Northshore Driving Academy

Take your money elsewhere!

TAKE YOUR MONEY ELSEWHERE!
I stated to one of the owners that I would make my experience with this company known and she threatened to SUE ME if I did. She stated, "My husband is a lawyer and we will sue you!" Last time, I checked anyone can leave a public review. This is my honest and first-hand experience with this company and owners.
Take your money to a quality company. NDS is lacking in many areas. First, the courses are out of date and the curriculum has not been updated in years. They are "getting by" operating in the CHEAPEST way possible. Second, poor equipment/lack of materials: the computer system used is so ancient and slow that there is so much time wasted waiting around. The students cannot hear anything over the out of date, tiny speakers. The testing materials seem to be from decades ago and do not correlate with the 2017 Louisiana Driving Manual or Test. NO one has taken the initiative to correlate the program. None of the quizzes/tests match the lessons. They are getting by - doing the bare minimum. For the amount of money that customers pay, management has not taken the initiative to provide adequate training for their customers. The website states: Northshore Driving Academy strives to offer the "best values" in driver training. As a former employee, I can clarify that this is far from being true.
As a former employee, I was baffled by the poor management and what I was presented to use (or lack of) and expected to teach. After my first day of teaching, I realized the outdated lessons leaves so much down time, no engagement activities, which then results in bored students who have to sit there for hours. When the outdated computer doesn't work, students are just left sitting. I was told to just spread it out, make it work, do whatever. I am a certified teacher with a bachelor's degree and now a master's degree. I am rated a highly effective teacher in my parish and I don't just do "whatever" or half-do things. I took it upon myself to re-vamp the curriculum. I spent HOURS creating new lesson plans, new powerpoints, creating games & centers to be used for student engagement. I spent hours aligning the curriculum to the 2018 Louisiana driving expectations. I even brought in my brand new speaker, so that the students can hear the presentations and new videos I put together. Owner - Robert, was pleased with the changes.
However, when I asked to be paid $1 more, the same as he would pay a driving teacher who has taught a driving class before, he was appalled. He has several uneducated instructors on staff, without professional teaching experience. Since this was my first time teaching a "driving" course, he didn't think I deserved $1 more. Disregarding that I was a college graduate and certified public school teacher with years of teaching experience. I asked him to take into account the hours outside of work that I was putting into designing the program where it needs to be - something that should have been done years before by the owners. The owners manage the company from a distance and have no idea what HIGH QUALITY looks like. They have no regards; they just want your money at the end of the day.
When I tried to make arrangements for picking up my speaker, it went ignored and I was ultimately told that they threw my speaker in the TRASH because they didn't want it and it doesn't go with their equipment. The female owner told me that she is the one that decided to throw it in the trash. I asked, what equipment did it not "go" with. She stated the SAME one they have been using for the PAST 12 years....the one I mentioned above, that does not work all the time and the sound is so low that the kids complain that they cannot hear anything. So clearly, out of spite they made the decision to TRASH it. However, I am not sure the truth in that. Poor ownership/management at its finest.