KIPP SoCal Public Schools Employee Reviews

KIPP SoCal is student-centered and promotes an environment of continuous learning and growth. The culture is overall positive, fun and employees are encouraged to prioritize their development.

Was this review helpful?

No student accountability

Teacher (Current Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - April 30, 2023

I love teaching, but with KIPP it’s hard because there are students that interfere with other kiddo’s learning and are not being held accountable when they do not meet expectations. I could go through all of the tiered interventions but because they know nothing will happen, besides maybe a phone call home and a restorative conversation, they don’t care and proceed to do what they want.

Was this review helpful?

KIPP SoCal Public Schools insights

Based on 40 survey responses

What people like

Inclusive work environment
Feeling of personal appreciation
Supportive environment

Areas for improvement

Time and location flexibility
Overall satisfaction
General feeling of work happiness

Terrible Management and bullying

Operations Aide (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - April 11, 2023

I almost completed my year at Kipp and I did love working here until I got a new manager. HR does not support you when you are having issues with management. The BOM and regional employees get a kick out of keeping other employees “on their toes” and picking on people. If they do not like you they will do what they can to push you out eventually and not focus on how you can grow. We’re only human but apparently to some people if you are not the person they hired they will not work well with you.

Was this review helpful?

Very stressful, no work life balance.

Teacher (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - March 11, 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Work week was over 60 hours a week, no union, and would often work 11/12 hr days. What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Work life balance. For 3+ years I would have to give up my weekends to meet bare minimum requirements.What is the work environment and culture like at the company?Lots of favoritism, staff does not get along at all. What is a typical day like for you at the company?Arrive at 6am, prep for lessons, kids arrive at 7am, teach all day until 4:15 and then host tutoring until 5:00 PM

Was this review helpful?

Great organization with some room to grow

Mental Health Program Manager (Current Employee) - Los Angeles, CA 90007 - February 27, 2023

The entire KIPP network was founded for a great purpose in being able to provide high quality education, and most recently, ensuring our students are supported in their social-emotional health, building relationships, and for college and/or life, whatever they decide to pursue. KIPP SoCal is great in advocating for their students, and working towards employee retainment. Due to the demands of a charter school and pressure it can get from the local district, the pressure is there to perform and provide the best for the students, which can impact work/life balance.

Pros

Decent benefits, vision and goals of the organization are progressive

Cons

work/life balance

Was this review helpful?

Rate your recent company

Share your experience to help others

Rewarding Workplace

Administrative Assistant (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - January 4, 2023

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a great place to work. There are obviously pros and cons however, the work you are doing is very meaningful. Some improvements could be career advancement and compensation.

Was this review helpful?

Good if you need to get your foot in

Coordinator (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - December 30, 2022

Not bad if you need to gain some experience. Compensation is generally abysmal, which isn't bad if you need experience I suppose.Need to believe in the organization's purpose, otherwise, you'll just feel burnt out. Good for the students, but bad for employees, they're gonna squeeze everything they can out of you.It's ok I guess.

Was this review helpful?

Great place. No work life balance

Instructional Assistant (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - November 27, 2022

Loved this place. The people were amazing. Admin and staff and all wonderful people. The community is also very amazing. However, too many hours worked.

Was this review helpful?

Don't get hoodwinked

Teacher (Current Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - November 18, 2022

Kipp sounds like a great place to work but despite the promises of academic rigor, the reality does not match what is said. Admin is often clueless and unsupportive. Disruptive behaviors are not addressed nor are consequences given.

Was this review helpful?

Pay is decent if you care not about your mental health or soul

Teacher (Former Employee) - Los Angeles County, CA - September 6, 2022

The workload at this company is completely unattainable. My mental health took a sharp decline upon working here. The biggest lesson I learned here is to never work for KIPP again. Management was completely unsupportive, and demanding. The hardest part of this job was enduring the toxic environment set forth by my "school leader". I completely enjoyed working with the kids, other teachers, and the parents are nice--but admin spoke unkindly to me, and unkindly about others. I was being mentally broken down to think I was an incompetent. This further made me believe I could not get up and quit. I worked day and night and weekends over the span of several weeks. I declined offers from my friends to socialise. Even so I could not meet the demands of the admin. I would often come home and have panic attacks because of the workload. Also because of the workload, I was unable to formulate and individual thought long enough to realise I could quit this place and never look back. 10/10 would rather bag groceries.

Pros

tacos, KIPP "gear", random gifts, great students, great teachers, kind parents, good health coverage, decent pay

Cons

no work/life balance, decline in mental health, no room for creativity with lessons, rigid, work week is more like 70 hours than 40, poor treatment, toxic work enviornment, revolving door of employees

Was this review helpful?

Jobs at KIPP SoCal Public Schools

See more jobs

Student Enrollment & Recruitment Data Associate

Success, AR

17 days ago

Facilities Coordinator

Los Angeles, CA

30+ days ago

Facilities Coordinator

Los Angeles, CA

30+ days ago

School Operations Assistant (Full-Time)

Los Angeles, CA

14 days ago

School Operations Assistant (Full-Time)

Los Angeles, CA

14 days ago

Stressful workplace but the kids make it worthwhile

After School Program Coordinator (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - June 16, 2022

Stressful, very little support from management, low pay. The behavior challenges with students are not addressed until it gets very bad then all blame is placed on lower-level employees. Helping the kids succeed is the best part of the job.

