New York City Department of Education Reviews

Pros

Pays a lot, lots of health and retirement benefits.

Cons

Kids can be a handful.

Pros

Travel, students, work life balance & benefits

Cons

A lot to work if you don’t love working with youth

Pros

As a HS teacher you get to have an immediate impact on those most needing of help.

Cons

The bureaucracy and paperwork is too much!

Pros

It is fair to its workers

Cons

I do not have any cons

Pros

As a teacher working in a school, I can confidently say that this is one of the best workplaces I've ever been a part of. It's a place where we work hard but also have fun while doing so. The school administration understands the importance of creating a positive work environment, and they go out of their way to make sure that everyone feels appreciated and supported. One thing that makes this school a fun workplace is the strong sense of community among the staff. We work together as a team, and everyone is always willing to help out when needed. We regularly organize team-building activities and social events that help us bond as a team and build relationships with one another.

Cons

The pay isn't the greatest.

Pros

It was great to be part of the learning environment which was designed for our elementary school students.

Cons

After 32 years I decided I was ready for a change.

Pros

Providing appropriate education to all students.

Cons

More budget for D75 students.

Pros

The teaching culture in New York City Public Schools is positive and supportive overall. The city faces all the usual issues of urban education, but compared to other urban teaching experiences I have had since leaving the district, NYC Dept of Education compares well

Cons

Bureaucracy, need for independent motivation in such a large institution.

Pros

The ability to make a difference is always something that people cite as a reason to teach, and that's true. Compared to many other places in the country, NYC teacher pay is higher. Yes, the city is an expensive place to live, but the teacher pay scale is uniform across the city, so while you probably won't afford to live in a super trendy or expensive neighborhood, you can probably find a good balance. The UFT makes a materially positive difference in terms of compensation and job protections.

Cons

Teaching is rewarding but doing it well can be very tiring. Work-life balance can be elusive. Your specific experience as a teacher depends quite a bit on the administration of your particular school.

Pros

The best thing about working for the DOE is the students, hands down. They are incredible and deserve so much more than what the system offers them. The DOE offers good benefits if you have a family and the hours are much better than charter schools. Get a masters plus 30 as quickly as possible.

Cons

The cons is that admin can make or break your teaching career and a bad admin team can ruin a great school. They can write observations that are completely false without any repercussions and if they don’t like you can ruin your career. You also have zero autonomy as a teacher. They tell you what curriculum to use and how they want your lessons to be taught; if not you receive a bad observation and rating. Also, if you’re a teacher of color working with a less diverse teacher population be prepared to deal with micro aggressions that are never addressed or dealt with by admin or OPI.