Sylvan Learning Center Rips off Teachers
Posted June 14th, 2005 @ 11:02am by Erik J. Barzeski
Carey, having a full-time teaching position with Millcreek School District this fall, began looking for summer work in mid April. After all, we've got a new house! Cash is good, in any form. One of the first places she looked was at the Sylvan Learning Center on Peach Street here in Erie.
Parents can send their children to Sylvan for the low low rate of about $40 per hour. Teachers are tasked with helping three to four students at a time, netting the center anywhere from $120 to $160. Teachers - who must be certified and pass Sylvan's own battery of tests - are then tasked with little more than helping students work on Sylvan-prepared worksheets.
How much are the teachers paid? Eight measly bucks an hour.
My recommendation is simple: if you have a child who is in need of tutoring, find a teacher who is good at what they do and offer them $15 to $25 per hour. You'll pay less and get your child individualized attention that likely fits better into your schedule.
I made more than $8/hour working at Boston Market in 1996.
Posted 14 Jun 2005 at 11:33am #
Sylvan does a pretty good job of ripping off parents and students, too.
About six years ago my parents had me spend a day being tested at Sylvan and while I aced everything they threw at me they decided that my parents had better keep paying them money because I had below average "study skills", a fact they probably arrived at from the one or two questions they asked about how much time I spent on homework a night.
The whole thing was insulting, I didn't do the silly worksheets they gave me and I didn't want the silly rewards that they gave to the students who did.
The entire system felt more like babysitting than tutoring. I got out after a couple of sessions.
Posted 30 May 2009 at 11:12am #
I can top all of you. Tuesday I called to schedule a make up session, at our local Sylvan Learning Center here in Jefferson City, Missouri for my son for this Saturday. I get there this morning and they have closed their doors, out of business, gone. I just pre-paid $4500.00 six weeks ago for his tutoring. Can you really expect me to believe that they didn't know they would be closing the facility six weeks ago, much less on Tuesday! When I got home I had a letter in the mail saying they were closing due to the economy and for those of us who had pre-paid they would be working on those reimbursements within the next 30 days. We'll see, can anyone say...law suit???
Posted 14 Jun 2005 at 12:14pm #
Hey, they have to pay for all of those TV commercials some how!
Posted 14 Jun 2005 at 2:33pm #
...and the Google ads...
Posted 15 Jun 2005 at 12:37am #
Wow that is pretty bad. Are there regular increases in pay or some other benefits involved?
Posted 28 Apr 2009 at 10:21pm #
It depends on the center. Often the pay is really low but they say it is based on experience. There are many times that it does work well for a students' needs. It just depends on who is overseeing the progress.
Posted 15 Jun 2005 at 2:49pm #
No.
Posted 10 May 2006 at 3:48pm #
I was a classroom teacher. I found that my students had wonderful results at Sylvan Learning Center. I was so impressed by the communication that I received from the Sylvan director about the kinds of things my student my working on. You must remember, Sylvan uses a battery of tests to find out what skills are missing so that those skill gaps can be filled in. A classroom teacher does not have the tools to uncover skill gaps that happened 2 to 3 years before that student was ever in your class. I would highly recommend Sylvan to anyone. I later went on to work for Sylvan as the center director. Sylvan does not clears $150 or more on a table of students. The monthly cost to operate a Sylvan center is around $5000 to $10,000 per month. The Sylvan owners pay their own advertising, they have to buy all of the Sylvan materials, payroll etc... The cost to even open a sylvan franchise is around $200k and that doesn't include any build out cost that might be required to the building.
My Sylvan teachers started out at $9.00 per hr and received a pay increase at the end of the 90 day probation period. They received bonuses for student growth etc and yearly raises.
Posted 19 Feb 2009 at 8:53pm #
Tangie is secretly Sylvan Learning Center! What a terrible company.
Posted 04 Apr 2009 at 10:14pm #
Posted 08 May 2009 at 11:17am #
How much do you get paid to be a center director? assistant director?
Posted 04 Jun 2009 at 4:27pm #
Oh, please.
So you're a former teacher now owning a Sylvan Learning Center. This is a place where frustrated parents take their impossible children in the hope of helping them. My advice for parents is to drive right on past Sylvan and go on home.
Sylvan is nothing more than a ripoff for parents and students alike.
I'm a father of two excellent students who were not always excellent. The fact is that I spent many hours with each of them - teaching them the skills necessary to succeed.
My suggestion to parents everywhere: Take time with your children - 30 minutes a day for reading, 30 minutes of unsupervised homework. Check the child's homework. Correct the homework. Reinforce the concepts being taught in school. Reteach if necessary. Your child doesn't need Sylvan - they need parental involvement.
Posted 10 May 2006 at 10:28pm #
$9 and hour! Darn. I'm glad I checked on those guys because they are contacting me to set up an interview. Just think of how much of these measily bucks will fly away to cover gas!
Posted 03 Apr 2009 at 12:11pm #
Joe said on February 19, 2009:
I just read the poorly structured blog from Tangie...if this is an example of the skill set of the directors and teachers at this center; watch out.
Posted 29 Jun 2006 at 9:52pm #
I just spent three hours "training" at Sylvan only to learn that my teaching degree and 5 years classroom experience would get me $9/hour. I'm going back to waitressing.
Posted 02 Jul 2006 at 7:08pm #
I'm not surprised. With what I've read on this blog and what I experienced in my first interview, I've concluded that these jokers are educator wannabees. C'mon, 9 measily bucks for teaching? These people live on another planet.
Posted 28 Jul 2006 at 2:45am #
Our teachers start at 10.00 per hour; Algebra teachers start at $12.00. They have the privelege of just teaching and motivating these kids and watching them succeed. There are no long hours of grading papers, lesson plans, etc. They have an assistant to bring them materials or whatever they may need during the teaching hour. The students don't do "just Sylvan worksheets" as one poster put it. They complete from five to ten assignments per hour and the Sylvan prescriptions are researched-based--a lot of the research came from Johns Hopkins university; and each students program is very individualized, and the teacher motivates and guides the student according to what type of learner he or she is. During their initial diagnostic assessment, the student is identified as a visual, auditory or tactile learner.
It's a program that works for the majority of the students. And I give my teachers all the snacks they can eat, and cokes for 25 cents--plus a dinner once a month and a drawing for giftcards!
Posted 05 Feb 2009 at 9:12pm #
What Sylvan do you work at? My boss always tells us there is no money. Yet Sylvan receives $150 each hour I teach and yet gives me only $9. How is that fair? A free coke and snacks do not add up to the difference.
It is disgusting that Sylvan treats its teachers so poorly. We pay great bucks to get our professional degree. Then we make less than someone who graduates from high school only. Terrible ethics.
Posted 04 Jun 2009 at 4:40pm #
Oh wow. I guess I stand corrected.
All the snacks they can eat? Wow. And soda for 25 cents?? Holy smokes!! I'm afraid to ask where the once a month dinner is. Burger King? But, remember to order from the dollar menu.
Let me compare that to say, a houseman at the Marriott. Similar wage? Check. Masters degree? Oops, houseman doesn't have that. All the snacks you can eat? Check. Soda for a quarter? Nope, housemen drink soda for free in the employee cafe. Dinner once a month? Nope, houseman get dinner nightly in the employee cafe. Coffee? Sure, for the housemen. In charge of teaching our youth? Whoops...you got me there, Sylvan teacher.
No long hours of grading papers (boo hoo), no lesson plans (fail to plan, plan to fail).
I think the only thing these assistants need to bring the teachers during the teaching hour is extra money!
What a farce.
Posted 03 Aug 2006 at 6:49am #
I work at Sylvan as an English teacher. I was a math student at Sylvan after I had graduated from college in preparation for the GRE. I was missing math skills from second grade. They took me from 2nd grade math skills I was missing all the way through college math. The big difference was that if I didn't "get" something, they would teach it to me over and over again in a different way until I did get it. I scored 300 points higher on the math portion of the GRE after Sylvan. I don't have a problem with the pay. I believe in Sylvan.
Posted 21 Aug 2006 at 12:21pm #
What is the average pay rate for the Sylvan Center Diretors? Im thinking about working for them and was wondering what was their average salary?
Posted 28 Aug 2006 at 5:26pm #
I am the owner of a Sylvan Franchise, and would like to add that my employees, teachers and directors alike, are all making pretty good money. My full time staff salary starts at $30k + full health insurance + quarterly bonuses. That totals around $40k/year. Teachers start at $10/hour, with increases in pay every few months + bonuses. If this seems too low, please keep in mind that teachers work only part time (4-16 hours a week), have no preparation to do, homework to grade, or any other "teacher" duties. We are a family here, we love teaching and we love seeing students succeed. We provide supplementary education, and should be considered a supplementary job. And since when do teachers choose their profession for the money? If money is all that you are after, no, Sylvan may not be for you. If you want to make a difference in a student's life, come in and fill out an application.
Posted 22 Feb 2009 at 11:10am #
Hi Kari,
A few fallacies in your argument/s I NEED to point out.
"And since when do teachers choose their profession for the money? If money is all that you are after, no, Sylvan may not be for you. If you want to make a difference in a student's life, come in and fill out an application."
1. "And since when do teachers choose their profession for the money?"
Response: You are doing what YOU Do for money. We all do what we Do for money. Exception volunteer work at local non-for -profit organizations ... Sylvan is a for-profit Corporation. Why do you pay your employees?
2. "If money is all that you are after, no, Sylvan may not be for you."
This is a deliberate misinterpretation of the other "posters" comments/arguments. Money is not "all" we are after, teaching and assisting students is a chosen profession. What we are after is an equitable pay rate that matches/approaches professional pay scale.
Money part is part of what we are "all" after ... garbage collectors make more money, businss owners make more money... waitesses make more money.
3. Equity and fair pay is what we "all" want. Think about your argument thoroughly ... we did
.
Posted 05 Oct 2006 at 4:55pm #
Recently I enrolled two students at the local Sylvan center. Sadly, these kids are in a real crisis situation and need expert one on one tutoring. They must make up years of gaps in the education provided by the Mesa AZ school system. I was led to believe that Sylvan would provide that tutoring in a individualized, comfortable atmosphere. At no time did any of the personnel tell me that one tutor has at least 3 students at a time, that the classrooms were actually one room that was noisy and distracting, and that Sylvan would be assessing the kids progress based on tests I couldn't review as they had been taken originally. (Sylvan uses a bubble test and claims copywrite infringement if they were provide a copy to me) So far, the kids have been given worksheets to fill out and absolutely no individualized help. I should have known something was not right with the center when the emails they sent me had words spelled wrong and grammar errors. They estimate almost $50K in tutoring hours are required for these two kids. If, after 36 hours of tutoring, an improvement of one grade level is not achieved, they will provide 12 hours of free tutoring. Basically, they are grading themselves and don't allow you to have a baseline to assess developement, or achievements by the students,and therefore Sylvan as well. The first 100 hours have been paid for, the remaining funds will go to an in home tutor that will help these kids. It would take a lot to convince me that Sylvan is anything more than just a business with the almighty dollar the real goal. That is the lesson they provided, a lesson I will never forget.
Posted 06 Feb 2009 at 2:56pm #
Amen Sister. That is all they care about. They lie and do anything to get more money. What a sad situation.
Posted 29 Oct 2006 at 11:18am #
As a former center director of Sylvan I am amazed at the comments from the teachers. Let's assume you make $8.00 per hour for your teaching 3 Sylvan students, proportionally what would you receive for the 24-30 you teach at your full-time job? $8.00 times 8 times as many students would be $64.00 and nine times $72.00 and if you taught 30 like I did in public high school math $80.00. Now lets do a little more math at the lower figure $64.00 times 40 hours the minimum any teacher I know puts in that is 2560.00 per week and teachers work 39 weeks per year, assuming no pay for vacations. So with the $99,840 you are apparently making at your regular job, why are you working part-time anyway?
My teachers started at $9.00 per hour in 2004 they received a fifty cents raise after 90 days and an additional quarter for each subject they taught, they also got a raise at 6 months and 12 months. Additionally each teacher got cash bonuses that totaled about $250.00 per year (tax Free). Most of our teachers were making 10.50 an hour in a small town. The average pay for a part-time job was around $7.25 per hour.
Furthermore I would like to remind the teachers that seeing the light in a child's eye should be the reason you teach. My teachers often remarked that they loved coming to Sylvan because it gave them the opportunity to experience real success with a child. In a time of overcrowded classrooms, violence in schools and children as parents many classrooms have become glorified daycares where the teacher spends more time breaking up fights and doing weapon checks than teaching. I would tell all my parents that you can take a mediocre teacher and give them only three students and there performance will sky rocket, but with an exceptional teacher their growth will be limitless and the exceptional teachers are the ones we want. I couldn't sell it if I didn't believe it and see it on a daily basis. Sylvan works and the teachers that we want are the ones that love to teach and take pride in seeing their students succeed.
Lastly I would remind teachers and parents that Sylvan is a supplemental educational service provider, we supplement because someone failed. We do not go into the community and tap students with a magic wand that places them 2,3 and 4 years behind grade level, that is a result of over-crowded schools, poor instruction and classroom management (in some cases), teachers retiring while still on the job (you educators know what I mean), parents not sending children to school prepared and not supporting the good teachers the students have, administrators telling teachers students have a right to sleep in class, administrators not supporting teachers, and low salaries being paid such that good teachers are driven to other fields. I would love to see Sylvan learning center out of business because their was no need for supplemental services, I would love to see my tax dollars be sufficient to see that my child is properly educated, but that is not the reality today, and until it is I know the 142 students that have succeeded as a result of my meeting with their parents and outlining an individualized learning prescription, my Director of Education assigning the specific skills to overcome those deficits and the very best of TEACHERS giving quality instruction, would ask that we keep doing what we do. I would further encourage you all to visit a Sylvan talk to the parents, students, and teachers they will give you their honest feedback and you too will become a believer.
Posted 08 May 2009 at 11:30am #
As a "highly qualified" teacher (Masters +) I resent hearing "we do it to see the light go off, not for the money". I am sorry, but I have worked hard, both academically and professionally, to achieve what I have done. I have as much education as a lawyer- yet make 1/2 as much. I am a human being, with a family, and a mortgage. I believe everyone should pursue a profession they enjoy, but shouldn't we be paid based on our credentials?
It is an argument that particularly annoys me. It is an obvious statement that our society under-values education, and our children as the future.
Posted 04 Jun 2009 at 4:50pm #
"I would tell all my parents that you can take a mediocre teacher and give them only three students and there performance will sky rocket, but with an exceptional teacher their growth will be limitless and the exceptional teachers are the ones we want."
This is from a Sylvan Center Director. I think the run-on sentence speaks for itself, as does the unfortunate, incorrect use of the term "there", which should have been "their".
Also, might I suggest a brief review on the use of paragraphs?
I would not want my child learning from you or your Sylvan employees.
Posted 04 Nov 2006 at 8:50am #
In the fourth grade our class was reading James and the Giant Peach. A whole quarter I think. We had a work packet to complete, place into our reading folder at the end of each chapter, to be turned in at the end of the book. I never got past page three. Never did the work, never turned in the folder, but I passed fourth grade reading..... my folder must have been lost, we all said. Really, maybe my teacher had a lot of students. I was lost in the crowd, my problem never identified. Most asked for help when needed. I did not. That was just the begining. I barely passed seventh grade pre algebra, eighth grade algebra, failed ninth grade english. B.S.'d my way through yearbook. By my senior year I was still enrolled in advanced classes, but skipped school nearly every day. My teachers and parents just thought I was lazy, and that I didn't care. Truth is, I did! I cared alot! Despite my wonderful teachers, I was rarely able to complete an assignment, not able to learn. I am so glad to know that there is a program like Sylvan that helps to identify the needs of individual children and helps them to succeed in thier studies! Had I been so lucky to have had that extra giudence back in the fourth grade, school might not have been such a challenge. I give thanks to the teachers that care enough to give thier extra time to children in need of a more individualized learning program.
