preschool teacher

lead teacher

child care teacher

daycare teacher

assistant teacher

Kiddie Academy

I was hired by this Kiddie Academy a couple months ago and thought everything was great. When I was hired as a lead teacher all the other staff looked at me like I had 10 heads lol ( I should have known) because apparently to appease the owner, the director hired me but behind my back had given the position to one of her favorite employees. So everything I did I was in the wrong, anything that happened in the classroom was my fault. The director would call into the classroom and instead of relaying whatever message needed to be said to whomever answered the phone,  she would ask for my co-worker, tell her the message, and then have her relay the message to the rest of the staff in the classroom. Mind you, I have more experience than most of these girls have been alive. The company is run by a unprofessional director who baby talks all day and tells you she will fire anyone who causes drama or gossips, when she and her best friend Assistant Director, do nothing but talk about people behind their backs to other staff members that are in their click. I also found out that if my co-worker feels threatened by another teacher she will go and cry to director the director and ultimately make that persons life difficult so they quit or the director just fires them using reasons that aren't valid. They don't send home children with fevers of 103 because the Director doesnt want to upset the parents. But when staff gets sick they have a major issue with it, unless your my co worker then you can do whatever you want to do because she is best friends with the director and assistant director. The favoritism by the director and assistant director is apparent in everything they do. It truly is unsettling and makes it very hard to even want to go to work. There were days I would cry and beg my husband to try to come up with reasons not to go to work.  The owner will tell you that they fight for the staff and they will always have the staffs back, but when its left to the director she will throw the staff she doesn't like or that is not in her click straight under the bus with the parents, and then will be like "ohh dont say anything to the parents I will talk to them because the parents are just rough sometimes." When bites happen ( which I have seen personally) they try to rub the bite marks out so they don't have to say anything to the parents, and then will blame it on the teachers when the parent calls about why their child has a bite mark on their body. As a parent I would be extremely upset and as a mom I am appaled by how they run their buisness. I do not recommend this school to work at or to bring your children too. Go there at your own risk.

I am dissatisfied with my experience at KAH. The directors consistently used condescending tones to speak to their employees, and were unprofessional and quite often immature. They lacked consideration for the employee's personal time outside of work, and more often then not, were unsympathetic to the needs or circumstances of their employees both in and out of their working environment. As a former employee at Kiddie Academy, I did not feel adequately appreciated for my efforts, and it was evident that management failed to give credit where it was due because favoritism and double standards were exercised religiously by the directors. While some employees were responsible and performed their duties well, others were allowed to get through the day with minimal to no actual work executed during their shift. In addition, the lack of organization and support was appalling. The directors almost never had a an efficient and rational back up plan to prepare for call outs or employee absences. Teachers were consistently being moved around from one classroom to the next, whether or not they had ever worked with that age group or were familiar with those students. That created a great sense of instability for the children because they consistently had to adjuste to new faces, and that usually made them and their parents really uncomfortable. Also, students with behavioral issues or learning disabilities were not properly evaluated by the school or the child's physician. There were a few kids whom had obvious behavioral or learning impairments that were mixed in classrooms with other children that didnt have special needs. Appropriate individualized attention was not provided for these children. Many times their needs were overlooked, and not addressed unless a teacher brought it to the attention of the directors or even the parents themselves, which is a shame. 

I wish management did a better job at being fair with all employees, addressing all issues, not just those within their best interest, and treated all of their staff respectfully and genuinely, provided better training for staff, more classroom support, and provided a better benefits package.

TL/DR at bottom.

