and simple and correctable mistakes are dealt with harshly.  There are no "teaching moments" at this school when it comes to faculty. The methods used by leadership are deplorable and the ethics are dubious at best.  What was a fine institution quickly declined under the new leadership.  Termination happens without warning.  It is an extremely unhealthy organization and it has begun to effect not only the quality of the education provided but also the health and well-being of the students.

It is a sinking ship.  Do not come aboard.

This is a wonderful place to work where I can connect with my students and colleagues in a way public school doesn’t offer. The changes that have taken place in the last two years have been fantastic on campus, but especially with staff/faculty. Toxic people and work environments are no longer permitted and people who actually show up and do their job are being recognized. It’s such a joy to see the place I already love getting BETTER! The caliber of students has increased with the new head of admissions and the signature programs are leading in the nation. The facts are all there!  Top programs, top facilities, top teachers, top leaders.  There is flexibility and creativity for me to do what I wanted to do when I started teaching: TO TEACH.

Typical Day at work: The classes are tiny (8 students per class) and not that bad at all. I love teaching at Grier. The curriculum is at the teacher’s discretion, no worry about teaching to common core or sticking to stuff that will be on standardized tests. There is a lot of freedom in teaching.

What I've Learned: The admin is toxic. Lots of backstabbing and tattle-tale atmosphere. Very uncomfortable. Bad work/life balance. You are expected to by "all in" no matter what. If you leave, you are labeled toxic.

Culture: Toxic and deeply, secretly unhappy.

Hardest part of job: Toxic culture, admin are equally clueless and ruthless, which is a great combination!

Most enjoyable part: co-workers and students. Nothing else. Everything else is terrible, including paltry pay and being expected to work weekends (20 weekend events total).

Workplace culture is defined by administration.

With that being said the current administration, from the deans on up to the head of school are very toxic, unprofessional and completely lack certifications and educational experiences to hold their positions. 

The beautiful campus and free dining are nice perks, however, these perks do not excuse the unprofessional treatment executed each and every day to faculty, staff and students. DEI doesn't exist. If you are a new employee, good luck trying to find a sense of belonging as behind the scenes folks (including administration) do their best to sabotage. 

As for: housing options for employees (old, run down, no privacy) - food on campus (so, so) - professional development (truly nothing of value).


Over the past few years, there has been some administrative changes. Current management has a variety of initiatives to assist girls in growing up in today's world. While making changes to things like the school day schedule and/or after school/weekend activities, the administration uses faculty and staff feedback to make decisions. 

Classrooms have a lot of autonomy, and there are many opportunities to start clubs, hold events that promote diversity and inclusion, and introduce your interests to fulfill some work requirements. 

On campus living is a great option especially in today's world where even the cost of groceries is exorbitant. 

I worked as a camp counselor for the equestrian team at the Grier Summer Camp. I was responsible for 50+ campers. I taught multiple riding lessons a day and taught the campers proper horsemanship skills. I worked with other camp counselors and coaches of the riding program. We would work together to organize lessons, projects, and horse shows for the campers. The most enjoyable part of the job was teaching the campers how to ride and properly take care of the horses. Overall, it was a great workplace and I enjoyed working with other experienced equestrian coaches and counselors.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Counselor 4 salaries reported	$42,500 per year
Teacher 1 salary reported	$120 per day
Substitute teacher 3 salaries reported	$120 per day
Resident advisor 1 salary reported	$24,750 per year
High school teacher 6 salaries reported	$34,333 per year

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