Posted 07 Nov 2006 at 4:37pm #
I have taught at Sylvan for over a year and currently make 10/hr. It is a wonderful place to teach and really make a difference in a child's life. Many of the children that come to Sylvan need much more than than just tutoring. Lots of these children suffer from poor self-esteen and other problems. Sylvan offers a safe haven for these students to learn. So, if your primary goal is not to help a child succeed, but only to make an extra dollar for yourself then please, please don't even consider working there.
Posted 19 May 2009 at 1:21pm #
If you really just care about the children and their families, then why not just offer free counseling/tutoring at the school after hours. Many families cannot afford to shell out $40+ an hour to send their child(ren) to sylvan.
Posted 08 Nov 2006 at 2:37pm #
I was wondering if anyone ever gets their money back from the Sylvan money back guarantee. If so how? My son went there March, April, May, June, July, and August of 2005 because he was doing so badly coming out of the second grade and going into the third. He did two hundred something hours of Math and two hundred something of Reading. We spend so much money to help him catch up to his peers. When he went to third we couldn't afford the huge bill so he saw a school tutor all throughout the third grade. He passed by the skin of his teeth. 240 of the End of Grade testing is to pass to the next grade and he scored a 241. This year he is sunk without hope and we still can't even pay off the first Sylvan bill. How can we get our money back because he clearly never caught up to his peers like they said he was.
Posted 11 Nov 2006 at 2:53am #
Coolidge and Tangie, what's it like to be a center director? Were you able to produce your own marketing strategies and increase enrollment? How much were you paid? It sounds like an interesting job.
Posted 15 Nov 2006 at 1:32am #
First, most of the response are sad and representative of where the mindset is with our society. Sylvan, nor any other business for that matter owes its teachers or staff any more than the going wage. If solid teachers with verifiable backgrounds are willing to work for 9-$10. 00 per hour then thats the market.
With that being said, stop complaining and do something about it. Most, went into to teaching knowing full well that it pays below average. Most often, teachers have quite a few other benefits that many do not have. It appears most responding to this blog don't have a clue as to what potential costs go into running a business. If Sylvan earns $120.00-$140 per hour are you really that neive to believe thats 100% net income?
Use your math and college degrees and figuire it out!
Posted 21 Jan 2009 at 2:34pm #
Teachers really need to step back and look at the overall job market.
I've worked as a Probation Officer w/adult convicted felons for 24 years and my pay last year was not much more than a first year teacher's salary! I have spent the last two and a half years working on a MEd and if/when I start teaching I won't even take a pay cut!
I'll put my 400+ adult felons up against your 35 children and we'll see who has the most stressful job! You have the opportunity to make a difference....I'm dealing with the fall out of kids YOU pushed through school because they were difficult, ADHD, Learning disabled or just stubborn!
I'm gladly paying Sylvan to help my ADHD/ODD, Dyslexic/Dysgraphic child learn the concepts she has missed since 5th grade because she had a teacher who had retired but didn't have the good graces to stop showing up to work everyday! This is a child with an IQ of 140 who has been in "gifted ed" for the past 8 years and now suddenly she has teachers who tell me she is behind grade level in math (ok, not her best subject) and Language Arts (she reads at COLLEGE FRESHMAN level!)
Anyone like to take a crack at how THAT happened!?!
Teacher's should have to do their student teaching during their FRESHMAN year so they will know what they are getting into BEFORE they've invested their entire college career in something that they are going to hate and be miserable doing!! The children they "teach" are the ones who will suffer and it will be far more than YOU do!
And while I'm on this roll, if you were the head cheer leader or the captian of the football team and you want to relive your "Glory Days" GO DO IT SOMEWHERE ELSE!! And if you were the geeky kid that got picked on, don't go back to school as a teacher to seek your revenge on the children of your tormentors! GROW UP AND GET OVER IT!!
To the teachers out there who actually CARE about the kids they teach and didn't go into teaching for the "Summer Off" Thank you!
My differently abled child has struggled her entire academic career because of "those other teachers" but she did have a Resource teacher who helped her survive elementary school...now she says she wants to teach Sp Ed so she can help other kids like her...and by the way....she may have purple hair, black nail polish and some funky piercings in her ears...but she's the kid that will stand up and defend the kid that is intimidated by miserable teachers, she's the kid that will give her lunch to the quiet kid whose parents don't care enough to fill out the free lunch application and she's the kid that talks to her friends about the dangers of drugs and alcohol because she loves them.....
By the way, just and FYI....when you tell a kid that your not afraid of them.....you just proved that you really are....I'm proud of my "seen", "difficult" and "stubborn" child. Lousey teachers made her miserable, but it's also made her tough as nails and has given her a mission....she exposes classroom injustice, prejudice and discrimination at the top of her lungs every chance she gets!
Posted 17 Nov 2006 at 5:27pm #
I thought I would add that if you look at Sylvan's annual report they only make a 13% net after tax margin on the services they deliver after expenses. Those retail locations costs lots of money. Sure they aren't paying teachers enough, but after there operations costs they aren't making that much either. They offer a convenient service that works that parents are willing to pay for. I support teachers but you have to look at the fundementals of their business, and labor costs are only a piece of that story. Most people don't realize a Sylvan facility averages 3,000 sq. ft. and that space rents for up to 24 a sq. ft. per year. That's $72k just for the business. Then account for workmans comp inurance and 8% social security tax on top of the wage there paying teachers. It adds up.
Posted 17 Nov 2006 at 8:50pm #
Virtually everyone here is missing the point I personally hoped would get through. It's really very simple.
If you're a parent and your kid is behind, don't send them to Sylvan. You'll get far better results by paying a tutor $15-25/hour.
Sylvan charges parents entirely too much, gives your child little to no personalized instruction, and doesn't have quality teachers due to the small hourly wages they can afford to pay.
Posted 16 Feb 2009 at 5:24pm #
I got on the internet agreeing wholeheartedly with what Erik is saying - that parents would be better off hiring a private tutor than sending a child to Sylvan.
MAINLY I WAS HOPING TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH SYLVAN CHARGES PER HOUR AND HOW MANY HOURS IT FORCES PARENTS TO CONTRACT FOR.
I've tutored privately for 30 years- starting when I was taking a break from teaching to stay home with my young children. I always hired a babysitter whether I tutored at home or at the students' home. I wanted to make sure that the hour I was charging for would be absolutely uninterrupted. I never answered the phone during a session, always had materials ready beforehand, etc.
At that time I was tutoring for a service that was mostly advertised by word of mouth. In around 1978 I was charging about $15, with 10% going to the owner of the service. Gradually, over the next ten years or so, the rate went up to $25.
By that time I was a single mom and was tutoring after school and during the summers. I also worked for a private accredited summer school program for learning disabled students. For that I only received $9 and hour, but I learned more than I had getting my bachelor's degree and picked up tutoring students for the entire year(s) for which I charged $25-$30 per hour. One of those students I tutored through the last two years of high school. The final December before graduation I billed her parents $1600. They were thrilled I pulled her out because she had multiple learning and psychological problems.
Referrals continued coming from the two sources mentioned above, but also started coming from parents of students and former students until I became ill and had to stop for a few years. I moved away for a while and foolishly didn't secure my phone number so I lost my referral lines, and I'm virtually starting over.
Because of this, I did work for Sylvan for about three weeks. I was not impressed. When observing during the first week there, I noticed that there was always one child waiting to have his/her work checked. Wasted time.
There were three-four students at a time with a teacher. They were different ages, working on different levels and on different subjects. I saw virtually no instruction going on and was told to have a student go on to the next worksheet even if s/he had missed every question on the activity s/he'd just finished.
It bothers me that there are several tables in a room, several students at each table. That's a lot of movement and a lot of noise for children who are having learning problems.
There was an employee who "pulled" workbooks and worksheets for each student based upon what skills the child was working on and what he'd accomplished the last session, but some of the workbooks and worksheets were copyrighted in 1963. That was pointed out to me by one very gifted high school math student who was trying to bring up his verbal score for the SAT.
Language arts curriculum written in 1963 is often what we would consider sexist now and so out-of-date that students don't understand the cultural references (i. e. measles, switchboard operators, carbon copies, etc.).
I gave the math whiz some pointers in reading comprehension, and he gushed with gratitude.
Students are not allowed to write in the workbooks, but write on plastic sheets placed over the work pages with markers, often making it very hard for the students and teachers to read.
One would think that Sylvan could afford to make xeroxed copies, but, even with individual worksheets, they have to write numbers and answers in spiral notebooks.
One of Sylvan's best marketing tools is the "point system" of giving out toys at the end of the session. That puts big smiles on the kids' faces as they're walking out to their waiting parents. Makes it look like the kids have just loved the whole hours' learning experience.
WHAT IS A REASONABLE RATE FOR TEACHERS TO CHARGE?
I live in Texas - 35th in salary ratings. The last time I taught was 1997, and I think I was making about $36,000. Divided by 183 days of teaching (and teachers do get paid by the day) that comes to $196 per day. I knew that number well because that's how much was deducted from my paycheck for every day I was absent after I ran out of sick days. Granted we work more than the 7 1/2 hours we work when at school, but $196 divided by 7.5 is $26 an hour.
I was paid that tutoring long before I actually made that teaching. Often I did just "help kids with homework," teaching along the way. I was scared to death in the late 70s when I began tutoring wealthy private school kids whose parents couldn't be bothered to deal with homework. I had no teacher's manual, didn't know if I was getting the real story re assignments, often had "surprise" book reports, etc.
In other words, I had to adjust to that child's needs with a flexibility a storefront tutoring service could never match. Sounds so easy - homework assistance. But it isn't.
In the summers I did/do often have to pull curriculum together. I admit I am not a diagnostician, but it usually doesn't take long to hit upon an area you know needs work even if you have no communication with the student's teachers. Luckily, you usually do.
I noticed a few years ago that one of the "grocery store" magazines recommended Sylvan summer help for struggling students. The next year it recommended finding a retired teacher. I figured they must have heard from disgruntled readers.
I tutor one-on-one, and it's wonderful to see the progress that can be made that way. I have never required any contract before other than asking to be notified four hours in advance in case of a cancellation. I am now rethinking that and will require a month-to-month contract.
Teachers, we are underappreciated and undervalued. Tutor for the storefront services if you want, but you might want to think of doing that as a stepping stone to private tutoring. Get cards made. Advertise your services in inexpensive ways - Craig's list for one. Keep notes and contact information for a tutoring resume.
Remember to keep good financial records of both your expenses (including mileage) and your income. You will need to declare private tutoring as self-employment on your income taxes. The expenses - mileage, pencils, workbooks, etc. will be deductions.
When I've told parents of young children what Sylvan pays, they are horrified. They know what their friends have paid to send their children to the storefront tutoring services.
Sylvan's biggest overhead is advertising, advertising, advertising. I use 800-free-411 a lot. They have the system down so well that if they're advertising on free 411 that day, they don't give you the 1-800 number, but rather the local number that is closest to you. How do they do that? I don't know, but I do know it must cost a bundle.
Posted 18 Mar 2009 at 12:48am #
I wasn't going to comment, but this has me completely baffled. I am a Sylvan Director and I know for a fact that my teachers, as well as myself are 100% dedicated to all of our student's success! A private tutor may be good, but is not equipped with a full diagnostic assessment to see where the student has gaps in the past, and the resources to fill in these gaps. You must have had a bad experience in the past and are bitter. Sorry! I wish you would come in and talk to a Director to see what Sylvan is really about.
We are all there not for the money, but because we love what we do, and are all good at what we do. I have fabulous teachers who work for $!0 per hour who I wouldn't trade for the world! They have changed many lives for the better, and I think you need to get more information before you make harsh judgments on people who are doing such a good thing for children.
Posted 20 Nov 2006 at 7:47pm #
I am a hard working single Mom. The school advised me to sign up for this sylvan program.. Sooo, I have just enrolled my daughter in sylvans center. It cost me $250.00 for a 4 hour test , $ 50.00 for a enrollment fee and then I was told that my daughter needed to come 4 times a week at $42.00 per hour... (( WHAT ))? This is tapping me out!! MY QUESTION IS : Does the school get a kick backs $$$ for recommending them to parents?? I went to the office and explained I can not aford to drop all this money and they made me feel like a really bad mom for not wanting the best for my daughter.. I have spend alot of money so far $1, 140.00 ( this is for only a month).
Posted 17 Feb 2009 at 2:52am #
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!
Sylvan does market to schools. Most of them should not and do not openly recommend them specifically.
It makes me want to CRY to think that a well-meaning parent is being "guilted" into spending such a huge portion of her budget on tutoring--especially in advance.
Four sessions per week is most unusual. It's more than most young children can handle, in my opinion, on top of school hours and homework.
There are alternatives you might consider.
Most universities can either do diagnostic testing through their education departments or guide you toward nonprofit organizations that do all sorts of testing - intelligence, auditory, academic, etc., etc. on a sliding scale. Either can probably guide you toward an appropriate tutor.
There are many after-school programs forming around the country. Many of these are free, and many have tutors. Check into those and talk to the tutor to see what training s/he has and how much time s/he might have to work with your child. Sometimes the tutor does have extra time to work with students who want to "stick around."
For private tutors you might start with special education departments of universities. Sometimes graduate students do tutoring.
Retired teachers often tutor. There are probably retired educators' associations in your communities. This is probably where you'll get the best bang for your buck. (And, yes, I am a retired teacher.)
You might ask for names of tutors from physicians, pastors, community leaders, etc. You could look on Craig's list under the education section.
Ask for references. Try to find someone who's tutored before. Even with an experienced tutor who's a certified, long-term teacher, you'll pay less than Sylvan charges.
And don't be afraid to ask to BARTER. I've offered many times to tutor an hour for an hour of housecleaning - either for tutoring a child or for teaching an adult non-reader or non-English speaker to learn English. I've never had a taker.
Since I live alone, I'd also gladly tutor an hour for a home-cooked meal. How much harder would it be to cook for one more person if you're cooking for a family? I color my own hair--not very well. Would love for someone else to apply the color.
Walk a dog, babysit, cater a party, run a carpool, give a pedicure. BE CREATIVE.
I even tutored a student whose mother tutored mine.
Almost everyone has a skill to barter. Perhaps you and a member of your family could go together to barter two or three services.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. That's what I call "S," one of the "big box" tutoring services.
Posted 27 Nov 2006 at 12:18pm #
I am interested in being a Center Director. Can anyone give me advise on the pay scale as well as growth opportunities? Someone asked the same questions earlier and there wasn't a reply.
Posted 28 Nov 2006 at 3:06am #
Erik's point is a ridiculous one. $15.00-$25.00 per hour would barely cover the cost of supplimental materials needed fro your child to work on. Or is he ploanning on getting extra materials from school, they frowned on that kind of thinkg when I was teaching, except for YOUR STUDENTS of course. People drive mMercedes because of the quality they bring and yes they cost a little more Sylvan is the mercedes of supplimental education. We hire the best teachers and they provide the best service to your child.
Those interested in the center director position it is quite challenging and rewarding. Pay will typically be a base salary bonus. The ability to market depends on who owns the center, most owners are hands off and want you to take the ball and run with it. With this kind of franchisee you would be in heaven, still some are control freaks and can't let you truly run the business this makes it tough. Most franchisees want you to run the business and succeed, I suggest you stop by a Sylvan one day and chat with the CD. I really loved this job.
Posted 24 Jan 2009 at 10:54pm #
Hahahahaha, absurd. I've seen all Sylvan's "supplimentary"
material. I could tutor a kid in math with my fat, Gruber's SAT book for 25/hr better than a regiment of Sylvan teachers with every textbook, "manipulative" <- what a joke, toy, token and juice box in existence.
What is Sylvan? Sylvan is boxed, one-size-fits-all education.
There are two types of students, those who care and those who don't. Sylvan gets 75% students who don't give a crap. The ones that do could be tutored with a white board and one half-dry marker.
Mercedes, don't make me gag. 42/hr....boy, that sure helps provide opportunities to those 9-5 parents struggling to put food on the table. Yea...sure...Sylvan cares...