While the assistant teachers I worked with were amazing, management and most lead teachers had a serious clique issue. The assistant teachers would be forced to pull the weight of the lead teachers in the classroom because management would pull out their favorite lead teachers to the front and do office work if we were in student teacher ratio making the entire facility feel short staffed when we were in fact over staffed. To add on this facility has a "no time out" policy and it makes disciplining a child extremely difficult, especially when management does not give us suggestions to redirect negative behavior, to the point where I began to ignore the rule for the safety of my students as I have had students in my class who would throw heavy toys with one instance hitting another child. This same student would repeatedly punch and kick me causing me to go home with bruises and it took management two weeks of this kid in my class to notify the parents. Management has also given terrible advice when I was dealing with an explosive tantrum and word for word told me to "let them do what they want". Also one day as the assistant teachers were closing down the classrooms and management made one of my coworkers close down two rooms originally without help i finished my room early and went to help her finish up because i felt that was unfair to make her do that alone we began to talk about how unhappy we were with management among other things while still clocked in and scheduled to work that late, some how management found out and threatened everyone involved if it were to happen again we would be escorted out of the building and we were no longer allowed to work together. While knowing that management openly talks negatively about their employees and this fact causing one of their employees to leave due to their negative behavior. When i have put in my two weeks notice management barely interacted with me in this small facility and on my last two days they cut my hours in half to force me out early, when i questioned this they did not respond to my question, and when i did not show up for my official last day because i was tired of them using my generosity they showed no concern about me not being there showing that this was there plan. 

TL/DR: if you are not a lead management does not care about you or your well being.

The place itself is not bad. Most of the teachers are very hardworking but are underpaid and lack the support of strong management. The current Director has her door opened and is ready to listen to concerns, issues, or feedback from employees; unfortunately, lacks the ability to keep confidential matters within the office. In addition, there is an extreme amount of gossip that while the teachers can be written up for. Yet, when this is continued or started by higher management- it is brushed under the rug. 

There is a friendship between the staff, so if you are ever mistreated by upper management and voice your concerns, expect a laugh. They will not handle it. You can choose to stay in your awkward position or choose to leave, but things rarely changed there... even meeting after meeting. You are expected to have high performance and high results with little to NO support. The professional and personal lines are often too crossed to not have issues. 

Regarding the classroom, they are usually short on teachers so there will be days when you have twice the work, twice the risk with the students, and you are still responsible for the accidents or incidents that happen within the classroom. Clear communication is usually encouraged when addressing parents, but there will be times that you have to handle all of the backlash yourself so be ready for high stress. 

The pay varies, it is quite low for the responsibility but if you get lucky it'll be decent for starters. 

The most enjoyable part of the work were the loving kids in the classrooms and some of the close relationships between classroom teachers/ co-teachers. To unlucky circumstances, the workload without the preparation required and support from staff was too much to handle for many and along with the hostile work environment.. there will be many faces to come and go... some get let go and some give up. 

We are not "disgruntled" workers, we are a larger amount of numbers that wanted change and were pushed out due to the lack of attention and changes by management. 

For parents, there are some amazing teachers here that are going through a lot of trouble to keep a classroom and the parents happy... don't forget to thank them. The dedication and love of the teachers is what keeps the school running. They just need a change on their chain of command.

Don’t even waste your time. This is probably the most disrespectful place I have ever worked in my career as a Certified Culinarian. I was offered a full-time job with the promise my hours would be the same (this didn't happen). Over the past year that I worked in this child care center I witnessed three Center Directors come and go, the last one is still there. Turnover rate is so high. They constantly move teachers and helpers around. There wasn’t any training or orientation in my first day and the current Center Director ordered me into the kitchen in a very rude manner requesting I make 150 homemade pancakes in one hour. I was the only worker in the kitchen and was required to cook breakfast, snacks and lunch for 145 children, order food and I was the dishwasher/cleaner.  And paid very low wages. I was horrified with the quality of food and small portions they were giving to the children before I arrived.   Cooks are usually offered free lunch (not in this place). I was unaware I was prohibited to eat in this kitchen. I put one slice of orange in my mouth when the owner walked in to welcome me, her exact words were: “I want to let you know I am the owner, as you can see, (with her hands on her hip) I walk and move around all day so coming to my kitchen and seeing you eat that tiny slice of orange is really frustrating me”. That was the beginning of humiliation, over-worked and disrespected I would experience over next year. My sense of professionalism and commitment is very high so I decided to take the food to the next level.  In less than a week the parents were coming by and talking to me about how much their kids were enjoying the great food they were eating. I cleaned and organized the whole kitchen and created a fantastic menu, ordering products on line offering perfect portions and great flavors. Thank you cards from the kids were received by me. Communication was awful with management. One day, after I worked so hard the owner came by and humiliated me by pointing out what she perceived as wrong.  The owner is a workplace bully. The owners didn’t appreciate me or my dedication to improve and provide nutritious home cooked meals for the children. And as Anthony Bourdain mentioned in his book Kitchen Confidential “Avoid places that smell bad”. This is one stinks!!!!. Don’t even bother.

