Chronic teacher (aide) absenteeism

[Anonymous]

Our child is in PK3 at an EOTP school that's becoming more and more popular. We're really happy with his main teacher and the school writ large, but the teacher aide in his classroom is chronically absent. She is gone at least 3-4 days a week; not necessarily full days all the time, but she is absent either at drop-off or pick-up most days of the week. I've raised the issue with the school administration and have been told that they are aware and are addressing the issue, but I simply don't feel confident in their ability to act quickly enough. 3/4 year olds need consistency, and the head teacher needs consistent support. There was a sub last Friday who was just horrible; probably the worst I've seen. And between the post winter-break challenges of routine, we're also dealing with never knowing who the additional teacher will be in our child's classroom.

I know other parents in the classroom have raised this concern as well, but is there more that we can do?

[Anonymous]

We had a terrible aide and it took a LOT to get rid of them. just a reality of sending your kid to preschool in a public school. If you want quicker action or more influence you have to go private.

[Anonymous]

I agree with 10:14. It's a personnel issue, and that means there is limited information they can give you. It can take a long time to fire a poor performer.

[Anonymous]

There is not a lot you can do. Continue to inquire and to provide feedback on specific subs. It is hard to find good subs-- not a lot of great people want that job and the good ones will be offered permanent jobs.

If the aide is good overall and is going through a tough time like a parent in hospice, the principal will likely bear with her. It can be hard to find good aides and this kind if thing is worth it to retain someone good. Be mindful when you inquire that she may be going through an illness and/or personal difficulty that they cannot disclose.

[Anonymous]

It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

OP here: Thanks for the feedback. I am very empathetic and understand that one never has full information about what is happening in someone's personal life. Certainly, accommodations should be made, and especially if the employee has a track-record of exceptional performance. However, to the above poster, if I were chronically absent and people who relied on me were affected by my chronic absence, then my employer would act accordingly, and I don't think this situation is any different. I know DCPS has a process, but I wonder if there's any way we can help speed up or support that process. Or, at a minimum help influence the quality (and perhaps stability in terms of having the same person) of the sub in the classroom.

HR issues can be just as thorny in a private educational environment, so I don't buy that panacea for this (or most) challenges that exist in the public education system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

OP here: Thanks for the feedback. I am very empathetic and understand that one never has full information about what is happening in someone's personal life. Certainly, accommodations should be made, and especially if the employee has a track-record of exceptional performance. However, to the above poster, if I were chronically absent and people who relied on me were affected by my chronic absence, then my employer would act accordingly, and I don't think this situation is any different. I know DCPS has a process, but I wonder if there's any way we can help speed up or support that process. Or, at a minimum help influence the quality (and perhaps stability in terms of having the same person) of the sub in the classroom.

HR issues can be just as thorny in a private educational environment, so I don't buy that panacea for this (or most) challenges that exist in the public education system.

Subs are paid minimum wage. The aides don't make much more.

Until you treat these positions as professional ones, you are not going to attract more serious people to the work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

OP here: Thanks for the feedback. I am very empathetic and understand that one never has full information about what is happening in someone's personal life. Certainly, accommodations should be made, and especially if the employee has a track-record of exceptional performance. However, to the above poster, if I were chronically absent and people who relied on me were affected by my chronic absence, then my employer would act accordingly, and I don't think this situation is any different. I know DCPS has a process, but I wonder if there's any way we can help speed up or support that process. Or, at a minimum help influence the quality (and perhaps stability in terms of having the same person) of the sub in the classroom.

HR issues can be just as thorny in a private educational environment, so I don't buy that panacea for this (or most) challenges that exist in the public education system.

the point is that public school is a public system - and no, you cannot “speed along” getting a teacher removed at a public school, nor should you expect to have that kind of power. By comparison in a daycare there would be a state-mandates ratio in the classroom and it would be much easier and much faster to fire a nonperformer and replace them, and the system is designed to be responsive to the paying customers (parents).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

OP here: Thanks for the feedback. I am very empathetic and understand that one never has full information about what is happening in someone's personal life. Certainly, accommodations should be made, and especially if the employee has a track-record of exceptional performance. However, to the above poster, if I were chronically absent and people who relied on me were affected by my chronic absence, then my employer would act accordingly, and I don't think this situation is any different. I know DCPS has a process, but I wonder if there's any way we can help speed up or support that process. Or, at a minimum help influence the quality (and perhaps stability in terms of having the same person) of the sub in the classroom.

HR issues can be just as thorny in a private educational environment, so I don't buy that panacea for this (or most) challenges that exist in the public education system.

Subs are paid minimum wage. The aides don't make much more.

Until you treat these positions as professional ones, you are not going to attract more serious people to the work.

We're not going to solve the world's policy problems on this board. OP is asking for advice on something concrete happening in her kid's classroom.... speaking of empathy.