Erik has it exactly right.
Posted 28 Nov 2006 at 9:31am #
Coolidge said on November 28, 2006:
Children being taught by their own teachers wouldn't need supplemental material - they'd be working on the stuff they're learning in school and using their own textbooks. Students are allowed to take their textbooks home. Some even have one book at school and one at home. There is no "extra" material.
Coolidge said on November 28, 2006:
At $8 to $10 to maybe $15/hour, you do not hire the best teachers. You're kidding yourself if you believe otherwise. You hire teachers who want to work a little over the summer or you hire teachers who couldn't get jobs elsewhere. Some Wal-Mart employees make more than Sylvan "teachers" do.
The simple fact of the matter is that spending money on Sylvan is nearly as beneficial to your child as flushing money down the drain. Children receive little to no individualized attention, spend most of their time doing worksheets, and benefit only from actually being made to do work, not by learning things relative to what they're doing in school at the moment.
Posted 16 Feb 2009 at 5:47pm #
Totally agree. Worked at Sylvan for about 3 weeks.
Am wondering - What do the parents pay? For how long do they have to contract?
I know it's tons more than the $10-11 the teachers get paid.
I've tutored off and on for 30 years, but have moved and am just getting started again. Have charged $25 -$30 since the late 80s and 90s. After a while off, I'm told the minimum should be $40.
Amazing the results of one-on-one tutoring. I've never required a contract other than asking the parents to notify me within 4 hours if they're going to need to cancel the session.
I did work for Sylvan about 3 weeks and was appalled at the lack of instruction, having 3-4 students at each table of different ages, different ability levels, working on different subjects, the number of tables in the room. Lots of noise and movement for children who are having learning problems.
Old, old workbooks and worksheets which cannot be written on, but answered either in spiral notebooks or with markers on plastic sheets paper-clipped over workbooks.
Was told to have students to do activity, check, have him do the next activity - even if he'd missed every question on the page.
Best marketing gimmick--point system that allows kids to buy "toys," junk, etc. at the end of the hour. Sends students to the cars with big smiles on their faces.
Biggest overhead--advertising, advertising, advertising. If they're advertising on 1-800-free-411, they don't give you the 1-800 number, but rather the number of the center closest to you. How do they do that? I don't know, but I do know it must be very, very expensive.
Posted 16 Feb 2009 at 5:53pm #
HOW MUCH DOES SYLVAN CHARGE? HOW MANY SESSIONS TO YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR?
I worked there for about three weeks and was not impressed with their system.
Have tutored privately for a loooooooooong time but have moved and am starting over. Have charged much more than the $11 an hour I got at Sylvan since the late 70s.
Posted 18 Mar 2009 at 12:54am #
Absolutely 100% not true! Not at all. Have you ever visited a Sylvan, talked with the teachers or Directors there? They are caring, loving people who want to see the children succeed! And every student gets individualized attention. Are you making things up just to try to cause chaos? Or to mislead parents who need help?
Posted 26 Dec 2006 at 9:09pm #
I work at a learning centre similiar to Sylvan. I have worked there almost four years, and have not had a raise in three and a half years. What many have said here is true. The teacher shortage is long over. I cannot get a job other than supply teaching. I work at the learning centre for experience and money...not GOOD money. However, learning centres want the benefit of being able to say they employ"certified teachers". However, the teachers don't benefit at all financially. For every two hours I work, I spend at least 15 minutes before teaching reviewing materials, making photocopies etc. Then I stay after the lesson at least a half hour marking, writing comments, reading/marking essays,talking to parents, putting books away etc. I am not paid for this extra time. Apparently, I am supposed to do this DURING the hour I am with my students. If I actually did this, I wouldn't have time to even talk to my students,answer their questions or mark their work. I would simply be a paper pusher...and THAT is what my pay is based on. I love teaching, I care about my students. I just can bring myself to do a half-assed job reflective of my pay. Yup, I am being taken advantage of...but I have no one to blame but myself. Many learning centres rely on a teacher's desire to go above and beyond for free.
Posted 30 Jun 2009 at 10:06am #
why don't you name the learning center you worked it since everyone else is naming Sylvan??????
Posted 03 Jan 2007 at 4:36pm #
I am reading these posts and amazed at the comments some of you leave. Coolidge, I agree with every comment you made, I am a Center Director at a Sylvan and love my job! I love to see what being at Sylvan for 6 months can do for a child's self esteem and how confidence can soar! Our teachers start at $13/hr and can raise that to well above $16 over time, so I'm not sure where you all are coming from. Our teachers love what they do and love working for Sylvan because they see the difference. As for paying your classroom teacher $15/hr., perhaps you should think about WHY your child isn't getting what he or she needs from that teacher all day....how would a few extra hours help her? Plus, we go back and find the holes and missing pieces and fill those in and then the student can feel successful. That's the reason for the test. And, the program is completely individualized, but the reason for 3 students is so the child can also learn to work independently after skills are learned. After all, the classroom isn't exactly 1:1 is it?
I'd like to see some of you who criticize Sylvan actually go there and "feel" what is happening during instruction....students who want to learn and teachers who love teaching. No amount of money can match any of that.
Amen.
Posted 21 Jan 2009 at 3:24pm #
When Sylvan assessed my child the test results were dead on target with where she began struggling....5th grade....that teacher is now selling real estate....but because my daughter was "difficult", by educator's standards, she spent most of her 5th grade math class sitting in the hall!! Consequently, she does not have the concepts she needs now in 8th grade. I just wish that woman had started selling real estate before she ever set foot in a classroom!
If I have to pay $50 a month for the rest of my natural life, I will if that's what it takes to help her fill in the gaps for what she did not get from public school. The Sylvan Director we work with is at that center 12-14 hours a day 7 days a week! I believe she would stay till midnight if a child needed her help....she is that passionate about teaching children...and homework help is FREE for enrolled students....my child is there for homework help twice as much as she is for Math essentials....and they help her with ANY subject that she's working on at the moment, not just the Math that I'm paying for! My high schooler took a practice SAT test this week, also FREE! So far, I'm very satisfied with what I'm getting for the money I'm paying.
After her first Sylvan session my "avoid homework like the plague, throw a fit, start a fight, do anything you can to keep from doing it" child ASKED to go back the next day....on SATURDAY, no less! I have not had to fight with her to get her to go, she comes out smiling because she actually "got it" for the first time!!
PUT A PRICE TAG ON THAT!
Posted 13 Jan 2007 at 3:28am #
seems Sylvan's cd's and teacher's aren't really on the same page as far as pay scale goes.
Posted 18 Jan 2007 at 3:10pm #
Some of you have mentioned that tutoring places like Sylvan must not have quality teachers because only the 'poor quality' teachers would accept the low pay.
Doesn't have quality teachers?
I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education (my second Bachelor's degree by the way). I live in the NW Indiana/Chicago area and cannot find a teaching job ANYWHERE, despite sending out literally 100's of resumes - there are simply not enough teaching jobs to go around in this area (others I graduated with cannot find teaching jobs either). The only way to gain the necessary experience to 'get my foot in the door' as a classroom teacher is to tutor or sub.
Do I like the reality of low pay for teachers (tutoring or in the classroom)? Of course not. But please don't get the erroneous idea that unless a teacher is employed by a school corporation, that he/she is not a quality teacher.
Posted 18 Jan 2007 at 3:39pm #
Dawn Covello said on January 18, 2007:
Dawn, you may or may not be a good teacher. I obviously can't know. But please don't use "I got good grades and two degrees" as proof that you're a good teacher. It doesn't prove - or disprove - anything.
Posted 01 Feb 2009 at 11:59pm #
Erik,
I'm glad you started this discussion!
A bachelor in elementary education is a joke! You just have to complete ridiculous "tasks" and work on "projects." I went through Single Subject credential school and it was such a breeze. Any dummies with the ability to bull-sh*t can get this degree. I'll call you a genius when you get a degree in Math!
I used to work for Sylvan as a teacher through one of the free programs that they run for the school districts. Because apparently, the districts think Sylvan can make a difference; so they gave Sylvan a generous contract. The difference Sylvan cares to make is to increase their bank account.
Sylvan's directors are corporate whores who only cares about money. After all, if Sylvan cares about students like all the directors claimed here, why don't they open a center in a ghetto?
Parents, you know why Sylvan is so successful? Because they actually have somebody spend some time with your child and go over the homework! They're not genius with special strategies! They just charge you a lot of money to perform one of your duties as parents: to be consistent and spend time with your child when he/she is working on their hw! If you would have been consistent and put forth time and devotion, you wouldn't need to pay Sylvan to "babysit" for you.
People: please think about it! How do they afford the advertisements? How do they afford to open locations with high rent? Where do they get these money? From *ucking with your heads and squeeze your hard-earn money.
Posted 20 Jan 2007 at 7:15pm #
shannon degasperis said on November 20, 2006:
My husband and I are looking into this as well for our son. He has reading comprehension issues and fluency problems. He gets good grades in everything except reading that involves comprehension, and things like social studies and math that involve him understanding instructions over a long period of time. Regular math problems, and spelling, he excels in. The school system in KY will only help in those areas if he's failing school. Why should we wait to address this if he gets below a D? He should be making at least b's in most of his classes, and he does if this comprehension issue isn't involved. Good luck to all the parents out there, fight for the best education for your kids, even if it means private school, which may be where we go next.
Posted 26 Jan 2007 at 2:15pm #
I worked as a teacher and then an Assistant Director and then a Center Director. My salary started at $6.50, I kid you not. They moved me up to $7 after 90 days. I eventually was paid $8 for teaching. The Director job was salaried at $30K with some benefits.
All that said, I've been on both ends of the Sylvan thing -- management and labor. I think the diagnostic test is good to get a feel for what skills are missing, but I think parents are better off taking that information and giving it to a private tutor. The hour of instruction will actually be an hour, not an hour divided by three kids, and subtract the time used while a student is waiting for the teacher to finish updating paperwork and recording rewards. It's a huge waste, IMO. I would never send my kids to Sylvan. Seriously.
Incidentally, I really resent, as a teacher, the idea that a person isn't a good educator if they expect to be paid what they're worth. No one is in it for the money, but a person with a degree should expect to be paid more than a person working at McDonald's. Period. So there's no need to get all self-righteous about the idea that a certified teacher should expect a certain amount of pay.
And to get the the heart of the issue with directors -- let me relate a conversation that took place among a group of directors and myself one morning. During the meeting, we were discussing the issue of student enrollment. I made the statement that I believed that it was our job to make ourselves obsolete -- that we should be striving to make our students no longer need us. That's because this is how a *teacher* thinks. You'd have thought I had just grown a second head from the looks I got in that room. The directors think like managers. Most of them aren't teachers, or they've forgotten what it means to be in it for the good of the students. The bottom line is the money. They want to get the students in there and keep them there -- the idea is to start by getting students up to speed, then move them into "enrichment" programs, and then to study skills, etc. It's a racket.
I have no doubt Sylvan helps some kids. I've seen it myself. But I also have no doubt that a private tutor would come a lot cheaper and help much faster. If you insist on taking your kids to Sylvan, have to good sense to realize that the director is out to keep you there for as long as possible.
Posted 27 Jan 2007 at 12:38am #
Elizabeth and all,
I read your comments, and I am so torn over what choice to make for my daughter. My ex-husband and I are very concerned about our Taylor. She is in first grade, has a bubbly personality, blossoms socially, and is slowly catching on to phonics, but not so much mathematics. Now her report cards, both thus far, reflect all "1s" and few "2s" in reading comprehension and all mathematic skills. The one's stand for working below grade levels with accommodations, and the two's are at grade level with accommodations. The school year is half over, and despite all my efforts at home with supplemental activities, work, memorizational techniques, writing, v-smile games, online learning games, ETC. we are still not confident she will progress to the second grade. Three conferences have revealed that she is an excellent student, with good personable skills, but her teachers feel she is developmentally unequal to her peers due to her age (she is 6, and will not be seven until July of this year) and they have mentioned that she may need to stay back because of this, to actually grasp things better. Now, this scared her father and I. I have leaned towards still helping her and encouraging her, and if she does not make it, understanding it was necessary for her to repeat this grade...it is a hard thing to accept, but I want the best for her. What if holding her back is the best thing? I don't know. Now, to get to the bottom of this, her father mentioned Sylvan to me, that a teacher told him it was the best, I naturally wanted to do my own research. I have seen so many conflicting stories, and high rates, and do not feel confident as of yet, and I have also sent all of my findings to her father. Do you or does anyone else here have any advice for our particular situation? I know most of you say private tutoring is best...I am beginning to see that, but even one tutoring service we checked into (ClubZ) was outrageous, and did not impress during the home visit. This would be her father footing the bill, and I know he may or may not be concerned about the money, and honestly, I am not either. I understand the need to charge, but is it the best thing? My main concern is what is best for Taylor. Now, I don't lilke that there is no one on one with Sylvan, she needs this obviously, not just another classroom setting, that is not working.....any help?
Posted 16 Feb 2009 at 10:51am #
Christy,
I am an elementary school teacher and I can tell you honestly that some children just need extra support. However, with budget cuts and poor funding, very few of my students have been able to get the time they need with a resource teacher working daily in small groups at the child's instructional level. Because of increasing class sizes, classroom teachers are unable to provide some of these children with all the support they need. However, you are right to worry about your daughter because literacy skills in 1st grade are vitally important. Children seem to fall farther and farther behind if they do not acquire grade-level literacy skills in 1st grade. Once they have these gaps from previous years, it is even more difficult for teachers to try and catch them up while they also teach the current grade-level skills.
I have had a few students make progress with Sylvan, however, I agree that the service is way over priced. If I were you, I would ask around at your daughter's school to see if there is a teacher that would like to earn a little extra money over the summer. Ask the principal to send out an e-mail. Teachers are underpaid and I bet you would have lots of takers. Then choose the teacher you feel would be best for your child. All elementary teachers should have a solid background in teaching literacy. If you could find some to tutor for 90 minutes a day, one-on-one, I bet your daughter would make remarkable progress. If you offered $20-25 I think you' be getting better, more personalized tutoring and saving a bundle. Also, if you sit in on a couple of sessions a week and monitor her progress, you'd probably have a great idea of how you could continue to offer at home support during the school year. As a teacher, if a parent comes to me and says "what can I do to be helping my child at home" I always have plenty of suggestions. These are the children that make progress because they have a committed parent willing to offer support and encouragement at home.
Sylvan certainly would be much better than no tutoring at all, but again, I think if you find a quality teacher (which shouldn't be too hard if you offer $25) to be her personal tutor, she make a lot more progress. Also, you'd probably save quite a bit.
Additionally, it sounds like your daughter has great social/study skills. It could be that perhaps she has a learning disability of processing disorder (dyslexia, etc). I see a lot of children suffer going undiagnosed and teachers are not aloud to suggest to a parent that they have their child tested. Teachers are certainly not physicians, however, they work with a lot of children with disabilities and can often recognize symptoms and signs quite easily. If you do hire a teacher as a private tutor, I would ask him/her for their honest opinion at the end of the summer. I would ask if they have seen any signs of learning disabilities that they would recommend looking into. Then you can seek a physician's opinion. I can't tell you how many students of mine have struggle with learning disabilities when they could make so much more progress with the help and support that comes with the understanding of a diagnosis.
Good luck. It sounds like your daughter has two concerned parents on her side so I'd consider her one of the lucky ones!
Posted 27 Jan 2007 at 2:17am #
I thought about doing a little tutoring this summer and so decided to call Sylvan to hear about what they charge a parent per hour and what they pay. In Spokane Washington they said they pay teachers $10 and charge parents $41.
I am a teacher at a private school and have had two children go to Sylvan with good results. One child loved it, the other was at one point overworked and refused to go after a while but still benefited.
I am sure it helps children otherwise why would it exist at all? However does it help all children? There is no such thing as all and always but one must find what works for their child. There are several ways to skin a cat (just an idiomatic expression I love cats) and when you do, it will be the cat's meow for your child. There is nothing like a child who finally starts doing well in school again. It changes more than their grades.
Non the less I bet parents can find tutors for less than $41 and who maybe even have the diagnostic tools Sylvan have. As a classroom teacher I am thinking of charging $25 - $30. I will not work for about 2-3 dollars above the minimum wage. I could easily offer diagnostic reading tests, and math tests to see what a child knows using a computer and paper pencil and observation and questioning. Questioning is a big one and a computer test does not ask motivational questions, or get to the bottom of why some kids are not learning.
If Sylvan gets your child up to speed and then starts offering "enrichment" as someone wrote, I might suggest that you can supply enrichment yourself simply by taking your child to a museum, hiking, reading a book with you child, teaching them how to build something, knit, paint, visit an old person's home, visit any number of businesses, factories, government agencies on and on. The more the better. Enrich like crazy because the more they see the more they will be able to write from experience, understand when they read and will even understand why math is important. (TV is not enriching in most cases- too passive)
Hope this helps. And remember. Paying a classroom teacher $25-$40 per hour (my brother pays $40 in Massachusetts for his daughter) is not too much really when you consider what is at stake in the long run. The price of failure or mediocrity is far greater. Anyway they can always go to Walmart and work for $10 per hour (after just a year) if they work smart. Your call.
Posted 30 Jan 2007 at 10:29am #
My daughter has had hearing problems since birth. She has had three surgeries on her ears, adnoids, tonsils, and again ears. She was diagnosed with 40% hearing loss in one ear and 20% on the other, this was in the beginning of kindergarten. Throughout her schooling (she's in fourth grade now) she has struggled with reading and reading comprehension along with some math skills. The girl struggles to maintain A's and B's and consistently has to work harder then her peers. We sought out Sylvan and so far after three months my daughter is above her grade level in reading, math, and is almost up to grade level on comprehension. Sylvan has been a wonderful learning experience for my daughter, those "prizes" someone mentioned earlier have actually motivated her more to meet her goals.
If you want to compain about pay look at the pay and wages of a U.S. Airmen, Soldier, Marine, and Sailor. They fight for our country and they make $7.00 an hour. Enough said.
Posted 29 Jan 2009 at 11:34pm #
Actually, If you look at the fact they are on the clock 24hs a day 7 days a week. It breaks down to far less then that. Its a shame how the military is paid.
Posted 01 Feb 2007 at 12:24pm #
Ferris said on January 30, 2007:
Let me preface this with the fact that I'm thrilled your daughter has had good results with Sylvan. We saw plenty of students that we were able to help. I just think that as a general rule, help can be found cheaper and quicker elsewhere. Sylvan certainly never hurt anyone -- it's just a ridiculous expense for what you actually get, IMO. Since there are three kids there, you're not paying $40/hour, but actually paying about $40 for twenty minutes -- so if you can find a private tutor charging less than $120/hour, you come out ahead, and so does the child who has more attention. But it's your money and your child. Do what works for you.
But I have to address this servicemember comment, as it's rather annoying. I'm married to an active duty member of the AF, and the pay certainly isn't what it should be given the sacrifices we make. But I can also tell you that those who make $7/hour do not have a degree. Officers certainly make more than that. Enlisted servicemembers are underpaid, no doubt, but that's an apples and oranges comparison. A degree and certification are avenues to advanced pay in our society, and enlisted servicemembers can achieve rank more quickly by obtaining an academic degree, so even in the military, getting an advanced education results in higher pay. (Having said that, getting shot at should result in higher pay as well, but contact your Congressman about that -- we're talking about private enterprise here.)
Christy Holmes said on January 27, 2007:
I can't speak to your situation without observing her personally, but I would suggest contacting her teacher and asking if any of the teachers there tutor privately or contact a private school and ask them. The teachers there generally earn considerably less and may be looking for outside income. If it's a developmental problem, no amount of tutoring is going to bring her up to speed, but only time. I'm not advocating holding her back -- she may hit a developmental "turning point" tomorrow. But I would suggest a private tutor who can be with your daughter one-on-one who can evaluate the problem. Sylvan tutors really don't have the time to get to know a student, since there is so much else going on in there (at least if it's during a busy hour). Also, Sylvan tests are strictly about detecting weaknesses in academic areas -- they cannot tell you about developmental problems. That's more of a pediatric/psychological testing area. I would probably also give your pediatrician a call. But that's just me.
IMPORTANT ADDITION to my first post:
I should have mentioned this in my initial post, but it slipped my mind. When I first started teaching, Sylvan had me teaching Algebra to students at one point, as well as doing teaching the math prep for the SAT. **I am a certified English teacher!!** The only Algebra I have had was high school Algebra I and II, and I wasn't very good at it then, plus I'd had ten years to forget it! (I had Math for Art majors as an undergrad and that's it.) I told the director this, but she needed a body in the chair, so there I was. This went on for at least six to eight months before they hired an actual math teacher, but even then, I still had to do it from time to time. But the director told the parents that I was a certified teacher teaching their kid. This was true, but I wasn't certified to teach math at all.
So it's important to be sure that your child's teacher knows their field. They'll stick any warm body in a chair sometimes if they're hard up for a teacher. I'd have been furious if I was a parent to find out I was paying for that.
FWIW
Posted 01 Feb 2007 at 2:14pm #
Thank you. I actually have arranged for a private tutor, someone I know well just did not know they tutored. Her first lesson is tomorrow. When I said developmental I did not mean "slow" or as in developmentally challenged. I meant that she is much younger than her other classmates, and perhaps I should have waited to start her in kindergarten, pre-k, and first grade. She gets a clean bill of health all around from her doctors. The issue is mainly her stubborness and confidence levels, along with her age compared to her other classmates. Her tutor is a High School Math teacher, with a Master's specializing in Education of course, and Mathematics. Being a personal friend of mine, he adores my girls, and knows he can help open Taylor's eyes better, and does not want me to pay him, but I will not let him refuse. I got lucky this time.
Posted 26 Feb 2007 at 10:47am #
I don't work for Sylvan, but Huntington Learning Center, which seems to be very similar. I am not certified, but I do all the work that certified teachers do at the center, and I get $12-13/hr. depending on the task.
Funny thing about Huntington -- There's a printed list of employees above the time clock where we punch in. The list ALWAYS has new names written in at the bottom, yet it never grows longer than one page. Hmmmm -- can you say "continuous turn over?"
Send your kid to a center for anything except test prep and they will sit there for hours doing worksheet after worksheet. There is very little teaching going on and NO consistency because of the turnover.
After 9 months, I'm fed up, and hoping to jump ship over to Princeton Review, where i can immediately double my pay and focus only on test prep.
Posted 14 Apr 2007 at 10:24pm #
PEOPLE- You Don't Understand Tutoring
For high school students (who do not need remediation) but need help in a current subject such as a high math, science, or foreign languages, a decent tutor will fairly charge between $25-$60 / hour. . . . Parents can probably find 'cheaper' alternatives, search craigslist for the bottom feeders, but know that quality will surely suffer.
For younger students and anyone in need of basic remediation, a learning center's program for remediation for basic math, reading, writing (such has the curriculum offered by a franchise like sylvan, huntington, or tutoring club) will cost between $35-$45/ hour. . . . Parents will not find a less expensive alternative, because nothing short of a proven program really works. . . . Meaning, any tutor, at any price, simply can not do what the curriculum of a reputable learning center can do. . . and it's a very sad rip-off when they try. Parents are simply throwing away their money in the same way that people don't buy 4 tires for $100 and expect them to last very long. Even a current or retired English teacher can not teach a child who is behind in reading in the way that a learning center's proven reading curriculum can. . . . nor can a math teacher remediate a math student who is behind . . . oh, it might help for that day's homework, but it doesn't address the core of the problem - those missing skills. At a learning center, parents are paying for a proven systematic program to permanently fix the child's "skills gaps", not just the $9-14/ hour teacher delivering the instruction.
From the outsite, to an uneducated observer, the "systematic" nature of the program might look like worksheets, but that's the learning process in action. Sorry is appears boring, but it is what it is and it has worked for many many decades. . .
Lastly, truth be told, all fees at all learning centers are negotiable. . . most centers would much rather waive the fees to get your tuition than let you walk out the door.
Posted 18 Apr 2007 at 9:22pm #
What bothers me the most........is our children spend 7-8 hours a day, five day's a week at school. Why do we have to pay other people outside of their school to really educate them? Sometimes I consider becoming a stay at home mom so that I can educate him myself. As most of us know, it just simply not possible. I am a single mother and work two jobs to survive. Why do our children need further education?
Posted 07 Apr 2009 at 7:16pm #
yo...it's public school. people here are complaining about the time being divided between three students, not twenty. and you probably don't have to pay these people extra if you'd just make sally do her homework. but you're not supermom so you shell out da dough. cause isn't that what you really want?? someone else to take over your daughter's education and leave you with an extra hour of peace in the day?
Posted 19 Apr 2007 at 1:52pm #
As educators, there are times when we all wish we had a remote control to "pause" the classroom. There are children who don't always "catch on" and teachers do not have the time to make sure that each chlid "gets it." Due to the rigors of standarized testing and end-of-course tests, teachers must press on, as frustrating as that is to everyone.
While it is expensive, these learning centers spend more money on making sure they have the resources to help every student who comes through that door. I know centers that have over 800 pieces of curriculum ranging from Pre-K to adult. Show me a private tutor/teacher with those resources. In addition, how many parents are able to do background checks on their own personal tutors?
Posted 10 Mar 2009 at 1:58pm #
Lyn said on April 19, 2007:
A good tutor won't make that claim. They focus on the tier they know well.
Posted 19 Apr 2007 at 10:33pm #
Blah, Blah, BLAH!~ when was the last time anybody told a doctor that they should be into their profession to "just to see people get well, and to NOT be into it for the money?"..I am a recent graduate with teacher certification and all I am seeing is how people feel they DON'T have to pay teachers what they are worth! as professionals, deserve to get paid a professional wage. Teachers have spent years on our education (need I mention the constant demand on continuing education) and no one seems to see the value in it. We have racked up student loan bills just the same as any other professional; Doctors, Lawyers etc. etc.
It sounds to me like Sylvan is trying to get the biggest bag for their buck. Yeah sure, the teachers don't have prep to do, and they get weak raises every few months...but what about their knowledge and experience? why does Sylvan think they can get that for free?
Posted 28 May 2009 at 4:25pm #
Why would any center pay you more. Please don't compare yourself to a Doctor or a Lawyer. You make me laugh.
Posted 22 Apr 2007 at 10:57pm #
After reading all the comments on this thread I'm sorry for ever bringing my daughter to sylvan. She is seven years old and having trouble with math. We have tried to do more at home and all it got us was frustrated (on both sides). She has expressed some of the same concerns that have been listed here , not enough individual attention, room to noisy and distracting, not actually doing math, having to compete with other children at her table and most recently being told that she could not go to the bathroom or get a drink of water until the instructor felt it was appropriate.
Like an idiot I gave them the entire tuition upfront. Do any of you know how or if I can get my money back so I can spend it on a private tutor? Any help with this would be most appreciated.
Posted 23 Apr 2007 at 2:54am #
My daughter presently is in Huntington Learning center in Orlando Florida- they promised us the moon in a short time
but we still have to see the benefits . we are thinking of retaining her this year- seems like Sylvan isn't much better
they are all businesses set up to milk the less fortunate
students parents... I did not give them all the 6000 dollars
they wanted up front - so far we have given them 3000 and
are thinking of throwing in the towel in June and give the kid a
well earned rest for the summer . time is a good tutor also
some times kids just need a year to catch up -that's life
we all have our shortcomings as human beings
after all - look at that kid in Virginia Tech -- he was an English
Major that knew how to write well ... look what he did ...
Posted 27 Apr 2007 at 9:45pm #
scott said on April 22, 2007:
Just ask for the refund - there is a two week "written notice" requirement, but if you make a big enough stink, you might be able to waive the notice. Ask for "corporate" if they will not cooperate.
Posted 28 Apr 2007 at 10:48pm #
Is that the norm?? $40 a session? Wow I was hoping to help my daughter with reading comprehension. Each year she is sent to the next grade with the ""Work on reading comprehension" and each year I ask WHAT CAN I DO?! HELP!?! SOS!!! she started out reading high as a 4 yr old and has progressively gotten worse!! she's 9!! HELP!!!
Posted 29 Apr 2007 at 9:27am #
Linda said on April 28, 2007:
It can go up to $50 per session at Sylvan depending upon the payment plan. The main problem at Sylvan is that you may not be paying for a full hour. The model is 3 students at a table "sharing the hour." The teacher can only work with one student at a time, so, in theory, the teacher spends 20 minutes with each student. During the other 40 minutes the student is doing independent work related to the "guided practice" that the teacher spends 20 minutes on.
Of course, if the center doesn't have much business, and there is only one student at the table, the student may get more time. However, the student will still do independent practice no matter how many students are at the table.
As far as the reading comprehension is concerned, the Sylvan materials are the same as you would find in any school or teacher supply store. Questions about "main idea," "cause and effect" etc. which relate to a particular passage. The this is not magic - just similar work that they get in school, but somewhat more individualized instruction.
Posted 29 Apr 2007 at 10:57pm #
Nick K said on April 14, 2007:
Ok, I'm calling BS on this right now. I understand tutoring fine, since I ran a Sylvan. A tutor who knows what the skill gaps are will have **absolutely no problem** going into a teacher supply store and finding materials to address any skill gap that Sylvan addresses. Period.
Trying to pretend as if there is this secret knowledge that only Sylvan or another "reputable" center has is exactly how they try to approach parents -- to make them fearful that they can't possibly solve the problem without their professional help.
Quite frankly, that's just crap.
Lyn said on April 19, 2007:
A private tutor doesn't need 800 pieces of anything! That's a red herring argument. The private tutor only needs those materials that will help that particular student! That's why they don't need to charge the ridiculous amounts of money that Sylvan charges. (Plus tutors don't have to pay for those $5 glossy brochures that cost $2 more to mail...)
Former employee said on April 29, 2007:
EXACTLY! This is why a private tutor makes a zillion times more sense. If you want to have your child tested at a learning center to find out what the skill gaps are, that's great. Then take the results and go to the teacher supply store and buy the materials that address those gaps. In fact, the public library has nearly everything you'd need.
Not that Sylvan wants you to think about that...parents need to think that the more they spend the better the quality. With tutors, that just isn't the case.
Posted 29 Apr 2007 at 11:15pm #
Thanks for your comments you guys! I have tried the buy it at the bookstore stuff but I wanted to have her 'go" somewhere to get out of the house and neighborhood kids for the summer. I contacted a tutor who actually teaches the next grade she will be in. She said the "going" rate is $20-25/hour and wanted to know how "often" I wanted her to go. What are your opinions? once a week? twice a week? and is an hour long enough? I didn't think an 8 yr old could spend more than an hour on one subject? Open for suggestions and comments. Thanks again!!
Posted 07 Apr 2009 at 7:20pm #
people can only stay focused for one minute for each year they've been alive, with adults topping out at 15-20 minutes. so negotiate the half hour session and send her everyday. to me!
Posted 30 Apr 2007 at 12:03am #
If it were me, I would have her go a couple of times a week if that's feasible, but definitely no longer than an hour. It's been my experience that any longer than that, and they just can't stay as focused. (And the $20-$25/hour sounds very reasonable if the person is a professional. I made that amount in the mid 90s when I tutored privately.)
Since it's a reading issue, I'd also sign her up for the summer reading program at the library if she'd cooperate. (Most public libraries have these.) Ask the children's librarian for good book recommendations -- a series is really the best thing because she'll want to read them all to find out what happens -- but make sure it's not above her ability level or she won't want to do it. If you can start her on books that are slightly below her grade level, she will get in some great practice, and she may form a new habit she'll love.
Posted 30 Apr 2007 at 9:17am #
It's amazing how much lip service parents give when they talk about how they value education . . . right up until it hits their wallet. . . Then "it's too expensive" "they charge the rediculous amounts" "a rip-off" and the seriously dangerous advice by the previous Sylvan director to DIY by going to the library or teacher supply store.
You don't DIY your child's health, you don't DIY your car maintenance, you probably don't even DIY your own lawn care or home cleaning . . . . but to spend a few bucks on the proper education of your child . . . well, now that's a rip-off.
Between cheap parents and lazy kids who won't speak up, there is no mystery why the U.S. is well behind many other countries in education.
Posted 30 Apr 2007 at 6:22pm #
To put it straight..yes I do DIY EVERYTHING that I do especially illnesses and lawn care.
My daughter gets A's and B's, I just want to keep her up to par over the summer. As for the money... I don't work and I choose to better my childs' education by getting opinions from people like Erik to see if Sylvan is worth the money or to hire a private tutor.
As for cheap education, I pay $200 up front to put my kid in public schools and that does not include the endless supplies, field trips,book fairs, fund raisers, teacher gifts, etc . that I pay for.
Besides, I moved from Florida schools to get away from Hitler style "teachingto the FCAT test"and in MY OPINION, school is much more than just learning.
Posted 01 May 2007 at 7:50am #
Diana said on April 30, 2007:
I have always found it ironic that a company that tells parents "you get what you pay for" in education pays their teachers less than half the going rate for a good tutor. Ironic, eh?
And, FWIW, my "dangerous" advice is backed up by: a BS, an MEd, and a PhD -- all in education or education-related fields; middle school, high school, and college teaching; advanced level state teaching certificates; and teaching and directing at multiple Sylvan Learning Centers. I'm fairly comfortable in the fact that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to education and Sylvan. I recommend a professional tutor, but not Sylvan because of the money as well as the fact that the child gets individualized attention.
Attempts to make parents feel as if they are shortchanging their children if they don't spend the child's college savings is a tactic used by Sylvan to frighten and guilt parents, and if you give it a moment of thought, it's a ridiculous argument. (If your doctor was charging you $6000 to remove a splinter, it would still be a rip-off, regardless of his level of expertise. You don't need a doctor to remove a splinter, and you don't need 8000 pieces of curriculum to teach one child.)
What I have suggested is that no one needs to pay the equivalent of $135 an hour (Sylvan wants $45 "an hour" although your child only gets twenty minutes of that time) when a well-qualified person can find perfectly suitable materials, will give a child full attention for the hour, and will do the job for a less than a fifth of the cost of what Sylvan charges.
If you want to pay $135/hour, be my guest. Your child won't be able to hear the tutor over the din, not to mention the other ADHD child at the table who demands all the teacher's attention, and the teacher will also be busy getting three notebooks updated during the hour -- but if it makes you feel like you're doing good for your children if you spend more money, that's your prerogative.
Just don't fool yourself into thinking that because something costs more it's what is best for the child.
Posted 01 May 2007 at 11:02am #
I'm noticing a recurring theme - advice from former Sylvan employees need be taken with many many grains of salt. Can you say Disgruntled?
IMHO, in tutoring, like everything else, you do get exactly what you pay for. If you don't agree, that's fine, roll the dice with your own children, but please don't advise others to go cheap.
At the bottom rung, armed with stuff from the teacher supply store, DIY. Take a small step up and hire a teenage high school student from the neighborhood to sit with your child. A bit more and you can buy a college student's time. Spend even more on the so-called "professional" tutor - who comes with/without curriculum, lesson plans, background check, reliability, and does not offer any sort of guarantee of student success - maybe you get lucky and find a gem of a teacher. . . maybe not.
With my daughter and her struggles with math, we started cheap, and crawled up the tutoring ladder. Her continued frustrations stretched the parent-child relationship to the breaking point, spoiled the fun of her elementary years, wasted a pile of our money for no results, and tested all of our patience on many 'wannabe tutors' and 'broken promises' . . . If there's one thing I've learned in the process, having a bunch of degrees does not mean you can be an effective teacher - even one-on-one.
Eventually, it was Sylvan's proven curriculum and guaranteed program that saved her. Sure, it was expensive and yes, there was another child or two at the table working out their own problems, but it's nowhere near the chaos of the classroom, the program worked, it worked fast, and our only regret is that we didn't go there first.
Posted 02 May 2007 at 1:59pm #
Satisfied Parent said on May 1, 2007:
Is there some reason why you can give advice but those of us who disagree cannot? And I don't know anyone who would consider hiring a professional teacher to tutor their kids to be "rolling the dice" with children.
But I must say that if you don't want a cheap tutor, Sylvan isn't the way to go at all. Sylvan tutors are paid less than half what a regular tutor makes. That kind of throws off the whole "don't go cheap" argument there a bit doesn't it? Sylvan seems to think it's okay...
And FTR, I'm not recommending against Sylvan solely because of the cost -- I recommend doing what makes the most sense for the child: A certified teacher in the quiet of your home giving your child 100% attention with hand-picked materials OR a certified teacher in a room with twenty people moving around, five or six of whom are talking at one time, waiting for the teacher to get ready to deal with them, who will work with them for **at the very most** twenty minutes.
If you seriously think that is what's best, then that's what you should do, regardless of cost. I just don't see it that way.
Satisfied Parent said on May 1, 2007:
I recommend that any parent who wants to send their child to a Sylvan go to that location during the busiest hour -- sit there and listen to the noise and then tell me that is the best you can do for your child.
Incidentally, we estimated that approximately 30% of our students were ADHD and on meds; however, these children were almost always off their meds by the time they came to Sylvan because their parents didn't want to give them more after school. Unfortunately, teachers simply cannot do the kind of individualized instruction that Sylvan promises in a fair and consistent manner when they have a child (or children) at the table that cannot work when there are distractions at the table or nearby.
But that is what your $45/hour gets you. Again, if you think that's the best you can do for your child, that's great. If you think it's the best you can do for no other reason than "it costs more so it must be better," that's just foolish.
Posted 07 Apr 2009 at 7:25pm #
thank god. finally someone that believes in giving amphetamines to children whose brains haven't begun to develop. meth and cocaine hamper the development of the frontal lobe, in adults, the part of the brain responsible for making mature decisions. have you tried ritalin or aderol? the stuff gets you jacked up. so give me your kids without their meds. i hate druggies.
Posted 03 May 2007 at 9:35am #
Satisfied Parent said on May 1, 2007:
I think it's great that you can get the "inside scoop" from websites like this one. Sylvan is just one alternative of many - those who pay for such services are entitled to know what they are actually paying for. If it works for their child, that's wonderful, if not, there are other options that work well. By the way, my understanding is that Sylvan is rolling out a home tutoring program soon - perhaps they are seeing the advantages of 1 on 1. This cost, of course, will be much more than the in center tutoring.
Posted 11 May 2007 at 2:29am #
I've been working for Sylvan for the past 3 years, started off as a teacher 2004 and was getting paid 10.50. I was a first grade teacher getting paid more than what i'm getting paid now but even thought the pay is low, I love this job because Sylvan does work. I was inspired by parent conferences and hearing how much impact it had on each student. Even though each hour parents are paying are pricey, its still worth it since it does make a difference. We have 3 types of payment options. The most popular one is actually the educational loan where they can pay for 100 hours and their monthly payment is 80 per month. Many people say.. "it is soo expensive" but the program is so individualized because it pinpoints skills each student needs improvements in. There was not a month where students academics declined. Each month so far each student grew 1 year or more in their academics. Sylvan does not rip off anyone. Teachers get paid 10.50 and it gets me a bit angry that they complain about that. The reason for that hourly pay is that all they have to do is come in, sit down, and teach. They do not have to make lesson plans or write a report card or meet with parents.. We provide the lesson, materials, and books they just use thier love of teaching. Please understand that Sylvan is not about money... It's about seeing these students improve and seeing that they love learning.
Posted 14 May 2007 at 9:34am #
The original premise was the Sylvan employees. It's a free country - anyone who agrees to be employed by a company can't be calling Rip Off. Just quit your part time job if you don't like the compenstation. But since "seeing these students improve and seeing that they love learning" is part of the deal, then don't quit and don't complain about the money part.
Somehow, this blog morphs from employees to Sylvan ripping off parents. It appears to me that it's the curriculum and the "system", not just the teacher's shared time that you pay for. Get off the 20 minutes trip. During an hour of tutoring, a student only needs 20 minutes of teacher time. . . anything more dilutes their ability to become an independant learner. And students need to learn how to learn in a real world (noisy) environment. Both of these reasons (the exclusive teacher and the silence of home) are why in-home tutoring often creates a child that is permanently dependant on tutoring, incapable of learning in a noisy classroom where a real world teacher give you 1/30th of her attention (about 2 minutes in an hour long classroom filled with 30 students - with ADHD, special ed problems and much much more).
If Sylvan starts sending tutors to the homes, it's either in response to their competition from Club Z or University Instructors - who offer in-home services. . . . or as a means to recruit for their "what will be comparatively less expensive" learning center.
In any event, if you like the learning center idea, but don't want to pay Sylvan prices, you might try another learning center that provides diagnostic testing and curriculum. Shop around. . . Huntington, Score, Mathnasium, Tutoring Club . . . .
Posted 20 May 2007 at 3:38pm #
I'm currently working on finishing my thesis for an M.A. in Mathematics and I had briefly considered Sylvan as a potential part-time employer this summer. I'm quite thankful for all the feedback and commentary on this forum as it has convinced me Sylvan would not be an ideal work environment. I was aware of the low-pay since a friend of mine use to teach math at Sylvan, but it was more than sufficient as far as she was concerned for supplementary income while she completed her degree. My thoughts had been the same.
I've worked a variety of jobs ranging from driving trucks to information technology. Both paid more and neither required a degree, but we know that teaching is not a profession one goes into for the money - unless you want to go for a Ph.D and become a college professor at a larger university.
From a realistic perspective, the amount of money you would pay to have your child tutored at a learning center over a significant period of time is going to be more than most families (and especially single parents) can feasibly afford. Some can and some can't. I feel bad for the ones that are made to feel guilty for not being able to do so. If you don't have the extra money then you don't have it, and unfortunately money doesn't just come by a matter of will (else we'd all be rich).
I would highly recommend to those two-parent families that you give every possibly consideration you can to home schooling. A classmate of mine that attended graduate school with me was home schooled. He began college at 15 and finished his M.A. before he turned 20. Home schooling is how children have been educated for hundreds of years and it works quite well when parents work hard together to make it happen. For single parents, this is probably not a viable option. But there are still some things you can do to help your child succeed. One such is the following:
Get rid of your cable TV.
Aside from an occasional useful broadcast on the History channel or PBS, TV is fairly worthless. Productivity goes up immensely when you disconnect the cable. The silence at first may be a difficult adjustment, but within days you will start to appreciate it. You will find yourself far more productive and your child will follow because imitation is a strong aspect of a child's learning curve. In the absence of a TV, people often turn to reading or other introspective activities while indoors. They also tend to converse more when family members are around and they'll have a stronger tendency to go outside and be physically active. I'm not suggesting you actually get rid of the TV itself, though. Keep it, watch a DVD from time to time, or hook up the bunny ears and catch the handful of broadcasted channels if you're really in the need for some occasional televised news. Also, if you do get rid of your cable, then not only will you find productivity higher, life more fulfilling, and your child more successful, but you'll also eliminate another obnoxious monthly bill. Take that extra money and buy your child a good book. =)
Posted 27 May 2007 at 10:57am #
Keep in mind that the $80/month student loan payment plan is most likely for 15 years!
Also, the 1 year or more growth in academics in reading or math only relates to the particular concepts the student was tested on originally by Sylvan. The student is retested after 36 hours of instruction on these same concepts using a different version of the original test. Of course, the instruction prescribed by Sylvan will focus on the skills that the student has not mastered in the original test, so odds are, that the student will "grow" academically using this formula.
It should be made clear that the Sylvan gaurantee of 1 year's academic growth after completing 36 hours does not mean that the student will be reading or doing math at an all around higher grade level, i.e., a 2nd grader reading at a 1st grade level will be reading at a 2nd grade level in every sense, or a 2nd grader reading on grade level will be reading at a 3rd grade level in every sense. It just means that certain concepts taught at a particular grade level, which are part of the Sylvan curriculum, have been mastered according to the standardized tests that are utilized by Sylvan. In fact, on the test results shown to parents there is a disclaimer that says that that the "grade level equivalents" are not meant to be considered as actual grade levels.
Posted 28 May 2007 at 8:22pm #
I have been thinking about purchasing a Sylvan Franchise, and was trying to do some research about the company when I came upon this blog.This was by far the best research based on other people's opinions and experiences. Thank you for being candid and thank you for sharing. Now I can make my decision.
Posted 29 May 2007 at 4:50pm #
Former employee said on May 27, 2007:
Exactly. The long and the short of it is they basically teach the test.
And they give the child the exact same test to see if he/she has improved after three months -- statistically speaking, the child would show improvement without the instruction because he/she will recall seeing the questions on the test.
The same test being administered in such a short time period makes the results invalid, so the "guarantee" is flawed from the beginning.
Posted 29 May 2007 at 5:03pm #
Elizabeth said on May 29, 2007:
In the interest of full disclosure, I should clarify: I worked at two centers in the Southeast where we gave the same test to the students for progress testing every 36 hours (usually around four months).
The two centers where I worked in the Northwest administered similar versions of the same test. However, we only owned two versions of the test. A second set of progress testing would be performed within eight months and the original test would be used again. The companies who make the test suggest that this is still too soon to be administering the same test (if one hopes to achieve a valid result). IIRC, most testing companies want there to be a year between administrations, although by that time most students will have moved up a grade level to a different test anyway.
Posted 31 May 2007 at 10:11pm #
I have looked at buying a franchise with both Sylvan and Huntington. I have found that the concept does work. However, no two centers are the same. The director and the hired tutors can make a difference. A good director will typically hire the best tutors and keep them motivated and wanting to stay.
In relation to parents it is critical that they are clear on how the process works and know exactly what they are getting. It is amazing how in our society a family can spend $500 a month on a new car but complain on spending a similar amount on a child. Also, from the meetings with owners and directors it is clear that everything is negotiable.
The few centers I have looked at the rates for the tutors have all been different. For the most part it is market driven with some tutors being paid a lot more due to long term employment and job satisfaction. Just a couple of thoughts from an outsider.
One last comment. I had a major learning disability and without early intervention I would have had a much different life. I did not learn to read until the third grade and was in special classes in the afternoon. In short, the help early on gave me the tools to complete High school, college, post graduate studies and to become self-employed.
Posted 01 Jun 2007 at 1:41am #
Alright, first of all sylvan does nothing. They take your money promise you some stuff, and eventually you just quit out of frustration.
Im taking algebra 1, and was failing miserably. My mum signed me up at sylvan, hoping for me to atleast understand the material.
Well to my surprise.
the FIRST day i got there i stumped them with my first problem. The "tutor" that i had, did not know how to do my math. They asked all around the noisy room, and noone could explain, or do it for me.
their lame excuse was that their math tutor was sick. I asked the question, then why am I here if theres no math tutor.
I mean come on, adults should be able to do 8th grade math. I continued to go to Sylvan for about a week or so, with no improvement. the same problem kept reecuring, they could not do the problems i presented them with (the ones on my homework) and when their specialized math tutor person did show up one day and worked with me, he was rude , cocky, and wouldnt stop talking about how much he hates his job, and couldnt wait to go home. It also seemed like he had a hangover from the day before when he was "sick" He could do the problem yes, but could he explain to me how he did it? no.
I began oppenly questioning their system, asking why they could not do an 8th grade problem, or explain it to me. I was simply told that I should change my attitude as it was rude. I was only tryink to argue my point.
After I got so fed up, I got my mum to pull me out of the program (we didnt get any of the money back that we payed) an expensive amount over $6,000 even though I only attended for about 15 hours.
Sylvan, in my opinion, does not keep promises, and does not present itself in a leanring environment. There are 4 people to a tutor, and if you have a question, you have to wait yuor turn (usually very long) before they will talk to you.
I can now proudly say, I am doing very well in algebra 1. And not with the help of Sylvan, but with Huntington Learning Center. I could deffinatly recommend this to anyone, the staff is professional, there is 1 on 1 tutoring, with very very good math teachers/ tutors. I understand all the material, and I am even AHEAD of my math class now by a milestone.
Dont choose sylvan, they are unprofessional, rude, and a rip off.
choose one on one tutoring at your home, or huntington.
Posted 01 Jun 2007 at 7:04pm #
Jane said on June 1, 2007:
Yes, adults SHOULD be able to do 8th grade math and much more so than that. I'm of the opinion that any person holding a high school diploma ought to know Algebra and Trigonometry and know it well enough to actually use it. This is clearly not the case and it begs the questions, "What are high school diplomas worth?" Honestly, they're worth almost nothing these days. As far as I can tell, college is the new high school and grad school is the new college and really all that school isn't necessarily going to be worth anything if it's sought for the wrong reasons.
One of the major problems with trying to motivate our children to learn is that we can't give them real honest reasons why they should. I've heard it preached since I was in elementary school: "You need to go to school so you can get a good job." And apparently, this statement is suppose to have some underlying truth that a good job equals happiness. I think kids see through this and know that's it's a lie. What we really should be telling them is that learning for its own sake will enrich their lives in many ways; being able to start up conversations with strangers because of a common thought, engaging in debates for personal growth, understanding science and its effects and dangers, being able to see past the politics of the system and find truth for one's self. Moreover, learning should not be motivated by financial security (which is often an illusion). We should tell our children the truth - that they may not ever need a degree for the way in which they make a living in this world and that they don't necessarily need a college or structured learning environment for mental growth.
I'm about to finish my M.A. in Mathematics and I will never use it to support my family. When people ask what I'm going to do with my degree, the best response I can give is 'frame it.' It's a nice personal accomplishment, but that's all. I grew up learning computers from a young age and I've had many jobs in the computer field over the years - none of which even cared if I had a high school diploma, much less a college degree - and they paid more than jobs that require an M.A. degree. Even with that in mind, I decided a while back that I will never work in the computer field again.
I've told folks that jobs I've thought of doing included being a truck driver (smaller trucks) or a writer. They look at me as if it's crazy because, like so many people, they've forgot what it means to really live. You have to follow your heart all the way and you can't make backup plans. Parents have become slaves to their own fears and instilled those fears upon their children which is one of the saddest things I have witnessed. They tell them horrible things when they listen to their children tell them their dreams. They tell them, "You need something to fall back on." This is a soul killer. If you have something to fall back on, you'll fall back on it and you'll always be mediocre. What these parents should tell them is to press after it with all their hearts and to work HARD. They should tell them, "to thine own self be true." But too many of them have become cynical from their own failures and anything that actually speaks to the heart they dismiss as idealistic babble.
For the first time in my life I have nothing to fall back on and I've never been happier. I recently started writing a novel and I decided that this IS what I am going to be no matter what. Of course the world comes at this sense of faith with all the fearful what if's that it can muster, but a person must be confident enough in themselves not to listen to such nonsense. They ask how will I support a family if I don't make it as a writer. My answer: I won't have a family if I don't make it as a writer. I have disciplined myself not to date at all for several years while I've worked on my goals. And if I don't make my goals, then I live alone. And if I deliver pizzas while I write book after book after book and die alone and single at 45 years old, then I will have no regrets. Because I swear I'd rather have given everything and tried with all the gifts God has given me than to settle for mediocre job security out of fear.
That's my life and should I make it to my destination then that's what I will teach my children. They'll live from their hearts and they'll understand the true reason of why they should learn.
Posted 01 Jun 2007 at 10:28pm #
For the first time in my life I have nothing to fall back on and I've never been happier. I recently started writing a novel and I decided that this IS what I am going to be no matter what. Of course the world comes at this sense of faith with all the fearful what if's that it can muster, but a person must be confident enough in themselves not to listen to such nonsense. They ask how will I support a family if I don't make it as a writer. My answer: I won't have a family if I don't make it as a writer. I have disciplined myself not to date at all for several years while I've worked on my goals. And if I don't make my goals, then I live alone. And if I deliver pizzas while I write book after book after book and die alone and single at 45 years old, then I will have no regrets. Because I swear I'd rather have given everything and tried with all the gifts God has given me than to settle for mediocre job security out of fear.
That's my life and should I make it to my destination then that's what I will teach my children. They'll live from their hearts and they'll understand the true reason of why they should learn.
Way to go guy! It took me 40 years to figure this out - you're way ahead of the game. Your writing talent is obvious - best of luck!
Posted 07 Jun 2007 at 10:23pm #
Rob,
I truly admire what you are doing. It takes a lot courage to "leap and let your net appear". I am an actress who is in career/life transition and have to say I have mixed thoughts about what you wrote. As an actress, I too went for it. The problem was bills kept mounting and now I am deeply in debt. Now I am a Substitute teacher working on certification as a theater teacher, with hopes of studying something else for my master's. I'm considering studying something that is related to theater but not exactly what I want to study ( the NYC Dept of Ed has a shortage in this area and will pay for your degree). I've often thought about what I would tell my students about reaching for their dreams when I know the flip side, and decided that I'd tell them they still need to follow their heart. I don't want to instill fear in them because this was a major issue for me when I was actively seeking a film and theater career. I think, if you don't mind that I will tell them what you said.
Lest you think that I've totally given up, I have some production ideas in mind and will work on these projects. And if some new passion comes my way, I'll grab onto it firmly and follow it through.
Take wings and soar with your writing endeavors!
Posted 07 Jun 2007 at 10:56pm #
To everyone else I'd like to say there are two sides to every story. I have the unique priviledge of being able to view this situation from three sides: As an entrepreneur, as a former Sylvan " admissions expert ", and as a teacher.
As an entrepreneur, I agree with the person who said that no one is considering what goes into running a center. Last summer I developed a summer camp and had to grapple with money choices. I was the founder so I definitely thought I deserved to be paid. I wound up paying myself a little less than what I had hoped for. I had one employee and I didn't want to slight her, though I still paid her less than I thought she was worth. Lastly, I didn't want to charge the parents too much but they were charged slightly more than I wanted to charge. I had to consider all of these things as well as making sure the curriculum was enriching and exciting for the number one people in this equation- the students. I was unable to get this off the ground and will attempt this again in the furture.
As a former emplyee of Sylvan, I agree that it is pricey and I am sure a private tutor can accomplish the same results, especially if they are certified teachers. That said, I heard no complaints about Sylvan's effectiveness while I worked there. On the contrary, the only negatives I heard were from parents who couldn't afford to keep their children in the program. Also, someone mentioned that the parents could take the results of the diagnostic tests to a private tutor. We actually gave parents that option when trying to sell them on the program.
As a teacher I agree with the person who said that a qualified teacher has a right to be paid what they are worth. It's hard not to care about the money when that is your only source of income. You can't tell your bill collectors that you can't pay them because your job pays just above minimum wage. Who in the world can live off $8 an hour. I find that most people who say don't worry about it are getting paid a livable wage. I find it appalling that the teachers were being paid less than what I made as a salesperson. I worked for Kaplan and we were paid $20 per hour and $7 for pre-determined prep time. Because of the limited amount of hours, this was still not enough if I were working this job only. This was an extra small change job for me.
My point is everyone will have a point of view based on what part they play in the program. I think Sylvan is helpful to many students but I'm glad there are more options out there. I'm sure no program fits everyone.
Posted 08 Jun 2007 at 7:00am #
Alex Eiser said on June 14, 2005:
Sylvan is a big rip off the programs are not followed in the center by the center managers or the education managers. They prepare for conference 15 minutes before you arrive. They let 18-20 year old kids prepare for meetings and decide what your childs needs to work on to move ahead. People are going into debt for this service. The teachers @ that the centers are rude and act just like a $50 an hour babysitter.
Don't waste your time Sylvan is a Rip off and people are getting rich off a service that you could get for less than 1/2 the price.
Teachers are given certain things to follow-up on a daily basis in their Binders and it nevers happen.
Parents if you are reading this make sure that during your parent ongoing conferences that you are asking to your childs binders to see what your child is really learning. You will be amazed of the incomplete binders and the true colors of Sylvan this service is over priced.
Posted 12 Jun 2007 at 11:31am #
I know that some teachers are underpaid at Sylvan centers. I am a public school teacher who recently inquired about full time employment at a center. I went to the interview and was offered a job as an educational director. From what I can tell the directors are essentially running a small school. If you have worked as a director please be honest. Are there reasonable hours required or will I live at the center? As a teacher, I could have spent 60-70 a week assessing students and preparing lessons if this were physically possible for me. I experienced some frustration in this capacity. Would the position as center director be any different?
Posted 12 Jun 2007 at 3:47pm #
I am not sure how things are done at Sylvan. I know that Educational directors usually work under the Center Director. As a center director, I could take care of operations in a 40-50 hour workweek. The Educational Director here also does the administrative, but we are new and we don't have that many students yet. I believe it depends on how many students you have in the center, but you can easily fill up a 40 hour work week and leave still feeling like you have more to do. One thing I've learned is to be efficient.
Posted 13 Jun 2007 at 8:09pm #
In my experience as a Director of Education the hours were long and the pay was very low. I spent most of my time preparing for parent conferences and doing other administrative tasks and had very little time to actually monitor the quality of the teaching staff or keep an eye on the students.
Sylvan has a bonus structure for directors but no matter how hard I worked, the bonuses were minimal. One thing they tried to do in my region was to keep labor costs down. This means that the education director will be responsible for additional tasks which besides parent conferences would include updating the student binders (which contain the students lesson plans), teaching, and even pulling the books for the students. Although updating, teaching, and "pulling" are usually done by other staff members, if the regional supervisor tells you to cut labor costs, you have do take up the slack yourself. Thus you work harder and you may feel like your work will never end. Even more than the low pay, this was my greatest frustration.
The bottom line is that this could be a 40 hour a week job if the proper staffing was available, but as long as I was working at Sylvan, I never experienced anything but a constant emphasis on keeping labor costs down and therefore worked at least a 50 hour week, and I worked most Saturdays.
I had to account for labor costs every week to the regional supervisor, and if the numbers did not look good, I had to cut staff hours.
Keep in mind that this is a national company and different regions might have different approaches to this. Also franchise owners may be more accomodating to a director's desire for a balanced life. I worked at a corporate owned Center.
Hope this helps!
Posted 18 Jun 2007 at 2:35pm #
My Dircetor of Education works about 36 hours per week and is paid for 40. During the summer I give her a break and she works about 30 hours per week with no cut in pay.
Many of you have questions about refunds and how to get them, did any of you pay attention during your enrollment conference? I am sure it was all covered and you also signed a policy sheet that outlines all of this as well.
We charge $55 per hour at out sylvan, a private tutor charges about $70 in our area. We have credentials as well as a countless supply of materials and resources. At any given tiem we ahve at least 5 to six teachers at this location. A tutor does not. A tutor is a band-aid to help you with a problem Sylvan is the fix.
I undertsand many of the former employees complaining, how many of you look back on a past job and speak of how great is was? Not many, i'm sure. The other thing is did these taechers leave on their own right or were they no longer living up to Sylvan's expectations. I have very high expectations for my teachers, if they can't live up to them the children suffer. My goal is to help children acheive, if my teachers cannot do that they are asked to leave. They generally go to one of our competitors, thinking they are being spiteful. My teachers get raises and bonuses on an individual basis, if you eran it than you get it.
I have been open for 5 years now and my D.E has been with me for 4. Our teacher retention rate is great and our parents love us. If your child needs help, GET IT! You can make no greater investment that in your own child.
Good luck to all of you who may need a little help this summer. Please visit our FREE reading club at http://www.bookadventure.com. I only put that plug in there becauset is free.
Posted 18 Jun 2007 at 7:07pm #
I'm curious about the high volume of spelling and grammar errors in your post. The problem with your writing is so extreme that I'd venture to say you are someone that dislikes Sylvan and wrote poorly on purpose in attempts to discredit them - either that or you may have been drunk.
If, on the other hand, I were to think that you are actually a Sylvan Owner, then I'd have to say what you just wrote seals the prosecution's entire case for Sylvan being a bad investment.
Posted 30 Dec 2008 at 8:28pm #
Posted 18 Jun 2007 at 8:38pm #
Posted 18 Jun 2007 at 10:20pm #
Pretty dramatic don't you think? The post wasn't as bad as you are making it out to be. The odd typo here and there happens. Lack of editing hardly qualifies the poster as someone who is "trying to discredit" Sylvan or who has had a few too many. LOL
Posted 18 Jun 2007 at 10:36pm #
I must applaud you on your method of defense. Eliciting sympathy is an excellent way to win a case as people have a strong tendency to place emotion over logic in certain situations. However, I'm even more certain now that your initial writing was a ruse to discredit Sylvan. Moreover, your response to me was just another ruse to discredit my response.
The first matter is one of probability - the number of intelligent immature individuals out there with too much free time far exceeds the number of business owners with neuromuscular disorders. But that really isn't the key factor here. What discredits you most is sheer common sense. Someone with a neuromuscular disorder that caused spelling and grammar errors would be accustomed to those sorts of typing mistakes and thus highly biased towards running spell check when writing anything of importance - especially those things that would be representative of their business and livelihood. But your specific errors included superfluous commas and other logically located errors; not placed randomly as would be dictated by a physical disorder, but rather placed in positions typical of an individual prone to such errors by virtue of poor writing skills. Thus you would either be such an individual or you would be trying to impersonate such an individual. But your response claiming a neuromuscular disorder rules out the former thus leaving you exactly as the latter. In your attempts at creative defense, you've shown your cards I'm afraid to say.
Posted 02 Jan 2009 at 11:28pm #
What an a** you are for putting down a person with a disability!
Posted 19 Jun 2007 at 9:58am #
You have all been very entertaining, thank you. Could I please hear from someone who has recently brought a child to a learning center? My child needs help and the schools cannot seem to provide it. Please only respond if you have had experience bringing a child to a learning center. Thanks.
Posted 19 Jun 2007 at 1:59pm #
To Curious Parent,
I have had the Learning Center experience and I can assure you that it is both expensive and effective. We started at our local Sylvan, but they wanted $5000 . . Huntington was even more, but I remember the exact amount . . . Tutoring Club quoted $3000 and offered to guarantee the results. We went with them and it worked just as they said it would. . It was a 6 month program.
No doubt. . . 3k - 5k is expensive, but if you can afford it, it's worth it. Period.
Posted 21 Jun 2007 at 2:08pm #
Im looking for a learning center for my son who is going to the three grade, but needs help in reading and I set up two appointment for sylvan and huntington if you had a choose which one would you perfreed .
Posted 21 Jun 2007 at 9:43pm #
Just make sure that the person in charge of the education department has a teaching degree and is not just a salesperson. At Sylvan the Center Director does not have to have an education background, just sales, so at least the person in charge of the educational quality should be a certified teacher with several years of experience.
Also, tour during the busiest time. If there are few students there, the center has problems keeping clients. If there are many students there - who appear to be happy - the management is doing a good job and it's probably a safe bet.
Posted 22 Jun 2007 at 2:24pm #
The only thing that determines what you earn is supply and demand. If few want to work at McDonalds or go fight in a war, then those that do will make more money if burgers are going to be sold and the gov't needs soldiers. Many people want to be teachers even though not so many are actually good at it! Teachers will only make more money when it is harder to become a teacher causing there to be fewer teachers than needed. I don't think this is ever going to happen.
Posted 27 Jun 2007 at 11:19am #
I have been a teacher and Director of Education for two different Sylvan's over the course of 5 years. I have owned my own center for over 6 years. The ignorance on this website is astounding. Frankly, I don't know where to begin.
Facts about Sylvan:
never ever more than 3:1 student to teacher ratio
all centers decide their own pay rate...our teachers earn $15 to $17 per hour(they do not have to create lesson plans or take home work, it is all done for them, they just need to teach)...agreed that some centers under pay.
