The Learning Experience - Newark — Local services in Newark

Listen I’m going to leave my honest review.. for a $135 registration fee and the amount program for parents has to pay here and it being new, I expected more from this place especially when it comes to the teachers and the teachers professionalism. I had to take my son out of here twice. The first time was in sept 2022 when I needed an after school program for him, I took him out because he complained every day about the teachers being mean to him. I don’t tolerate my sons being misunderstood or disrespected or ABUSED , so I took him out. So now let’s fast forward to summer 2023 I needed a summer program for my 6 year old and thankfully enough this center has a summer program for 6-8 years old right ..? Okay so I spend ANOTHER $135 to get my son in thinking he’s going to have a great summer here filled with activities and fun things to do.. because that’s what they promote on IG and stuff right ? My experience here has been the opposite and not positive at all. His first second in the door the teacher remembered him from his first time there and she just had the most unexciting energy. I did not feel like he was welcomed at all and felt like he was a bother to her. It was all in her energy. His FIRST day he complained to me that his teacher kept yelling at him and wouldn’t let him play with toys.. I said okay maybe you need to listen when it’s time to put the toys away. I told him the next day he needs to listen… but things just got worse as the days went by.. his second day he cried to me begging to take him out of this school and to find another place for him. It really broke my heart because why would he just break down like that? Day 3 of him being there he told me his teacher wouldn’t let him do art , and wouldn’t let him play with toys but would let the other kids play and do art.. my son can be very combative at times when he sees other kids able to do things but he can’t. He ended up grabbing a toy anyway after his teacher told him no and the teacher went over to him and kicked the blocks he was building everywhere. He said he was so scared he had to hide behind a sofa. My son told me that the teacher pushed his arm in a very aggressive way and when he explained these actions to me I knew I had to do something ASAP. I went to talk to Jessica and Adriana the next day & they told me they would observe them, but it seems like everything was left on deafs ears b/c nothing was done. There should be consequences for teachers who bully little kids. From day one the teacher would call him words like “stubborn” I know he can be stubborn but don’t these teachers go to school or have education on how to handle a student who becomes stubborn? I don’t believe none of them took psychology. My child shuts down when hes getting yelled at and treated unfairly so of course he gets stubborn he is human. Maybe if these teachers had a kinder approach he would be glad to obey by their orders. After the meeting I started to get phone calls home after his first week there. Phone calls full of lies of things they said he did but when I ask him about it he has a whole different story of what actually happened. week 2 they called me today & told me another parent came today & said my son cut his hair and that this other student had a bald spot and that I had to pick up my son because his behavior is “disturbing and scary” I had to laugh at that because how? He’s the sweetest most helpful boy in my life. Those TEACHERS ARE DISTURBING AND SCARY! Sorry! They said I had to pick him up today & that it was his last day there. When I went to pick him up I asked my son INFRONT of them if he cut another kids hair and guesss what they said ??? She said she spoke to the parent and it was actually another kid who cut the kids hair. Like why did you even call me ? Why call me and kick him out and he didn’t even cut anyone’s hair. I had enough of this school and I’m done spending my hard worked money here and I will never bring any of my sons or future children here ever idc how new it is, these teachers are not right for bullying my...

I had an extremely disappointing and frustrating experience with this center. The administration team, Jessica, Stephanie, and April, are profoundly dishonest, lacking any semblance of integrity, trustworthiness, organization or professionalism. They consistently misrepresent their practices and fail to address serious concerns. The center is frequently out of ratio, leading to overcrowded and chaotic environments. This results in an ineffective and detrimental learning environment for the children. Moreover, they hire staff who are clearly unqualified and have no understanding of childhood development. This center is a constant revolving door of new staff that come and go and do trial runs on the children. No child should be a practice child for anyone. Children need consistency not unpredictability. The administration team is not open to any constructive feedback to help improve this center. Matter of fact, if you voice your concerns, as I have multiple times, they will take it personal and retaliate against you in any way they can. They discourage teachers from communicating to parents and being honest with them about this center’s true practices. In fact, if you happen to ask about your child’s day while a certain admin is in the room, like April, they will physically move right next to you and the teacher, and start yelling/screaming/singing extremely loud where you can’t even hear your own thoughts.

Here are some very selected few examples of things I have experienced here. 1) The ceiling collapsed in the infant room while the children were there and admin prevented staff from informing parents. The only reason admin eventually informed parents was because I saw it myself when I walked into the room, I threatened to sue them, reported them to the state, and it collapsed again the next day with the babies in the room because they failed to repair it properly the first time. 2) my children have been returned to me dirty and soiled with DRIED stool in their diaper. 3) my child’s coat was missing upon pick up. My child had to go home with no coat in the winter. I spoke to admin (April). The next day it was magically appeared. Turns out it was accidentally put on another child and this same person, April, told the parent of the child and teachers to lie and say it was misplaced instead of just being honest. The list goes on.

Here is what you can expect when walking in the center: either someone is sitting at the front desk or not. If not, expect random strangers to come into the building following parents inside. If someone is there, they are either having very personal and inappropriate conversations amongst each other, including the admin and teachers they have a personal relationship with (don’t expect to get greeted when you walk in either) or your child may be sitting in the front because 1) a teacher does not feel like dealing with that certain child or 2) they are out of ratio in the classrooms and somehow sitting in the front desk with admin equals being inside the classroom.

The only reason I kept my children in here for as long as I have is because other places had extremely long waitlist, and fortunately there were some teachers who truly cared about my children (especially, Ms. Lisa, Ms. MeeMee, Ms. Kayla, Ms. Liz, and Ms. Natasha, all from different time periods). However, this admin team cannot retain staff. They either fire them because they advocate in the best interest of the children and speak up against admin, or they leave because they do not want to wish to continue to partake in this zoo. I have also observed admin bully and speak to staff in a poor demeanor, while allowing other staff members to get away with being physically aggressive to the children.

I strongly advise against enrolling your child here. Here, your child is treated like a business transaction. So many parents complain and pull their children out of here, which does not phase them because they know they can simply fill that spot with someone else, in which the cycle starts again. STAY...

I had the most wonderful time at The Learning Experience in Newark, thanks to Adriana, Jessica and their wonderful crew! I was welcomed and amazed by their kind and nurturing environment from the time I walked in. The commitment to the children's growth and development is absolutely admirable, and the enthusiasm for teaching shines through in every contact. The compassionate and attentive character of the employees show that they sincerely enjoy what they do.

During my visit, I observed how the children were engaged in various educational activities, and it was heartwarming to see the joy on their faces. The facilities are clean, safe, and thoughtfully designed to stimulate young minds. I was thoroughly impressed with the well-rounded curriculum and the emphasis on fostering creativity and critical thinking.

Not only did the staff ensure a stimulating learning environment, but they also encouraged positive values and good manners, which I believe are equally important for a child's development.

I highly recommend The Learning Experience in Newark to any parent or guardian seeking an exceptional early learning center for their little ones. Adriana and her team have created an exceptional place for children to grow, learn, and thrive. Kudos to you all, and thank you for the wonderful experience! Keep up the fantastic...