preschool teacher

substitute teacher

co-teacher

elementary school teacher

teacher

Stepping Stone School

As a teacher/assistant Director/and Director I know all the ends and outs of the customer service side. A typical day at my location was customer service to the parents, maintaining health and safety and focus on children and teachers. The majority of my day was making sure that I followed all minimum standards. You are "pushed" daily to add more job duties and or do better. 

I learned how to treat employees (what not to do based on supervisor behavior) , I also learned how to remain calm in situations (health and safety) , communication is key! Just because you tell one supervisor make sure you notify someone else because communication can be  lost. 

Management is all over the place. The creator of this company is brilliant and has values and a vision of what the company should maintain. The supervisor below her her however- tends to make up her own rules and talks down to people and demeans them. Which is heart breaking. I honestly would still be there if it wasn't for treatment of staff and response time to safety concerns.

All of the teachers I managed at my location were deffantly in it for the love of children. They all work extremely hard to live up to the standards required (some impossible) for the amount of work they put in they do not make enough money. 

The hardest part of the job is I didn't have final say on my schools issues whether it be about parents, children, and staff. I was in the school 16 hrs a day so i knew the needs of the center. The communication between director, supervisor wasn't never easy the supervisor let her personal life and feeling interfere with daily operations. 

The most enjoyable part about my job was learning so much from the creator of the company she held WONDERFUL training and provided plenty of resources to staff. The hard work all of the teachers put in daily blew my mind and of course watching children grow. I was so blessed to see the education at work. I still recommend this company for childcare to friends and family.

* A typical day at work consists of the Principal and Assistant Principal scrambling to finish writing out schedules 3 hours into opening. They are severely understaffed and do no pre-planning for scheduling their teachers and assistants. Even if you are a lead teacher for a certain classroom, you may very well be asked (in the middle of your shift without warning) to rush over to lead another classroom (with children you haven't even been introduced to yet). This leaves you underprepared and the children uncomfortable with a new adult. You may even be asked to stop teaching and prepare lunch for the entire school- with absolutely no training in the kitchen!

*The training program is an absolute joke. You are "trained" online through a self-guided course that in no way prepares you for managing a classroom that you are unfamiliar with. In training and the interview process, they make it seem as if this is a professional SCHOOL, who prides themselves in their "quality education for children". In reality, you are being grossly underpaid and employed by an awfully unprofessional and disorganized daycare center.

*Workplace culture consists of lots of rushing around, mainly because "management" is trying not to break state mandates for teacher to student ratios as they are so understaffed. (not to mention an incredibly sad turnover rate due to burnout) If considering this job, be prepared to be SHOCKED at how many basic tools and resources you have to ask for or are not even provided by "management" such as clean hand towels or proper disinfectant for classrooms. 

*Payroll employees are extremely unprofessional and difficult to communicate with. If your paycheck arrives late, (even by over a week) they will simply blame it on the Post Office and you'll just have to wait to pay your bills. 

*The hardest part of the job was dealing with management's disorganization and shortcomings. 


I worked at Stepping Stones a year ago. Other than being a mom I had no childcare experience. I made it very clear that I did not feel comfortable being in a classroom by myself. 
My understanding was that I got hired to be a teacher assistant (which I thought meant someone who helps the lead teacher, right?) Well after 1 week, they put me in a classroom by myself with 18 kids age 3!!!! And majority of them were not potty trained!
 Teachers kept quitting without a 2 week notice (not surprising). In the 5 months I was there I saw over 10 teachers quit. The only reason I made it to 5 months is because I told the director I was quitting and she asked me not to and put me in the infant room (2 teachers, 10 babies)(also got a pay cut because of that, from 12 to $10/hr). The infant room was very stressful but at least there was another teacher there to help out.
The ratios were often illegal, way too many kids for one teacher to handle.
What bothers me most is that parents are getting ripped off, kids are not getting quality care, teachers are overworked and miserable.
The daycare I currently work at is amazing and I feel so much happier knowing my child is getting proper care. 
Also, stepping stones claims to have a really good academic program but teachers don't have time to do any curriculum activities with children because they are way too overwhelmed. Ratios are so important and teachers should never be left alone in a classroom for hours and hours (good luck trying to get a bathroom break)... everything about this place is negative except a few of my co-workers were very nice.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part about working at this company is you get so many hands on experiences in your day to day life at work. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part about working at this company would be managing kids needs all at the same time, but if you have the patience and skills it takes for this job you will be just fine. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment and culture at this company is very welcoming, and everybody was willing to help out when I needed help getting started.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day for me at this company begins with starting work and immediately jumping into my shift. I greet the co-teacher who is already there and ask how the kids have been. Then, I quickly get to work, feeding the babies, changing their diapers, and providing other necessary care. Throughout the day, I strive to bring a positive and enjoyable atmosphere to the classroom.

