Work wellbeing score is 63 out of 100
3.0 out of 5 stars.
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IDEA Public Schools Employee Reviews

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Location
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2.5Work-Life Balance
3.3Pay & Benefits
2.9Job Security & Advancement
2.6Management
2.8Culture

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Found 402 reviews matching the searchSee all 405 reviews
teacherstudentschooladminbalancecampuskidprincipal

No work life balance, ADMIN likes to micro manage, no joy its all about data.

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Idea is not what it used to be. If you are not willing to give up everything and work weekends without ever feeling appreciated then do not apply here. There is a lot of pressure on lower grade teachers because students are so behind after the pandemic. ADMIN expects you to make miracles happen and will retaliate if you don't make that data look good. Teachers have lost their spouses, neglected their own kids and let go of their own health because of the demand this job has on your mental/physical health. I do not recommend .

Pros

Coworkers (teachers) become family, pay.

Cons

Admin likes to micromanage, no coaching, they will retaliate if you do not do what they want you to do.
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Transparency

Admin will tell you one thing….however what she/he tells API’s is what she/he really wants. Teachers are let out of the loop. Very condescending to some teachers they do not feel they can trust.

Pros

Grade teams

Cons

Favoritism’s
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Charter school

Working for IDEA is like being in a toxic marriage but you stay in it for the kids. Students are in school from 7:30am-3:30pm in classrooms of 36 students. 6-7 hours of their day is instruction, 30 minutes for lunch, 10-15 minutes of recess and 40 minutes of unorganized and unstructured P.E. Students are not given any other opportunity for enrichment during the school day. With instruction being so heavy, students still preform below grade level. Data is fudged by teachers and leaders to receive “performance bonuses”. Yet, IDEA claims to have a mission for “College for All”. Well that’s impossible to do with one teacher teaching 36 students+ a day. The work day for teachers is 9 hours with a 30 minute lunch break and 40 minute prep period. However, your prep time is not used for lesson planning, prepping or grading because it’s used for IEP meetings, coaching meetings, grade level meetings, lesson rehearsals etc. There are no substitutes so when a team member is out, no matter the grade level, you can be pulled from your classroom to cover a class you may not know the students in!

Pros

Free lunch and breakfast for students.

Cons

Lack of enrichment, development of teachers, high demands but not enough time to complete tasks during contract hours
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Productive and fun workplace with good friends and family.

Working for idea was the best thing ever knowing new people working in the cafeteria feeding the kids first priority. Enjoying the rest of my time with everyone and family.

Pros

Loved their free lunches

Cons

Health care
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Mentally Exhausting and Demeaning

My interview was with the principal and the counselor, both of whom were rather condescending and literally glanced at each other and rolled their eyes after a few of my responses. Then, I did receive a job offer about a week later IF I completed an online presentation. A week after that, I did receive an offer, BUT there was a hiring freeze for an indefinite period of time. (NOT a good sign.) So I began looking for another job, thinking I would never actually be able to start. I did eventually start my position as a Testing Coordinator a few weeks later. It was not a welcoming environment with the exception of the front office staff. They were always willing to answer questions. I had a small office located inside a classroom. It was often noisy. When I first walked in, it was a cluttered, disorganized MESS. It took me 3 days to clean it out and straighten it up. There was very little training and no support if I had questions, only responses like, "It's NOT that difficult. Just keep practicing." I was told my position would "share" responsibilities with the College Prep Counselor. Unfortunately, they were not clear about our specific job duties. After only 2-3 weeks, I ended up having to do the majority of the work. There was a tremendous workload, TONS of tests given throughout the year, and no support. I had to contact the Testing Director often, and her job was to assist ALL campuses, not just mine. Even though I needed additional time to plan and prep, and I was more than willing to come in early or stay late, I was told I could NOT work past 40 hours per week because - 

Pros

Support Staff Is Awesome

Cons

Administrators/HR/Payroll Was Unresponsive, Very Little Support and Training
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IDEA Public Schools insights

Based on 348 survey responses
What people like
  • Ability to learn new things
  • Supportive environment
  • Clear sense of purpose
Areas for improvement
  • General feeling of work happiness
  • Overall satisfaction
  • Trust in colleagues

10 hour days, extreme behavioral issues with students

The pay is good, but please hear me when I say it's not worth it. The amount of oversight is exhausting. The detail they expect in lessons is insane. They are constantly doing observations and grading you as a teacher. The students fight constantly and are very disrespectful to teachers, also lazy and the parents are just as bad. A lot of meetings and long hours.

Pros

Pay

Cons

Over worked. Awful students. Busy work and meetings non stop.
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Hard to move up

Not horrible. Pay compared to other schools are better, but strong culture is lacking. Wish there was more of a disciplinary structure. No behavior management.
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Not Worth the Stress

No work/life balance even though admin says they care about it. Met great people who truly care about kids and work to the bone for them. Great coworkers and pay are the only things that kept me here year after year but the burnout, long hours, disrespectful kids, and unprofessional managers have finally forced me to transition out. What they really care most about are numbers and recognitions-teachers take the blunt end of all that comes with stressed leadership and trying to meet impossible goals.

Pros

Pay, bonuses, advancement

Cons

Overworked, managers
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Most dysfunctional department I've ever worked was at Idea Public Schools

The work environment at Idea is the epitome of working harder, not smarter. Processes and procedures are all over the place without clear direction. Management provides very minimal support and they somehow make things work, but in the most difficult manner possible. The manager in the procurement department was grandfathered into that position must take classes in human relations as her internal feelings get hurt when provided with constructive criticism. From top to bottom, this organization does not allow new ideas (which is an oxymoron based on thier name) and should only be used as temporary work or as a stepping stone before finding a better opportunity.

