Pros
Helpful professional development for new teachers and an incredible support system from teacher coaches. You will become a top-notch teacher for the Common Core. The mission is easy to invest in, and it is working - you are genuinely making a difference in these students' lives. The school-wide management system makes classroom misbehaviors minimal (as long as you are consistent) so that you can truly focus on instruction. Even though it is a "high-need" school, you will always feel safe and supported.
Cons
It is impossible - truly - to work less than 60 hours a week and only 5 days a week. First year, most teachers were working on average 80, especially since most are in teacher certification programs. Teachers are paid higher salaries than typical MNPS teachers, however it does not come near to the extra amount of hours you must put in. Just be honest if you cannot make a deadline and your coach will be willing to work with you, but beware there are many deadlines. Some days at the school are inevitably 11-12 hours at least: Arrive at 6:30am, meet as a team at 7am, teach until 3:20pm (school dismisses at 3 but it takes 20minutes for bus groups to leave your classroom), some days you do not get a lunch break because you have lunch duty (you always have a 45-55 minute plan period), then teacher professional development until 5:05pm. By the time you pack up, you've already clocked in 11 very long hours and haven't even begun grading or lesson planning for the next day. I have yet to meet a staff member's "significant other" who has spoken positively of the impact it has on his/her partner's work/life balance, I'll put it that way.
