Academy for Educational Development Reviews

It's a large place and easy to get stuck with a less-than-forward-thinking manager who does not always see the big picture. They have major leadership pipeline issues: many upper level staff get too bogged down in administrative or programmatic tasks instead of being strategic leaders. Some senior managers have work-life balance issues and expect the same level of commitment from their underpaid staff. Compared to other organizations, there are very few opportunities for international travel for lower and mid level employees. The organization does not have a strategic communications strategy- neither internal nor external, and could benefit from some better reflection on the way that they talk to their employees.

The competitive environment between centers inhibits collaboration and lowers the quality of work we are able to do. Senior management are only interested in new business development or when there are problems. There seems to be little or no concern for the quality of our work. Positive performance is not recognized. But when there are problems, you can be attacked. Management is top-down with little focus on a person's humanity. There are no mechanisms to communicate up the chain. There is a culture of self-censorship that seems to arise from a fear of reprisal Promotions are handled first from a political perspective. Senior management states that technical excellence is AED's most valued asset. However, all promotions and recognition are provide for people in management positions with little or no technical capacity. Some teams are really dysfunctional. Performance assessment process is a joke and purely an administrative task. The disparity between the lowest salaries and the highest are embarrassing for a non-profit. If someone needs to be paid over $300K for the privilege to make a positive difference in the world than something is really wrong and they should go to the private sector. We cannot be dedicated to our mission if we have to paid so much.