Google on-site day care

[Good Old Neon]

 

 

Harvard for toddlers

 

Just last week, I invoked the clich

[quarter23cd]

I'll have to send this one to my wife--she'll get a kick out of it (and/or pull her hair out). Kudos to Google for creating a quality childcare experience--boo for making it almost useless to their employees.

 

Any type of childcare is not cheap. It just isn't. My monthly childcare bill costs way more than my mortgage. I probably would question the costs more if my wife didn't used to run a center and I've seen the budgets she used to work with and I know that the expenses are tremendous and the employees still get paid crap even when tuition is high. It doesn't make it any easier to pay that bill each month, but at least I know there is some reasoning behind it. Still, this center is pretty clearly jacked-up to make it more exclusive.

 

I'm not sure how I feel about on-site childcare, in general. It sounds good on paper, but it almost always ends up an executives-only type of thing, much like the Google center, with a very limited number of spots for kids and high prices that a lot of people can't/won't pay. Yes, you want to keep small ratios and quality curriculum, but limiting enrollment spaces to do so seems to run contrary to the idea of a company-sponsored service that, theoretically, should be available to all. The two ideas don't mesh.

 

The center my wife used to run was the same way--it wasn't on-site, but was situated nearby several large companies who got a certain number of guaranteed slots and "discounted" tuition.(which was still high as hell) Really the only kids who went there were the kids of mid-to-high range executives. The only reason my own kids went there is because we got 50% off tuition (and still could barely pay that), but we were clearly the "poor people" at the center!

[austrya]

When my kids were in day care, we had their aunt watching them and even that was expensive.

 

With 4 kids, all in day care, it's more cost effective for me to stay home...

[explodo]

With 4 kids, all in day care, it's more cost effective for me to stay home...

No doubt about that. Just thinking about having to pay for a kid makes me want a vasectomy.

[Good Old Neon]

I'll have to send this one to my wife--she'll get a kick out of it (and/or pull her hair out). Kudos to Google for creating a quality childcare experience--boo for making it almost useless to their employees.

 

Any type of childcare is not cheap. It just isn't. My monthly childcare bill costs way more than my mortgage. I probably would question the costs more if my wife didn't used to run a center and I've seen the budgets she used to work with and I know that the expenses are tremendous and the employees still get paid crap even when tuition is high. It doesn't make it any easier to pay that bill each month, but at least I know there is some reasoning behind it. Still, this center is pretty clearly jacked-up to make it more exclusive.

 

I'm not sure how I feel about on-site childcare, in general. It sounds good on paper, but it almost always ends up an executives-only type of thing, much like the Google center, with a very limited number of spots for kids and high prices that a lot of people can't/won't pay. Yes, you want to keep small ratios and quality curriculum, but limiting enrollment spaces to do so seems to run contrary to the idea of a company-sponsored service that, theoretically, should be available to all. The two ideas don't mesh.

 

The center my wife used to run was the same way--it wasn't on-site, but was situated nearby several large companies who got a certain number of guaranteed slots and "discounted" tuition.(which was still high as hell) Really the only kids who went there were the kids of mid-to-high range executives. The only reason my own kids went there is because we got 50% off tuition (and still could barely pay that), but we were clearly the "poor people" at the center!

 

Yeah, I find those numbers to be staggering. My wife is, or, at this point, was, a pre-school teacher (later promoted to assistant director) at one of the communities higher-end (read

[uncool2pillow]

I'm somewhat surprised to read that someone who espouses so many liberal beliefs would be looking for ways to opt out of the public school system. Do you support vouchers to help others below your SES do the same?

 

As a public school teacher (and a moderate conservative), I have mixed feelings about this issue. In theory I support it, but I see that my school's hands are tied so tight by federal and state regulations that our ability to innovate is seriously restrained. So my current position is that I would fully support vouches if any school receiving federal funds were held to the same regulations as public schools.

[Good Old Neon]

I'm somewhat surprised to read that someone who espouses so many liberal beliefs would be looking for ways to opt out of the public school system. Do you support vouchers to help others below your SES do the same?

 

As a public school teacher (and a moderate conservative), I have mixed feelings about this issue. In theory I support it, but I see that my school's hands are tied so tight by federal and state regulations that our ability to innovate is seriously restrained. So my current position is that I would fully support vouches if any school receiving federal funds were held to the same regulations as public schools.

 

 

I certainly see how you could get that impression, however, politically, I

[quarter23cd]

With 4 kids, all in day care, it's more cost effective for me to stay home...

Yeah, we're in that boat right now. We have 4 enrolled full-time and it really is a toss-up about what to do. We used to have them go only a couple days a week and Grandma helped out the rest, but she's dealing with some health issues, so we've gone full-time. Mothly childcare ends up costing roughly the same as my wife's entire salary (a little more, actually). So part of her is inclined to stay home with them instead, but at the same time she has an extremely cool (and pretty flexible) job that is the kind of opportunity that will likely not come around again if she were to give it up now. Also, our 3 year old is painfully shy and being in a social setting with her peers every day seems to be doing wonders to bring her "out of her shell"--moreso than if she were at home every day, so I'd prefer to leave her in at this point.

 

Our oldest child starts kindergarten at public school in the fall, so that will relieve a little bit of the financial burden. Still, for the foreseeable future....yeah, its like sending them to college.