A typical day at work:
Each day was centered around creating a safe, engaging, and structured environment for the children. I planned and led educational activities, managed classroom routines, and supported the emotional and developmental needs of each child. As a lead teacher, I also took on additional responsibilities like coordinating with staff, communicating with parents, and ensuring the classroom ran smoothly—especially during a time of transition.

What I believe I learned:
This role taught me resilience and adaptability. I learned how to navigate difficult transitions, both for myself and for the children, and how to lead a classroom under pressure. I also gained a deeper understanding of how essential support and communication are in any educational setting—not just for the students, but for the teachers as well.

Management:
Unfortunately, management was one of the most challenging aspects of the job. After a change in leadership, the environment shifted dramatically. It became micromanaged and unsupportive, which made it difficult to feel confident or valued in my role. The lack of trust and autonomy took a toll on my motivation and overall well-being.

Workplace culture:
Initially, the culture felt positive and well-organized. I was excited to be part of the team. But after the leadership change, the atmosphere became tense and disjointed. Morale dropped, and it felt like the focus shifted away from collaboration and growth. Despite this, I did my best to maintain a positive environment for the children and my colleagues.

The hardest part of the job:
The most difficult part was stepping into a leadership role during a time of instability—especially without the support I needed. The children were adjusting to a new teacher, and I was adjusting to a new set of expectations without guidance. It was emotionally and mentally exhausting, and it made it hard to sustain the passion I once had for teaching.

The most enjoyable part of the job:
Despite the challenges, the children were always the highlight. Watching them grow, learn, and thrive—even in difficult circumstances—was incredibly rewarding. Their curiosity, creativity, and resilience reminded me why I chose this profession in the first place.

In a typical day you get the chance to run the lesson plans you have constructed and want to try and teach the children as best you can. There is always something fun to get into when giving a lesson or letting the children engage in playtime throughout the day. It is the biggest highlight you will encounter on a day to day basis.

Management takes a one sided approach in anything and everything you try to bring to their attention. They believe in keeping everything secret from everybody unless you are privy to the information, or a part of their inner circle. Instead of coming to you and letting you know what you can be doing to better help your children or make your classroom better, they will try to sneak it into a group discussion at a team meeting to throw shame onto you in front of everyone, in a very casual roundabout way, instead of talking to you directly. The directors should be able to tell you these thing directly but unfortunately cannot do it without feeling protected by cohort of inner circle. You can try to communicate with them as much as possible but it will get you nowhere unfortunately.

The culture of the workplace is one of favoritism. If you have a great relationship with the leaders of the school then they will try to keep you on as long as possible, now matter how much you compromise your personal morals or ethics. If you show the slightest form of disapproval or distrust with the leaders of the environment you will be ostracized and pushed to quit. Once they have made up their mind about you, there is virtually no recovery from this kind of treatment. This is a mindset implemented and encouraged by the management team of Kiddie Academy of Columbia.

The hardest part of the job is finding the strength to come back the next day. If you have a family dilemma happening you will have to sideline that or try to call out to handle it, only for your job to be left in question. They will try to find any way to get rid of you if they feel as though they can. Come to work prepared to fight tooth and nail to keep your job from being loss. They will find a way to make your life miserable.

A typical day at work consists of having to do an amount of work for four people but essentially on your own and with a full class.  The only thing worse then the piece of junk iPads are the ancient vacuum cleaners that are most definitely a hazard at this point.  Management is untrustworthy and cheap (hence why we have the worlds first ever vacuum cleaners to our disposal).  Many people there are two-faced, especially the ladies up front, who will say that it's unprofessional to carry a thermos around but will straighten each other's hair and say nasty things about co-workers without care at the front desk.  You are promised a decent pay but never get it and let me tell you...wiping butts for $8-9 an hour gets old real quick.  I could be flipping burgers at a better buck and get benefits.  Yeah, you don't get any insurance here. NONE.  Which is almost hilarious considering the fact that it's a childcare facility so you know you're going to get real sick from time to time.  Don't bother asking for a raise because they'll only bump it up to fifty cents max and then coincidentally you'll lose your job the next week because your services are no longer needed (HA! Do you realize how short-staffed we are when you pull that stunt, managers?).   Also, they have phones in all the classrooms for teachers to contact the front desk or whoever for whatever the reason.  God forbid you should ever have an emergency because the front desk blows off half the phone calls (what if a child was in critical condition?).

