Franconia Baptist Child Development Center

I had my child attend this school for 2 years. in the 1st year the teachers were very supportive and my child loved being at school.The teachers helped children build confidence and a passion for learning at every opportunity. HOWEVER, as of this year 2011-12, the teachers have changed and so has the curriculum. My child has learnt absolutely nothing! My child was asked, "what did you learn this year?" my child responded..."to play outside and shout like my teacher!" There is a lack of unity at the school. Staff are very cold! nobody smiles and says "hello, good morning or have a nice day." Teachers and admin staff seem like they are forced to be at work, and so this rubs off onto parents too! As for the BETA curriculum, it focuses on converting children to Christianity and practice coloring, basic tracing of letters and numbers. my child did this at the age of 3 at home! At the end of the year, my child was given all worksheets that were not completed in class...no exaggeration but a booklet of over 170 were sent home! Do not waste money and do not send your child here . I gave two stars for parent involvement because they provide a free creche for parents volunteering!
--Submitted by a parent

We attended the 2011-2012 school year. The administration is more than happy to sit down and talk about their school and decisions being made. They loves thier staff and students and parents and pray for them. They are making cosmetic changes to the building and earning money towards new indoor play equipment which is looking wonderful! The cirriculum is great. Along with the cirriculum they learn godly character traits as well. I can't say enough about how wonderful our teachers are!
--Submitted by a parent

My child attended the school in the 2010-2011 school year and my children currently attend the 2011-2012 school year. There were some changes made to the school in the summer of 2011. The school is definitely more organized. There is now excellent communication between parents and the administration. The teachers are knowledgable and very caring towards the children. The curriculum that is in use has given my children better knowledge of Christianity and its values. Very happy with this preschool.
--Submitted by a parent

Sad, but true, the recent (negative) reviews are accurate. We have been at the school for the past 2 years and had a very positive experience with our teachers (the only reason I gave the school a star at all). Sadly, the administration does not value the teachers or parents. The majority of teachers will not be returning next year (and were not notified of this until June). Hence, the school will be losing its only asset (good teachers). It seems the school is more concerned with teaching their version of Christian values than teaching our children the importance of being a good citizen, play, and a love of learning. Please note I wrote 'their version of Christian values", not actual Christian values. The administration does not practice what they preach. Futhermore, they do not communicate clearly with parents or teachers. Last, but certainly not least, the curriculum is lacking. I will NOT being sending another child to this school.
--Submitted by a parent

My children have gone to this school for 5 years and man, has it gone downhill! Parents hoped it would get better with the new director, but that has not happened and most of the teachers are leaving when the school year is over. The # 1 concern of this school is converting people to their religion, and that is pretty much it. Next year, they are going to be using the Abeka program. If you haven't heard of it, look it up, and then take your kids somewhere else! They don't value the teachers at this school, which was really the only asset here. It's unfortunate because this school used to be great.
--Submitted by a parent

Both my son and my daughter have attended FBCDC. We are thrilled with the quality of the teachers! We are excited about having a preschool that stresses quality childhood development in a Christian environment. My wife and I emphatically recommend this preschool for your family.
--Submitted by a parent

In my experience with the Child Development Center, I ve observed an excellent balance between academics and personal growth. I have never felt like you have to compromise your child s educational development for them to receive emotional, social and spiritual development. The school is still fairly small, so you really feel like you are part of a family. And it is obvious that the teachers and staff LOVE the children. I also appreciate the weekly Chapel lessons which teach the kids about the Bible. I would highly recommend this preschool to anyone!

I feel so honored to work with such an incredible staff. This year is a year of fresh starts. The teachers exhibit a love for children and a desire to create a wonderful preschool experience for them. Also, I am looking forward to working with the new director. He has worked with children for a long period of time and is very enthusiastic about this job. Franconia Baptist is a Christ-centered school with exceptional teachers, who seek to build academic growth and confidence in each child. I just feel very blessed to work at a school of such amazing parents, students, and faculty.
--Submitted by a teacher

There is a new director for the 2010-11 school year. The director people in this page are so poorly speaking about is gone. The school and staff are still awesome! My child will be attending Kindergarten this school year.
--Submitted by a parent

I am sorry to report that this school is on the downslide, as many teachers are reportedly quitting or being fired for religious differences with the church. My child will not be returning next year because of the declining morale amongst the teachers who may or may not stick it out. We were told it was once a decent program.
--Submitted by a parent