Was this review helpful?

Productive workplace with some great teachers, but unclear expectations, narcissistic and inexperienced management

Teacher (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - March 27, 2022

KIPP is a decent place to work at initially as they encourage productivity and will teach you a few helpful things in their professional development meetings. You will meet some kind and talented teachers that you can learn from and grow with. However, you will quickly feel burned out by the constant meetings, low staff-student ratio, and tasks that are outside your job description. Many tasks are more focused on making the school look good than on actually ensuring that students learn. Managers frequently change the expectations and have internal disagreement about expectations, but get aggressive if you politely ask for clarity and consistency or politely share your own thoughts or experiences. They also micromanage and treat you like an idiot, regardless of your education and experience, all while pretending to be your family. The kids are wonderful and have a lot of potential, but they have almost no consequences serious misbehavior, are reprimanded for petty things, and are discouraged from thinking critically and taking responsibility for their own learning.

Pros

cute kids, some learning opportunities, encourages growth and productivity

Cons

workload is too high, poor management, emphasis on form over substance

Was this review helpful?

No work life balance.

Teacher (Current Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - February 10, 2022

KIPP simply puts the students first. That's it. They don't value their employees.THEY TEACH LEADERSHIP to MICROMANAGE. The workplace culture is blah.Pay is great in comparison to other schools.HOURS ARE LONG. 7-4:15.

Was this review helpful?

People matter

6th GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - January 14, 2022

My experience at Kipp was wonderful. The administration successfully used restorative practices to address any and all disciplinary issues, which ultimately led to a safer and more productive learning environment for students. The open door policy with Mo, the principal while I was there, was real, administration is so supportive. You go to them with any problem you’re encountering and they do everything they can to support you. This helps you pass along that compassion to students because this place is a loving environment.

Pros

Management, opportunity for growth

Cons

Barely any prep time

Was this review helpful?

Very tough environment to have a work life balance

Special Education Teacher (Current Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - January 5, 2022

The mission for KIPP in theory is great! However, the theory in practice is not beneficial to the students we serve. The schools are almost ran by the students with little to no control from the teachers and administration. My school in particular has a high turn over rate and the students are not really learning. Although I try my best to service my students, I feel like the whole school is doing a disservice to the community.

Was this review helpful?

Overall enjoyable work environment. A good place to start!

KTC Counselor (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - December 14, 2021

I have enjoyed my time. It was a great job for a new graduate. Now that I have learned my role, not too much upward mobility. However, I did feel supported by my manager.

Pros

Amazing coworkers, plus I loved my students!

Cons

Low engagement with families

Was this review helpful?

Productive and positive work environment

Teacher (Current Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - August 16, 2021

Great place to work with great leadership. Company is very positive and supportive. School means and does well for their students. Helps teachers grow and develop

Pros

Dedicated and positive work environment

Cons

Believes critical race theory should be taught in school

Was this review helpful?

They are a large school district in general

KIpp Philosophers Academy (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - May 22, 2021

They are a large school district in general...And they tend to give preferential treatment to certain schools and forget about the smaller ones… If you have been working too many years that will cost them too much and they will choose a new teacher candidate over a seasoned one.

Pros

They seem to manage a large school district well

Cons

Whoever the only focus on the larger schools and not the smaller schools.

Was this review helpful?

Work Horse

IT Associate (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - December 1, 2020

DISCLAIMER - THIS IS A REVIEW ON THE TECH TEAM POSITIONS AT KIPPWorking here was fine until the pandemic started. Demands for our team to take on unrealistic deadlines with poor planning strategy became the norm. Everyday became more depressing than the next and the only thing to get us by was friendship between the employees. A huge disconnect between management and the employees was created during this time. Our voices weren't being heard and whatever "came from the top" had to be done despite lack of resources, hours, people, rationale, and training. The most disappointing part was running into unnecessary problems because we would constantly double take things and change up procedures mid process. Pushing back on these decisions was never successful. This is insight on the duties that had to be done and accomplished by a team of about 10:Procure, provision, and deliver 6,000 devices to 20+ schools (Chromebooks and hotspots)Negotiate and Acquire Software LicensesMaintain and finish Network ProjectsTake on a newly created family member hotlineRepair hundreds of broken devicesPoor performing employees are kept on causing detriment of the team

Pros

KIPP STAR (Work Event)

Cons

Mentioned in the review

Was this review helpful?

Fixed Mindset Company

Special Education (Current Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - July 25, 2020

I do not feel this is a reflection of all of KIPP as KIPP is located and ran regionally. So many people leave KIPP SO CAL with an extremely negative connotation.

Pros

Annual Universal Studios trip and Discover Benefits

Cons

Daunting Culture

Was this review helpful?

Narcissistic organization

Prefer not to say (Former Employee) - Los Angeles, CA - April 6, 2020

Very narcissistic culture. Management is tolerant of their school leadership conduct discriminatory developmental courses. They even normalize segregation by including a People of Color lunch at their annual beginning of the year conference. Condescending leadership.

Was this review helpful?