youth development professional

instructor

program assistant

employment specialist

engagement specialist

XP Synergy

The mission is great but they lack an actual vision to see it through. Everything is last minute and it upsets the schools they work with. YDIs have to beg their teacher of record to keep contracts with XP so the YDIs can have some job security. You will be contract which means no actual benefits. 7 pto (includes vacation and sick time) for the entire year. You will not be on the schools schedule as you work corporate hours. When you're out of the classroom you will be doing administration work in the office (someone else's job). If there are no papers to file you will be be doing mediations and talking about your feelings the day before Thanksgiving because they refuse to give you PTO. They will expect you to work off the clock however you are hourly. There is no budget for classroom yet they require the rooms to be lively and full of games. You are promised mileage but don't hold your breath, they pay it whenever they feel like it. Checks are sometimes late because of holidays and be prepared to not get paid for two months when you start. One month we only got paid ONCE for a two week pay period. No retirement or 401k match when you get a full-time position. Health insurance is a joke. Several coworkers had their premiums get taken out but yet have no coverage and HR does nothing. IRS issues due to them not being organized. You can move up quick because no one wants to stay here and for good reason. The "tentured" employees are there for longer than a year. The mission is great and it's unfortunate because the only ones who is missing out is the children. Prepare for retaliation and the office pettyness. Can't go to HR for anything because your name will be used even if you ask to be anonymous. Best advice is to CYA on everything especially in the Longview branch. She is a liar and at the end of the day is good at the corporate game. Pure snake. 

A typical day at work: Being an instructor at the school is not that bad. However, most instructors don't have their own classrooms, and materials aren't provided. They often have to move from one classroom to another to teach students with various disabilities.

What I've learned: I've learned how to take different approaches to reach students with different learning styles.

Management: Management was easy because it gave us a lot of freedom on how to conduct classes, but we needed to be careful because it could backfire. The area coordinator in El Paso was careless, and if something happened and she was needed, she would avoid conflict. The company did not provide a proper curriculum for instructors to follow. They were created by unqualified personnel and the activities are simply copied from Google. Training is not offered on how to handle or instruct students with disabilities. You learn as you go. The opportunity for advancement within the company is not great. Ironically, they pay less in other positions, yet you have more responsibilities, sometimes doing the work of three people.

Workplace Culture: The workplace culture was not good, and the supervisor never seemed to care about improving it. She appeared lazy and did not make an effort to plan activities or motivate the team. Upper management had to prompt her to organize some activities to improve the office culture, but it still wasn't very effective. On the other hand, the rest of the team members were generally easy-going and supportive of each other.

The hardest part of the job: Every month, you have to write a detailed report for each one of your students, so you have to keep track of the challenges and how you overcome the obstacles with the students.

The most enjoyable part of the job is: Students if you have a passion for teaching.

I started off as a Instructor and have since gotten a promotion to a new division within the company. I have been given great feedback and am trusted to do my job effecively and with quality. 

The work itself is also extremely rewarding in every area of the company: media, arts, instruction, management, and within the prison systems. There is an overal goal that is centered around working with individuals in the specials population and helping them achieve the goals they have for themselves. 

The company is family oriented in all of the right ways. The Team Leader (Owner) knows his peoples names and treats people with respect. He has high expectations for his company and desires for everyone to succeed. I have not seen many CEO's humble themselves to throw the trash at one of their offices.

The company itself is made up of many smaller companies and divisions that all work together for common goals.

This company is also a place where the higher up you go the more work and responsibilities you take on. There are no supervisors for the sake of supervising. Everyone is expected to work hard and deliver at their jobs. This is not a job for people who enjoy twiddling their thumbs. This is very important to me as an individual because my supervisors work hard to help me and everyone else succeed. 

Pay is competitive and opportunities for raises come up periodically. I don't currently use the benefis so will refrain from discussing them. 

