Pros
Working with the kids and their families is amazingly rewarding!! These instructional programs really do work and change lives. Also a great way to build experience working with children of various learning differences and special needs. In a director position, there are also many networking opportunities with other education professionals in the community
Cons
Oh boy, where to begin. The TL;DR version: disorganized, impulsive corporate mananagement will work you to the bone. In one meeting, corporate actually compared center directors to spinning plate circus performers to give a picture of their expectations for the role. Your schedule gets clogged with so many weekly meetings where a few disconnected head honchos push their newest agenda..... most likely only to contradict themselves a few weeks later when they realize that aforementioned agenda was poorly thought out or had several MAJOR holes. —I’m not talking small areas of refinement, I am talking *large* pitfalls that could have been avoided with some proactive thinking.— In fact, center directors may often point out “on the ground” issues to regional or corporate management, but they rarely take action. Very frustrating. The unsustainable “one humped camel” business model they have been running and expanding for the past 30 years is finally catching up with them, and, unfortunately, center staff and students are the ones taking the brunt of the consequences.
