School Teachers Wanting Discounts For Summer

[Josiegirl]

Whenever I've had teachers' kids I've never charged them for the summers because they've always returned once school started and I always get SA dcks during the summer anyways.
In fact, this is the first summer that I requested a nonrefundable deposit to hold a teacher's spot over the summer. I'm learning. Slowly. But I am learning. And I'll still be filled with SA dcks but I want to be reassured that I'll be filled when school starts back up too.

[KSDC]

I give my teacher families two options:

1. Continue to pay the full-time rate and use the spot whenever they want.

2. Pay for a half-time slot. They can only bring their child for the mornings, pick up must be before noon.

This works for me, because I love to take my munchkins to the neighborhood pool in the afternoons. It is worth it to me to have a smaller paycheck, in exchange for having a slightly smaller group to supervise at the pool.

I have never had a parent choose the full-time rate. And most of my teacher families only use the half-day slot a couple of times during the summer. Although, I do have one right now that uses it daily. But, that is OK. It is what I am contracted for.

[rosieteddy]

My teacher contract was -pay for 3 school vacations child did not attend.They paid through June and had up to 8 weeks off.I collected two weeks non refundable tuition to start when school started If they wanted summer care then they would be responsible for my summer vacation.

[MrsC]

From a Teachers perspective

I am a teacher. The reason I became a teacher is to spend time with my family and make a difference in the lives of children. I went to college for years and have the same amount of student loans as most other college grads but make less annually. I also pay out a lot of my income to better the lives of children who are not mine. Here is the question I have for you... do you not have more students over the summer whose parents are not teachers and who need summer care? Our daycare does not make teachers pay during the summer, but they have a set monthly rate during the school year ( IE no discounts for Christmas break or spring break.) In doing this they receive a lot of business from teachers. During the summer they fill up with school age children and still make a good salary. (Some teachers even leave their children in for some of the summer.) They have not lost money. The difference is our daycare is ran by former teachers who understand that money is tight and teachers want to spend time with their children... they are also required to pay out hundreds of dollars during the summer for school supplies and professional development. Just my thoughts.

[JackandJill]

I am a teacher. The reason I became a teacher is to spend time with my family and make a difference in the lives of children. I went to college for years and have the same amount of student loans as most other college grads but make less annually. I also pay out a lot of my income to better the lives of children who are not mine. Here is the question I have for you... do you not have more students over the summer whose parents are not teachers and who need summer care? Our daycare does not make teachers pay during the summer, but they have a set monthly rate during the school year ( IE no discounts for Christmas break or spring break.) In doing this they receive a lot of business from teachers. During the summer they fill up with school age children and still make a good salary. (Some teachers even leave their children in for some of the summer.) They have not lost money. The difference is our daycare is ran by former teachers who understand that money is tight and teachers want to spend time with their children... they are also required to pay out hundreds of dollars during the summer for school supplies and professional development. Just my thoughts.

The way you describe yourself as a teacher is how may of us would describe ourselves as providers. I have a college degree, student loans, chose this job to be with my children more, take many hours of continuing education and professional development classes and spend quite a a lot of money to make my program a benefit to all who come.

Filling temporarily empty spaces with school age children can be harder and very costly for family child care providers, which is why I do not offer a discount for teachers or parents with extended family leave.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I am a teacher. The reason I became a teacher is to spend time with my family and make a difference in the lives of children. I went to college for years and have the same amount of student loans as most other college grads but make less annually. I also pay out a lot of my income to better the lives of children who are not mine. Here is the question I have for you... do you not have more students over the summer whose parents are not teachers and who need summer care? Our daycare does not make teachers pay during the summer, but they have a set monthly rate during the school year ( IE no discounts for Christmas break or spring break.) In doing this they receive a lot of business from teachers. During the summer they fill up with school age children and still make a good salary. (Some teachers even leave their children in for some of the summer.) They have not lost money. The difference is our daycare is ran by former teachers who understand that money is tight and teachers want to spend time with their children... they are also required to pay out hundreds of dollars during the summer for school supplies and professional development. Just my thoughts.

I don't take school age kids in my program. I do not feel it is fair to the S/A or my infants. I have one playroom and it is geared toward having the younger ones. So I think the "fill up on S/A" is not correct, it doesn't fit my program.

as for the original question-
I do have one infant whose parents are teachers. I do not charge a holding spot for her. I have watched all 4 of their kids so we have an 8 year relationship. Their kidlet is a part timer- mom works 2 days a week. I like the lighter summer. I have taken off 4 fridays this summer and I have had a drop in child (grandparents usually have and they have had vacation etc) that has filled some of the empty spots. Lighter also means I can have some park days throw in here. My teacher usually meets us there with her gang and one of my other former moms who now is a stay at home mom to almost 3 meets us too. That makes it seem more like summer to me- to be able to break routine.
I guess if half of my kids were teacher's kids I might have to rethink my policy but so far it has not been an issue. You need to do whatever is best for you and your program.

