Pros
In general the staff are: -Caring -Patient -Flexible -Well-educated -Experienced working with children who have Autism -Have a passion for kids with special needs -Are trained in ABA at least a little -The students are a joy to work with (most of the time) and same with their parents -Offer insurance at a low cost to employee -Life long friends can be made here -Generous Christmas and end of year parties
Cons
So many! -Specialists (OT, SLP) are stretched thin because they provide services to ALL the students and that is a challenge simply because there aren't enough hours in the day! -Management shows favoritism towards a couple teachers despite snarky/unprofessional behavior from them. -High turn-over rates -On the lower end of hourly pay rates for employees -No pay scale nor raise schedule Let's talk about the campus...definitely a con: -Located in Los Altos abutting 280 N (you can hear the freeway sometimes), actually a nice location but... -The school is completely rundown and has a myriad of problems. -Old/trashed materials and furniture in classrooms. -Playground isn't terrible, but its surroundings are a mess and look unkempt. -Some classrooms were created from a larger space using temporary walls and dividers, adds to the disheveled feel of the place. -Numerous classrooms had rats (not kidding). -At the time I worked there, there was ONE bathroom for ALL the staff to use (that's ~40), and the other bathroom was for ALL the students (the preschoolers had to walk from their side of campus to use the bathroom). -Since parting ways, I heard they added a couple more port-o-pottys and that adult staff are now required to use those...ew! -In general, the campus is just old and gross. -This school caters to students who have autism and most have intense, unpredictable, and sometimes violent behavior. This behavior is an aspect of the students' diagnoses, so be prepared for the unexpected if you work here. I and almost every other staff member has been bitten, punched, kicked, scratched and had their hair pulled. Working in an environment that is so unpredictable can be really stressful. -Lots of empty promises from the directors (including a new site that fell through).