direct support professional

special education teacher

classroom aide

behavior technician

teaching assistant

The Summit Center

I have been with Summit Center for almost 5 years now and I see a lot of things that aren't so good happening on a daily basis. 

They put anyone wiling into teacher positions, people who are underqualified  are leading classrooms.  A high school diploma is all you need lol. It's quite extraordinary. 

 Most of the real teachers who get hired are not special ed certified and they don't last very long.  Having unqualified folks in charge of classrooms has caused a bunch of people to leave.  I have seen more staff come and go than I have anywhere else in the world.  The turnover rate is record breaking.  When I started there a lot of employees bragged about longevity.  Guess what?  They're all gone now outside of a few who are too close to retirement to start over somewhere else.

The OT, Speech and PT department is spread thin and many students who are in desperate need don't receive services at all.  The students are all lumped together, violent students included and most fall through the cracks, never reaching their potential.  Kids spend more than half of their day unengaged and sitting alone at their desk waiting on staff to tell them what to do next.  There isn't much enrichment, they have very limited toys and games to keep them occupied.  I feel sorry for these kids because most staff don't believe in their abilities and find it useless to teach them skills beyond self care and communication.  

There are endless issues when it comes to the students and how they're managed and their days are structured with minimal "learning".  These children want to learn and they need much more than they'll ever get at Summit.  It's more of a day care than a school.  Too bad most of them can't tell their parents what really goes on every day.

Administration is also a mess.  I was warned when I started there.  My team members told me the politics stink and that above all will drive me up the wall.  There is a lot of truth to that.  The bigwigs love to claim that fairness is what they strive for but are anything but fair when even the most minor problems arise.  If they want to reprimand you for something and you aren't part of their crowd, you will have the book thrown at you and made to feel incompetent and very small.  Mistakes happen, especially in the chaotic environment employees are forced to manage.  

Those of us who do our best become frustrated and overstimulated to the point we can't think straight.  God forbid you commit a minor "offense" where no one is in danger, even complaining to administrators about other employees or any concerns for that matter can get you blacklisted.  They don't care how great and loved you are with your team and the kids or what you bring to the table, you better not deviate from their norms.  You'll lose your raise, bonus, hope, and ultimately your position.  They don't care about us as human beings.  We're just drones, warm bodies, glorified babysitters.  Easily replaceable, no matter how good you may be.  They don't care if you have talent or not.  

I have seen some of the greatest people get canned for minor things.  When you're low on PTO you get a warning, doctors note or not.  When you run out of PTO, you cannot call in.  They don't care if your dog died, car blew up, plumbing burst, if you are awful sick.  Whether you have proof or not does not matter, you're out the door.  I hope this place becomes unionized soon, we're trying for that.  Summit is scared of that idea.  I wonder why?!/s.  

Unless you're desperate for a job, I don't recommend it.  They pay squat compared to what the job entails.  It will beat the life out of you in more ways than one.  Morale is at an all time low.  The kids are the only reason it's worth it.  



Appalled at the lack of certified teachers in the agency and lack of safety across the board. Chaos has ensued as the agency has expanded and resources are going to buy more buildings, rather than to support staffing in the schools and address legitimate issues that seriously undermine Summit's "mission".  

It's getting very hard to not give up on this place. Nearly everyday, you will talk to someone who is either trying to leave or wants to quit but they are in a position to do so. Staff turnover is very high, and many of the staff that are still there are not the right line of work at all. 

People get seriously hurt every single day, yet management will not do anything about addressing the situations that lead to staff injuries. Working with particular behavior staff to resolve issues gets nowhere, and you will be told that "it's a training issue" and be blamed for the disorganization and unsafe student assignment and ratios if you express concerns and try to seek support.

 It is really sad that the kids there are missing out on their learning because of the mismanagement of the school, and that staff that are trying their best to make the most out of their time working there cannot do so. There are people in teaching and behavior consultant roles that are NOT qualified to have their jobs and it shows big time, meanwhile students are not getting the education and services they need and staff who do their jobs well are taken advantage of. 

