The Merry Go Around

This would be 5 stars if it wasn’t for Joan Shutt, the Director. (Remember that name in case she ends up any place else) Quite a few parents over the past 1.5 years have mentioned her in their Unilocal reviews and they are all correct. Buyer Beware!
The teachers and staff are great! Including all the ones who have left as a result of Joan’s mismanagement. In fact, we miss them. They are the reason many families have stayed far longer than they wanted to.
The other families are great, including all the ones who have left as a direct result of Joan’s disrespectful encounters.
As a parent, if you don’t mind being left in the dark about what is happening with your child’s class, arguing with someone in management who you pay monthly, and seeing your child stressed out because of the staffing issues (the state licensing board was called in twice in fall 2015) then disregard my post. All of these reasons were why we chose to pull our son after 2 years and place him elsewhere. We miss the teachers and some of the other families, but we are happy to be rid of Joan’s ineptitude and her drama.
We both work full time and to have additional drama be a result of our son’s childcare was not worth the money. Both the president of the board and Joan’s manager were made aware of our concerns when we left. Whether or not change can be made will ultimately show the rest of the parents and staff the commitment level they have to the children’s well being.

This review pertains to my experience as a former employer at FAA Merry Go Around.
* 5 Stars for the Staff and Teachers
First of all, I want to emphasis on how dedicated, nurturing, and warm the teachers and staffs (my colleagues), are to their job, and to the children they work closely with everyday. I absolutely have no negative comments for them. During my brief time there, we instantly connected, lots of smiles and laughs.
Although, I had to learn on my own as to the reasons why there was a high employee turnover rate within about two years. To name a few, I did not agree to some of the words that were being exchanged from the director. It was upsetting and bothersome, and they just lost a great asset to the team.
I did not want to add additional comments as to why I quickly resign, but I would like the Board for FAA MGA carefully takes into consideration the recent Unilocal reviews and the employee high turnover rate. As a parent, my first priority would be my child, and I wouldn’t want to bring her in an environment where there isn’t a strong organization in a company. FYI, word of mouth goes a long way, and it would be sad to have «excellent» teachers leave due to it.

I would definitely give this place 5 stars because of the teachers. They are AMAZING and have always showed how much they truly care about their students. My son attended for 1 year and a couple months, and I always knew the new director Joan was a little on the not so pleasant side. I got my fair warnings from the other parents rather quickly.
From time to time, the director would give my son a sticker as he walked out the building, petting him like a dog and always getting his name wrong. One afternoon, I walked into the building and saw the director arguing with a parent at the front desk. Not only have I seen this being done with parents, I have also seen her put down teachers, when her teachers are the reason why this place is still running.
My sons experience in preschool was never stable. For the past year he has had 7 different teachers. They were all amazing teachers, yet decided to leave for personal reasons. A couple of them did reach out and stated that they decided to leave sdue to the high turnover with Joan. Joan was doing little to nothing to fix the situation that they were in. Lunches were given rather late, bathroom breaks were not being given and many times those teachers were left without an afternoon break. For quiet some time when I would drop of my child there was only one teacher there doing breakfast and trying to manage the classroom at the same time. Students would be in the bathroom and the teacher would have to be close by, yet there were others eating breakfast, walking into the room, and playing in opposite sides of the classroom. How could one teacher do all this by herself? When I dropped of my child I would always count the number of kids that she had and surprisingly she was always over. I would ask her if she needed help and she would say that help was coming, or that they never answered the telecom or phone. What did Joan the director do about this? She just gave the teacher instructions to call when needed. This should never be the case in a daycare setting, for it brings up issues concerning the children’s safety.
As soon as my child had a temperature of 99, she would call me asking me to pick him up. The teachers were so nice and would always say to wait it out and see if it goes up, but Joan would give me the 1 hour warning right away. This was all because she had too many kids and not enough staff to meet the ratio. The enrollment fees keep going up, but us parents are seeing little difference. The food menu has improved, yet my son tells me that he does not eat at times because the food is cold. They get the food order at 10:30−11 and do not serve the food until an hour later.
The playground has not improved much, for a new small structure in the sandbox. Toys for the kids to play? Not many. I always find my son walking around or sitting on the bench because he is bored of the same toys. He tells me there is nothing to do but the toys in the shed or broken sand toys. I have opened the shed and toy boxes to look for myself, and there really is not much to work with.
Children are being left alone at the front because they can no longer go into the infant room. During the morning hours there is no one to supervise these children left outside of the infant room with a door for them to easily walk out of the building. Supervision should be a priority!
In conclusion, high turnover always means that the staff is not happy. 2 teachers left within weeks and another 17+ have left since I have been a parent here. There is only one solution to this problem. There is not enough kids to hire more staff so why not bring in more families. The director now is not doing so due to her ratings/​reviews. This center needs a new director that will keep her staff happy and help increase the number of kids. The board needs to see this and look at what is really happening here and take immediate action.

