Hello everyone, I want to start by thanking everyone in advance for reading my concern and any advice I may be given. My girlfriend worked for a daycare for about nine months and was terminated yesterday in the afternoon. The daycare is owned by a lady that used to run a second daycare in another town. This second daycare was closed last month, and unfortunately almost everyone was fired from there positions. The director of the presently closed school was transferred to the school where my girlfriend worked while the director at her school was fired. There was no reason for firing to my knowledge other than the director from the second school was friends with the owner. I guess the phrase "It's not what you know but who you know" is correct.
So the director of this school was fired because the "friend" needed a job. This is all fine and dandy but what follows troubled me. The school where my girlfriend worked was to be reviewed for safety and licensing in about two weeks. The new director, knowing that this was going to happen wanted to make some modifications to the school and give it a fresh coat of paint. In New Jersey the ratio of teachers to children (students) the age of 2-3 is I believe 1:10. The painting and modifications were done by the teachers in the school. She, (the director) made the teachers paint the classrooms during work hours and after work hours. This overloaded some teachers to my understanding from 1:10 to a crazy 1:32. I know this to be true because my girlfriend called me at work to tell me that she had 32 children. This happened on other occasions as well. It was not isolated to the days they remodeled. If a teacher was out they would overload teachers without care.
In the mornings my girlfriend would vacuum her room because the other teachers would leave paint chips, tacks, and staples on the floors (Keep in mind she took care of two and three year olds). She complained about this to the director without any action taken. My girlfriend, worried about her students, called the New Jersey Department of Human Services. She explained what was happening and was told that the agency would come to investigate.
A few days ago she spoke to the director and was told that she would be fired as of August 22, 2008 because another teacher from the other school was going to take her position (Who you know strikes again). As much as this was a shock, my girlfriend didn't really mind because she would look for another position in the mean time. This is the order all of this unfolded and not the other way around. That night she received a phone call from her regular assistant claiming that someone stole all of her money from the bank envelope in her purse. My girlfriend, thinking nothing about it told her she would help her look in the classroom the next day. To her amazement the next day during lunchtime for the kids a detective from the police department came to the school and questioned my girlfriend about the theft. She was the "prime suspect" as it were. She naturally asked why this was the case as the doors were not locked in the room and people were in and out throughout the day. The kids had activities in multiple rooms and anyone could have taken the money while the girls were both out of the room. She was given no answer; nobody else was questioned, and was refused a chance at a polygraph to prove her innocence. She called me up crying histerically and told me this unbelievable story about 10 min later. When she went inside the director asked her to leave. (She was fired)
That same day the New Jersey Department of Human Services came in to investigate the school. My girlfriend was not able to speak with them because she left the school. This all is burning me up inside because I can't do anything to help her. The parents are calling my girlfriend asking her why she is not there and I know of one child being taken out of the school because of the nonsense that goes on in there. For reference: This mother will not allow her child to stay in the school if my girlfriend is not there. She wanted my girlfriend to keep an eye on him from time to time. What if anything can be done in this mess? I know she does not want to go back to the daycare because of the unprofessional environment and the lack of trust. Her main concern is the children at this point. None of the teachers would tell the truth about the overloading of classrooms due to fear of being fired. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
P.S.: There is no question that my girlfriend did not steal the money. The question I have is: What can be done if anything with regards to clearing her name? Helping the kids? Having the school clean up there act?
Bsadik
So the director of this school was fired because the "friend" needed a job. This is all fine and dandy but what follows troubled me. The school where my girlfriend worked was to be reviewed for safety and licensing in about two weeks. The new director, knowing that this was going to happen wanted to make some modifications to the school and give it a fresh coat of paint. In New Jersey the ratio of teachers to children (students) the age of 2-3 is I believe 1:10. The painting and modifications were done by the teachers in the school. She, (the director) made the teachers paint the classrooms during work hours and after work hours. This overloaded some teachers to my understanding from 1:10 to a crazy 1:32. I know this to be true because my girlfriend called me at work to tell me that she had 32 children. This happened on other occasions as well. It was not isolated to the days they remodeled. If a teacher was out they would overload teachers without care.
In the mornings my girlfriend would vacuum her room because the other teachers would leave paint chips, tacks, and staples on the floors (Keep in mind she took care of two and three year olds). She complained about this to the director without any action taken. My girlfriend, worried about her students, called the New Jersey Department of Human Services. She explained what was happening and was told that the agency would come to investigate.
A few days ago she spoke to the director and was told that she would be fired as of August 22, 2008 because another teacher from the other school was going to take her position (Who you know strikes again). As much as this was a shock, my girlfriend didn't really mind because she would look for another position in the mean time. This is the order all of this unfolded and not the other way around. That night she received a phone call from her regular assistant claiming that someone stole all of her money from the bank envelope in her purse. My girlfriend, thinking nothing about it told her she would help her look in the classroom the next day. To her amazement the next day during lunchtime for the kids a detective from the police department came to the school and questioned my girlfriend about the theft. She was the "prime suspect" as it were. She naturally asked why this was the case as the doors were not locked in the room and people were in and out throughout the day. The kids had activities in multiple rooms and anyone could have taken the money while the girls were both out of the room. She was given no answer; nobody else was questioned, and was refused a chance at a polygraph to prove her innocence. She called me up crying histerically and told me this unbelievable story about 10 min later. When she went inside the director asked her to leave. (She was fired)
That same day the New Jersey Department of Human Services came in to investigate the school. My girlfriend was not able to speak with them because she left the school. This all is burning me up inside because I can't do anything to help her. The parents are calling my girlfriend asking her why she is not there and I know of one child being taken out of the school because of the nonsense that goes on in there. For reference: This mother will not allow her child to stay in the school if my girlfriend is not there. She wanted my girlfriend to keep an eye on him from time to time. What if anything can be done in this mess? I know she does not want to go back to the daycare because of the unprofessional environment and the lack of trust. Her main concern is the children at this point. None of the teachers would tell the truth about the overloading of classrooms due to fear of being fired. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
P.S.: There is no question that my girlfriend did not steal the money. The question I have is: What can be done if anything with regards to clearing her name? Helping the kids? Having the school clean up there act?
Bsadik
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