Pros
In many ways, Dominican Academy is a good place to work. Location is pleasant and safe. The kids really are nice, engaged, and easy to work with. Employees are genuinely kind and good people who want to see each other and their students succeed.
Cons
There is a strong culture of nepotism here. The hiring process for any role strongly favors "insiders" (alums, parents, former parents, friends, relatives, etc.) above finding someone who is actually qualified for a role. Most decisions at DA come from a "act first think later" approach. There's a total breakdown of communications between leadership and employees. One hand doesn't know what the other is doing alot of the time. Everything is a crisis and everything is last minute and reactionary. Alot of this comes from poor planning by leadership and understaffing. All employees are consistently asked and expected to give beyond their limits. This is not a once in a while thing--this is everyday with no break. There are high rates of burnout with low morale. DA salaries are a joke. You will make half of what you could somewhere else and be expected to be grateful for it. Administration and school leadership does not take DEI seriously and seems more concerned with going through the motions than creating a more welcoming environment for all students and employees. There are no policies to reprimand or address unsatisfactory behavior.