I would give the school 5 stars if the review were just for the teachers. However, My daughter has been at this school for almost a year, and she has been in 3 different classrooms, with 4 different teachers. The experience has been a whirlwind for her, and she has tried to adjust as best as possible, but sometimes you need to consider what is best for the child.
Now the teachers are the main reason I am keeping her in the school as long as I can. They are very patient, and very loving with their students. They always greet them, and keep their classrooms very clean and organized. I really hope that the board looks at these reviews, and notices that major changes are required at a higher level to help the school be successful.

I have to update my review. My boys were there for over about a year and a half. We’ve recently pulled them and started with a new center. For those of you who have ever had to change day care arrangements, you know that it is NOT a decision to take lightly!
I echo other’s opinions here that the teachers are absolutely WONDERFUL! However, the director, Joan, leaves much to be desired. She is the reason we pulled our kids out. I no longer felt that she had the children’s best interest in mind as she made decisions for the center.
On a number of occasions, I would see a young child standing in the hallway, unattended, while his/​her parent was picking up/​dropping off a sibling in the infant center. Let me point out that there is not always an adult sitting at the front desk — in fact, the times I witnessed this, there wasn’t a person at the front desk. The infant room is at the front of the building which means this young child was left unattended at the building entrance. I was informed that there was a new rule in place that other children are not allowed in the infant room.
There have been a very high turnover ratio — which has left the center short staffed. In 2013, when Joan was building the staff in the infant room, I voiced concern about her lack of a back up plan in the event that the teacher she had coming in (who ended up being Ms. Mindy) changed her mind and left during the on-​boarding process. Joan very confidently stated that the on boarding process was so intense due to high security measures that people don’t typically quit. Fast forward to 2015. There have been TWO teachers who have decided to leave the center (Ms. Mary and Ms. Christina) during her probation periods. These are just the teachers I know of because their departures directly impacted my childrens’ classrooms. Additionally, Joan did not feel the need to communicate to the parents that the teachers had left.
One of our children has had a bit of issue with going #2. At that point, he had been on OTC medicines to help him go. Of course, the dosage is a process of trial and error. Unfortunately, this concept seemed to escape the director. He was being sent home for being «inconsolable» if we were a tad conservative with his dosage. On the other hand, if he had a generous dose, he was being sent home. Joan told my husband that she didn’t have the staff to deal with «explosive diapers.»
Again, I want to reiterate that the teachers are truly phenomenal. While we were there, I had excellent parent/​teacher communication. Even when I would need to travel for work, the teachers would let me know that my husband did well! :) Our last day there was very emotional for me as these teachers and other parents have been part of my «village» of taking care of my children. The environment among the children, parents, and teachers was very family oriented. Each child knew each other’s parents. Each parent took care to interact with the other children when they were picking up their own child. It was an extremely difficult decision to finally pull our children from this center.