Pros

Work life balance

Cons

Inexperienced management. Horrible wirh employees support.
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Terrible experience

Teachers are spread thin.Long wors hours 7 am-4:30 pm with students + planning and meetings.No admin support unless you're a STAAR-tested subject.The entire school campus lacks communication, it makes a lot of important details fall through the cracks.All teachers/admin are on different pages when enforcing school rules and procedures. Workplace culture is very unhealthy. No consequences for students (good or bad) and lots of things get promised and not followed through.

Pros

Pay and benefits, opportunity for growth

Cons

No admin support, lack of communication, favoritism
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Only Speaking for HQ & Ops

In regard to HQ & Ops, it is rare to get a healthier work environment than IDEA. There is a focus on proper leadership and staff are encourage to lead in their roles.

Pros

Flexibility, Ownership, Professionalism

Cons

Lack of ping pong tables
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Deteriorating Situation

I enjoyed my campus overall last year. Bit of a workaholic culture but admin loved the kids and knew how to do their jobs. Thats all changed now, our admin is the most astonishingly incompetent group of people I have ever worked with. They all blame each other for their dysfunction and have totally failed to create any sort of school wide behavior consequence system. They yell at the kids but don't give consequences, don't know a lot of their names etc. Finances looking grim, many leaders ousted for misuse of funds. 5% cut coming into next year.

Pros

Pay is good, students want to work

Cons

Finances are bad and getting worse, toxic admin
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Not a Real School

Kids are pushed through the system here just to make a profit. Most kids are way below grade level and aren’t given any resources to help them achieve success. Teachers are micromanaged and are lead by incompetent administration. You are overworked and underpaid. Shame on you IDEA.

Pros

Nond

Cons

Everything
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Idea Montopolis

Teaching staff is extremely rude to support staff/paraprofessionals. Been in the education field for about 5 years and never had experienced such a toxic work environment. It’s all about being better than eachother/super competitive staff will throw you under the bus. Don’t recommend. I had a superior call me after school hours and cus me out once and knew it was time to go. My first day a coworker that I had just met told me that students probably wouldn’t respect me at all.

Pros

Free lunch

Cons

Toxic work environment
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You are more than a Teacher..

Working for Idea Public Schools has been the most stressful job ever. You are not just a teacher you hold 10-12 other jobs all while trying to teach and meet goals. You are an attendance clerk, a fundraiser chairperson, a enrollment clerk, recruiter and the list goes on. You won't leave work sometimes until 7pm because you are either catching up on the list of things you are asked to do. Please do expect to be working on weekend to either attend meetings or do recruitment. Your PD will most likely be recruitment as well. The students are overworked and this leads to behavior issues. Idea will accept any kind of behavior student this leads to lots of chaos. HQ will come up with crazy demands for classrooms but will not fund the cost. HQ will come to campus frequently and sit in your class and watch you teach ( please don't mess up anything while teaching or you will be stopped right in the middle and told to fix and reteach). You are belittled by principals and HQ. Nobody who works there lasts more than 3 years. If you enjoy being stressed go ahead and apply.

Pros

Holiday Breaks

Cons

No Work Life Balance
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No structure. All smoke and mirrors.

Administration could care less about its teachers and the culture the school has. The school is ran like it is a corporation. Kids are extremely disrespectful to teachers and admin doesn't back teachers. You are overworked and micromanaged. This is not a real school. If you care about equity and education, look elsewhere.

Cons

no work life balance, lack of organization
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Don't do it!!

Lack of professionalism and leadership. IDEA Ingram Hills School ruined by incompetent and unqualified Administration. They don't care about the students and staff.

Pros

None

Cons

Overworked, disorganization and unprofessional.
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Progress within the community

Great teamwork, organized management, and a diversified workplace with equality. Utilizing technology to further education and assist teachers; classrooms are more productive. Scheduling and Budgeting Updates are agreed upon at Executive Management meetings.

Pros

Great Cafeteria

Cons

Need Benefits Package Review
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Are you up for a challenge?

Depending on your role within the organization, IDEA will make or break you. Unfortunately, for most campus staff they may experience this. I worked on the Talent Acquisition team. There was not a given moment when I did not have a project to work on. I completed my own daily tasks and often performed projects on behalf of my manager and director. I was given ample opportunities to showcase my skills in excel or in person on campus. However, in the end my skills were not appreciated.
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Disrespectful and extremely violent.

To start with students are extremely disrespectful to almost all staff and students. There have been back to back incidences. Luckily the staff are very respectful to each other it is mainly the students that make it disrespectful and extremely violent.

Pros

education

Cons

too name
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IPS(Cincinnati)

Run! There is no sense of belonging, and they will try to make it appear as if they care about the students and their well being-They do not. They care about butts in the seats and they could care less about your well being. Teachers are quitting left and right, including me. Save yourself from the stress and the micromanagement and leave now. Not worth it.

Pros

Literally none

Cons

Too many to name
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Overall rating

Based on 405 reviews

Ratings by category

2.5 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance
3.3 out of 5 stars for Compensation/Benefits
2.9 out of 5 stars for Job Security/Advancement
2.6 out of 5 stars for Management
2.8 out of 5 stars for Culture

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