Even the PTO was a con- there was an undercurrent of shame for taking time off. People were hired and fired seemingly at random and without cause. Initially I viewed this as an opportunity to provide cutting edge education to struggling communities, but at the end of the day it was nothing more than a pariah. You want to change the education system? Lobby for higher teacher salaries to plug the holes and tighten up communities. Use your tech to help public school systems and teachers that already exist. Don’t jump in and take up the market with part-time teachers and overpriced half built systems. Sure it’s great for the part-timers, but once again you’re reinforcing a supremely flawed gig economy in a space that should be devoid of that thinking.
Sales goals changed dramatically from the beginning to end of my tenure at Elevate. The culture was deeply toxic, and expectations and communication were all over the place. Short-term goals were always prioritized over long-term employee stability and that is a recipe for disaster. Also, learn the teaching market and the cycle for education, and change sales goals accordingly by season. Growth obsession here filled with narcissism and massive egos. This place is a walking LinkedIn home page that seemingly prioritizes human decency but belies an underbelly of fear culture. Starts at the leadership level. Change your priorities.