First of all, I want everyone to know that my recent change in ratings is due to the high turnover this center has with their amazing teachers. Since the beginning of Spring, they had lost 4 teachers and I recently heard 3 more teachers have left making it 7! The teachers there are very caring but anyone knows that if there is high turnover it means that employees are unhappy. If the board sees this, think about what you are seeing and I suggest completing a climate survey with your teachers and employees before you lose them all. You probably have not heard the «real» reason why your teachers have left for fear of retaliation. That’s the environment your teachers are working in. Please look at what other parents are stating.
The turnover was an issue for my son. He started acting out and was not a model student. Things were fine when he was with his primary teacher (Miss Ashley) but as soon as she took a lunch break or the afternoon teacher took over (ALL new teachers) his behavior would change. It got so bad that I was picking him up early, every day, the last week I was there. I thought maybe my son had problems and took him to a child behaviorist who stated he was normal and going through things that most 3 year olds go through. The biggest thing was a routine and consistency and with the turnover at that school, there was definitely no consistency. I took my son out and enrolled him in another pre-​school. It’s telling when your child’s behavior changes for the better immediately. When you have a a great director and happy talented teachers you have happy students.
For the teachers there, my son love you all! If you ever need a parent reference, please contact me.
Lowered the star rating as the Board does not seem to think all of these parent reviews are meaningful.
Parents… Try Next Generation Educational Center located on Mira Mesa Blvd. Talented and caring teachers and Director.

All 3 of my children attended this preschool. I absolutely loved the teachers. They were all amazing. But, the director, Joan, was a complete nut case. She kicked my son out of the preschool program because he wasn’t able to sit still on a cot for 2.5 hours while the other kids napped. I asked about alternative options for him such as puzzles, books, coloring… all quiet activities. He wasn’t the only child not napping. But she forced him to sit there on his cot and he has ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. He would get enraged and start tossing books and chairs around because he didn’t understand why he was being «punished.» She told me that he was «unbearable and put of control» and made me come pick him up in the middle of the day. I kept my other 2 kids enrolled because they adored their classroom teachers. Each day that I’d go in to pick up or drop off, I’d have my oldest son with me (the one she kicked out) and she’d completely ignore him, or make him feel awful for doing silly little things, but she’d be just as happy as could be with my other 2 kids. It was absolutely infuriating. I finally got my son into Scripps Exploring Academy and after talking a few times with the director there, I come to find out that Joan was FIRED from that preschool. Anyways. If you choose to send your kids to this school, the kids will love their teachers and have plenty of fun while learning. Just be wary of the director. :)

This school is a huge disappointment! I was a prospective parent and I called to ask a few questions but the director hung up on me! I worked here 7 yrs ago and they had an amazing emergent curriculum program. Now their director informed me that they push «academics» when trying to understand what she meant she was rude. I have been in the child development field for 10 yrs and I have a BA in early childhood education. A director who treats a prospective family with this kind of disrespect should be avoided.

This is more of a cautionary warning than anything else… I called here a few weeks ago inquiring about daycare for my son who has significant egg and nut allergies. The daycare is peanut free (as almost all are these days) but not egg free. When asked what precautions are taken for kids who have significant egg allergies (like my son) I was told «well, we’ll just try not to give him eggs.» First of all, some food allergies are a matter of LIFE or DEATH. I was shocked and terrified that a reputable daycare would be SO laxed about such a potentially serious issue (and liability for that matter). If you child has a significant allergy, I would find a place that cares about it, unlike this one.

We love MGA… my baby girl started at 2 y/​o, it was harder for me to leave her than for her to stay… this was the first place she’d been cared for other than home w mommy. I left the first day w tears in my eyes while she had the biggest smile, the teachers reassured me and said I could call anytime throughout the day.
Ms. Tina, Ms. Ashley, Ms. Ana, Ms. Sophia are AMAZING!!! They are my baby’s teachers so I see and speak to them on a daily basis…
Ms. Kathy at the front desk is very helpful and will answer all your questions or direct you to the right person.
Ms. Joan the director will listen to your concerns and act immediately to solve them.
I definitely recommend MGA

Awesome place. Your child will be safe and loved.

We love this center! As an educator myself it is hard to walk in without your teacher ‘s hat on. However, the teachers are so good at what they do I can walk in and just be mom! The front office staff (Joan and Sandy) now are so warm and friendly and make it a point to come out and say hello! The communication has improved 100% in the last few months. My daughter has made friends that she can’t wait to see. The center is very clean and safety is number 1! If you are looking for a fun, safe and family friendly environment this is the place for your child!!!