Human Resources is the worst department to deal with, no matter if you are just trying to email for a small question or trying to file paperwork for a specific matter. They are the worst, plain and simple. Impossible to get a hold of and mess up PTO and time off requests all the time, taking months and months to get simple things resolved. 

Genuinely concerned about the future of this place. It doesn't make sense how working in one classroom can be an okay experience in a safe and somewhat productive environment, while being in another can put your physical health at serious risk, and no one even in management truly seems to care about you or your safety. 

Pros
The mission genuinely matters. The work directly supports students, families, and staff in ways that feel meaningful.
Leadership cares about doing the right thing, even when decisions are hard or constrained.
There’s room to build, improve, and modernize, your ideas can shape the future if you’re willing to do the work.
Trust is earned and given over time. Once you have it, you’re empowered to solve problems rather than just follow scripts.

Cons
Legacy processes and systems create friction; progress often requires untangling years of “this is how we’ve always done it.”
Resource constraints (time, staffing, budget) mean prioritization is constant and trade-offs are unavoidable.
Success often depends on a few key individuals, which can create pressure and burnout if boundaries aren’t managed.
Change takes patience; momentum can feel slow even when everyone agrees on the goal.

Advice to Leadership
Continue investing in systems, documentation, and redundancy so success isn’t person-dependent.
Protect and retain institutional knowledge before it becomes fragile.
Recognize that modernization isn’t what's new or flashy in terms of technology, it’s process, staffing, and long-term planning.

Advice to Future Employees
If you want a simple, plug-and-play environment, this may be frustrating.
If you like solving real problems, building structure, and leaving things better than you found them, this is deeply rewarding.
Be prepared to balance ideal solutions with real-world constraints.

Overall
Summit is a place where the work matters and people care. It rewards those who think long-term, communicate well, and are motivated by impact rather than flash. It can be demanding, but the purpose behind the work makes it worth it.

A typical day for Teachers aides AND Teacher assistants consists of getting there 8-8:30am to prep the room for the day, kids start arriving 8:40am, from that point you have to be highly aware and alert to your surroundings and the children you are working with. The students get your typical extra curricular activities like gym, music/art, and library; as well as one on one learning(aba therapy) and OT, PT, Speech Therapy if applicable. You are in charge of the 1-1. The training you receive prior to working with students is nothing short of amazing. They give you a whole new perspective of autism, as well as the tools you need to teach them and how to protect them and yourself.
Human Resources(management) was the only part of the job I didn't fully see eye to eye with. For a school teaching solely children on the spectrum I personally thought they would be far more understanding toward me as the parent to a student being served. I do see things from their perspective as well although. The families served rely on the staff to be there each day to support their children and when you call in it creates unsafe situations for both staff and students. The hardest part of the job for me was seeing the students when they were in severe distress and would lose all control of theirselves. But that means the best part of the job is the rewarding feeling unlike anything else, when the students have breakthrough and learn things that they struggled with once before. The pure joy and pride you see in that individual is something you can’t get anywhere else. 


***Most of the classroom teachers are uncertified. Classroom teachers often don't even have a degree or a degree in a related field to education. Student/Teacher ratios are often not followed according to their individualized education programs and students are not receiving related services as specified in their IEPs. This makes the job of a teacher all the more difficult.

There is nothing I had found more rewarding than working with the population Summit serves. I felt competent in my job and felt like I learned something new every day....from the students. 

The management is bad. Really bad. Unresponsive, secretive, and seemingly not grateful for all the hard (and unpaid) work put into the job. 

I miss my job at Summit. It truly pains me to write such a patently negative review. It was a WONDERFUL place to work during previous management. I tried so hard to stay despite the management. The pay wasn't good but it was enough. The work/life balance wasn't fair, but I loved what I did so I was alright with it. I stayed there because the kids needed competent teachers and I felt like I was doing good work for them. The management broke me and a lot of good people  and it is an unthinkable injustice for kids with developmental disabilities.



