Maryland's Little Leaders University

"As a former employee, I have much to say about this organization. I feel inclined to share my experience, not to slander anybody or the company, but to make sure parents and faculty are aware. Also, so that management can be held accountable and make the changes necessary for improvement. There was little to no transparency between staff and management. We had children who have special needs. Children who need extra care and attention. But in the few short months that I worked for Little Leaders, I was not made aware of any of these needs. Instead, I was forced to learn about these needs on my own. Which was the first red flag. The second, was that our manager, left us alone for far too long. I'm talking about days on end, where it would one person keeping tabs on 7+ children who were at different ages and required different amounts of care. That is the second red flag. The third red flag is all of the unpaid hours I had to deal with. The first two months, I was happy to work extra hours when I was needed. But it got to the point where my patience and kindness were being taken advantage of. I had endless hours of struggling to maintain structure, keeping kids from fighting one another, and chasing kids back into the classroom. There was no respect for us teachers lile there was for the principal/manager/owner. That being said, the third month I began to log how many hours I worked over time. It added up to 37.5 hours that I worked, but was no paid for. Thats more than a weeks worth of hours! And that was in the third month alone. The month I was finally aware that I was being taken advantage of and still did my best to be selfish with my time. To think that if I had been counting those hours before, I probably would've struggled a lot less financially. Had I been paid and treated fairly, I would have gone into work happy and fulfilled. But this was a toxic place for me. A place where money meant more than my comfort and trust. I was laid off unexpectedly. There was a shortage in funding because we were not meeting the regulations for the state. I hope that no other employee has to deal with this while they are at Little Leaders. The children are splendid, the setting has so much potential, and I really hope things improve in terms of the management-employee dynamic."

"Ms. Raven and her staff have done a phenomenal job creating a positive and structured learning environment for our children during a difficult academic year. I would recommend Little Leaders to other families who are seeking a safe and nurturing childcare facility."

"Little Leaders University offers a very joyful and caring environment, stations for play-based learning, virtual school support, arts and crafts, reading, outdoor play, and a wonderful and creative staff."

"Ms. Raven who runs the learning center has been wonderful. She has created an enriching learning environment despite the inherent challenges of the pandemic. It is a relief as a parent to know my young child is getting the social-emotional and academic support they need in a safe environment."

"Ms. Raven Grandberry is absolutely amazing! The children love her, the parents love her, and of course her employees love her! She is very much seen and available and also hold herself accountable for everything that goes on in her center! She is respectful, and compassionate I just love to see a young black woman taking on such a demanding job! Our children need women of her stature to lead them into the new age !"