Chicago Public Schools Employee Reviews about "make a difference"

Pros

Work with great professional teachers. Lots of opportunities for a person willing to work hard and make a difference.

Cons

Poor funding of schools will lead to a teacher spending a lot of money. District doesn't always treat teachers well. How you are treated depends greatly on your administration.

Pros

Having an understanding principal and admin team makes all the difference.

Cons

the pay could always be more

Pros

Opportunity to make a difference in your community

Cons

Uphill battle for resources in the system

Pros

Limitless opportunities, tons of professional development, and awesome community partnerships make CPS a great place to start or continue a career that makes a real difference in the lives of others. The intrinsic rewards still outweigh the stresses of this profession. Be creative and inspiring and your students will appreciate you.

Cons

Increasing instability and ever-changing policies from a constantly changing leadership can make this district more stressful to navigate than most. Over-emphasis on test prep can stifle creativity.

Pros

salary,time off, great staff, making a difference

Cons

students, parents, upper level management

Pros

You have an opportunity to make a difference in the community.

Cons

Pay: "we don't have money in the budget" applies only to some people. Lack of training: it is expected that you know a lot, but there is no planned training, nor are there resources available. Lack of vision from managers: no feedback given except for specific work items, no future plans, no career path talks or coaching. If you try to change move from one area to the other you are blocked.

Pros

Excellent benefits with the opportunity to make a difference.

Cons

Turnover and change is a constant. No consistency with initiatives. A failing system.

Pros

Summers off, the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children, transparent pay scales.

Cons

Early mornings, tons of paperwork, arcane and poorly implemented policies.

Pros

Diverse student body and opportunities to make a difference

Cons

CPS takes, takes, takes from teachers. I regularly worked 15-hour days. I coached a sport that was two seasons and my stipend divided out to .37 cents an hour between practices, games, and competitions. No appreciation for teachers, always an attitude of “why are you complaining” or “take what you can get.” I have two masters degrees—so I took their advice to “take what I can get” and got a job outside of the district where I doubled my salary an almost cut my workday in half. CPS is losing teachers who deeply care about their students because they treat them so horribly.