 I am deeply disappointed and saddened by my experience at this organization. My initial enthusiasm quickly diminished due to a lack of attention to safety and well-being from the majority of the staff.

I am concerned about the current state of this establishment and question its ability to continue operating in this manner. It appears more like a daycare setting with staff prioritizing gossip over the care of children and colleagues.

The lack of proper teaching credentials among some staff members is troubling. Children deserve educators who are both qualified and passionate, rather than individuals solely motivated by financial compensation.

The toxic work environment created by gossip and exclusion is disheartening. Feeling ignored when seeking assistance, particularly when managing challenging behaviors, is a breach of professionalism.

While the pay may be minimal considering the demands of the job, the health insurance benefits are noteworthy. Despite the challenges, the hours, insurance quality, and paid breaks offer some positive aspects.

Regrettably, I cannot recommend this organization to others. Children and employees alike deserve better conditions. I empathize with those still working there and hope for a more supportive and positive work environment for all.

Pros:
The people I worked with directly were incredibly kind and helpful. The culture among team members was supportive and collaborative, which gave a false sense of security.
Cons:
There was a significant lack of proper training and guidance. I was given a complex workload with minimal onboarding, which created unnecessary stress and difficulty.
A clear disparity in training was evident, as a colleague in a simpler role was given a full month of training while I was left to handle a heavy workload with little support.
The company's actions upon my departure were disappointing and unprofessional. My position was posted online just hours after I left. This suggests a lack of foresight and respect for employees.
Advice to Management:
Invest in comprehensive, standardized training for all roles, especially those that are client-facing or involve complex administrative tasks.
Ensure there is consistent guidance and support for employees, rather than expecting them to navigate a steep learning curve without assistance.
Treat departing employees with the same level of respect and professionalism that you would expect from them, as it impacts morale and the company's reputation.

If you’ve just been fired from a job and need something temporary, I’d recommend working here for the short term only. I would not suggest staying long term. The work environment is extremely unprofessional — you often go home either in tears or spending an hour trying to process what just happened. You are frequently placed in unsafe situations, and both management and staff are immature and gossip constantly. People only seem to last here because they are well-liked socially within the workplace. The students suffer due to chronic short staffing, spending most of their time on iPads or playing with toys instead of engaging in meaningful learning. It’s disheartening to watch. I’ve seen some of the most bright, passionate, and caring staff members become bitter and burned out after only a few months here. Overall, this is not a healthy or sustainable work environment.

Very toxic environment.

The students are great. Management is horrendous. They gaslight their employees constantly. 
Nearly every time I communicated a concern about the company to my manager, I was told some variation of “this is a really hard job” usually directly or indirectly referring to the students. The students are not a problem! I was there to support their growth and did so happily!
Management takes little to no accountability for their role in their employees’ decreasing morale. 
I developed a significant distrust in my manager which led me to resign. I knew I could not trust that they had my growth as an employee in mind. My manager-in my experience- was very inconsistent in their treatment towards me and in what I observed, towards many others. 
I knew that without the ability to trust my manager, I could not stay.









I worked with many hard working staff members. I do miss my former students quite a bit, but there is a very difficult work/life balance at Summit. There is also quite a bit of micromanagement at Summit. Truthfully it is a very good school for children with autism and other disabilities to learn, but it is a lot of hard work for educators. Summit has a very helpful training/orientation for new staff. They will explain exactly how you should work with your students. I did learn a lot at Summit that I brought to my current position. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Direct support professional 65 salaries reported	$21.71 per hour
Special education teacher 46 salaries reported	$62,545 per year
Classroom aide 36 salaries reported	$19.91 per hour
Behavior technician 32 salaries reported	$23.46 per hour
Teaching assistant 43 salaries reported	$22.25 per hour

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