Underappreciated

You may pay over $200 a week for your infant to attend a daycare, but that does NOT mean the teachers get paid well. I'll flat out tell the world (embarrassed as I am) that I only make $9 an hour working full-time at my school. $9 an hour, when the parents pay an incredible amount of money for their children to attend, and there are well over 100 kids. I have a BACHELOR'S degree in psychology, attended a well-known four year institution, have over $75,000 in debt, have been with the SAME daycare company for THREE YEARS, and only make $9 an hour. 

That being said, I OBVIOUSLY only work there because I love the kids not for the money, and I feel I am doing a good job taking care of them and educating them. I am incredibly overqualified for my job. I get pushed around by the corporation, was denied a promotion for which I was trained for (off the clock, mind you...all training done here is UNPAID) because I had the nerve to e-mail headquarters asking why women were required to wear aprons (I LOATHE the dress code here, an apron is for cooking not teaching), whereas the male employees could simply wear polos provided to them by the company. Not only did I not get an answer, I got scolded by the director, and never wound up with the promotion I should have gotten.

I could complain about the company all day long, but in the end I really just want parents to walk away knowing that though you are paying out the rear for your child to be taken care of, their caregivers most likely aren't seeing an appropriate share of that money, so if they are doing a great job, just tell them. Appreciate them.