[Thriftylady]

I am a teacher. The reason I became a teacher is to spend time with my family and make a difference in the lives of children. I went to college for years and have the same amount of student loans as most other college grads but make less annually. I also pay out a lot of my income to better the lives of children who are not mine. Here is the question I have for you... do you not have more students over the summer whose parents are not teachers and who need summer care? Our daycare does not make teachers pay during the summer, but they have a set monthly rate during the school year ( IE no discounts for Christmas break or spring break.) In doing this they receive a lot of business from teachers. During the summer they fill up with school age children and still make a good salary. (Some teachers even leave their children in for some of the summer.) They have not lost money. The difference is our daycare is ran by former teachers who understand that money is tight and teachers want to spend time with their children... they are also required to pay out hundreds of dollars during the summer for school supplies and professional development. Just my thoughts.

I agree with PP, that many childcare providers are in your same situation. It isn't always just easy to find a temporary child to fill a spot though. Most parents will want to keep that spot once school starts. I don't have teachers, but if I did I would let you quit coming and quit paying, but I would will the spot and you may not have it when school starts. I need my income, or I wouldn't work! And I don't make that much doing daycare, I need to stay full if at all possible. Summer care costs me a lot more to provide than school year care does.

[organicdclady]

I am a teacher. The reason I became a teacher is to spend time with my family and make a difference in the lives of children. I went to college for years and have the same amount of student loans as most other college grads but make less annually. I also pay out a lot of my income to better the lives of children who are not mine. Here is the question I have for you... do you not have more students over the summer whose parents are not teachers and who need summer care? Our daycare does not make teachers pay during the summer, but they have a set monthly rate during the school year ( IE no discounts for Christmas break or spring break.) In doing this they receive a lot of business from teachers. During the summer they fill up with school age children and still make a good salary. (Some teachers even leave their children in for some of the summer.) They have not lost money. The difference is our daycare is ran by former teachers who understand that money is tight and teachers want to spend time with their children... they are also required to pay out hundreds of dollars during the summer for school supplies and professional development. Just my thoughts.

I understand you what are saying, as other posters have said though, parents have to find a program that works for them. Some daycares cater to certain types of clients (part time employment, teachers, graveyard workers, etc) they just need to seek out the best option for them and their family. Not expecting that every daycare is going to be a fit just because of the employment they chose, no matter how noble it may be.
I get that some careers require personal development and training to be paid out of pocket. Daycare is one of them. I can't logically discount care for every bill a family has. That's kind of ridiculous to expect. It's also not fair for other families to give special treatment to teacher clients. Why are their expenses more credible than those of other clients? If I had someone come to me saying they have to buy school supplies and pay for professional development, I would just say hey me too!
I do allow families to go part time over summer if they need it. I do however let them know that if I find someone to fill the spot full time, a choice has to be made. Either pay full time for the remainder of the summer or lose the spot come fall.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

I agree with PP, that many childcare providers are in your same situation. It isn't always just easy to find a temporary child to fill a spot though. Most parents will want to keep that spot once school starts. I don't have teachers, but if I did I would let you quit coming and quit paying, but I would will the spot and you may not have it when school starts. I need my income, or I wouldn't work! And I don't make that much doing daycare, I need to stay full if at all possible. Summer care costs me a lot more to provide than school year care does.

And the other issue with "filling in" is that usually teachers need a couple weeks before school starts and S/A needs care up to the first day of school.

[Kimskiddos]

My teacher family pays 1/2 tuition and gets 2 set days per week in the summer.

In my 30 years of child care I have always had a teacher family. When my kids were young I LOVED the lighter load in the summers. Now that I am way older I still enjoy the lighter load. I've only ever had 1 teacher family at a time and they have all being long term families, infant to kinder plus siblings.

[MunchkinWrangler]

I am a teacher. The reason I became a teacher is to spend time with my family and make a difference in the lives of children. I went to college for years and have the same amount of student loans as most other college grads but make less annually. I also pay out a lot of my income to better the lives of children who are not mine. Here is the question I have for you... do you not have more students over the summer whose parents are not teachers and who need summer care? Our daycare does not make teachers pay during the summer, but they have a set monthly rate during the school year ( IE no discounts for Christmas break or spring break.) In doing this they receive a lot of business from teachers. During the summer they fill up with school age children and still make a good salary. (Some teachers even leave their children in for some of the summer.) They have not lost money. The difference is our daycare is ran by former teachers who understand that money is tight and teachers want to spend time with their children... they are also required to pay out hundreds of dollars during the summer for school supplies and professional development. Just my thoughts.

