Good starter job - Team Leader Blue Engine Employee Review

-Leadership is open to improvement -Ambitious Growth Strategy -Flexible work location -Emphasis on professional development -Diverse Team

-Start Up Environment -At times unorganized

- Highly dedicated to its mission of improving student achievement through a more personalized education experience for New York City students - Facilitates very positive team environments that hone team work skills and build a culture of community - Strive to be a diverse and inclusive company, with "multi-cultural worldview" sessions frequently occurring throughout training and whole organization meetings during the school year - Offer highly subsidized Master's Program for 2nd year Beta's (Team Coordinators) interested in pursuing a career in education

- Still trying to figure out how to incorporate "big data", causing a lot of data input work for Beta's (Blue Engine Teaching Assistants) and TC's (Team Coordinators) without seeming to create much impact in the classrooms - Not all teams were given strong support in dealing with teacher power imbalances and exploitation of Beta's - Schools will sometimes use Blue Engine's services in lieu of a good Special Education program, putting far too much weight onto brand new educators without specific SpEd training - Goes without saying, but the pay is barely livable in New York City. Have to rely heavily on EBT, live in relatively cheap neighborhoods (Harlem or Washington Heights for most), and be very careful about spending to avoid debt throughout the year (On the positive side, this provided a fun challenge and sense of community throughout the program given everyone's shared circumstances)