Pros
You develop a strong connection to the families and the children. You get your CPR/First Aid training renewed in one night, a 3 hour session, paid for by the school. You develop strong relationships with your fellow teachers.
Cons
Lack of respect from management. Pay is not equivalent to experience and education, even though they'll tell you it is. Raises are rare. Hours are sporadic and inconsistent. Substitutes when a teacher is sick are inconsistent. Teacher turnover is high. Teachers are forced to stay when sick, whether vomiting or while having pinkeye. Requesting to be sent home on time, rather than staying an hour or 2 over because no one steps in to send you home, is like pulling teeth, even when it's rare. Pay is not enough to support yourself alone, and, in my case, my manager's response to my need for a 2nd job was for me to get a loan. The kids are not the number one priority, your money is. Getting the necessary supplies for your classroom was nearly impossible, and I spent more time and personal money on my classroom than I ever should have. Rules and guidelines changed all the time and were inconsistently enforced, so it was difficult to know what was expected of us as employees. Many teachers I worked with have either found better employment elsewhere or are continuously looking, which I believe speaks highly for satisfaction levels. There was no assistance when needed, and the solutions for difficult behaviors (biting, in the toddler classroom, where I was a teacher) were brush-off answers (ie. "Move the child up. He's bored." But child continues behavior because behavior wasn't actually addressed). Also, management provided employee "fun" days and then changed rules and tried to take them away, when employees were following the theme appropriately. No room for movement, either. They would rather hire in from outside than give the promotion to someone within the company who is more qualified. Benefits really aren't that great either; insurance is United Healthcare and signing up for insurance is confusing. You only get a discount on childcare if you've been there 5 years as a teacher, and vacation pay is difficult to understand and takes a while to accrue. Also, when I asked to use my sick pay for the days I was out with pinkeye, I only received about 12 hours out of a full week. My sick hours are hours I earned and rarely used. There were 2 leads in some classrooms, as well, which does not work. There should either be a co-teacher team, or a lead and assistant, not 2 leads. I do not recommend La Petite as a place to work, not if you want to be respected and valued.
