Unregistered 09:51 PM 02-02-2016
Hello ladies, I'm logged out for Privacy.
Anyway I have decided to close up shop, the tax season hit me hard and I've decided it's just not worth the head-ache of running my own business anymore when I'm still paying back what I owed last year still! Anyway,
I put in a few applications and I was offered an interview at a Federal owned GSA daycare. She would be paying me $22hr based on my experience and education. I would be the lead infant teacher in an infant-only room (6w-18m). Hours would be M-F from 9am -6pm with all Federal holidays off. I would get the same visual/dental and insurance and 401k options as other Federal employees. I would need to do a Fed. background check etc. which I'm not worried about at all.
It sounds like a dream, it's triple what I made as a home provider! However I had never heard of the place, the advertisement didn't include the name (probably for safety since it is on Gov. property) and only said it was an "NAEYC accredited private daycare center". After she game the name and location I googled it (of course). What I am worried about is the reviews I found about this center...many of them are from this past month. And the person being mentioned, "Joan", is the lady who called and wants to interview me.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-merry-go-around-san-diego
Some of these reviews, especially about the director "Joan" are just very....disheartening. I am scheduled to interview tomorrow (Feb. 3rd) at 3pm. I wonder if she even knows the reviews are there? She did ask a lot of strange questions when I think back on the phone-interview: "How long do you plan to stay? I need people who aren't going to get up and leave after 3 weeks." "How often do you get sick? I only tolerate 3 days a year...I need reliability. What about your kids, do they get sick a lot?" ......which are legitimate questions but she was a bit rude about it. :/ I'm going to go into the interview with high hopes that these are just reviews left by disgruntled former employees and terminated parents. But.....sigh....just don't know what to think!
Silly Songs 11:18 PM 02-02-2016
22 an hour ? Was that a typo ? I currently work in a center and lead teachers may get half that, if we are lucky. Don't go by the reviews from parents, go to the interview and see what happens. As for the director knowing about the reviews, I'd say with 80 percent certainty that either she or the owners check the reviews regularly. My current director does, as did the one at my previous center. Good luck.
Ariana 11:24 PM 02-02-2016
A director really does make a center for sure. I used to work at two different centres within a government funded set of daycares. So basically same rules, same pay, same benefits...so very similar to what you are talking about. One was run by a fantastic director. No staff turnover, pleasant and fun place to work. The other was run by a moron. The staff was constantly bickering, none of their needs got met, she would leave half way through the day and leave us struggling to make ratio etc. Teachers would jump ship as soon as they were able. It sounds like this Joan person might be a moron and it's causing people to quit.
I would go with an open mind and see for yourself. Parent reviews are not always accurate of course and they might not be getting the full story. High staff turnover rings alarm bells for me because it sounds like a great job. Maybe she had to rid of people for not showing up due to sickness? Who knows. I would go and try to find out more info and ask some questions. I mean 3 sick days a year at a daycare?? Seems highly unreasonable. My husband gets more than that and he is in an office job!
spedmommy4 12:30 AM 02-03-2016
I read most of the reviews. That woman sounds like a nightmare and she's already given you a preview over the phone. No way would I work for her.
sahm1225 11:53 AM 02-04-2016
Originally Posted by spedmommy4:
I read most of the reviews. That woman sounds like a nightmare and she's already given you a preview over the phone. No way would I work for her.
I think I would still go and interview. I have a friend that had her home daycare and had a Yelp account. One of her employees became disgruntled and trashed her to the parents and Yelp before quiting. It was horrible. The reviews were so horrible that she closed her business and later reopened under another name.
midaycare 01:08 PM 02-04-2016
I had someone bash me on Google after I termed her. It was awful. She was mad because her dd wasn't a good fit. But that's my only review, so anyone who reads that will just think I stink, based on that.
Most people review when they are ticked, not really happy.