parent's fees

[play2learn]

Hi,
Do you believe that the staff who work in the rooms with the children should be responsible for chasing fees? I personally do not. I believe this is the directors responibility. The teaching staff need to build positive relationships with the parents so that they can provide the best program possible for the children in partnership with the parents. How can this be done if the parent feels embarassed because they are behind in fees? I have just returned to working in long day care and this is happening in the centre I am working at. In my past experience the teacher has never been involved in fee related issues. I would be interested in other early childhood teachers thoughts.

[fchaudari76]

Staff need to teach and admin need to deal with fees/CCB etc
I was at a centre too where the Director never really came in and I was left to deal with complaints and trying to placate p*ssed off parents who had been overcharged etc....it infringed on my teaching time and over time I was just stressed and didnt enjoy going to work as it was too hectic.
Thats what the Director & any other admin staff are hired so they deal with those things, teachers are there to teach

[dulciean]

I have never been put in this position before- but i agree wholeheartedly with fefe . It should NOT be a teacher's job to perform administrative tasks. Are you working for a chain of centres or an independent centre?

[fchaudari76]

From my experience if you are a teacher and being asked to do administrative duties .... get out your job description & read it and then take it to the DIrector & say taking fees, x, y, z are not in my job description.
I never said anything where I worked as I knew it just would not have made a difference at all, there were many issues I had which they just ignored and in the end just led me to leave, I was leaving to move anyway but even if I was staying I would have found a new job as I think it was disrespectful to me for them to ignore some pretty big issues that I brought to their notice not to mention being publicly abused by another member of staff ... basically they didnt give 2 hoots and that worried me.
So if you are being asked to do something u r not meant to or not comfortable doing, SPEAK UP

[Lorina]

Good Morning Play2Learn,

I would just like to say that over my time, I've seen this happen. When directors decide to give little tasks like this to their staff so they don't have to worry bout doing it. A director gets paid more than enough to be able to do "administrative tasks" as well as look after the centre, take care of complaints etc. This has nothing to do with you and this is your directors responsibility. If I was put in your situation I would let my director know that if she wanted me to collect fees then I would like a pay increase which includes higher duties/higher tasks. I know how uncomfortable it can be to talk to parents about owing money... but like you said you are responsible for teaching... that's it! Just talk to your director about it, they probably aren't aware your feeling like this and just thought since you know the families you should be the one to ask?? I know, that's the lamest excuse but you never know...

Cheers ,
L.A

[play2learn]

Thank you for all the reply's. It is nice to know that I was not out of line believing that fees were not part of my responibility. I have not been asked to preform this duty as yet but other staff have. I looked up my job description and they have conveniently put in that "we may require you to preform other tasks which are not included in your job description" How cheeky is that? How ever I value myself as a teacher and will not be preforming duties that conflict with me being able to do my job to the best of my ability.

C

[fchaudari76]

I dont think that asking for fees should come under "perform other tasks" .... As a teacher I do not expect to do admin work.
I would be asking for the other duties to be named in your contract and job discription to clarify it

[catchmeifucan]

I looked up my job description and they have conveniently put in that "we may require you to preform other tasks which are not included in your job description" How cheeky is that?

I always noticed that almost everyone now-a-days adds some sort of a clause to the contracts to cover themselves just in case..Starting from phone companies, energy companies to childcare. Normally these clauses are pretty vague and can be used depending on the situation. I can may be understand this in some industries but I dont think teachers should be asked to do other responsibilities other than teaching. Doing our own daily duties is hard enough like programming & Planning, managing paperworks and portfolios on top of teaching, and i reckon adding more admin work is just asking for too much. The think is you dont have to do these duties like "asking for fees".

On the other hand I have also noticed in some cases that some staffs likes to do some of the admin works. I dont know why, maybe they think there are the next in charge after the director? I dont know..

by play2learn » Sun Aug 21, 2011 8:15 pm
I have not been asked to preform this duty as yet but other staff have.

I am curious, what do the other staffs think about it?

[fchaudari76]

I have performed many duties that were not (in my opinion) a part of my job. I did them as if I had not the centre would have been in a bad state and though I put it down to getting good experience it became tedious and a pain as it was day after day and not just once in a while.
To this day I still find it a relief when I get a new job and do not have to do any Admin or Director duties, that way I can focus of what I am meant to do.
If the staff like doing other duties then they obviously do not have enough of their own work or are not doing there own job properly as there is enough paperwork and stuff to do in the classroom itself without having to do part of someone elses work as well!!!

[rachael]

As a Director, i know how hard the collection of fees can be, i have parents who know what time i leave and wait untill i am gone before they come to collect their child. I can only be at the centre for so long, as it is some days i am there for 11 hrs. I know this is my job and i am happy to do it, i don't expect my staff to do it for me, however sometimes i do ask the Group Leader who is closing to just remind the parent who is "avoiding" me that they do have outstanding fees and they should contact the centre to speak to me in the morning. Usually i do try only to pass this job also to my 2IC, but she too cannot be at the centre from open to close.

I don't believe this job should be on the group leader all the time, i too know how much paperwork and teaching they have to do. But Directors have a lot on their plate too, and the pay is not that great for the stress, pressure etc. I love my job, with all the pros and cons but i do every now and then ask my group leaders for a hand, this is also great training for people who one day want to step up and become directors. I too have family and life outside of work that i would love to spend time with, and being at the centre from open to close to catch the parents who are sneaky, is not an option.

[Kaz]

I have never worked in a long daycare centre were anyone else other than the Director has chased up late fee's from parents. I have however had to do the 'over time' fee myself. Like you rachael a parent was avoiding the director as to get away with not paying the money to myself and another employee, So the Director told me I could do this as it was on my shifts and it had been over a week and the money was to come straight to us. Needless to say the parent paid up the very next day after I asked for it. Guess they figured there was no more hiding from paying due to their own lateness..

[rachael]

That is correct, i don't expect anyone to "chase" fees other than myself, but sometmes the GL mentioning it to them makes them realise we are a team we do work together and they wont be able to avoid it.

[justathought]

Im always asked to chase up fees too and we always have something in our newsletters about paying on time

[Angellhart]

Staff in the room should not even know about parents fees and payments and this is a serious privacy breach!