u/Justt0post

Three lead teacher in a 3s classroom. It’s okay pay ($70k) and the kids are great, but we are getting g in trouble for what I think are little things. We are responsible for:

Mopping and vacuuming, taking out the trash, and any handy work that comes up (putting together furniture et )

We are good with updating Brightwheel, but it just seems like we still need all hands on deck, so yea I’ll forget about the trash because it’s not that important to me. We also have to scramble to get materials ready (one person does this whole one leads morning circle and another cleans)

But it’s frustrating not having a planning period. How can we best use our time without having to prep things at home or stay late unpaid?

Hey fellow ECE educators,

This is about the fourth center I’ve worked at, and I’m starting to notice a trend in early childhood education especially in private schools/centers. There seems to be a real lack of professionalism sometimes, and I don’t just mean coworkers being rude, ignoring you, or not even saying good morning (although I’ve noticed that a lot too).

I mean the way some staff speak to students, the way they speak to each other in general, and even the communication that goes out to families. Sometimes I’ll read a newsletter or announcement and it honestly reads like someone sent out a casual text message instead of a professional communication from a school. It’s so strange. We are educators why are the expectation lower because we work in ECE??????

We recently had our  staff meeting(my 1st one) and the director addressed professionalism, appropriate communication, dress code, gossiping, etc. She also announced that staff are no longer allowed to babysit students because there had been too much gossiping with parents about the school, the director, and other staff members. Apparently it got back around enough times that it became a major issue.

This is only my third week at this school, and I’m honestly sitting here wondering: is this becoming common in ECE centers? Because when I worked in public schools, I didn’t really experience this kind of environment nearly as much.

What has your experience been like? Parents, do you notice this about certain staff when you pick up and drop off?

* I used AI to clean up my rambling thought as I was venting and walking to work*

Hey everyone, I’d love some honest opinions.

I recently got hired at two well-known corporate childcare centers at the same time—KinderCare Learning Centers and another center (let’s call it School B).

I accepted KinderCare first because my onboarding cleared faster, and I’ve been there a little over a week. I was hired as a lead teacher, but right now I’m mostly floating/shadowing and don’t have my own classroom yet.

So far, I’ve noticed some things that don’t sit right with me in terms of staff professionalism and overall environment.

School B just cleared me to start, and the pay/hours are basically the same. When I interviewed there, the atmosphere felt more positive—but obviously I don’t know what it’s like day-to-day yet.

The twist: I’m moving out of the country at the end of the year, so this job is mainly about saving money for a few months.

Some friends are telling me:

- “Just stay where you are—it’s temporary anyway”

- “The other place could end up being the same”

Others are saying:

- “If you’re already seeing red flags, leave early”

Poll: What would you do?

- Stay at KinderCare and ride it out

- Switch to School B

- Stay for now but keep looking elsewhere

- Something else (comment)

Any advice or experiences with similar situations would really help. Thanks!