I barely lasted a term - Teacher Chelsea Academy Employee Review

Enthusiastic staff, very diverse and vibrant student population, lots of training and professional development opportunities.

Lack of consistency in application of school systems among staff body.

Chelsea was founded to be a great option for Catholic families who valued both the Catholic faith and a rigorous classical education. Because of that, many of the families and teachers working there do value both, making for a generally wonderful community there.

Sadly, as it grew in size, the focus became less on Catholic Identity and more on sports, GPA, and generally the external image of the school. Fired one teacher a week before the end of the third quarter just so the headmaster could put his wife in the position to change the grading system for the class so that favored students would receive a GPA boost (even to the detriment of other more deserving students). Other students repeatedly caught cheating (especially the international students who bring much more money to the school) are never disciplined despite repeated occurrences in different classes and very severe instances (one student, an international student and the one staying with the headmaster, was caught during a midterm with several pages pre-written answers to possible exam questions hidden within her scrap paper pile, but the administration ruled that this was "not sufficient evidence"). Daily Mass is not valued as a priority despite the claims to Catholic Identity. Though it is in a location where Mass times are abundantly available, the school schedule for years has not allowed faculty or students to attend daily Mass if they are involved in a sport (which all students are required to do at least for one season each year, and which many faculty are required to do). Despite numerous pleas that this be somehow accommodated (by starting the school day 5-10 minutes later, for example), excuses were made that changing the schedule would be too disruptive (then they changed it 5 minutes earlier instead). Discipline is selectively administered (despite the leniency mentioned above, another new student brought a knife on a hiking trip because he wanted to be prepared, and he was suspended for several days). Headmaster likes to micro-manage everything, even with regard to subjects he knows nothing about (he's a history major trying to regulate details of a math curriculum based on advice from his old buddies rather than that of the math department he hired). They drive out or fire their best talent. Two of the most beloved teachers in the history of the school are no longer there. The first was driven out by many of the problems above and the headmaster's lack of listening to valid concerns raised and even actively trying to silence those who raise them. The second was fired (as mentioned above) on trumped up stupidity about students lying down during class outside (something that he had allowed for several years without any action being taken, but it was suddenly a problem when grades weren't being changed to reflect the headmaster's desires and the third quarter rapidly closing). They also fired their director of development not even a year into her new position despite the fact that she had put on for them the best gala they ever had in the history of the school and was doing amazing work.