Plano Independent School District Employee Reviews for Teacher

"PISD is more concerned with looking good than doing good. Veteran teachers are looking to go elsewhere because they feel stifled."

What do you like about working at Plano Independent School District?

"Plano is a wealthy district so you have access to a lot of resources. They pay well, and if you land at the right school, there are some really nice folks to work with. My teammates and principal are the only thing keeping me in this district."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Try subbing first - they typically don't hire outsiders. They like to say they are all about teamwork, so play that up in your interview. They are also pushing technology (more than they should) so any way you can work that into your classroom instruction is a plus."

What don't you like about working at Plano Independent School District?

"PISD is too proud of itself & the focus is not on the kids. There is constant self-glorification & an attitude that you are lucky to have a job there, but they don't respect their teachers' time & devotion - they work you to death & then expect you to give up even more personal time to work PTA fundraisers and other events. The curriculum is not challenging, but you are expected to stick to it. They talk like they want you to be innovative & make learning fun, but you have no time to do so. At least two planning periods a week are spent on some mandatory activity, plus after school meetings and trainings several times a month...yet the professional development we get is usually in-house and not very effective (typically someone on staff that has gone to some conference or training and comes back and gives us a watered-down version of it). They really need to shift their focus back to education rather than reputation."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Hire good people and then trust them to do their jobs - stop micromanaging. The people that write the curriculum and make the decisions seem extremely out of touch with what's going on in our classrooms. Trust us to do what we know is best for our kids, not what you think is best for kids you've never met."