Toxic environment overshadowing great journalism and benefits
Pros
Good location in the heart of Bethesda, near Metro. Great and honest journalism especially during these difficult political times. No other news organization does a much better job covering K-12 like EW.
Cons
The work environment has become extremely toxic over the past year or so, mainly because the K-12 education market has taken a major financial hit due to federal and state budget cuts, and policies made by the Trump administration. Because of the tough financial crisis the K-12 education market is in, there have been minor cutbacks in certain services, but the benefits package is still good. And you are allowed to work at home certain days of the week. This used to be a fun and friendly place to work, but now you have to watch your back, and be careful what you say, or your comments will be misinterpreted or taken out of context. You will have little chance to defend yourself or receive a fair two-sided investigation. The woke patrol is constantly on the prowl. If you have been with the organization for a long time and are earning a high compensation package, you may be on the short list to get axed and not receive a severance package in their effort to “save” money. Sometimes this is done discreetly, in guise of "retirement" or a "new job" in the effort for employees to save face, and other times it is not. It’s becoming dog eat dog. The remote work policy is never firm, so if you move and still want to work for the organization outside the D.C. area, some people receive approval and others do not, which could smack at favoritism. Morale is very low. There is an air of desperation. As the K-12 education market continues to do a reset, I’m sure more changes will be coming.
