Transparency - Lead Teacher KIPP DC Employee Review

Salary: Although the salary compensation may be higher than other school systems, it is still well below what most teachers deserve. We work at minimum 50 hours per week (7:30 am - 5:30 pm M-F), but you'll find the majority of KIPP DC teachers arriving up to 30 minutes early and staying up to an hour or more after work hours. Additionally, a number of teachers are doing work at home, collaborating at coffee shops, and working "volunteer" programs and events on Saturdays. A teacher with a $70,000/yr salary is essentially making about $25-$26/hr BEFORE taxes (but that's another story). It's tough trying to work and live in DC as a teacher with the cost of living. Leadership: In my experience, the principal has seemingly forgotten the grind and mental battle of what it takes to be successful in the classroom. Additionally, she has a terrible habit of throwing out new ideas, curriculums and practices that are never followed through to the end. With so many extracurriculars going on, the principal has lost touch with the school as a whole and the wellness of the teachers. Also, it's unsettling at times when the principal cannot identify students by name. Leadership/Administration: There is no transparency with what is going on at our school or with our school systemt. EVERYTHING is so secretive!! It's annoying and unsettling. We don't know how our salaries are calculated, and school calendars are not provided until the last possible moment. It is June 30th, and we have yet to receive the 2016-17 SY teacher calendar (at least at our school). Transparency: What's in our budget?! Why are some KIPP DC schools going to the KIPP School Summit and not us? Where does our money budgeted for that go? What about Saturday School? We know there's a budget for that, but it was non-existent at our school this year, where was the opportunity for teachers to get extra compensation for those positions? All of these questions are what we want to know. Why the secrets?? Teacher Wellness: There is an unwritten rule that you CANNOT miss work. Apparently, in our contracts we are allowed 10 days PTO (for sickness or whatever), BUT, there is a culture manufactured by leadership and administration that to miss a day of work is taboo and looked down upon. Teachers are scared to miss work. We have teachers coming in sick, bags under eyes, runny noses, etc. It's ridiculous! Additionally, we are apprehensive about asking for time to make doctor's appointments, or even leaving early or missing a day for a funeral! The usual immediate response is: "Have you arranged for your classes to be covered?" or "When did you know about this?" One time I was met with the response, "Hi, I know life happens, but..." OUTRAGEOUS! Further, if a day was to be missed, there had to be some kind of compensation made up for the other teachers who were affected by your absence. It's tough because you have some teacher who never miss days because they know how it creates a domino effect amongst other teachers, and then you have some teachers who don't care and are going to take their days regardless (more power to them!) I for one though, do not like to put my teammates at a disadvantage, so I suck it up and somehow manage perfect attendance (without recognition from leadership, but that's not why I do it, although it would be nice here and there).