Peachtree Road Lutheran Child Development Center

There has been extreme staff turnover over the last two years at the school, which raises serious concerns about stability and consistency of care. At least 3 employees have shared with me that they are leaving due to the administration creating a hostile work environment. When educators are disrespected and constantly leaving, it directly impacts the children. More troubling, there was an incident where a child left the property without supervision. The school was not aware of the child leaving, until a parent saw the child climbing into a mail truck and brought the child back into the school. There are also ongoing pest issues adjacent to the kitchen that are not being adequately addressed. In addition, the director regularly brings her dog into the facility, letting it freely roam — including in the kitchen area, which is concerning from a health and safety standpoint. I will also point out this is illegal. When parents raise concerns, both the director and the pastor overseeing the program have been dismissive, often becoming defensive rather than taking action to correct ongoing issues. Many staff members have also expressed fear in voicing any concerns they may have for fear of retaliation and being fired. I will say all the teachers have been wonderful and I feel they truly care about my children.

I want to begin by saying there are many wonderful teachers at Peachtree Road Lutheran Preschool who care deeply for the children. During our son’s time there, certain educators were the primary reason we stayed as long as we did. Unfortunately, our experience with the school administration was the polar opposite. It is telling that throughout our time at the school, the only person who ever made an attempt to understand our concerns was the Financial Director—and this only happened after we officially withdrew our child and demanded our money back. In her own correspondence, the Financial Director admitted that the school had not previously given us the opportunity to express our frustrations over the events of the past year and a half. This highlights how this administration views its relationships: as financial transactions rather than a partnership in childcare. The following issues led to our "for cause" withdrawal: • Serious Supervision Failure: A child was left unsupervised and exited school grounds, which is a fundamental breach of safety standards. • When we raised concerns about the overall safety and security of the school, the administration’s response was dismissive and unprofessional. In fact, the response to us included the confusing and worrisome statement that “the chef knows karate.” • Administrative Dishonesty: We caught the Director in multiple lies regarding program operations. Specifically, she provided false information on at least three occasions about moving children to accommodate increased infant enrollment. • Extreme Staff Instability: Our child’s classroom cycled through seven lead teachers in approximately 18 months. • Regulatory Non-Compliance: We witnessed the Director bringing a dog into a "pet-free" facility and allowing it to roam in the kitchen area. Most disturbing is the culture of fear within the school. Multiple lead teachers expressed concerns directly to us that they feared termination for raising safety or regulatory issues. Since then, I have heard audio recordings of these educators being fired. The aggressive and condescending way the administration speaks to these teachers is sickening. It has made it clear to me that they have no place being around children or leading people. When we tried to address these issues, we were told that if we were dissatisfied, we were "free to leave." We chose to do exactly that. It is disappointing that a school claiming to lead with "wisdom and compassion" only showed interest in our perspective once their "bottom line" was impacted. I'm glad these people work at a church; they clearly need Jesus. P. S. I’m still working to get my deposit back.

Over approximately 18 months, we observed and documented multiple concerning issues, including: • A child being left unsupervised and exiting school grounds • Extreme staff turn over (seven lead teachers in our child’s classroom during that time) • The director bringing a dog into a designated pet-free facility, including the kitchen (video evidence exists) • Misrepresentations by administration regarding classroom moves and enrollment changes • Reports from multiple lead teachers that they feared retaliation for raising safety or regulatory concerns. We were also troubled by the lack of transparency in governance. The school’s board is not disclosed to parents, there is no parent representation or involvement, and there is no clear or accessible accountability structure. Notably, the school did not meaningfully engage with or attempt to address our concerns until after we requested the return of our deposit following withdrawal. Because of the cumulative and ongoing nature of these issues, we withdrew for legitimate safety reasons and requested a return of our deposit and prorated tuition. We were told this was “not typical” under the contract, despite the circumstances. We are sharing this experience so other families can make fully informed decisions. Parents deserve transparency, stable leadership, and—most importantly—a safe environment for their children.

We have absolutely loved PRLP - the care and education that our children have received has exceeded our expectations! Many of the teachers have been there for 10+ years, the meal plan is so convenient for parents (breakfast, lunch & snacks provided- all nutritious, organic and a wide variety of menus), and we love that they teach about Jesus and start Chapel “class” with the really little ones. The sweetest school- highly recommend!

We have been so happy with PRLP for our two children. We're going on our 3rd year here now and the teachers and admins are extremely kind, warm, genuine, and loving. We've been to 2 other daycares (one good, one terrible) so we have some experience in knowing when a place is truly run well and has good teachers (who are happy and treated well). We are not Lutheran, so please don't let that turn you away if you also aren't. My kids are learning so much (academically and social/emotionally) and have fun there. If you're looking for a place that goes above-and-beyond, with truly loving teachers, and a sweet, quaint atmosphere, this is the place.