Pros
The kids get me through the day. Every now and then, a passionate teacher comes along who's number one concern is the children. That is always refreshing when it happens. The HEART principals are a great theory. That stands for Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork. They are supposed to be the guiding principles of the company.
Cons
The number one priority seems to be branding of the centers and financial gains. I am not free to be creative, and if a child comes along who doesn't meet typical developmental patterns, I feel very restricted in making accommodations for that child because branching away from the guidelines is not the "Bright Horizons way." I am not trusted as a teacher. All written communications must be sent out by administration, and that can only happen after a lengthy submitting process, a corrections list, and an official approval. Many of the other teachers are not able to use a computer, write a complete sentence, or use common sense. I believe that the lengthy list of ever changing rules has made people so focused on following the rules that a logical decision cannot be made outside of administration providing an official guideline. It is also cut throat. We are constantly bombarded with the importance of branding and being competitive in getting more students enrolled with the threat of job loss of this is not done. When you walk in the door, you are given a "show." You are told of many wonderful aspects of the center, but those things are fabricated and do not actually happen. The staff are actually prepped for a tour and coached on appropriate activities to lead during tours so as to insure that nothing iffy happens during tours.