Well, no. I work in an area that the schools offer a summer program for school age children as well as after school care. So that isn't an option for me and finding school age children is very rare if not impossible.

I chose my profession.... just like you chose yours. Where I live many teachers make a very good salary yet do still say they are not paid enough. Many providers make the same argument. I think both professions are one in the same as the cost of taking care of children on both levels is expensive and tests the best of people.

Don't assume that providers don't have student loans as many of them hold some sort of degree. Personally, I am in school for something else so that doesn't apply to me.

Some providers have a lot of teacher clients...so that provider should expect no money for her bills because more than half her clients don't want to pay for something they're 'not using?' I did this job to raise my son before he goes to school and I find I have even less time with him but I need to make a sufficient income. I run a business and I need to keep that business going as well as take care of my family. Year round. I don't give one group of people special treatment over others no matter their profession. That would fall in a category of being beyond my job.

[Unregistered]

Whenever I see the teacher discount issue surface, I wish I had a polite concise way to explain how our income works. A LOT of my gross income is put back into my child care. I could make a TON more money if I didn't do all of these enriching activities for the children. They are not all required but I do them because I want to provide the best care and let kids have special fun too. Some things are not even deductible on my taxes so it comes out of my personal net income.
I have had teachers say how they spend $400 a year! and I think wow, I spend more than that a month. year round.

[Blackcat31]

The way you describe yourself as a teacher is how may of us would describe ourselves as providers. I have a college degree, student loans, chose this job to be with my children more, take many hours of continuing education and professional development classes and spend quite a a lot of money to make my program a benefit to all who come.

Filling temporarily empty spaces with school age children can be harder and very costly for family child care providers, which is why I do not offer a discount for teachers or parents with extended family leave.

never mind the benefits that that teachers earn that as self-employed child care provider's don't.

I'm tired of teachers thinking they somehow deserve special treatment because of their profession.

There are pros and cons for every job out there.

I don't make the cons of my job, my dentist's problem so it gets old when teachers feel they need "justify" why they deserve different treatment.

[finsup]

I dot currently has teachers, but I have two options for them:

Option one: pay a higher weekly rate and have all vacations "free" including summer. Put a non refundable holding fee down in June for the spot in September. I figure out the math and make sure the rate is high enough to cover these. No care over for vacations/summer.

Option two: switch to part time during the summer. I choose the days that work. Full time rate is due all other times of the year.

Or, they can choose a school year program somewhere else. Bills don't stop in the summer just because their job does.

[laundrymom]

I'm a teacher too.
I chose this profession because I love watching kids learn. I enjoy helping them figure things out.
I've been going to school for years but have no loans because I paid upfront by saving until I could afford each one. I pay all my own taxes, health insurance, retirement, continuing education costs, my own supply fees, heat, air, upkeep and repair on my facility. I pay thousands per year for any enrichment activities or improvements to the facility. I make less per hour because after I pay all of the above, plus all routine costs, and divide by the 65-75 hours per week I work, not much is left.
I don't think you view an early childhood educator as a peer. We are teachers. Usually their FIRST teacher other than an parent and your post has me scratching my head wondering why our value should be dismissed so easily by suggesting that because a teacher works within a school year setting, and I don't, my needs aren't as important.
This is becoming a nonissue as many schools are developing a balanced calendar.
Maybe when that happens everywhere ECE providers won't be questioned about this as often because the breaks will be disbursed throughout the year rather than in a lump during summer.
It still bothers me when I read or hear of someone suggesting their career choice should trump my own paycheck. If it's that hard to pay through the times a teacher is off maybe an automatic savings account withdrawal option would help them to prepare for childcare costs through the summer.

I am a teacher. The reason I became a teacher is to spend time with my family and make a difference in the lives of children. I went to college for years and have the same amount of student loans as most other college grads but make less annually. I also pay out a lot of my income to better the lives of children who are not mine. Here is the question I have for you... do you not have more students over the summer whose parents are not teachers and who need summer care? Our daycare does not make teachers pay during the summer, but they have a set monthly rate during the school year ( IE no discounts for Christmas break or spring break.) In doing this they receive a lot of business from teachers. During the summer they fill up with school age children and still make a good salary. (Some teachers even leave their children in for some of the summer.) They have not lost money. The difference is our daycare is ran by former teachers who understand that money is tight and teachers want to spend time with their children... they are also required to pay out hundreds of dollars during the summer for school supplies and professional development. Just my thoughts.