Fusion Academy Reviews

Cons

We are finally being heard about compensation and our salaries/benefits have increased.

Cons

That being said, there are a couple downsides. Teachers are paid by the hour rather than salaried, which can cause problems making rent in the summertime. Furthermore, teacher compensation is too low, especially if you're in a high cost of living area like SF or NYC. Schedules can be grueling - teaching from 8:30 am straight to 6:30 pm isn't uncommon. There's also an excessive amount of paperwork, which is made even more difficult to do due to superannuated tech.

Cons

Teaching a class almost every second of the time spent at Fusion. Planning time is required on "non-teaching" hours. In order to make a decent income, need to teach at least 6-7 hours per day. Homework Cafe can be a bit out of control at times.

Cons

Redundant paperwork. Leadership/admin are about the business. Despite that, teacher pay is low and hours fluctuate too much. Last no way to address issues of incompetent/bully admin.

Cons

Terrible hours, unsupportive administration, corporate culture is all about maximizing profits and not about helping the families. It was the most soul crushing work experience of my life.

Cons

Low pay, tendency to micromanagement

Cons

The whole model is absurd. Do not send your kids here, do not work here. The head of school where I worked had absolutely no experience in education and was obsessed with money. But hey it's a for profit school. Which means only rich people are going to get an education here. It's at least $40,000 a year to send your kid here and they pay full time teachers almost nothing for the amount of work they do. Read the fast company article. People are trying to unionize which is great, but really this place should be shut down. Disgusting to charge that much for an education and offer no financial aid. They do give 3(!!) Scholarships in total across the 40 something schools and display the 3 kids across social media like they are some great philanthropists. If they cared about the kids at all they would not do that to them.

They also fired the only WOC they ever hired at my campus because she was 'loud' hmmm....

The kids get 2 to 3 hours of class a day and spend the rest of the day looking at their phones on the couch or laying on a bean bag... Absolutely no structure.

Also the model only makes sense for a small percentage of the population (kids w autism, specific learning disabilities) but most of them would probably benefit from a small classroom environment.

I really don't understand why people send their kids to this school. I taught there full time for 4 years. I enjoyed my time at the beginning as a 23 year old getting into alternative education, but I have never been down with the cost , and it's getting out of control with the expansion. Investors interested in getting schools in every city so they are putting pay raises and benefits increases on hold. And full time means an hourly rate and pretty good benefits but no guarantee of hours and almost no hours over the summer. The encourage you to go on unemployment over the summer. Let that sink in.

At the end of my time there we were getting emails from people working in other states saying why they are quitting and explaining why the model is racist. Place is a mess...

Cons

I could not get straight answers, from the interview, during training, and after I decided to leave, about:
- What teaching load would be considered full-time status (for benefit eligibility)
- Information about teacher support regarding students with special learning needs (for challenged/gifted/non-traditional students, which the school says it is ideal for)
- How many students were enrolled at the school opening, or how many would be enrolled eventually

It felt like joining a start up, not a school.

Cons

-Ridiculous expectations for hourly wage
-The paid amount of planning hours never covers the time and energy you need to invest for making a successful course
-Seemed like I was always waiting on necessary course supplies
-You're either promised full-time hours and never get them or your day is booked solid from 7:30-5:30. No way to predict
-The bookkeeping for each student is super tedious
-The retention rate for teachers is SUPER low. Students would ask me if I was coming back next year because they've had so many different teachers

If you're fresh out of college and this is your first job, go for it. However, if you're trying to support a family and value your time and want to be compensated for it, consider other options first.

Cons

-The money made is pennies. The main office is in Grand Rapids, Michigan and they feel as though teachers can get the same out of their wages in Washington DC, New York City as they can in Grand Rapids.
-It's an hourly wage and then Summer rolls around and there are barely any kids to teach! Advice from Corporate: Go on welfare until September!
-They treat kids as $$$, not as children, so you may have a student with a major disability and needs to be in an SPE program sitting in your class!