My daughter and I love this school! She started here at 2y/​o and is now in the preschool portion. The curriculum is similar to Reggio Emelia, play based with structure. The perfect mix for us!
If my daughter isn’t interested in doing whatever activity is going on, she may choose something else (such as reading instead of painting). The teachers are warm and caring and my daughter learns so much and has a ton of fun. Meals are served family style (love this!), the classrooms are open and flowing, and the playground is nice. No shoes necessary and pictures from home to display at her cubby, as well as favorite blankets and stuffies for nap time are encouraged. The center brings a lot of extracurricular activities also, such as visits from the Humane Society.
I cannot say enough great things about this center.

Great center that has a new very qualified Director. Our Daughter loves MGA and the teachers! Joan and her staff strive to make all the kids and parents feel at home. The teachers have always been first class and the children love it.

Love love love them! Both of my children attend and they enjoy going to school to see their friends and teachers. I really appreciate how dedicated and loving they are! My 2 year old will run to her teachers to give them a big hug which makes it easier leaving her.
The staff is always there to answer questions, discuss our child and keeps us in the know about our children’s progress.
Couldn’t ask for a better center :)

Merry Go Around is a wonderful, positive, safe and nurturing place where children learn and have fun.
Our daughter attended for over 4 years until she began kindergarten and we are so grateful for the love and kindness of Miss Shelly and her team. Every person there genuinely cares about the children, their well being and development. When we would go on vacation, at the end of the time away — our daughter was always eager to see her friends and teachers at Merry Go Around.
In addition to having great fun every day, our daughter shared in healthy habits (eating, exercise, hygiene, etc.), was exposed to diverse cultures, learned age appropriate skills, and learned a wonderful respect for others.
Many of the staff were working there before our daughter started attending and were there when we departed last fall. We still return to visit and highly recommend MGA to friends and colleagues.

All three of our children have attended Merry Go Around, and we have been very, very happy with the experience. Our daughter started going there 8 years ago, and our son is there now. The teachers are wonderful. They are caring, committed, thoughtful and professional. They are constantly finding fun, creative, educational things for the kids to do. Many have been trained in SDSU’s undergraduate program in early childhood development. Furthermore, there is very little turnover — the teachers we met when we started going there 8 years ago are pretty much all still there. And unlike some daycare centers we looked at, the staff seem to genuinely enjoy working there. The facility is bright, fun, clean and safe.

I love this center and teachers! I have three children and all of them have attended since they were babies (3 or 4 months old). This is a secure childcare location. The children enjoy being at school. It is clean and fun! My oldest is in grade school now and is exceeding academically and socially.
I am aware of the incident in Marilyn M’s review. It was during my oldest child’s time at the center. This occurred under other administrators.

I could not be more pleased with a childcare center. The staff is fantastic!!! Both of my children attended here and LOVE it! It has prepared them for Kindergarten and more.
The social skills learned are impressive and it is evident in how my children interact with everyone they meet. They are learning social skills that many adults still do not have!
The directors and teachers go above and beyond my expectations offering parent’s nights out, coordinating fundraisers that help the community, hosting many activities (like teaching the kids to make vegetable soup), they have a garden, rabbits, creepy crawlies from time to time, and even put on a parent workshop to teach us parents how they are interacting with our children for consistency. I wish my kids could stay here forever!
Not only that, but my daughter has some of the same teachers that my son had as an infant, 7 years later. This school has the lowest staff turnover I have ever seen. While my daughter’s care has been only at two places (a home daycare and here), my son’s bounced around. He was at FAA MGA as an infant, then at a home daycare, then at ChildTime, then back here. This school is leaps and bounds above the others! I realized that, but couldn’t get him back in MGA due to a long waiting list for a while.
In addition, the prices are extremely reasonable and the lowest I found! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the low price, but I would go here regardless!
I truly can’t say enough good things about this center or the staff and I tell everyone I know how wonderful it is. Add this school to your list to check out and it will BLOW the competition away!!!