Children’s Discovery Center

First of all, I want to state that CDC is not right for every child and that is perfectly fine. My 2 yo has attended the Children’s Discovery Center on Duval for 6 months and she is excited to go to «scoo» every single day. She even asks to go on the weekends. Very rarely do I see any of the kiddos upset when they are being dropped off — a sure sign that they are happy to be there!
When I first toured the school all I could see were happy kids, playing in the dirt, laughing, exploring, climbing, being active and engaged. My first reaction on dropping off my daughter was that the place was dirty. Not uncared for, but well lived in. Some of my fondest memories are of sitting in the backyard digging in the sandbox and I am so happy to be able to give that to my daughter (we are apartment dwellers).
The whole place is well worn with love. To quote a previous poster «The toys are well-​loved. There is paint all over the fence. A favorite activity is playing in mud. MY child comes home happy, tired and dirty. I’m used to it now and would not have it any other way.»
The school would not be the same without the teachers! Every single one is a gem and can always be found at kid level, sitting on the ground, laps full of kids. It is so obvious that each one is there because they enjoy it and not just for the paycheck. They are patient and creative and involved every step of the way.
The «curriculum» is appropriate for a bunch of 1 — 3 year olds. It’s stated much more eloquently on their website, but the kiddo’s are given all the freedom to be creative, explore and encourage their innate curiosities. Children grow at such amazingly different speeds and take to such various skill sets, that I personally don’t see the benefit to the child in anything «standardized».
One of my most favorite lesson plans included running around the playground listening to fast music, pouring colored water from one cup to another and singing songs in Spanish. We live in an apartment with no real good yard to speak of and I relish the fact that my daughter is getting the chance to explore and run and be messy somewhere other than our tiny place!
The only (and last on the list IMHO) downside is that it is pricey. Not too pricey compared to most full time centers and certainly not for the benefits she gets from attending, but high for our working budget. However, the director, Rosalind has been AMAZING and has helped in finding assistance and with working with us on payments. We will be a Discovery School for as long as we can possibly manage it!

We’ve been CDC parents for 3 years now and love it. I wish they had a north campus because we have since moved much farther away, but the kiddo loves it so much I couldn’t ever think of pulling him out for the sake of convenience.
The teachers are exceptional. As another poster said, the holidays they have can be frustrating for two-​working-​parent or single-​parent households, but usually one of the teachers will set up a little informal camp or something. And every single teacher there deserves holiday pay and some time off. I don’t even understand how they can be so great and patient and fun all the time.
A few years ago we did have an issue with a teacher that was always late, making the parents late for work. It was a big problem. After a few complaints, she was either fired or moved on and for the last 2 years there has not been one single problem.
The school itself is more laid-​back, hippie style than the intensely clean and organized Montessori centers you see. The toys are well-​loved. There is paint all over the fence. A favorite activity is playing in mud. MY child comes home happy, tired and dirty. I’m used to it now and would not have it any other way.
They believe in play-​based, child-​led learning. No academics, no pushing reading or math, etc. But when a child has a question, they explore the answer hands on, focusing on ‘discovery’. This method is not for every parent or every child. It works great for us. Growing up is hard enough, getting to be a kid when you are a kid and develop a sense of curiosity is important.
I feel the price is average for central, center-​based care and a great deal when you consider the caliber of employees.

Our child went to CDC for about 2 years. It is the kind of place where your kid will get dirty and covered with glitter. They really let kids be kids, and we like that. For the most part we’ve liked his teachers, and I think they’re really good with the kids. He’s was with a lot of the same kids the whole time he was there.
There’s a couple of things, however, that we’re not crazy about. First, when your kid gets to be about 3 ½, they move them to their other location, which is way west on Spicewood Springs. It’s a really cool place, but they bus them there and back every day, and his jacket often got left at the other location and sometimes I didn’t have a jacket for him the next day. That’s kind of annoying. Also, they transferred him without telling us that there was going to be a $ 150 fee to cover travel expenses. And it’s already a pretty expensive place.
In general, they have not communicated with us very well. One time I was concerned he wasn’t feeling well, I called the school and left a message and they never got back to me. The first time I went to bring him directly to the west location, I didn’t know exactly where it was so I called them — again, no answer, no call back.
Another thing we don’t like is that they go by the AISD schedule, meaning they are closed for Christmas break and spring break. This means I have to make other arrangements a lot, and we don’t get a price break for that. For spring break, I may have to use 5 days of my precious vacation time to care for him. And it doesn’t decrease my monthly expense.
It’s a pretty expensive place and I do feel that it’s more geared toward wealthier families that have one parent not working. We really think the child care is top notch, though and though we brought our son somewhere else, we often second guess ourselves because in a lot of ways it’s really a wonderful place. Also, we were often a month behind on payments and they only once mentioned it in a very non-​threatening way. They are very compassionate and when we were leaving, the director tried to work with us and give us a break.
So in conclusion — this place is awesome, but be sure you have enough money for it, and it’s going to take a bit of effort to get straight information sometimes. But it’s really a great place for kids.

The Children’s Discovery Center is not for everyone, but it’s pretty perfect for us. The teachers are loving, and the emphasis is on creativity and letting kids be kids– this means that children run around in underwear or diapers or costumes — really, whatever they want. I’ve often chuckled at the sight of very masculine boys in pink leotards and tutus — but you know what? They are having a blast. One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to get glitter out of kids’ hair — you wouldn’t believe how hard it is! I far prefer when my toddler is covered head to toe in green paint, the «incredible hulk» comments notwithstanding.
The good: the kids are really, really happy and learn great social skills — the philosophy emphasizes teaching the kids to work it out themselves (with teacher guidance, of course). The center provides healthy snacks and has recently started using non-​toxic cleaners in the classrooms.
The bad: the administration is disorganized and laid back to the extreme.
The ugly: there is one problem teacher, and the administration is reportedly unresponsive to parental complaints about her. I know at least one child that was pulled out of CDC because of her.
Overall, we have been extremely pleased with our experience there. We LOVE the teachers and appreciate that there is a balanced gender split among them. They treat the children with respect, and my children are very happy there — and to me, that’s what counts.