Pros
The building staff (teachers, admins) is super committed to better student outcomes. Most of the staff “on the ground” truly cares about kids and families— which is also why many have left.
Cons
This organization has an extremely inequitable pay structure whereas the people who have the least presence in schools and classrooms earn the highest pay and then do not care or listen to the feedback they’re receiving about what can be improved from the people who actually interact with kids and families. The military style method that the citizens school model implements is racist, there is no other way to put that. As a kid, I had a sibling go to a citizens school and I remember thinking it was odd how authoritarian the school was, but I didn’t understand at the time what that truly meant. At the same time I went to a PWI where we were treated like whole people and treated with respect. Kids should not have to attend private school to be treated like kids and not inmates. Leaving was the best decision I’ve made in years, despite the feeling of losing out on my relationships with the kids and team. This place will give you a heart attack if you’re not careful or don’t have an amazing principal (which I did) — shout out to her!
