A letter to the upcoming year morah

amother

Seashell ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 8:16 am

amother Catmint wrote:

I was a morah last year and didn’t charge a registration fee, but honestly, I should have and if I do it again in the future I will. I laid out almost $1000 from my own pocket to pay for shelves, toys, books, supplies….
And to the person asking what’s tuition for, it’s for rent, cleaning lady, the morahs salary... You can’t be expecting her to work for free.

$1000 was not out of your own pocket. It was from the revenue the playgroup earned, some of which should have been budgeted for classroom items you need to run. In other words, the cost of doing business.

amother

Jetblack ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 8:18 am

amother Iris wrote:

This thread is dripping with disrespect and even contempt for preschool teachers and teachers in general.

No just for the ones who charge $250 to sign up and then tack on more fees on top of that. I’ve sent to many moros over the years and BH have never experienced anything like that. I sure hope it doesn’t become mainstream.

amother

↑ Trillium ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 8:33 am

amother Iris wrote:

This thread is dripping with disrespect and even contempt for preschool teachers and teachers in general.

No.

It's dripping with contempt for people who run cash only businesses who tack on high, unexpected, unreasonable charges a week before school starts; taking advantage of the mothers who have no choice but to give in to all demands regardless of if they're fair or not.

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 8:47 am

OP From the details you provided in your last post, it matches up to the Morah I sent my son to last year. You are absolutely correct, no lavish projects! And we were also blown away at the price!! 650 is not the going rate for this age.. my friend's on the north side pay $500 including snack and lunch. It seems like the morahs on the south side feel like they have the right to charge this bec they are so in demand. The new ppl here drove up the prices, no doubt about it...
I hope your son has a great experience. My son was bullied all year and she did nothing about it! She kept saying it happens before she could get there and I should teach my son to fight back! ummm not okay. I really wanted to pull out but I was told I have to find a replacement.

edit sorry not the same morah!!!!

amother

Cerise ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 9:01 am

I'm a playgroup morah!! I charge $100 registration!
It's to secure your spot in playgroup. If I didn't charge ppl would change their mind sometime without letting me know. It even happened in the past that a family paid and didn't show up on the first day. When I called they said what do you mean we just paid registration in 3 playgroups because we were not sure where we want to go.

This year (very unusual!) I had 3 ppl who pulled out for very valid reasons but I spent a while on the phone to replace their slots.
$100 is $10/month. Tissues, extra wipes, extra snacks laminating your succos projects, developing pictures thru out the year...I use way more than that for expenses thru the year!

(BTW not sure about you but I pay a $250 registration fee every year for my boys going back to the same cheder they attended the last few years, it's not part of tuitions!)
And mothers who sign up for playgroup without knowing the price they will be charged monthly is something I cannot begin to understand. If mothers wouldn't sign up in this case moros would stop. It doesn't make any sense!

amother

Honeydew ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 9:04 am

amother Cerise wrote:

I’ve only sent to Morahs like you who charge $100 deposits and let me know what they’re charging when I sign up. I obviously would prefer that the $100 go towards tuition but I don’t mind that much because it’s not that high an amount.

I only have one child though. I imagine having multiple children so the deposits end up being several hundred dollars total would be immensely frustrating.

notshanarishona ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 9:05 am

I am going to guess that with the going rate being so low extra fees is the only way to make it worth it. $650 a month is really very little for the job they are doing. Can you imagine the mess in your house after having 15 preschoolers all day? How many times you need to clean the bathroom? Scrub the toys? Vaccuum.. it’s a really intense job

