Sad to leave genuinely good colleagues but would not go back
Pros
I worked with some very good people who really cared about the education system and making it better for everyone. When I quit, I was sad to leave some of my old teammates. Benefits (Care First and Kaiser offered) were good and it was 100% remote with one or two all staff meetings each year in DC. DC office is metro/Amtrak/MARC accessible if you do have to go in. Work/life balance depends on your supervisors. Some are really great, others were not!
Cons
Echoing other comments on bad management and DEI. 100% true when I worked here. The last year I worked here was so toxic. Crying due to unclear expectations and poor communication from some departments was how I spent my last few months here. There were no promotions, no merit raises, and no professional development opportunities when I worked here. Junior to middle level staff have no advancement opportunities. Consultants are hired for what existing staff should be paid or promoted to do. Cost-of-living raise in 2021 was a lousy 3% during very high inflation. Several departments were eliminated or reorganised due to 2022 restructuring and many staff quit due to this. Turnover is very high because staff are overworked, especially if you work events (12 hour days). Many former chiefs end up here in upper management which is a huge conflict of interest! The overall company culture seemed friendly on the surface when I first started but there are many issues with individual team leaders.
