DC Preschool Teachers Say They Need Extra Help - What to do?

[Anonymous]

Our downtown DC preschool teachers told us parents at back to school night on Monday that they need more help. It is 2 teachers in a classroom with 14 or 15 kids all about to turn 3 - so potty training and lots of hands-on needs still. They said we should ask the school director for a 3rd teacher b/c they can't. Part of me thinks the teachers need to step up and part of me worries because my son is in that room.

[Anonymous]

Wow. This seems odd. My children went to private preschool and the ratio was roughly the same (2 teachers 12-13 kids). Do they have schedule? I know my kids were taken as a class to the bathroom at a set time. Are they new teachers? Is there a number of SN kids? It seems to me the teachers need to step up their game.

[Anonymous]

I would think having a number of room parents could help. Can you all organize a rotating room parent(s)?

[Anonymous]

Wow, if the teachers were telling me to ask for a 3rd teacher, I would band together with the other parents to advocate for one! Personally, I think these ratios are pretty ridiculous. All you need is one teacher to be out helping one child go potty, then there's only 1 teacher left for the remaining 13 kids!!

[Anonymous]

I'm 10:08-- when I critiqued the ratios, to be clear, I am a day care veteran, not a general basher of day care.

[Anonymous]

OP here - no SN needs kids in the class. We've seen kids in the bathroom by themselves, which they are not ready for.

[Anonymous]

I don't know about daycare ratios, but all my children had 2-3 adults to 10 children at that age in preschools. I can't imagine just 2 adults for 14-15 2 year olds!

[Anonymous]

Why won't the teachers go to the director? They should not involve parents before saying something first.

[Anonymous]

Contact the local colleges and univeristies with students in the Education programs, I'm sure they need credit hours or community service.

[Anonymous]

is this s public PK?

[Anonymous]

It is a well regarded private preschool.

[Anonymous]

We were at a school with a 13:1 ratio for 3-6 year olds and a bathroom outside the room and half the class ended up very sick. Children were going to the bathroom with little supervision and not properly washing their hands.

[Anonymous]

I thought that the ratio for two-year-olds by law was 4:1 (teacher to student). My DC's child had 3 teachers for 12 kids at 2, and 3 teachers for 16 kids at age 3. I don't think "about to turn 3" counts as 3. I could be wrong, so don't quote me, but definitely check it out.