On Monday I put in a two week notice for Jas’s current school. I’m kind of annoyed I even had to do that but it’s in the handbook. Anyway, I am removing her because I am pretty fed up with the fact that the dude who owns the school, Mr. Darren is all consumed with money. Jas was in her previous daycare since she was 2 months old and I had to return to work. They loved her there. We were family. We were never just a pay check. The way they treated my child was going to be what I missed the most. I was not however going to miss the rest of those ghetto kids who attend.
Jas has been where she is now for 2 months. She enjoys it. Shes made lots of new friends. She’s learning lost of new things in her class and I really love that. I wish I could take everyone with her when she goes some place else but that’s not reality. The reality is, Mr. Darren is just in the daycare business for the money. He’s in it to rack up checks and take them to the bank.
On back to school night, the focus seemed to be mostly about money. Fees for this and that. MANDATORY fund raisers. EXTRA MONEY for field trips that are beyond school hours and so on. I wasn’t with any of it. We already pay him enough so any extra is doing too much.
The final straw for me was the week before thanksgiving, Jas was sick so I kept her out of school the entire week. Since I pay weekly, I did not pay for the week she was out and I have no intentions of doing do. This man has a bright as day YELLOW notice on the door that states: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BRING YOUR SICK CHILD TO SCHOOL. YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR CHILD IS SICK SO PLEASE KEEP THEM HOME. SICK CHILDREN WILL BE SENT HOME IMMEDIATELY, NO EXCEPTIONS.
I was just following the rules. I wish all parents would keep their sick children home. Someone didn’t which is why Jas ended up sick as a damn dog.
When I brought her back to school on the 19th of November, I was told i still have to pay for last week even though she wasn’t at school. The tuition just holds her spot in the school. . . Y’all, listen, this man does not have a line around the block of parents waiting to enroll their children, so they can miss me with that. I promptly told them that I wasn’t with it and would be looking for her a new school.
I got a call at work with the school trying to back track, telling me I didn’t have to pay for the week she wasn’t there but I would have to pay 50 bucks for that week for holding her place. o.O. I could have sworn when i left that morning I told them that I wasn’t paying anything at all.
When i went to go pick Jas up that evening, I was sure to ask if this 2 week notice had to be in writing. The Director Ms. Monica wanted to know why I was pulling Jasmine. I ran her down a list:
- Mr. Darren lacks compassion when it comes to parents and their finances
- Mr. Darren told me i should dip into my rent money to make sure Jas’s tuition was paid
- Mr. Darren tried to tell us parents we HAD to sell 4 boxes of chocolate for the school (it’s daycare people)
- Mr. Darren told me more than once that my child would be kicked out of I was late paying 3 times on top of being charged a late fee ( I’ve never made a late payment at all)
- Mr. Darren does not care about the children themselves. He see’s dollar signs when they are running around
- Mr. Darren doesn’t pay his employees correctly but had money to throw “After parties” at the daycare that cost lots of money
- plenty of parents have taken their children away due to how Mr.Darren handles money
- And lastly, if a parent does not have all of the money for the week and tells you she will pay you the rest tomorrow, sending her child home with her is not going to help you collect the rest of her fees ( this happened on monday to a parent. This is what I mean about lacking compassion)
The fact is, if I couldn’t afford the school I would have never sent Jas there to begin with. My sister teaches the 4-5yr olds and she also put in her 2week notice on monday. Her reasons are some of the same and then some.
He’s talking about working on some of things my sister and I mentioned in our 2 week notices but for the both of us, its too little too late and I refuse to further patronize his BUSINESS. So he will lose a paycheck in Jas and lose a good teacher in my sister and I am positive he’ll lose more kids after that because those parents love my sister.
Oh well, huge lesson he should learn from this. People want you to care about their children and less about how much money they are paying you. The excessive talk about money is a turn off and should be kept to a minimum.
So the hunt is on for us and hopefully the next place I send her to she can stay until she starts Kindergarten.
On the plus side, We did get a great school picture out of it all
The Musings of Me 
I have so much to say that I am just going into shut-down mode. I totally feel you though. I have had a hard time with daycare providers and that pay even if your child is not there thing really boils my too. But you gotta do what you gotta do. On to the next one!
That picture of Jas has got to be the cutest thing ever! She is so adorbs.
Yea I will take her somewhere that she isn’t just a business. And I loveeee that pic. One of my most favorite to date
Yeah, here if they miss a week you are responsible for half of the tuition and after a year of enrollment you are entitled to one free week to use if you are going on vacation.
So many people get in education and daycares because of the money but like you said no one really wants you around their children if you are only seeing them as paychecks. He’ll see when he doesn’t have any children in there. Oh well, Jas will find new friends.
I just hope he learns a lesson from all of this. He may just need to be behind the scenes or something. Jas doesn’t seem to have a hard time adjusting so that’s a great thing. I just hope this next transition is as smooth as the last one and that we won’t have to make any more until kinder
That’s a mess! Childcare is the biggest sham in the history of mankind! It’s so hard for working parents these days. You did the right thing.
a hot mess! and he had the nerve to tell my sister that his feelings are hurt that I’m taking Jas out
It should be harder to get a license to open a daycare! Good for you for pulling her out. There are better schools that aren’t money grubbers, some even provide scholarships to students
right! and I understand its a business and a service that will always be necessary but you should get in the business because you care about children and not because you want to profit off of them.
The “pay to hold your place” rule is normal at NAEYC Accredited Daycares. Around here it’s half the tuition, although that is not the case with Regan’s current school. It’s full tuition no matter what, so last week when my mom and I needed a break I took her in for a few hours. I had paid for the whole week!
Also, my last daycare director told me they can’t really keep parents to the two-week notice thing. They won’t come after you. And at her last school (where they were on an all sugar diet) I did not give notice at all. She never went back and when the director called me to mention the two week notice, I let her know I didn’t care and wouldn’t be paying it.
I just dont like his mentality about all things money. I dont mind paying for service but I don’t like him as a person. I just want people taking care of my kid to care more about her. It’s just money to him and how much he can squeeze out of the parents.
I am so mad for you!! After yet ANOTHER incident at Pookahs school this week, I am seriously just ready to give my two weeks there too! SMH why is it so hard to find good childcare??
right!? and she had good childcare before. They loved her, they cared for her very well but she needed more structure. She was too smart for a regular daycare and shes getting what she needs where she is but I refuse to patronize his business any longer than i have to. He can give her spot to someone else. Thats fine.
Oh wow. I hate schools that are all about money. Being so money hungry isn’t good because people will see that and you will lose. That week thing where you have to pay even if your child is not in school kills me but down here in Atlanta most daycares require it and it is mandatory. I hope you find somewhere better soon.
i just hope to find a school where I feel like shes the top priority is all.