OP, You may consider taking the squeaky wheel tack. Get other parents on board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

OP here: Thanks for the feedback. I am very empathetic and understand that one never has full information about what is happening in someone's personal life. Certainly, accommodations should be made, and especially if the employee has a track-record of exceptional performance. However, to the above poster, if I were chronically absent and people who relied on me were affected by my chronic absence, then my employer would act accordingly, and I don't think this situation is any different. I know DCPS has a process, but I wonder if there's any way we can help speed up or support that process. Or, at a minimum help influence the quality (and perhaps stability in terms of having the same person) of the sub in the classroom.

HR issues can be just as thorny in a private educational environment, so I don't buy that panacea for this (or most) challenges that exist in the public education system.

Subs are paid minimum wage. The aides don't make much more.

Until you treat these positions as professional ones, you are not going to attract more serious people to the work.

I don’t know - the aides at our DCPS are fantastic. Several are working on their teaching degrees and at least one came back to the school to teach after finishing college. That’s why I am somewhat understanding about the hard time they had getting rid of the bad one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

OP here: Thanks for the feedback. I am very empathetic and understand that one never has full information about what is happening in someone's personal life. Certainly, accommodations should be made, and especially if the employee has a track-record of exceptional performance. However, to the above poster, if I were chronically absent and people who relied on me were affected by my chronic absence, then my employer would act accordingly, and I don't think this situation is any different. I know DCPS has a process, but I wonder if there's any way we can help speed up or support that process. Or, at a minimum help influence the quality (and perhaps stability in terms of having the same person) of the sub in the classroom.

HR issues can be just as thorny in a private educational environment, so I don't buy that panacea for this (or most) challenges that exist in the public education system.

the point is that public school is a public system - and no, you cannot “speed along” getting a teacher removed at a public school, nor should you expect to have that kind of power. By comparison in a daycare there would be a state-mandates ratio in the classroom and it would be much easier and much faster to fire a nonperformer and replace them, and the system is designed to be responsive to the paying customers (parents).

Head Start programs, which most of the EOTP schools are a part of, do have very strict teacher-student ratio rules. And, if schools break these rule then they risk losing funding not just for themselves, but for the entire system. That is a risk of utilizing federal funds for an entire (or nearly entire) school system's ECE program.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure what to tell you. This aide is a person who may have health problems or is pregnant. I was paying for private and had my child’s teacher go out on maternity leave. It was less than ideal but these people aren’t robots! You have no idea what’s going on in their lives.

[Anonymous]

There's not a lot you can do here. And frankly, the qualifications of the sub and the aide are probably similar. Children are resilient. Remember, for all the inconsistency you perceive with regard to the subs, your child will perceive consistency via the lead teacher, classroom, routines, and friends. Unless your child has special needs, a circumstance that needs attention for the time being, or health issues or allergies -- all of which can and do happen -- this is a small thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

OP here: Thanks for the feedback. I am very empathetic and understand that one never has full information about what is happening in someone's personal life. Certainly, accommodations should be made, and especially if the employee has a track-record of exceptional performance. However, to the above poster, if I were chronically absent and people who relied on me were affected by my chronic absence, then my employer would act accordingly, and I don't think this situation is any different. I know DCPS has a process, but I wonder if there's any way we can help speed up or support that process. Or, at a minimum help influence the quality (and perhaps stability in terms of having the same person) of the sub in the classroom.

HR issues can be just as thorny in a private educational environment, so I don't buy that panacea for this (or most) challenges that exist in the public education system.

the point is that public school is a public system - and no, you cannot “speed along” getting a teacher removed at a public school, nor should you expect to have that kind of power. By comparison in a daycare there would be a state-mandates ratio in the classroom and it would be much easier and much faster to fire a nonperformer and replace them, and the system is designed to be responsive to the paying customers (parents).

Head Start programs, which most of the EOTP schools are a part of, do have very strict teacher-student ratio rules. And, if schools break these rule then they risk losing funding not just for themselves, but for the entire system. That is a risk of utilizing federal funds for an entire (or nearly entire) school system's ECE program.

but typically daycares are much more practiced in smoothly mantaining the ratio (switching staff around, having floaters, etc) and more attuned to the needs of the kids. Public preschool is a system with many goals other than making sure 3 year olds have nice days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It doens't matter what kind of school, employees have rights.

OP here: Thanks for the feedback. I am very empathetic and understand that one never has full information about what is happening in someone's personal life. Certainly, accommodations should be made, and especially if the employee has a track-record of exceptional performance. However, to the above poster, if I were chronically absent and people who relied on me were affected by my chronic absence, then my employer would act accordingly, and I don't think this situation is any different. I know DCPS has a process, but I wonder if there's any way we can help speed up or support that process. Or, at a minimum help influence the quality (and perhaps stability in terms of having the same person) of the sub in the classroom.

HR issues can be just as thorny in a private educational environment, so I don't buy that panacea for this (or most) challenges that exist in the public education system.

Perhaps this is one of those situations where, as you said, accommodations should be made. I really hope you're not advocating for firing or putting on LWOP someone who may be having a health crisis or caring for a spouse/child having one.