Pros
The program is truly amazing and getting to see the difference in kids makes everything worth it. Flexible scheduling and opportunity for growth within the company. I started as a materials coordinator and moved to test administrator, teacher, program manager, and now Director of Education. Benefits for a corporate center were good with several options to choose from, franchise centers are different and my current benefits are not as good as when we were corporate owned. Every employee I hire say they learn a lot in their time at Sylvan that has better prepared them for a career as an educator. The only thing a teacher has to do after being trained on the programs is to come in and teach and go home. There is no lesson planning or testing or grading or finding clients or take home material.
Cons
There are a lot of responsibilities for a Director of Education, which is why (in my experience) they don't stay in the position very long. In my 6 years at Sylvan, I've worked under 4 DEs before becoming one myself. From sales to teaching to conferencing to testing to customer service to hiring and training and managing staff and schedules, it's a lot to be responsible for. Teachers don't typically stay very long either because of the somewhat low hourly wage and career development. This is just part time for a season for most teachers. Days are long for directors who open and close the center to keep other labor costs low. This is VERY important for Sylvan corporate and franchisees alike. The salary is comparable to a teacher's, not enough for what is demanded.
