7/23/2011

Preschool: Where the Drama Never Ends

Remember when I talked about the AMAZING preschool teacher I wanted Hugmonkey to have? Then I consoled myself that he could have her the next year

She's been fired. 

The woman who teared up when Ironflower and then Lovebug moved on to the 4 year old classroom, who drove through a snow storm on a snow day to deliver the kids' Xmas gifts, the woman who has teenage students come back to visit her, has been fired. 

She sent an email to parents yesterday. In it, she said she was still unclear about why she had been fired and that she'd never gotten a negative review from the school director and how she would miss us all. 

A few hours later, we got an email from the school board president. I didn't even know there was a board for the preschool, but apparently there is. It's through the school's affiliated church. This email said that the school director and the church minister were out of town, but that she would be meeting with them on Monday to clarify "this issue". And she assured us that they were interested in serving the best interests of our children. 

I sent a nice note to the teacher, thanking her for teaching my kids to love school. 

I asked another parent more connected to the church if she knew anything. She didn't. 

I had a few flashbacks to my last year of teaching and how a number of us who actually did try to serve the best interests of the children were put on probation. 

I started looking at other preschools. 

Because unless I hear that the amazing teacher was embezzling, abusing children and/or snorting coke during class, I can't imagine a decent reason to fire her. And if they can fire the best teacher in the school (there are people whose sole reason for going to the school is for their kids to have her) for no good reason, I don't want Hugmonkey to go there. 

Even though it will kill me not to send Hugmonkey there, where he's been anxious to go since he could walk. Where he already knows his way around and recognizes most of the teachers. Where I already know how everything works. Where the tuition is relatively affordable. 

I'm not going to make any decisions until I hear their reasons. Maybe she's been dealing all those former students drugs. Maybe she secretly beats the assistant teachers. But I think it's far more likely that their reasons will be complete bullshit. And then I will have to march in there and withdraw Hugmonkey. And yes, I will tell them why. 

I just hope I'm not the only one. 

6 comments:

silken said...

ooohh! good luck! that sounds terrible! maybe she will be working at another preschool and he can have her then???? uugghh-I really hate church politics.....

Am I Really Grown Up? said...

It sounds very suspect to me. I can't wait to hear their reasoning.

Caitlin MidAtlantic said...

You have to stand up for yourself and for your children the most when no one else will.

WordVixen said...

*sigh* They probably caught her in an R rated movie or something. I'd love to know the reason when you find out!

It's not the same everywhere, but some churches require employees to sign a contract that they won't smoke, drink, or attend movies rated higher than PG13, or various other strange rules designed to keep their reputation pure, and that breaking the contract is considered a quit or disciplinary action (warning or firing). And yes, the smoking and drinking thing even includes what you do in the privacy of your own home. It's very, very possible, that the teacher got caught crossing some boundary that she wasn't even aware was there. Not everyone reads contracts, and any time politicking is involved (Say what you will- it's not just churches that do this), those boundaries can move based on the whim of whoever's in charge.

Triplezmom said...

Still no word on what the hell happened. I have now emailed the board president and the school director and asked (very politely). Nothing.

I am sure it must be church politics of some kind, which really depresses me.

Abbie said...

I hope you get the answers you need.