When I first started at SSS I was excited because I truly felt that they cared about nurturing children and providing tools and resources to teachers. On my first day, I realized that they were much more concerned with making money and working their employees to their limits. The best-case scenario for working there is having a co-teacher (only allowed up to 18-month-old children classrooms) who you work very well with and who cares as much as you do (if not more) which is not easy to find here. The principals are encouraged to break rules (like leaving teachers with far too many children of vastly different ages) just to make sure no other teachers receive overtime for staying too late. It's easy to burn out fast. The only positives are the relationships you form with the children and your coworkers (if you're lucky). If you have to work here, I recommend at least starting with a co-teacher so they can show you how to do everything. One last thought: if you're sick, they will still encourage you to come into work... even if you're contagious.

At Stepping Stone School, you need to be present at the schools to care for and educate the children. Some administrators can work remotely when needed due to illness, bad weather, attending a conference, etc. but the jobs done by those working in the schools can only be done at the school. I have learned a great deal over the last 20 years regarding the upkeep and maintenance of our 21 facilities which is constant. Remodeling and upgrading also takes place continuously. While some campus are smaller or older, all campuses are modeled around one cohesive learning model. Since the pandemic, our most serious issue has been finding and retaining faculty and administrators which is what all early care and education providers are facing. I enjoy seeing the children enjoying themselves and learning while in our schools. 

From the outside, Stepping Stone School seems like an amazing place for children to learn and grow. I thought that it would be a great experience working there. However, on the inside, it looks very different. It was my first real job in a childcare setting, I had previous babysitting experience, but no large group care. I was hired to be an afternoon aide where I would be assisting a lead teacher. However, on my very first day someone asked me to go with a class outside and I was given NO INSTRUCTIONS. The next day, the next few days, the next weeks, I was given no guidance or instruction. I was the sole teacher in a room and I had no support at all. I asked the Principal multiple times for things I should be doing and for assistance leading the room, however, it was never provided. Also, classes were sometimes over the NAEYC ratios that the school says that they follow. I believe the poor management/leadership is what ruined this school. I would not recommend anyone work there until they get that figured out.

I love the Crestview location but the rooms are a little small for the amount of children and equipment you'll have. The air conditioners fail often and you can't open the windows. High criteria and expectations are expected for higher up (outside of the location) that is almost impossible to meet because on site training is lacking due to staff shortage and ratios. The assistant principal was amazing even though she was over worked. Everyone sticks together for the most part. The pay is unfair for all you have to endure. I heard no mentions of strong health care benefits. Love the location, not so much the overall system.

Working at Stepping Stone had many pros and cons with the cons heavily outweighing the pros. Stepping Stone is always understaffed which brings a lot of stress to the work environment and can even transfer to the students. There are always new hires which would make you believe that they shouldn't be understaffed but so many people leave within a few months because they realized the stress of Stepping Stone. The things that kept me at Stepping Stone the longest was my love for the babies in my classroom. The pay is very poor at Stepping Stone and even though they are understaffed they will do anything just so you will not have overtime, even if that means going over the teacher to student ratio. A fast food restaurant pays you more than Stepping Stone will. This is crazy because you are taking care of the greatest gift of all - children.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part about working with steppingstone is everyone is so nice and supportive of one another. I love that they help me prepare for my position with professionalism and care. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Working with kids is always a delight but it can be stressful at times. Watching children isn’t for everyone but I love it.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Very professional and caring environment towards everyone.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I am an opener so I help get classrooms ready and do what I can before children start to arrive. I watch the children and teach them songs and silly dances on things we are learning that week to help them with gross motor skills and to help educate them on whatever it is that we are learning that week. This week is about Birds!!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Preschool teacher 22 salaries reported	$15.57 per hour
Substitute teacher 1 salary reported	$13.75 per hour
Co-teacher 2 salaries reported	$11.00 per hour
Elementary school teacher 1 salary reported	$17.00 per hour
Teacher 2 salaries reported	$16.75 per hour

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