[bjorn_skurj]

I certainly see how you could get that impression, however, politically, I

[quarter23cd]

All year, he wrote stories about chicken nuggets and monkey doo and didn't spell "chicken" right once.

Link? I'm willing to forgive some misspellings if he can offer some unique insights into the nature of chicken nuggets and monkey doo.

[uncool2pillow]

Montessori schools ain't no hot shit either. My nephew, who just finished "second grade" knows "nine things about mourning doves," but doesn't know who George Washington was. All year, he wrote stories about chicken nuggets and monkey doo and didn't spell "chicken" right once.

I have a colleague whose son went to Montessori school for a year. Every day, he chose to cut carrots, so that's what he did.

 

I Am Jack's War on War, I appreciate your response. The Lasch essay was interesting.

 

One of the most challenging aspects of maintaining as democratic society is educating all. It's impossible to educate all equally because each of us has unique capabilities. I see so many kids in my school who would benefit from a more vocational education. They would be happier at school and better prepared for a happy, productive, even affluent career. Our suburban school district does a great job of college prep. Our top students would not fall into the type of student Lasch describes. However, many of our average and below average students will attend college because that's what their parents expect and not succeed.

 

There are many problems with the No Child Left Behind law, too many to address here. One of its biggest weaknesses is that the goal of the law is to make sure all students reach a certain level of proficiency. Therefore, the schools' efforts must be focused on the lowest students (who have been ignored in many cases, so that's good). That means many schools are not focusing enough on pushing the top students to even higher levels.

 

I could say much more, but I'm rambling, so...

 

One more thing: Having read your posts for a couple of months, it's hard for me to imagine that your child(ren) will have any trouble developing critical thinking skills whether educated at home or school!

[austrya]

Montessori works well for certain kids and not for others.

 

My oldest went to a montessori preschool for a while and did really great there. He has a certain learning style that really comes out in a montessori environment.

 

My now 6 year old would never have made it in montessori, he needs the structure and direction of a traditional system.

[Lammycat]

There are many problems with the No Child Left Behind law, too many to address here. One of its biggest weaknesses is that the goal of the law is to make sure all students reach a certain level of proficiency. Therefore, the schools' efforts must be focused on the lowest students (who have been ignored in many cases, so that's good). That means many schools are not focusing enough on pushing the top students to even higher levels.

True.

 

As to the myraid of problems with NCLB, I suggest anyone who wants to put blame solely on the school/teachers to watch the HBO documentary about Douglass High School in Baltimore. I teach at an inner-city school and can relate to many of the problems.

[Lammycat]

Montessori works well for certain kids and not for others.

 

My oldest went to a montessori preschool for a while and did really great there. He has a certain learning style that really comes out in a montessori environment.

 

My now 6 year old would never have made it in montessori, he needs the structure and direction of a traditional system.

Good point. My two older boys go to a charter school that's based on Outward Bound tenets. It works for them/us.

 

Childcare is expensive, of course. My 1 year old gets free care at the Jewish pre-school his mom works at. If she didn't get the discount it'd be very challenging for us. It was when the two older boys needed childcare....

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Since we seem to be talking about all kinds of educational crap here, have any of you heard the story on This American Life about the NYC public schools' rubber room?

 

Crazy stuff.

http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?sched=1232

 

 

Act One. Rubber Room.

 

We hear from New York City school teachers about a secret room in the New York City Board of Education building. Teachers are told to report there, and when they arrive, they find out they're under investigation for something. They have to wait in this room all day, every day, until the matter is cleared up. They call this bureaucratic purgatory "the rubber room." Some teachers have been stuck in it for years.

[austrya]

One thing that I don't like about some public schools, besides the No Child Left Behind, is that they seem to teach one way and that's it. At least that's been the experience we've had with my 10 year old.

 

He was having problems with math and since Jay is the mathamagician, he showed him a different way to do the problems and Austin got it right away. Jay sent a note to the teacher asking if Austin could bring his book home the next day so they could work on it more and she sent a note back that said "Thanks, but no thanks. He needs to learn it the way we teach it, not your way."

 

In 3rd grade, he wanted to read a certain book (Old Yeller, I think) and his teacher told him that book was too hard for him and that he needed to pick another book. I was pissed. I told him that he could read it if he wanted to and that if his teacher gave him any more grief about it, I'd have a talk with him. Austin told him that I said it was ok if he read it and the teacher never brought it up again. He ended up getting 100% on the AR test.

 

In 4th grade I wanted him to read a certain book and when he brought it to school, the teacher said no because it was a book he would be reading in class in 5th grade. I don't understand why he couldn't read it now, and again in 5th grade. For whatever reason, he didn't end up reading it.

 

Our kids go to a great school, don't get me wrong. I just wish some of the teachers could see outside the box sometimes.

[uncool2pillow]

True.

 

As to the myraid of problems with NCLB, I suggest anyone who wants to put blame solely on the school/teachers to watch the HBO documentary about Douglass High School in Baltimore. I teach at an inner-city school and can relate to many of the problems.

My hat's off to you for working in an inner-city school. Every time I hear teachers in my building complain, I remember my days as a substitute in some of the most troubling schools in inner-city DM. Then I remind myself that inner-city DM is nothing compared to places like Chicago, LA, NY, and DC.