 



This is an exceptional workplace. The opportunity to interact with students is the most gratifying aspect of the job. While the workload can be demanding, particularly during billing deadlines, the recognition of the positive impact made in the classroom provides a sense of fulfillment. However, it is important to note that the workload can be stressful. Leadership is always available to provide assistance and support in meeting deadlines or completing tasks. However, they will not accept requests for extensions on the day of submission, which is a reasonable expectation.
Company-mandated training is required and conducted regularly. These trainings may involve HR or local leadership. While many trainings are virtual, regional trainings are mandatory and occur annually. This provides employees with valuable learning opportunities and the chance to develop new skills. The work is often rewarding and fulfilling. 


I'll keep it short and simple - Working with the students was the best part of the job and what used to be a good experience turned bad pretty quickly. You'll notice right off the bat that there is a lack of leadership that leads to an extremely high turn over rate. When concerns are brought to the attention of whoever may be in charge at the time (red flags) they are quickly dismissed leaving the employees to pivot and save face for the company EVERY TIME. The schools have been fond of the instructors who are there for the right reasons, but the issues you will face internally will ruin the entire experience. If you are a hard worker and have a passion for helping others this IS NOT the place where you and your efforts will be valued. Save yourself the time and headache.

This job will seem like a dream job at first. Then you will shortly realize all the red flags. The company is unorganized and will claim the workers as a family. I guess they must be that uncle who messes with your money and is late to pay you. Leadership is lacking and seem to laugh things off. HR doesn't have their stuff together either. Their mission is great but it seems like it's getting blurred. Instructors buy their own supplies and none of the company's revenue is invested in the students. It seems like the students are just numbers to them. It's upsetting to see how this company is. If you are looking for a career, steer away from here! They can't even handle the people and positions they have now. 
So many broken promises and unhappy employees. 
The students are great and will be the reason why you stay. 

I was excited to start working here, and working with the kids was great, but that's where it ends. There is a lack of good management, no support, and horrible communication. The company frequently does not pay you on time and they do not pay their bills so the offices get locked and the internet gets turned off a lot. No raises are given and if you ask about it you are shunned and put down for even bringing it up as if being there is a privilege. The owner talks a good game but has no follow-through or business sense. 

This was the most awful job experience I’ve ever had. Management was inept, the owner was a tyrant & was extremely unreasonable with expectations. 

I was once asked to drive 2 hours away 30 mins before I got off because the person who was supposed to do that job called out. 

I was berated by the owner when I said I had plans. He then suspended me for insubordination. I quit when I got back and only worked out my 2 weeks because I needed the comp pay as I didn’t have anything lined up. But I would have never came back otherwise. 

Just a quick note. I’ve been on my current job 4 years & I have never left a job without another lined up. It was THAT bad.   

This is a great job to start at with teaching. There are extra tasks that you may have to do daily/weekly/monthly, but there is guidance! Not like most teachers, we don't have to worry about typical school district staff members have to deal with. We get the lesson plans in advanced, worksheets that go with it. All you have to do is show up, teach, track attendance, that's it. You have to do a monthly report on each student but it's not difficult at all. 

Starting here would be a great option if your considering teaching students on the spectrum. It gives you a good idea of what you may want to do. 

This company promises things and does not deliver. I was promoted and doing a new position but was never compensated for that position. Instructors often end up paying out of their own pocket to decorate their classrooms. If asking for mileage, you have to almost fight for it. Management is unprofessional and when this is addressed, it is dismissed. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Youth development professional 12 salaries reported	$23.92 per hour
Instructor 25 salaries reported	$23.08 per hour
Program assistant 17 salaries reported	$39,824 per year
Employment specialist 4 salaries reported	$47,000 per year
Engagement specialist 11 salaries reported	$24.45 per hour

Working at XP Synergy: Company Overview and Reviews

XP Synergy

XP Synergy Ratings

Popular jobs at XP Synergy

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected