We had high hopes for the Learning Tree Howell location, as we were transferring to the Howell location from Livonia West - which we absolutely loved and adored! The two centers are night and day difference, and not in a positive respect. The Howell location needs significant attention - specifically to address overall management issues. After a very brief time at this location, we decided to pull our child completely from their program.
Here are a few of the high-level concerns I observed while my child was enrolled at this specific location:
- Major issues with Staff Retention: In the four short months we were enrolled at Learning Tree Howell, there was a complete turnover in staffing in my child's classroom, including classroom assistants and lead teachers. In an environment where the teacher / child relationship development is so critical, it does not seem to be a priority to Learning Tree Management. It speaks highly to the overall quality of the center when staff retention is not a primary goal / focus.
- Transition from Infant to Toddler Delay: The Learning Tree's website states that the toddler room starts at 12 months - this is not correct. My child was 15 months and still in the infant room, even though all of the milestones required to go from infant to toddler were met. Its difficult to understand how the Learning Tree management expects staff to focus on child development when the children range so greatly in basic developmental needs (think a 12 week old infant vs. a 15 month toddler). Learning Tree management brings children in faster than staff can keep up. When I left, I was told that the toddler room was on a waitlist. So even if I had requested a transition, I would have had to wait for another child to transition out of toddler, or for the staff / child ratio adjustment.
Put simply, the age in the infant room at the Howell location does not align to their marketed website, buyer beware!
- KidsReport: What is advertised on their website vs. what is actually delivered is VASTLY different. The Learning Tree's website markets to parents stating: "The best part of KidReports is you'll get at least one photo of your child every day, so you can see what your child is learning." This is simply not true. I went a full two weeks without receiving a single photo. In one particular month, I received a picture for only three specific days, even though my child was enrolled full time - five days a week. Based on their website, this would mean I should have received, at a minimum, 20 pictures. The curriculum is never shared with the parents in any other form other than checking the bulletin board. In the four months we attended, other than Mother's Day, we never saw an art project / craft / activity to bring home. Additionally, we were never informed on what was being worked on from a classroom perspective in respect to developmental skills.
I would pause long and hard before enrolling with the Learning Tree Howell location. read more
