California Virtual Academies Reviews

I was with CAVA for over five years and ended up being terminated despite proof of extreme discrimination and harassment directed at me for over a year. I pursued every avenue from an early stage in the harassment and bullying and was let down by every single one: higher-up admin, HR, and most pointedly, and pointedly, our union. The admin abusing me was terminated as well but she had concocted such a large work of fiction on my ‘flaws’ that I was terminated anyway that same day. For years this leader was permitted to essentially do zero work and bully and harass teachers and parents.

1. They have an extremely high turnover rate. Nearly all of the employees have started as temp workers from staffing agencies rather than being hired directly. Staff members seem to have short tenure, many not exceeding past 5 years with CAVA. Management alluded the turnover was due to candidates "not being a good fit", rather than practicing self-reflection and evaluation on their internal practices or be open to the possibility that the management/workplace is a contributing factor for those turnovers. 2. Unrealistic high expectations are immediately placed on new hires. They are expected to learn complex responsibilities within a day or two of training, with most recent hires or temps often being the one training newcomers instead of hired-on staff. Expectations and goal posts are constantly being moved & raised. Performance is also heavily measured based on numerical output while never being given specific parameters or quota. Stats were commonly compared to more experienced staff. Those that did not meet the expectations very early on were often let go. On the other side, those that exceeded stats beyond their team members, recognition was not given but rather, management would curve down the numbers because it would "harm the team". Only favorited employees would receive praise or recognition and favoritism is also boldly displayed without any consideration for anyone else. 3. Communications were often inconsistent and contradicting; any expectations, goals, and deadlines were often vague and unclear. Feedback was typically emphasized on increasing speed of productivity or increasing stats, rather than providing any meaningful solutions, guidance or support for improving job efficacy. The office has a very quiet library-like environment but yet, management will often engage in gossiping & trash talking about employees rather than communicating concerns to the appropriate team member. Management proudly boasts on providing a supportive, inclusive environment but fails to uphold their statement. 4. Management relies heavily on cross-training employees and it was not uncommon for employees to be juggling multiple duties or wear many hats. Employees often received correction or scolding even though the cross-training was bare-boned and insufficient time was not given for them to learn nor acclimate to. Cross-training was further imbalanced due to not all employees had equal access to existing manuals that would have been beneficial. The workload was often unbalanced, with many employees being pulled to help with other roles or sectors from time to time, leaving other branches to struggle. It also resulted in abandoned job duties which ended up being backlogged, forcing many that returned to their primary duties to play catch up. 5. Any attempts for clarification on job duties or requesting feedback was not always well-received. It often resulted in vague direction or being reprimanded for asking too many questions despite being encouraged to have as many questions. While sometimes constructive guidance or reassurance was given, critical feedback or negative comments often circulated amongst staff rather than being directed to the appropriate employee. If you are favorited amongst management, you will be spared. Regardless if you are a team player, a hard worker or even being a grey rock, you will still be berated and treated unfairly.