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 9:10 am

Ok I will clarify I just didn’t want to give the morah away because I really heard great things about her and I hope if my child was bullied she would step in
I think a morah has a right to take registration fees/ deposits because ppl would be pulling out right and left so yes I understand that
But why for the people that are sending and kept their slot how come that 250 is not being deducted from tuition ???? Give me a reason why I’m paying 650 a month
Plus 250 for lunch and snack
Every month I need to send in diapers and wipes
I need to send tissues
I need to buy special cups for the kids
Ok so now please someone explain why the 250 that I gave in October is not being deducted from my first month tuition
Her classroom is set up for the past few years so she doesn’t need new tables and chairs
I’m paying for lunch and snack
And I can promise u the arts and crafts will not be costing more than 100 dollars
It’s ok to pocket some money this is your business
But that 250, where does that go???
No disrespect I clearly wrote these morahs are great and I definitely cannot be a morah so yes I will pay to send to playgroup but this 250 really got to me

amother

↑ Jetblack

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 9:16 am

amother Cerise wrote:

That family threw $200 in the garbage because they wanted to play games. Some people have money to throw away. Most people don’t. $100 is a normal amount and that’s what my kids school charges. $250 is not.

amother

Foxglove ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 9:43 am

amother Catmint wrote:

Right but tuition should go toward shelves, toys, books, supplies….

amother

↑ Foxglove ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 9:48 am

notshanarishona wrote:

Is it low?
That is $9500 cash per month
Work from home
little overhead
Part time
1/2 day fridays
vacation on all your kids schedule and yom tov.
Charge for the full month of September but only start your first full day on 9/9. Closed more than 1/2 of October.

It didn’t sound low to me. Sounds like an amaaaaazing salary to me.

amother

↑ OP

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 9:55 am

My place has 24 kids
650 a month that’s 15,600
Yes she needs to pay her other morah and her cleaning help
No rent she owns the place
I have a feeling this is not being split evenly
Good for the morah but on top of that she also made 250 per parent just to register
The 250 went no where
Moral of the story I think I’m becoming a morah
My 9-4 job will never give me this kind of monthly paycheck

amother

↑ Foxglove ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 10:08 am

amother OP wrote:

Registration was $6000 and I’m sure it didn’t go to the assistant.
It’s excellent money.

Does that mean end of the year tuition is $162,000
Of which she pays her co-Morah a salary. (For sure not half).
And ppl are saying it’s bad money for a part time job??

amother

↑ Seashell

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 10:10 am

Is there no vaad in Lakewood who can issue a psak regarding what playgroup morahs may and may not do? In Baltimore March 2020, there was drama regarding paid carpools and playgroups, and I think it was at that point that the vaad hachinuch made a number of psgai halacha regarding many matters of playgroups. Morahs may not be aware of halachas they are breaking, but it's not an excuse to break it.

Playgroups are just like any other business. There are entire machechos of gmara regarding business halacha. It's shocking to me that morahs can get away with it.

amother

Lightcyan

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 10:18 am

As a morah I did put the deposit to first month but it is hard for me to be short this month but that’s on me to figure out . I do ask the parents to send things like tissues wipes soap and Detergent to clean the bedding . ( not Lakewood) but the Morah’s here I know who do supply fees are more like 50 you need to figure out you Expenses into your monthly fees.

amother

Oatmeal

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 10:24 am

Are the classroom freshly painted before the yr begins?
Are the area carpets deep cleaned and the floors scrubbed and polished?
Are the classroom scrubbed down and sanitized?
Are broken items replaced?
Are new educational toys bought?

I’m thinking that’s where the deposit is going for. To start the new year clean and fresh.

If the above is not happening then I’d be upset

amother

Stone ↓

Thu, Sep 05 2024, 10:28 am

amother Catmint wrote:

Cost of doing business. All of that comes out of your income.
Amount parents pay is gross income.
Then you deduct all expenses (rent, art supplies, projects, electricity, furniture, toys, crafts, assistant salary.
Don't forget taxes.

Then it is your income.
Don't see amount parents pay as your salary.

Just like a doctor doesn't have a "exam table fee" and "fish tank fee" and "pen fee for signing forms" . Your therapist doesn't charge a "tissue fee" if you cry in session.