school principal

assistant teacher

teacher

center director

family support worker

Arkansas Early Learning, Inc.

I have worked from Program Assistant to Teacher to CD/ Family service worker. I can honestly say that working as Program Assistant and Teacher is a breeze especially when you do your job because you love working with children. The days go by so fast and the great part is that the time frame worked is good to still have time to work on other things after work in addition, you get almost every Holiday off and paid. Being a CD/ FSW is a dual role and it contains of many duties, however once you know all you are responsible for your day goes by fast and you learn to arrange yourself in a way that allows you to pace yourself and break it down and if needed to work longer hours then you can to get it done. Being a Family service worker is beautiful when you build the relationships needed with families and knowing that almost everyday you made a difference in a family's life and that you were a great impact to what they needed and even if it is just hearing them out or giving a hug or even resources it impacts their need and makes you realize you are here for a purpose.

You don't take a job like this for the pay. If you do, you will never be satisfied. You come to this job because you have a passion for working with children. It's hard to support a family and pay bills on the pay, I'm not even going to lie. Before I took this job, I prayed for God to help me to become a better mom. I believe he did just that. Im off earlier in the afternoon to be able to spend more time with them and the PTO days are usually on the same days my kids are out of school so I dont have to have to pay a sitter and I get to get paid while doing something with my kids. The amount of PTO is great. My favorite thing about it though is the bonds you create with certain kids who didnt connect to anyone else. I have parents that request their child to be in our class and that makes us feel great and lets us know that we are doing something right because that is not the case with any of the other classes here. When working here, you really get a feel of which employees actually care about the kids and I am beyond proud to say that I am one of them.

Arkansas Early Learning’s mission is meaningful, but the organization struggles to support the people doing the work. Most days were spent dealing with confusion, shifting expectations, and a lack of clear direction from leadership. Processes were inconsistent or nonexistent, which forced staff to constantly improvise rather than work 

Guidance from leadership and support were very minimal. Advancement opportunities are nonexistent, and compensation did not match the scope of the work. Raises and growth did not feel performance-based, which made it difficult to stay motivated long-term.

Management was disorganized and often disconnected from day-to-day realities. Decisions felt reactive, communication was poor, and accountability was lacking. The culture reflected this, leading to frustration and low morale rather than collaboration. The hardest part of the job was caring about the mission while feeling undervalued and unsupported. The most enjoyable part was the work-life balance, not the organizational environment.

Arkansas Early Learning is a wonderful place to work if you have an interest in making a difference in your community and in children's lives. None of the other positions I had before this ever felt like "this is what I want to do for the rest of my life". I never felt appreciated or like I was important in any way to previous companies. At AEL I know I am an asset to the company and my hard work is appreciated. It is not only reflected in the benefits and competitive pay, but also by being communicated to me regularly. I have been given trophies and awards for my hard work and dedication. At AEL we are teaching children and making a difference in their lives, that in itself is rewarding, but all the time off and benefits we receive is also very rewarding. We are the largest Head Start in Arkansas and we pride ourselves on the fact that families can be assured our staff will follow all policies and procedures, give their children the education they need to be prepared for kindergarten and keep them safe while they are in our facility. I would encourage anyone who is interested in Education or Child Care, whether direct care or administration, to apply. 

I have never worked at a company/organization that has had this big of an impact on my life. The work/life balance is unheard of at other places. The PTO is incomparable to anything else. I have worked in different areas in life from real estate to doctor offices, and the benefits here like PTO & inclement weather days are great. The work/life balance is perfect for a person with school age children.
My managers help me succeed and are available to help and answer questions I may have. The work place culture is welcoming. The managers do a great job at assisting when needed and encouraging employees to do there best. 
There is a certain professional understanding when it comes to being employed within an organization as this. You know what is expected of you & your supervisors are not here to baby you or belittle you. They do however hold you accountable for your actions & decisions you make within your position. The hardest part of this job may be leaving work at work & not taking it home. The most enjoyable part of this job, being able to leave work at work and not take it home. 

I have been working for AEL for over 3 years. This company is a non-profit with the mission of creating change for those in need. They offer no cost childcare and other services to children and families under the federal poverty guidelines, foster children, homeless children, disabled children, etc. This job is more than a career, it is a calling. Yes you will have more children with behavior problems working here than if you worked for a daycare but that is expected when working with children with needs. AEL has very competitive pay and great benefits. For example, you receive over 25 days of paid time off the first year and they pay 80% of your medical insurance. They also provide company paid life insurance. The hours are Mon through Fri from 730am to 330 pm. The people are friendly and the work culture is good. Lots of training is provided.

Don’t waste your time if you’re looking for competitive compensation. In my experience, the pay did not reflect the responsibilities, skills, or work expected of employees. The organization promotes a mission of helping people improve their lives, but I found it difficult to reconcile that message with compensation levels that I felt were not sufficient for many employees.

During the hiring process, I was asked to disclose previous compensation, and the offer I received was only slightly higher than my prior pay. It gave me the impression that compensation was based more on previous earnings than on experience, qualifications, or overall value.

I also experienced concerns regarding company culture and hiring practices. I ultimately left and accepted a leadership role elsewhere, despite not meeting this organization’s stated qualifications for certain positions. Overall, the experience raised questions for me about consistency and transparency within the company.

I have work for AEL will be 6 years in September of this year. Even before being employed with AEL I was a parent at the center. The staff had always been respectful and caring. Once employed, I learned how much the job really care for the employees. When new positions come open at the center, you get the opportunity to move up to another position if you are interested and I have experience this twice. I started out as a program assistant and less than a year a was promoted to Assistant teacher. After 5 1/2 years the family service worker position came open and I was then promoted as a family service workers. No matter what role you play at any center, you’ll love to work for AEL and working with the children and family’s and making a difference in so many people lives. I have never had any bad experiences working for AEL and if one was to occur the company and supervisors handle the situation in a kindly matter. AEL is a wonder place to work and have children enrolled. 

While the direct care staff (teachers) don't get regularly scheduled breaks because we work a straight 8 hour shift, if you need a break all you have to do is ask one of the floaters or the Center Director and they will gladly give you a break. AEL requires and pays for furthering education for all employees. They invest in our education in hopes of promoting from within. We are guaranteed 34 paid days off a year, with another possible 13 for inclement weather and bereavement. They also offer great insurance benefits that are very affordable. We get a week off for Spring Break and July 4th, plus another 2 weeks for Christmas. It's awesome!! I love making a difference in children's lives and the community.

This is a non profit organization that is not a good place to work. The employees are not treated as they are appreciated.  They do not care about the welfare of their employees. This company is only involved becuz it is an easy way to make money off of blacks. which most employees (lower class) are black, and upper management are white.  Most of the staff are unhappy. they do not give raises. and if you have been there for years, they just may bring in a new person and pay them more than you are being paid for wages. No 401k, only limited pto per year, then you earn no more monthly, its horrible, and the company pays in the least amount of unemployment..NO concern for their employees in the summer, we receive the lowest amount of Unemployment due to the employer ....

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
School principal 114 salaries reported	$20.33 per hour
Assistant teacher 114 salaries reported	$16.32 per hour
Teacher 15 salaries reported	$21.70 per hour
Center director 27 salaries reported	$54,935 per year
Family support worker 5 salaries reported	$18.14 per hour

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