teacher's aide

preschool teacher

teacher

classroom assistant

child care teacher

Smart Start Academy

I haven't been working here for too long, but so far there is a lot of things I like about it here and a lot that can be improved. Most of the co-workers are very friendly and always willing to help out. I'm not sure about management at other locations, but management here is great (Jersey Ave). They are very understanding if you ever need to call out for an emergency. That is something that you don't get at every job, so that is a plus. 

I wish we didn't have mandatory meetings that we only find out about until a few days prior. Some of us have school, children, and other commitments which makes this very difficult for us. It would be nice to have at least a month notice so we can plan ahead of time and make necessary arrangements. Unless you are in management it will be hard to make a living here as a teacher. It is definitely good for the experience though.

Smart start academy is a company where management does not care for their employee. The owners of the company barely even come in to the facilities to see what is going on.  When they are there, they force everyone to lie about what goes on. For example, telling parent they cannot look at the cameras or lying about what happened to the child when no one was watching. Those who are hired to manage the facility, never do their job. They sit in the offices all day and expect the children to watch themselves. The issue is that the company exists only to make money off of parents who are busy with their work lives. The rate is thousands of dollars for your child to run around, putting dirty things in their mouth and hurting themselves because staff is too busy on their phones or gossiping with each other. I personally would never leave my child or return there, with all the secrets and illegal things that go on.

This childcare facility has quite a few things to work on. Don't even waste your time working for them. 

They LIE on how some of the kids get injured. 

Zero benefits. Little pay. Dealing with too much to be getting paid minimum wage.  

Directors/assistant directors were no help when we had tough days. ALL they care about is that you show up to work and that they look good in front of the parents during drop off and pick up, and that is it. 

There is no real lesson plan in the classroom. The kids are basically just running around all day. The pictures in the iPad makes it seem like they are busy and learning, they are not. It is just for pictures. 

And overall unappreciative, they only care about seeing you to meet the classroom's ratio. There is a reason why they keep hiring people, because everyone just keeps leaving. It is not a long term job. Do not do it. 

From personal experience as a former employee, managing the needs of the children can be overwhelming at times, but the management at Smart Start Academy does an outstanding job in accommodating every requirement. The school's curriculum and activities are engaging and tailored to suit every child's individual learning style. As someone who values quality education for children, I highly recommend Smart Start Academy to anyone who is looking for a unique educational experience. Whether you are a parent, educator or researcher, the school's exceptional performance and high standards make it a valuable investment that is truly worth considering. Overall, Smart Start Academy is an excellent choice!

Can a fast paced job become stressful? Absolutely.  SSA is not for the faint of heart. It takes a strong character to take on the responsibility of their job at this school. You are expected to do a lot yes. But only because they strive for greatness. There is training all year round for staff by inspiring managment.  If you are lazy, call out a lot, etc you will be held accountable and not earn perks (paid time off, free certification classes like CPR etc) Other than that you can advance quickly in this growing company.  I'm very very happy here. Most staff is fantastic.  Again, those who are not passionate about their job here will not last. And mostly like spread negative things. Apply and find out for yourself. Ask yourself if you have what it takes to be part of something amazing. Or-- do nothing.

working at Smart Start Academy was very tiring. they always wanted me to rush there once I got out of school. They never wanted me to be there late and It was kind of a struggle for me. I learned a lot from that job, its very hard to take care of kids. it was a good experience. The managers were nice. and curtain co- workers were nice some had bad attitudes and would make me do everything and it was so tiring and kind of not fair. The hardest part of that job was when I had to feed the kids or when we had to have them sit down and read to them because you always had to have your eye on them. and be a wear of what they are doing and there were a lot of kids. At the end  I enjoyed everything because it was fun to work with kids and have the experience.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part about working here is the structure and potential to advance with in the workplace. Very family oriented and your children will learn everything they need to know here.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Stress free environment was two teachers at all times 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Very family oriented and a tight knit group of employees 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The day goes by so quickly. Students are able to learn and have fun in the day. Plenty of meals and water breaks. Children learn independence and are working alone with ease

I absolutely love my position at SSA . the benefits are amazing ! owners accommodate to each staff . in any other companies that is a franchise , you wouldn't even be allowed to speak with the owners , luckily this is not the case . management is attentive and the pay is reasonable because obviously the company does not want to give 16$ to someone who does not have a degree . which is reasonable because we are working with other people kids and we need to be responsible with knowledge while handling their kids . the system is great as far as pay .  MY SCHEDULE IS SET BECAUSE I AM PUNCTUAL . MY SSA DAYS ARE COMPENSATED FOR BECAUSE I DO NOT CALL OUT NOR AM I LATE .

simple tasks but to much for the amount your getting payed for like cleaning bathroom, laundry, vacuuming and mopping.
Definitely treated like a threat when your paper work is not done although most staff that had been there for a 6-12 months have said they did not get finger print done or medical clearance done.
Directors are okay but staff isn’t discrete or very welcoming when they talk bad about you since your new. Only 2 staff members are pretty welcoming. Definitely a lot of favoritism but that’s every job.
Kids are pretty calm and sweet only a few that give a bit of trouble.


The owners,management team,food the children eat and Administration is terrible. The gym area isn't safe for small children as they usually get stuck behind the gym. The facility isn't entirely baby proofed. As children get locked in the bathroom by the gym repeatedly for lack of supervision. The bathroom by Toddler room is sometimes unusable do to being overcrowded with strollers.Raises are based on favoritism. Holiday pay is based on best attendance of all the facilities. PTO, sick days and health benefits are non existent. They hire staff as young as 16. On the bright side they offer smart sitters for aftercare.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher's aide 4 salaries reported	$17.50 per hour
Preschool teacher 1 salary reported	$11.50 per hour
Teacher 2 salaries reported	$19.25 per hour
Classroom assistant 6 salaries reported	$15.88 per hour
Child care teacher 1 salary reported	$12.00 per hour

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