Any FDA WOW Discovery Preschool Program parents here?
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Anonymous
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The CCLC family handbook says this is the grievance procedure:
"Concerns or questions that cannot be resolved or answered by a staff member should be directed to your Director. If your Director does not resolve the issue to your satisfaction, please contact your Regional Director." http://www.cclc.com/sites/default/files/FHBook.pdf The presentation to FDA parents says that Lauren Bond is the Regional Director. http://www.cclc.com/sites/default/files/FDA%20Parent%20Meeting%2010_12_11%20FINAL.pdf Current parents: Are any of you going to bring this thread and the concerns voiced here to the attention of the center director and/or the regional director? I think if the teachers and directors are not sufficiently addressing parents' concerns/questions, the regional director would want to know about it so they can correct the issue. |
Anonymous
RIght, this is what the handbook said, but another poster here said the discovery preschool teacher that my DC has said they will not be learning numbers. |
Anonymous
Is it possible that she is wrong or heard incorrectly? If its clearly in the curriculum I would have trouble believing that they will be excluding it. |
Anonymous
| Sounds like CCLC or one of the WOW people has entered the conversation. |
Anonymous
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It wasn't an issue of hearing incorrectly. I asked specifically if they would be learning numbers- the teacher COULD have referenced the curriculum but didn't. She instead stated: "We will not be teaching numbers unless the parents ask us specifically." When I was shocked and said: "My child counts all the time." She said "Yes, I heard DC count today and even count backwards."
There is an obvious disconnect between the teachers, curriculum and directors. I'm not sure how much more clear that could be from my interaction. The teachers have a direct interaction with the children and are the ones teaching the children. If, out of their own mouths, they tell me as a parent they will not be teaching numbers unless the parents ask specifically- then as a parent and my child's advocate I will not assume that they'll just "adhere to the curriculum" because it's stated on their website and brochure. When the morning preschool teacher disagreed with the afternoon teacher's statement and said "We will be teaching up to the number 5"- the disconnect is not with one teacher, but now with both. I can say had I not had prior experience with another preschool/daycare, that I may not have thought much of this. But these are questions I asked of our prior preschool/daycare and not only were all teachers/aides/ and director on board, but they could take me around and show me what the children had done that day or the previous day. I came on here to tell the existing/future parents my experience. I do encourage that each parent ask the directors, teachers, and aides for themselves- take note. AND drop in to visibly see what your child is learning- or not learning. We made our decision to pull our child out not just because of this disconnect, but because of several red flags during the first few days alone. Combined those issues signaled a larger problem for us- and we made our decision. |
Anonymous
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Thanks again for the update explaining what you were told about the numbers and other issues you described. Thanks to all the parents for posting here. Between what I have read here and heard from another parent whose child is currently in the school, I do not doubt the accuracy of what we are reading here.
A previous poster put into words a concern that I have had all along-when visiting many other programs we heard what children would be working on, what tools would be used to work on those skills, etc, and everytime I have asked about the curriculum at WOW, my question has been unanswered. I do not want my child to go backwards in their learning and I want them at a preschool that is going to set them up for kindergarten. I really made a mistake here, I should have kept DC in their current program and waited to move them until WOW had been open a while, so I could check it out once running. I think we will probably try WOW out since I can't get DC back into their current program until June, but I'm not sure if we will make it until June. Talk about anxiety! |
Anonymous
| May I ask, what programs were your children in before attending WOW? I was looking at TPCDC, Georgetown Law, and TCS. I am on the waitlist at those. |
Anonymous
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Future FDA employee here again. I was the post at 15:00 yesterday (not sure if my post is the one that others think is from CCLC or WOW, but I can assure you it is not. And calling this thread to their attention is exactly what I'm asking for, so that would be great if they post on here!)
To PP (8:50): As you're concerned, and staying until at least June when you can get a spot back at your old day care, why not raise your concerns with the director, executive director and regional director? That's why I threw out the question to current FDA Discovery Preschool parents: You're observing problems. Now what are you going to do about them? No place is perfect, especially when they're just starting, and they claim to want to partner with parents and get feedback. So why not give it to them directly, rather than just posting it on an anonymous forum? As a future FDA employee seriously considering (but not sure about based on these concerns) a spot there, I'm happy to raise this thread and these issues with the center administration. But it will be a lot more powerful coming from the parents who actually experienced the situations and have first-hand knowledge of the issues. For your kids' sake, and the future kids who will go there, I encourage you to be part of the solution here. If WOW has the intention of standing behind what they say on their Web site, give them a chance to make things right. |
Anonymous
| PP, thanks for your post. |
Anonymous
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Before leaving and terminating services, most preschools and daycares require in their contract a written letter of termination. WOW is no different. The directors have received a detailed list of the issues we encountered.
Their attention has been brought to the issues. |
Anonymous
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We followed up with the directors based on this post. Regarding the numbers and curriculum, we were told that the teacher who said that was new and had not yet finished their training. We were told the curriculum does include numbers-counting, calendars, time, etc.
There was a security guard on duty today. I'm not sure I have the impression that the teachers are invested in the kids here, versus just having a job, but I guess time will tell. I did not realize that this center uses the same curriculum as kindercare. I wasn't too thrilled with the kindercares we looked at in the past, but I think that was more about how disorganized they seemed and I didn't really ever get invested in learning about the curriculum because we were just turned off by the organization issue from the getgo. WOW is definitely on a different level than kindercare when it comes to the organization issue and there was is much less chaos, but I am not convinced that the teachers are that invested in the kids learning or being teachers. This is based purely on observation.l |
Anonymous
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Future FDAer again:
Thanks to both PPers who followed up with the directors, both the one that left and the one that is still there. I'm glad to hear it sounds like they are taking steps to correct the issues. Hopefully they'll also work on the teachers' level of engagement and investment with the kids. |
Anonymous
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Ok, OK, discovery preschool Mom here. I am about to call BS on the curriculum poster. Several days ago, actually 2/1, parents received a black folder. In MY black folder is a sheet that states "February--In my imagination." It is a month long curriculum plan. At the bottom of the sheet, it clearly give information about that "Math/Manipulatives."
I am not doubting what you heard but why were you asking this if you read the curriculum sheet? Where you just putting the teacher on the spot? I might have asked " when are the children going to use the kelsey counters and the three-of-a-kind mat? |
Anonymous
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No BS. Our child began on Monday, February 6th. We did not receive any such folder or curriculum sheet. Other than the brochure we received at the Open House, the only other "sheet" we have received was the Daily Progress sheet. Of which being there three days we only received two (Monday and Tuesday) and didn't get the Tuesday one until Wednesday evening.
And if that was a folder and sheet provided, then why did the one teacher say no math unless parents request it? I appreciate all the info online, via email, newsletters, and some folder (we never received I guess because we started a week into the month?)... but then why aren't other parents' questions about the curriculum not being given a straight answer- with reference to this folder? Why didn't either teacher, when I asked these questions, even mention such a folder? Why didn't I, as a parent, receive this folder on the first day? And I did, by the way, talk with the director that first day. No mention of this folder whatsoever. |
Anonymous
| I can understand your frustration but as a enrolled parent, you should have received an email referencing the folder a few days ago from the director. There were several things that needed to be signed in the sheet. Since you did not receive the folder, but you admitted to receiving the emails, did you send an email back to the director asking her exactly what she was referencing in the email? |