Pros
Colleagues - they try their best in a broken system and it is true that misery loves company It serves as a great resume builder
Cons
Working at Ross is a bit like falling through the rabbit hole into an alternate dimension. When you first arrive most are taken aback by the sheer excess of it all. The exotic hardwoods, art and artifacts, and Ph.D. level curriculum for minors (which is exemplified by the highly produced and carefully scripted classroom moments and student reflections.) Before you allow the glossy PR to tempt you, remember what your parents always told you. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Where Ross starts out looking like a fantasy, it quickly descends into horror. The culture of Ross is one of absolute fear and total control. The administration is completely devoid of the ability to express compassion, respect, gratitude, or any of the other core values they pretend to be based on, towards their faculty and staff. Instead they are powerless drones, mindlessly following orders from the Institute and the founder. When the queen snaps her fingers and demands her newest infatuation become the center of the Ross universe, they submit. The faculty really only serves the purpose of being the scapegoats of the administration. You thought your job was to teach and shape the minds of future generations of global learners? Sorry but no. That's only what they put in the brochure. One of the most fun games you will play while at Ross is "Root Out the Spy." These are faculty members who have been threatened with their jobs and are now in service to the administration to spy on their colleagues and report back with all of your dastardly wrongdoings. Like having an independent thought. Nothing you say is ever held in confidence and just to make the game extra challenging, the players and their alliances change regularly. Like the X-Files taught us, trust no one. The turnover rate is extremely high. This year alone there is a faculty attrition of around 40. 40. Student enrollment is extremely low. The incoming kindergarten class is a class of 1. One. Administration likes to blame that on the teachers as well. Of course it must be the teacher's fault. Not the bipolar administration or the fact that you could send your kid to Princeton for less money. Teachers work long hours for very little pay, no respect, and a serious disregard for human dignity. During the month of August you have weeks worth of professional development to look forward to, which is secretly code for kool-aide drinking indoctrination time. This place is a model for unsustainable business practices. As it stands now, I can't see it lasting more than two years. I can only hope anyone choosing to climb aboard this ship has their life preserver ready. The iceberg is not far off in the distance.