We charge between $47 to $52 per hour. This is the going rate in our area for a tutor. It costs the average center approximately $34 to $42 per hour to deliver instruction to one child depending on the region. Therefore, this is not a huge profit margin. The fact is that it costs alot to maintain any business and owning a Sylvan Learning Center is no exception.
MY Director of Education earns approximately $41,000 per year. She never works beyond 40 hours per week, has three weeks paid vacation, a pension plan, and full health and dental....so we are not walmart.
I have even paid maternity leave...which is not required by law. I could continue....but I have other things to do...like educate children. If you are a parent and are interested in educating your child, Sylvan should be on your list of potential solutions. To ignore the leading provider in supplemental education is just foolhardy.
Posted 27 Jun 2007 at 11:24am #
current owner/director said on June 18, 2007:
All of the above is dead-on with its accuracy. I too have had a DE for 5 years. I have many teachers that have been with me me for over 3 years(remember, this is only part-time work for these teachers, many are teaching in their own schools). I just wanted to take the time to highlight accurate comments on this site.
Posted 27 Jun 2007 at 6:07pm #
In less than 3 hours my husband and I meet at the local Sylvan to go over my daughter's test from yesterday's first-time assessment. I was appalled when I took her in yesterday. Here was my 17 y/o (already unhappy with having to go in) surrounded by 15-20 fourth/fifth graders. She was given nowhere private to take her test and came home in tears. The quiet center I had initally visited was a learning center zoo. Then, a short bit ago I read that Kindercare once owned Sylvan. Well, that I can speak to as I worked for Kindercare once myself- what a nightmare. I have a degree, experience, and they started me out at the base rate as if I were a 15 year old. But, back to my daughter... how in the world is anyone to learn anything in that environment, with that many ages mixed in together in the same room?!? So far we've only laid out the initial assessment fee, but I am not about to pay them anymore if what I saw yesterday is a typical tutoring program. I've sent my husband some of the postings as I am getting very concerned we are the brink of making a huge mistake. Already there is no way to undo the damage my duaghter felt yesterday when she thought she was going to a great place for teens and instead was left in what looked like a day-care.
Any suggestions of what to watch out for as far as "hooks" that the director will try to use to enroll her?
Posted 27 Jun 2007 at 6:10pm #
Okay, my dad has been working at a Sylvan Learning Center in SLC, Utah for almost ten years. He's hardly ever paid overtime "because he has a salary." His salary is 28,000 a year! He has to support five people on this salary, and still pay more than 500 bucks a month on rent for a crappy two bedroom apartment. Please don't try to tell me that Sylvan isn't ripping off its teachers.
Posted 28 Jun 2007 at 9:46pm #
Laurie said on June 27, 2007:
If she's not happy in the environment, it's not going to work for her. Tell the Center Director or Education Director that it's not what you expected and cut your losses.
Posted 28 Jun 2007 at 9:54pm #
Pete B said on June 27, 2007:
I disagree with this characterization of our statements. Many of these postings accurately convey the facts and opinions of former Sylvan employees and former clients. That's the whole point of a website like this. Why not give people the facts as we have experienced them so people can make an informed choice?
Posted 29 Jun 2007 at 10:32am #
If she's not happy in the environment, it's not going to work for her. Tell the Center Director or Education Director that it's not what you expected and cut your losses.
Well, that's what we did. From the look on the director's face, I don't know if anyone has ever questioned her as to why she would try to assess a student in a room full of commotion and expect accurate results. We will press on with trying to find a personal tutor and put this experience behind us. Glad we didn't shell out the $3,000 they estimated we'd need to spend. It's not the money- it's being sure we are doing what is best for our daughter.
I appreciate all the comments on this blog in helping us make an informed decision.
Posted 06 Jul 2007 at 10:28pm #
First of all, I would never take time away from my family for $15-$25 an hour.
Derek--You talk about the market, but you cannot generalize about teachers. Each one is different so each one will be worth a different amount.
Advice to parents--Never use a tutor (Sylvan or private) that cannot provide for you before and after assessments. For example, you should know your child's correct words per minute rate, the standard words correct per minute for their grade level, what level of spelling they are at (not grade level, spelling has been proven to be developmental and there are 4 stages--letter name, within word, syllable and affixes and derivational relations), what percentage of comprehension they have at their current reading level, Phonemic Awareness tests, Sight Word tests, etc. You should be able to see growth when these tests are repeated at the end or periodically.
I don't know anything about Sylvan, but those are some of my standards and I am a reading specialist.
By the way, many teachers I know that are amazing are doing other things, such as training other teachers, teaching at the college, and doing seminars. What I would do is find an amazing teacher and offer them $40 an hour to tutor privately with no other students.
Good Luck Parents.
Posted 11 Jul 2007 at 3:57pm #
I worked as a Sylvan Director of Education for over 10 years. You can debate back and forth over the validity of any program; however, if you haven't experienced Sylvan how can you judge it?
To those who say the pay is too low for teachers....what are your local schools paying? As some have noted previously, breaking down local pay per hour for county school systems you find the hourly rate far below $8-10 per hour. Sylvan does hire quality teachers and holds them to high standards because supplemental education is still education. Any true teacher understands the need for quality rather than the "almighty dollar".
Anyone who experienced Sylvan with negative results should contact either the local Sylvan or the corporate headquarters with questions. Your concerns will be addressed. Sylvan is far more than worksheets, babysitting, group instruction, etc. It is not for everyone and unfortunately everyone cannot afford the cost of private supplemental education. It doesn't mean the Sylvan community thinks you are an inadequate parent. If you have questions, do some real research into what Sylvan is.
Posted 12 Jul 2007 at 8:31am #
Jennifer said on July 11, 2007:
No, you don't. Only ridiculous "break-downs" that included per-student rates drop below Sylvan levels. $8-$10/hour is about $20k/year (if you work 50 weeks/year). Teachers in public schools make far more than $20k/year and don't work 50 weeks.
Let's go with the high end and take $10/hour. That's $20k/year for 50 weeks of work, or $400/week. All assume an eight-hour work day. Many commenters above have said you don't get paid for everything you do at Sylvan, and that there's still prep work, test grading, etc. for which you're not paid - so I'm being more than generous with these numbers.
A teacher earning $40k/year is working about 36 weeks. That's just over $1111 per week. If we assume they work 40 hours, that's almost $28/hour. To make as little as a Sylvan employee working for $10/hour, the teacher would have to work over 110 hours per week, or nearly three times (2.8) the 40 hours the Sylvan employee earns. If we assume a 40-week work year, the numbers change to $1000/week, $25/hour, and 100 hours of work to equal the miserably low $10/hour the Sylvan employee earns.
Sorry, but saying that the hourly rate for teachers is below $8-10/hour doesn't make it so. The math just doesn't work.
Posted 14 Mar 2009 at 2:45pm #
If you factor in the fact that your $40k/year teacher is also getting roughly 16 weeks of paid time off, as well as spending far more than 8 hours a day grading homework, creating lesson plans, and attending school events, the math does work. Granted, an ideal 8 hour in-and-out work day would be GREAT, it's just not a reality in teaching.
The payscale for a Sylvan tutor is dependent upon the location, apparently. And, what are they gaining in regards to pay vs. expense? Immediate clientelle. The truth of the matter is, without a reputation and word-of-mouth, a private tutor has no business. Sylvan provides the students. Tutors provide tutelage. No advertising cost to the tutor, as opposed to self-promoting. (Ads in your local paper will vary in cost.)
The work is not commisserate with the pay, so to speak, for a teacher. If you break it down to an hourly rate, teachers are paid significantly less "per hour" than your calculated $25. But, you can't beat the schedule. Summer and winter break. Every major holiday off. Weekends free (unless you coach - which you get paid for).
Sylvan and other learning centers provide a SUPPLEMENTAL income to teachers who, generally, are already being paid to teach. And, as far as supplemental second jobs go, $10-$15/hr (the going rate around here) for a part time gig is pretty phenomenal.
Posted 12 Jul 2007 at 9:41am #
With a master's degree, I make $45,000 a year plus benefits.
Is that sufficient? Well, it depends on whom you ask and what the cost of living is in the area. I have several friends with masters degrees who make over $100,000 and I would consider us all of equal intelligence and in careers that require an equal amount of required knowledge. They just went into areas that pay more.
I am content with the pay, though some days I am not. Sometimes it bothers me that all teachers get paid the same amount regardless of different amounts of time invested and effort. Sometimes I am happy to teach and feel rewarded, other days I think that if I opened my own business in any field and put this many hours in, I would make a lot more money.
People who think that teachers will only be happy teaching are quite mistaken. Most teachers I know enjoy many things. I get satisfaction from working with adults as well. I also think I may open my own non-school related business. My point being is that if society wants to guarantee that teachers are the best they can get then maybe their salaries should be a little more competitive with the business world.
Posted 12 Jul 2007 at 5:06pm #
My son needs tutoring and I am considering Sylvan. So, how does it work? Do they require contracts? Thanks.
Posted 17 Jul 2007 at 7:33pm #
I currently work at a Sylvan center. The first thing I'd like to make clear is that roughly about 80% of the almost 1200 centers in the US and Canada are individually owned and operated.
Therefore, all payroll, hourly rates, test rates, quality of staff, etc. will vary center to center. It surprises me how quickly some of you have turned one bad experience with a center into a generalization that the entire Sylvan concept is a bad idea.
Sylvan uses research based and proven programs/assessments to achieve success within their students. True, Sylvan is definitely not the best fit for all, but done right it is an exceptional resource for students that need that little extra they are not getting at school or at home.
Not all owners have dollar signs in mind-I personally know my owner loves what she does. Our teachers go through the same background checks that teachers are expected to undergo and require the same certification that classroom teachers are expected to provide when applying for a 'regular' teaching job.
The same teachers getting hired at Sylvan could be the same teachers standing in front of your child in a classroom. Our teachers are required to do weekly/monthly trainings and workshops to continuously update there understanding of the Sylvan programs and to provide them with exposure to new implementation and teaching strategies.
A private tutor may be able to provide assistance with homework, but Sylvan can provide a professional outlook, they will identify skill gaps, tailor instruction, provide ongoing assessments and work with parents, educators and schools alike to make sure their students succeed... and no longer need them. I have been here almost three years, my degree is in education, I have taught and now am a director. I am young, and I don't have children yet, but if and when that happens, I would definitely send my own children to the right Sylvan.
Posted 21 Jul 2007 at 12:16pm #
I contacted sylvan in marlton NJ . before I listened to anything I explained UPFRONT Im getting divorsed and I can only afford approx 100. a week to bring my daughter up to speed on the 3rd grade math she struggled with. (& passed..poorly) but passed. They insisted i take the evaluation test, which i certainly agree with. they insisted i incorporate the reading skils in this testing because that is usally associated with poor math skills... the are the pros so I agreed.
I was "lucky" enough to get the 99. "special" for the 4 hour test, upon review they presented to me what i already knew my daughter was at grade level for the reading, The math was alittle above 2nd grade level. She would need 5200.00 worth of tutoring in math with a 4 hour minimum a week. I almost fell off my chair and they lowered their price down to 2700.00, I begrudgingly agreed, I paid for the first session of 160.00 and she took the 4 hour class. I told them Id be back next week with the balance check. (i had to try and figure out how i was gonna shit 2700. in a week) I went back the following week and the director was not present I explained my daughter is uncomfortable with a 4 hour session and I simply cant afford it either. I offered them 1 x a week 2 hour sessions. They will get back to me..ill keep you posted but this is "a violation of their policy" so if they dont accept my offer of 10 weeks 1x a week for 2 hours (100. bucks a week) I will just hire one of the many teachers around here that tutor at my house .
Posted 21 Jul 2007 at 5:18pm #
If sylvan really does pay their teachers 9-11 dollars and hour that is a joke. Why in the world would you go to 4+ years of college to make so little? I a trying to find a teaching job in my area and with a masters i will start out at around 40k a year. I do not think that is too bad for only working 180 days a year. Anyone that can afford to work for a few bucks more than minimum wage must have a husband supporting them. Anyone that requires your employees to have a four year degree should start out at least around 12 bucks an hour. I am not in the treaching field for money, but come on 9-10 bucks an hour is insulting!!! There comes a point whey yes, money has to come into play if you want to have a half way descent life. Why go to college if you are only going to make 9-10 bucks an hour? So you have 40k in student loans and then make garbage for pay? I could make more driving a forklift with only a highschool degree, and I would be guaranteed a job in the summer.
Posted 21 Jul 2007 at 6:22pm #
Jackie - I believe that the corporate "policy" of 4 hours per week minimum is for every student, but the Center Director should have the discretion to allow 2 hours per week if that is all you can afford. So if you tell them you can only afford 2 hours per week, they will probably take that, but warn you that the chances for success are minimized with less hours.
However, another alternative is paying for "homework support," at Sylvan rather than the regular math program. The cost should be the same. In homework support, your daughter can bring the types of problems that she needs help with to the center (even if it's not homework per se). Once school starts, she can get help with exactly what she is working on in school. This is most likely what an outside tutor would do anyway. Homework support does not come with a "gaurantee," but it still might be more effective for your daughter.
The regular math program at Sylvan would simply teach her the skills that she needs improvement on, and because the instruction for these skills is not given in any particular order, she may not show the immediate improvement that you are hoping for.
So my recommendation is to maximize your $100/week by asking for the best math teacher that can work with her on the particular problems that she is struggling with.
Good luck!
Posted 30 Jun 2009 at 10:31am #
There is no "corporate policy" that states how often a student should attend!!!!! How often a student attends will depend on how much help they need and how fast the parent wants to get them there! And yes, sometimes what a director "recommends" is not what the parent can do....a director does not know what your financial situation is or what your work schedule is.....
This blog page is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read!
If your child is struggling in school, failing, does not want to go...what choice do you have as a parent? YOU MUST GET THEM HELP! Sure, everyone thinks a private tutor is the gold standard, but what you don't realize is that most parents have tried that route and it has not worked! Sylvan is usually a parent's last resort.
A private tutor will struggle to address skill gaps at lower levels. Private tutors also tend to be very inconsistent with scheduling...this is the number one gripe of parents that have tried this!
Posted 22 Jul 2007 at 12:44pm #
Dear Jackie,
I have found much success in an online math tutoring program I have used with my son. Although I do not remember everything about math, I was able to use this site to help me tutor him. The child takes an online test for what ever grade level you want. Then it shows a pie graph of what your child has mastered and what he/she needs to work on. It then gives your child problems to work on and 2 explanations on how to get the answer. It starts at third grade and goes up through College. That is the beauty of computers. One teacher cannot have the amount of available math knowledge that a program can have. My son has gone up 2 grade levels since working on this program. You should try it. They have a trial period. You will know right away if it will work for you. It is only $20 a month, which I think is a steal. It has filled in all of the gaps for my son. Try it.
http://www.Aleks.com
Posted 27 Jul 2007 at 3:07pm #
My visit to this website was prompted by a fact gathering mission that I am beginning as I prepare to support my son in his education as be begins 10th grade.
When my son was in 3rd grade he had difficulty with reading skills. After attending the local Sylvan Learning Center for the entirety of 4th grade he caught up and surpassed his grade level.
Currently, after 9th grade, he continues to be tested with success at college level reading. We considered our experience with Sylvan to be a success.
Last year, my son began his high school education at a Charter school specifically aimed at computer technnology and engineering. My son's passion is computers.
My son began having difficulty keeping up with the work load by the second quarter. He also began having an attitude problem. If it wasn't specifically related to computers he wasn't interested. At one point he was failing all classes except Computers which he maintained an "A" in.
We suggested returning to Sylvan and were met with an emphatic "No Way" from my son. His only problem was "being seen" entering or leaving the facility or running into an acquantance in the facility.
Thus, we contacted Club Z Tutoring. They understood that my son's issues were time management, study skills and that he needed help with Algebra. They first tutor they sent was a certified teacher, but she hadn't worked in a long time. She also had no experience teaching high school level. After working on one problem for 45 minutes and still not figuring out the problem, she said she would dig out her college books when she got home to see if she could figure it out. She "hollered" to me in the other room that this problem had given her an extreme headache. Then during the 5 minute parent conference at the end of the session all she did was talk about her recent divorce and the need to make money. They send a tutor to your house for private help.
