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    DC Public Schools Reviews

    Updated December 5, 2018
    312 reviews

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    3.1
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    DC Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson
    Antwan Wilson
    32 Ratings

    Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "Largely passionate workforce both at Central and in schools; many talented, smart employees; good pay; flexible schedule (dependent upon position)" (in 15 reviews)

    • "Professional development opportunities were unparalleled" (in 13 reviews)

    Cons

    • "Central office is to bloated and many of the decision makers spent very little time in the classroom" (in 20 reviews)

    • "bureaucracy, long hours, can be hard to have a work life balance" (in 10 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. "I love DCPS!"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee

      I worked at DC Public Schools full-time

      Pros

      Great, smart, talented, teachers and students.

      Cons

      Too many goals, so vision is unclear.

    2. "Teacher"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at DC Public Schools full-time

      Pros

      Salary, renovated schools, rewarding student relationships

      Cons

      Stressful Environment, testing culture, rewards few

      3. Join the DC Public Schools team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Teacher"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee

      I worked at DC Public Schools full-time

      Pros

      Love the students, enjoyed my colleagues

      Cons

      bureaucracy, long hours, can be hard to have a work life balance

    4. "Data Entry Clerk"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at DC Public Schools full-time

      Pros

      They have decent pay for employees.

      Cons

      There is little room for advancement

    5. "Special Education teacher"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Washington, DC
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee in Washington, DC
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at DC Public Schools full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Working with the other teachers.

      Cons

      The principals are only interested in their numbers.

      Advice to Management

      Learn how to manage adults.

    6. "Teacher"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Neutral Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at DC Public Schools full-time

      Pros

      Salary, hard-working colleges, bright students

      Cons

      Lack of support, lack of resources, no support for non-tested subjects

      Advice to Management

      Consider hiring more instructional staff in high school. I teach classes of over 30 students and 15 IEP's without any co-teacher or support.

    7. Helpful (1)

      "Administrator"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at DC Public Schools full-time (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      Great money and benefits

      Cons

      Little to no support from Central Office. Major curricular changes on a yearly basis for MANY consecutive years. LEAP observations of teachers new in 2016, New teacher evaluation system in 2017, teachers rated by students for 10% of their evaluations new in 2017, teacher planning periods lost to collaborative planning (LEAP mandate) in 2017. Most of these significant changes were not agreed upon by CO and the union producing stress by principals forced to support the above and teachers who had a union that told them they were not required to do collaborative planning etc. This caused varying amounts of conflict and tension at the building levels thus large turnover. Some schools lost 22 staff midyear according to the papers. Major promotions of people not qualified and/or ready to lead in my opinion. This has happened since Kaya Henderson left. Turnover of teachers and principals is larger than other metropolitan school districts due to stress I believe.

      Advice to Management

      CO needs to stop changing curricular mandates on a yearly basis. Ensure the central office departments talk to one another so all new changes are not thrown on buildings at the same time. Make promotions due to knowledge not "who you know" as Central Office promotes "friends" from the building level, haphazardly. The stress is incredible and needs to be managed by the CO. The culture is toxic beginning at the top. I observed yelling by senior central office personnel toward colleagues. I watched a superintendent yell at a parent. There are many "policies" and very little fidelity to those policies. (attendance, residency, building usages, graduation requirements etc.) Turnover makes capacity building difficult and institutional knowledge scant. Professionalism is lacking.

    8. Helpful (1)

      "Love my school, not the school system."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Physics Teacher in Washington, DC
      Current Employee - Physics Teacher in Washington, DC
      Doesn't Recommend
      Positive Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at DC Public Schools full-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      Well paid, good access to computers

      Cons

      Bad evaluation system, little teacher support so therefor little student support in the majority of DC schools.

    9. Helpful (1)

      "Teacher"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend

      I worked at DC Public Schools full-time

      Pros

      Great benefits and decent salary

      Cons

      Stressful and draining, unrealistic expectations (scores do not measure the overload of work we do), no assistance in the classroom. Even attempting to transfer out of the classroom into an administrative is challenging (that politics issue, more about who you know then merit).

      Advice to Management

      The attendance and disciplinary policies need to change. Please make students accountable for their success, not the teachers. Also make more laws to protect the teacher's safety.

    10. Helpful (1)

      "Substitute Teacher"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Educator in Washington, DC
      Former Employee - Educator in Washington, DC
      Doesn't Recommend
      Positive Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I worked at DC Public Schools part-time (More than 3 years)

      Pros

      The kids and the schools are desperate for substitute teachers.

      Cons

      The academic climate is deplorable. Frequently substitutes are placed in unsafe circumstances. Frequently I was in fear of assault and even injury.

      Advice to Management

      Don't ignore teacher's outcry for discipline and honesty. These kids need to understand that learning is not obtained without effort. Even when the schools are beautiful like Ballou High School, unless, the students actually study, then they cannot expect to receive the benefits of school attendance.