User:Prodigy-pac

This Wiki page has been set up to facilitate discussion of what the Prodigy parents can do to help the teachers feel more appreciated. - Anjana Iyer (mom of Kaveri Iyer from the Space Explorers, earlier from The Jungle)

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Sharon's original email dated Mon, 26 Sep 2005

Hi everyone,

I am very concerned with the number of teachers who have left Prodigy in the past few months. Teachers are leaving for different reasons but many complain of low salary.

Salary raises were given in April. Each teacher only received 5 cent raises up to 25 cent raises. Personally, I feel that this kind of raise is insulting. Mandy was not in charge of the raises since she just started at this time. The raises were entirely up to Linda Munoz, who is Mandy's boss. Linda said that she had a set amount of money and she divided it up fairly and those are the only raises she could give.

She said that Prodigy employees were receiving fair salaries and more than employees at other centers. I think Prodigy employees should be paid more because the cost of living is so high here. Also, the rates that Prodigy has increased is not being passed on to the teachers. Our rates were raised in September and they do not get raises until April. Linda also dictates the rates, not Mandy. She said the rates increase because all the costs increase.

If you would like to complain to her. Linda's phone number is 707-557- 2992.

In order to save the teachers we have I would like to start some employee appreciation plans. They love the lunches we have had, so we should continue these. In addition, I would like to have a gas card raffle. And a birthday program. I brainstormed with Linda about things we could do for the teachers/employees and the only thing she agreed to was presents for the teachers on their birthdays. I would like to get a list together of birthdays/favorite stores/favorite restaurants and organize a group gift for the teacher when it is her birthday by the students in her class.

Thanks, Sharon

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Concerns List - vent, rant, etc. here

(1) 10% increase in tuition without corresponding increase in teachers salaries - this means the largest block of costs for the center did not increase 10%. Valley lease rates are flat to down. Property tax increases, if the facility is KLC owned, are offset by capital gains. Only health care benefits and insurance could have increased significantly. I smell something rotten.

(2) Day-to-day management of the center by junior administrators is OK but KLC is now 'managing' this center without an on-site senior administrator who can make important policy decisions (eg. safety concerns regarding demolition were effectively ignored by KLC and managed by parents' committee, other examples. If it were effective, remote management is acceptable. But, too many important decisions are being neglected. This center needs someone onsite who has the authority to make higher level decisions.

(3) Are there any other instances that a director is insufficient? Linda(regional) should have come to the site to address parent concerns(re: demo) she was well aware of the issues and should have shown concern or at least acknowledged they existed.

(4) Do not see where KLC is contributing value (long-term site improvement, development of employees) to merit an increase in fees; see tuition increase without corresponding increase/investment in teachers as attempt to boost profit without value.

(5) Aren't they having staff training on October 10th??? Yes, but they were already doing that prior to rate increases. So, it was already budgeted. We would like to see concrete evidence that a just fraction of the 10% additional revenue KLC now receives will be deployed to benefit the teachers and/or the Sunnyvale facility. If not, we are getting more for paying more.

(6) There should be an onsite maintenance person who can more quickly arrive when a problem occurs. How long has the camera been off line in the bees room (now jungle). the sprinklers arent working on the preschool side etc.

(7) Prodigy is lucky to have so many teachers that are willing to give their time and love in spite the low compensation. Why if Prodigy is charging more than other local centers can they not pay more? {insert prices from other local centers} All though we understand that child care in general is an under paid under appreciated field, we leave our children with these women, and we trust that they will be well taken care of. Do we really want to trust that to the lowest bidder? should we have to? {sorry for the ranting please help edit!}

(8) Salaries were to increase by only 0% - 2% (based on $30k/yr-$35k/yr and $0.05-0.25/hr raise). Consider typical $17k/yr-$18k/yr toddler/infant tuition at 4:1 ratio. Estimate salary before benefits is 40%-50% of revenue. The remainder is benefits, facilities, other overhead and profit. Ratios are higher for older children but tuition rates are also lower. Clearly, salary is the largest cost factor. A 10% tuition hike with <2% salary hike? I think there is something rotten here. A small group of parents could easily fund 2-3 teachers for a classroom unit, treat and pay them better than KLC. Of course, there is the matter of the facility, licensing and minor administration. It is not that big a leap. I believe this is how many of the good daycares in the area started - not franchised from a corporation. KLC needs to know they have serious competition and are skating on thin ice. If they are not contributing something of value, they can be easily replaced.

(9)

(10)

(11)

- please keep adding comments for KLC letter here

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KLC Letter Draft - compose here

- Recommend maintaining a compact style to the letter

- Maximum 4 main ideas to communicate; occasional details to make the point

- Moved previous comments to rant section after editing and put notes there

To whom it may concern:

Recently, we learned that tuition rates would be increasing 10% at this center. However, we also learned that the teachers' salaries were to increase by only 0% - 2%.

As parents, we believe it is the teachers who contribute the greatest value for our children while at Prodigy. So, it is disturbing to see such a small fraction of the additional revenue being used to benefit the teachers - especially when labor is the largest expense component.

[Letter main body elements]

[Potential conclusion element for letter] Being members of a highly entrepeneurial community, we fully understand KLC's motivation to improve profitability. However, we also understand that the proper, sustainable path to profit growth is through increasing value to the customer (parents). If KLC is not choosing this path, then it is saying to both teachers and parents to please look elsewhere.

Truly,

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