Ugh, enough about this negative junk.  If you're really passionate about kids, then you just might enjoy it here.  Sort of, at least.  My students and co-worker in the classroom are the only good things there (for me).  They can drive you to pure madness but man can they make your day wonderful sometimes.  And to see that you've helped them learn something pivotal for life?  God, it's the best thing ever, seeing them grow and learn and love you unconditionally just for being there.  Snot covered nose or not, a hug from my kids is one of the greatest feelings I've ever had.

I’ve been working at Kiddie Academy for under a year, and I’ve seen many positive and negative aspects. I began as an assistant teacher, which was great when I was finally placed in the program I was hired to work in! Being able to spend the day with kids, still have an active role in teaching throughout the day, and feel a sense of purpose without the load of lesson planning, prep, etc. was awesome. I felt I was wanting more a few months in and so they started having the teacher I worked with train me for a lead teaching position. I ended up getting promoted way sooner than I expected, but I was still excited about the opportunity. However I only got a DOLLAR raise and no additional benefits or vacation. And once I really got started in this new position I have quickly realized how unacceptable the compensation is for the amount of work I now have in and out of the school. I take work home almost every day and spend additional hours of my own time working to stay on top of everything. I don’t get paid overtime for the work I do at home and I am not allowed to stay clocked in if I try to do this work at the school still. I have found myself really wanting the work-life balance I felt I had when I was an assistant teacher back, but it’s been stated repeatedly by different managers that they want us to move up and forward in this company so I don’t feel like going back to assistant teaching is an option. They are understaffed and genuinely trying to make efforts to hire people as quickly as possible, but because everyone in management is so busy all the time (and I’ve heard how they’ve talked about other people who have left) I don’t feel like anyone has the time to listen to me. I didn’t expect to be burnt out when I accepted this position so it’s disappointing.  I love the children dearly and my coworkers are awesome, but I don’t know if that’s enough to make me stay much longer.

This is a very nice child care center. There are top of the line toys and equipment for the children to play with and great resources for the teachers to utilize. Most of the children who attend the center are very pleasant to work with, as are their families. The owners are also very pleasant. However, there are some problems. Two teachers will have to exact same schedule, except one will have an hour break and the other a thirty minute break. It makes no sense. A lot of the teachers like to gossip, especially at nap time. They also will talk to each other across the hall or through the bathrooms at times instead of paying proper attention to their classroom. Many of the teachers are highly qualified, but at the same time many are just parents who it seems needed a break on affording good care for their children. The director singles people out and seems to play favorites with her staff. One minute she will be your best friend, the next minute she is pointing out your every flaw. The staff aren't supposed to discuss their pay, but some of them do anyways.  What I learned from this is that there are people who work there with no child care experience whatsoever who make more than someone with actual experience. I feel as if this center is run more like a business for profit than a business for parents to leave their children in care. The director at times also seems more concerned with reaching the next STAR level and impressing DPW than anything else. While an employee will get a 50% discount on child care, if the employee is off for some reason, then their child is not allowed to attend on that day. So even when you are paying for child care all the time, you are unable to utilize that care if you are sick or have an appointment of some sort. Sometimes the director will work something out with you if you have an appointment, but usually even in this case she will turn it around and uses it against you in the future.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Preschool teacher 1067 salaries reported	$18.39 per hour
Lead teacher 180 salaries reported	$17.75 per hour
Child care teacher 91 salaries reported	$18.39 per hour
Daycare teacher 166 salaries reported	$18.74 per hour
Assistant teacher 120 salaries reported	$16.06 per hour

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