After calling the Club Z director and explaining that she wasn't the right tutor and after being told that they had never dealt with someone who wasn't satisfied with the tutor assigned--that this caused them quite a problem--they sent another certified teacher. Again, we found out that this teacher had no experience with high school level teaching but we gave her a chance. After listening in on a few sessions we had confidence that she knew what she was doing.
After a couple of months our son was caught up in all his classes and we suggested to the tutor that it was a good time to begin working with him on time management and study skills so that he did not become dependent on having a tutor by his side to get his work done. (The tutor was coming to our home 4 times a week for 1 to 3 hours each.)
The tutor's response to this was "your son is a teenager, he doesn't want to put in the time to study so it would be a waste of time to teach him those skills." Needless to say, we won't be hiring that tutor back for 10th grade. Our goal is to have a son who can study independently and confidently. We certainly aren't going to send a tutor with him to college! The tutor's goal was to keep working--she told us about the new car she wanted. Obviously, as parents we are aware of the mistakes we have made and the weaknesses we have in instilling those necessary skills. We admit it. The bottom line is we know we screwed up and we want to solve the problems and we are trying to find the right experts to help us.
Now comes our problem. Do we go back to Sylvan? After reading all the negative comments I now have doubts. Plus there's that problem about "being seen there". I don't want to go back to Club Z because after many conversations with the tutor and the directors, I don't believe they have as a goal to turn out independent learning students. They're good at hand holding but that is about it. I have also interviewed Huntington Learning Center and don't feel they would fit our needs.
I am more than willing to put in the time to tutor my son myself. The problem there is that our personalities clash in this area and it has been a disaster.
When I look online for a tutor in our town I come up empty. The only sites that pop up are Sylvan, Club Z and Huntington. How does a parent find a qualified teacher? I looked online also at the local college's education department and couldn't find anything. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Posted 27 Jul 2007 at 10:33pm #
Dear JJW,
All of the Sylvan teachers are supposed to be certified teachers - but they are not necessarily qualified to teach a particular subject. And even if you like a particular teacher at Sylvan, there is no gaurantee that you will get the same teacher the next session.
Sylvan is selling you the Sylvan Method, not the teaching staff. The Sylvan system is somewhat individualized, and somewhat nonindividualized. For example, after the assessment Sylvan will put together a curriculum to fill in your son's "skill gaps." But this curriculum may not necessarily correspond with what your son is taking in school.
So, if you want to help your son with what he is learning in school, just find a teacher who specializes in the area he is struggling in and hire that person as a private tutor. If you want a general "catching up," the Sylvan system might help.
Posted 27 Jul 2007 at 11:21pm #
Dear JJW,
Please visit Aleks.com. You said you were willing to tutor him yourself. This is exactly what I did. I went to this website, it gave him a comprehensive assessment, showed us where the gaps were in his learning, and we sat down together to read the explanations and learn the math. We are now beginning Algebra. You can choose what you want to do--I think it even goes to Calculus and Statistics. I believe they have a 48 hour trial period. I think you will know right away after the assessment and you try a few problems. I was sold immediately. I have used this for struggling students as well as gifted students (I am a teacher). Good Luck. It is much cheaper than a tutor and it was good to spend time with my son as well as brush up on my math.
Posted 28 Jul 2007 at 1:21pm #
Hire a private tutor!
Posted 28 Jul 2007 at 6:43pm #
Private tutors will give your child the attention and experience he deserves. Learning Centers exploit their staff and the parents--not to mention the students. Pay a certified teacher $25 or more per hour--it's worth it!!
Posted 28 Jul 2007 at 6:55pm #
Owners of these "centers" are clever business sharks who manipulate the overly-saturated teacher market. They pay insultingly low hourly rates, provide less than 10 hours of work and have no respect for their staff. When I called to tell of a death in my family, I was told that I would have to find a substitute and quickly!
No condolences were offered. This shows the type of people who run these outfits. The mighty dollar is all that matters.
Posted 29 Jul 2007 at 10:18pm #
Sylvan sells franchises...so does Burger King and McDonald's
Sylvan advertises with deception, the same as most corporations
Sylvan overcharges, keeps 80% and the rest 'trickles down' to staff.
Sylvan's emails have grammatical and spelling errors. What does that tell you?
Sylvan should be a new listing in the "Hoax Enclyclopedia."
Stick with public schools or credentialed, professional tutors.
Posted 30 Jul 2007 at 7:22pm #
As a Sylvan employee, I agree wholeheartedly---A mere $9/hr (at my branch) for a teacher with a bachelor's and possibly master's degree. It's particularly ridiculous when considering that Sylvan does NOT adequately assess each child's individual needs but assigns them pre-determined "prescriptions" according to their test scores. It mostly amounts to, as you said, workbook pages. Also, in reference to this comment:
"If you want to compain about pay look at the pay and wages of a U.S. Airmen, Soldier, Marine, and Sailor. They fight for our country and they make $7.00 an hour. Enough said."
My husband IS an active-duty airman. Hmph. I guess our family gets the short end of the stick all around!
Posted 31 Jul 2007 at 8:34pm #
I am currently applying to Sylvan. I am a certified teacher. Sub teachers in my state earn 40 to 50 dollars a day and there is a ton of competition even for daily sub jobs (sit by the phone and wait). I know Sylvan pays 10 an hour! Big money here. Most jobs pay federal minimum wage of 5.15 an hour. The Sylvan job will look good on my resume and pays more than subbing or paraprofessional jobs with the local school systems! I will love the job!
Posted 03 Aug 2007 at 6:55am #
I came to this website to get some idea about the issues, problems and challenges of becoming a Sylvan franchisee. All of the comments are very interesting and apparently quite sincere. Several things occurred to me as I read many, but not all of the posts.
1. Of course it is a business. Why else would someone like me want to invest a lot of money to set up a center, take the risk of signing a lease, hire staff, buy furniture, etc.? I don't think a school district will subsidize my very personal risk.
2. My interest, probably like many others who already own a franchise, would be to do something good for children while, yes, earning a profit. What is wrong I ask about getting rewarded for taking a very significant personal risk, which the teachers do not have to take, to do something that is needed?
3. Two of my children went to Sylvan for a year each and both benefited from the skills assessments and more focused teaching. We learned that my son, whom we always thought was smart but not demonstrating it, had a vocabulary far beyond what the teacher expected for his age. That feedback bolstered his confidence and self-esteem immensely. It was, I think, very rewarding for his teacher to see the change in his ability to write and use his excellent vocabulary more effectively.
4. Teachers are indeed very important people in our society, which is one reason that I find this business intriguing. However if we are honest, the gaps between the best and the worst are horrific. In some occupations rewards go preferentially to those who consistently produce results. Who favors paying members of his/her favorite pro team the same pay base on years in the league as schools do?
5. Our educational system has lost perspective and no longer strives to be the best in the world. I have lived 10 years outside the US and sadly we are not the best. Our kids would struggle badly with the same curriculum standards that exist in most of Europe, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore among others. I don't intend to be offensive, but many teachers would not be qualified to teach the typical higher level classes in those countries. I agree with several of the comments that Sylvan should not exist. But it does, because the school systems are not meeting the needs of a lot of students. I was encouraged to read that some dedicated educators get satisfaction from being able to make more progress with just a few students.
6. If cost relative to teachers' pay is the issue, consider these numbers. In our school district the average cost per student is $16,000+ per year. If the cost in elementary school is $12,000 per year then the district (read taxpayers) pays $300,000 per year for a class of 25 students. If an experienced teacher gets paid $50,000 per year and gets total benefits worth $15,000 per year the total compensation is ~22% of the total cost. Private sector Class A office space costs roughly $24-36 per square foot with miscellaneous expenses. With a large 2,000 sq. ft. classroom and another 2,000 sq. ft. of shared space, students use a maximum of $144,000 per year of facility costs. (Bear in mind that schools are typically not class A and benefit from tax-free interest financing.) Where does the rest of the money go? Books? New furniture? I wonder how many teachers, if given a chance, would take $250,000 per year and agree to pay for the building space, the books, etc.? If they did I think they would be very well paid. A local private school gets better results (measured by test scores and % of graduates getting acceptances at top colleges and universities) on two-thirds the total cost. A neighbor's child advanced 3 years in the public school system after two years there. Why should that be? I think the system inhibits and restrains teachers from achieving their best with students.
7. I would want to find a way to pay the best teachers the most if I did buy a franchise. But would teachers want that? I once volunteered to serve for 5 years on the board of a self-supporting international school. Even the outstanding teachers rejected the idea of being paid on any basis other than years of experience and degree level and graduate school credits. But as one education lecturer said to a group of teachers, "Do you really have 20 years of experience, or 1 year of experience repeated 20 times?"
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'd appreciate candid feedback.
Posted 03 Aug 2007 at 7:58pm #
I have worked for Sylvan Learning Center for 17+ years on a part-time basis. The people with whom I work are warm, caring, loving people. It feels like a family! When my daughter graduated from high school, they all came to her graduation party. When my mom died, many attended her funeral. When our original owner died, we all grieved.
Yes, we are there to make money; what business isn't? But we are a business whose function and desire is to help students succeed and we rejoice in that success. It causes us frustration when students don't succeed! Students' success/failure depends on MANY factors. Factors include parenting, sibling relationships, frequent moving, ability to focus, relationships with peers/teachers, learning styles, etc. Because of those factors, Sylvan is not for every student needing supplemental education, but I've seen it work for MANY!
Regarding the pay...yes, it's not all that high, but I love working there, love the hours, and love the kids! If it doesn't fit your needs, perhaps you should work somewhere else.
Posted 09 Aug 2007 at 10:50am #
I too have had frustrations for 10 years with finding tutors. Our experience with Sylvan has been better than most of the private arrangements I have used. They at least have a recipe and all the instructors/teachers follow it and communicate - some private tutors have their own plan which is not always in synch with school and they are not always good at communicating. Although I was frustrated with the constant assessments, I think they did help focus on needs. I also got frustrated with the rules for makeups/schedules, etc - I felt pushed to buy more hours and come more often than necessary. I would like to see the teachers earn a living wage or maybe get paid for 3 hours when they have 3 students for an hour - this seems fair since each parent pays the same per hour whether we have 1:1 or 3:1 ratios. If anyone knows how to locate a qualified tutor with a known track record I am game. The school district doesn't know how to hire qualified teachers and they cover for each other when you ask one to recommend another for tutoring-I been burned hiring the "best" reading tutor in the district. Is there a place to go in Texas to find our how private tutors rate? We need junior English - I hope we will be OK in Math after 150 hours at Sylvan - I appreciate that I have recourse at Sylvan if a teacher does not meet my expectations - with my old arrangement my recourse was to fire the tutor and start my search again to find a new arrangement.
Posted 09 Aug 2007 at 2:13pm #
There are things more important in life than money, either a parent's money or a teacher's salary. My child struggled with reading in a way that was too painful for me to watch. We would spend hours each night at the counter crying -together-over homework that he couldn't read or write. We received no help from the school and in fact, were told that we should be proud of our son's coping skills.
After attending Sylvan for a total of 105 hours, Connor was reading at a level we had only dreamed of. His instructors were wonderful. The director outstanding. The money expensive.
I would have paid twice as much as we did to see the successes Sylvan brought to my child. They are countless (he won an essay contest and read it out loud on the air and in front of the school to name just one.) As the credit card slogan goes, "there are some things money can't buy."
As a parent, a few thousand dollars toward your child's education is the best money you can spend. Better than your cigarrettes or beer, better than your tall latte mochachino, better than the video game rentals and fast food dinners.
Quite honestly, it was the best money I have ever spent.
As for the teachers complaining about the compensation- I am thankful my son didn't have any of you. His instructors were dedicated, helpful and loving. The director was one of a kind. Even the owner has been involved in our lives- calling to ask about our experiences. Like any business, there are good owners, managers and employees. One bad experience does not determine the entire franchise or the fit for other teachers or families.
Research your options, pay attention to your child's needs and above all, discuss issues when they are small rather than waiting for a blow out. You are in control, use it to help your child. At our first meeting, we were told to let them know who our child liked for teachers and if there were any he didn't like working with so they could better match them.
Good luck to all- teachers and parents alike. I wouldn't change a minute of our 105 hours at Sylvan. I hope you find the same to be true for your family.
Posted 09 Aug 2007 at 4:21pm #
To Quote Judy,"As for the teachers complaining about the compensation- I am thankful my son didn't have any of you. His instructors were dedicated, helpful and loving."
I am one who has complained about the lack of compensation. I still work there. I still work hard and have worked FOR FREE many hours over the last 3 years. if that isn't "dedication" I don't know what is! Do not confuse our complaints over poor pay with lack of dedication and concern for our students.
I am glad to hear your son got the help he needed and deserved. Just think, all that effort on the teachers part got her/him 10 bucks an hour( and more than likely with three students at the table at the same time)
Posted 14 Aug 2007 at 9:30am #
Jody said on August 9, 2007:
1. It's easy to say there are more important things than the teacher's salary when you aren't the teacher.
I was not offered medical coverage while working for Sylvan and had a brief stay in the hospital. As one might guess, the hospital billing department wasn't remotely interested in how dedicated I was. Teachers have to live, too.
2. Dedication is not measured by one's willingness to accept substandard pay or treatment. Certainly, we can all recognize that a doctor is not less dedicated because he/she charges more for services than a manicurist. A teacher, like a doctor, is a professional who has invested in education and needs to make a living wage.
3. I'm glad your son was helped by Sylvan; however, I'm disappointed that you are not remotely bothered that his "wonderful" teachers were not paid what they were worth, and that you seem to think that's just fine.
To each his own, I suppose.
Posted 17 Aug 2007 at 1:21am #
Wow, I was surprised with all the resposes from professionals with spelling and grammar errors. I am a senior in college going for a teaching degree, and even I know that it takes all methods to teach students. Let the parents make the decision. Let the teachers who choose to work for Sylvan work there. If money is tight a private tutor would probably be more economical. But, they will obviously not have the battery of identifying tests that Sylvan has. However, if they know teaching methods and care, they will probably increase the student's abilities. Still, I have a friend with a son who won't work for those he knows one-on-one, it takes competition with others. The point I am making is that there is no absolute right and wrong with teaching students, as long as their human rights are respected and the material is presented in a way in which they can respond.
Posted 18 Aug 2007 at 11:53am #
While the prices are a little steep, I felt that they helped my daughter a lot.
My daughter was falling behind in school, because the teachers have to focus too much time on kids that don't speak English. They just expect the English speaker to be able to read the material and figure it out.
The teachers were suggesting the we put our daughter in a special program that was going to be more expensive than Sylvan and would probably not help her on the level that Sylvan did.
Not many teachers are willing to tutor after hours, as many of them are at school working on other tasks, long after the students go home.
Sylvan took great care of my daughter and brought her above grade level on all subjects. We were given the opportunity to review all tests. The elementary school also tested my daughter and their tests showed the same grade point level.
Now that we have moved to a better school district, the teachers are actually able to work with their English speaking students and keep all of them at or above grade level.
Posted 21 Aug 2007 at 9:27pm #
D said on May 28, 2007:
I am thinking of buying a franchise as well. Did you find any more websites that helped you with your decision. If possible I would like to speak with you.
Posted 27 Aug 2007 at 4:40pm #
I think you are missing the point. Have you ever tutored privately? Obviously not, the biggest challenge is to try and figure out what the problem is as you work with the student. Then you have to find materials that address the problem areas. This will soak up a whole lot of time that you are charging those poor parents for. Sylvan identifies the weaknesses from the initial skill assessment. Obviously you have no experience with Sylvan or you would know that Sylvan is absolutely not worksheet based. If you did work for Sylvan you probably chose to teach the skills that way. I have no doubt that if you are a classroom teacher you probably manage your classsroom the same way...that's called busy work.