Anonymous wrote:There's plenty of blame to go around for sure. Is it bad that I'm a little relieved it was a 21 year old with a 13 year old and not a 40 years old with a 5 year old?

I said the same thing. Then felt bad because it's all horrible. But kind of agree.

Anonymous wrote:I posted upthread that as an afterschool volunteer with DCPS, I have had to go to central office and get fingerprinted by DCPS. They sent me my results and I forwarded them to my principal. I don’t understand why DCPS didn’t have copies of background checks (I understand charters have a different system).

Because Springboard is a contractor that uses DCPS facilities. The employees are not hired by DCPS.

The Springboard contract would require that they do background checks for all employees. It's not at all clear to me that for privacy reasons (PII) copies of those background checks can be shared with DCPS -- or that anyone at DCPS or OSSE would have looked at them if they were provided.

The remedy for Springboard not complying with the background check provisions or any other aspect of its contract would be termination.

The remedy for an individual Springboard employee harming or threatening a child rests with the MPD.

There's plenty of blame to go around for sure. Is it bad that I'm a little relieved it was a 21 year old with a 13 year old and not a 40 years old with a 5 year old?

Was the assailant arrested?

OSSE! WTF!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone want to explore a class action lawsuit? I paid for a service with the expectation they complied with background checks. They made $ off me on that basis.

I think you’re spot on with this idea. There tons of eye opening information upon reading the article:
“The Office of the State Superintendent of Education is charged with overseeing background checks for employees of before and after school program providers, and is supposed to annually monitor all licensed programs in D.C. public and charter schools. But according to one official at OSSE, only six of Springboard’s programs were licensed: at KIPP, Two Rivers and Brent Elementary campuses.”
So this program was not licensed to operate in the 20 something other DC schools? It’s safe to say that there is enough blame to go around... DCPS, OSSE, and Springboard!

At Two Rivers we pushed Springboard to get certified so that they could accept vouchers. It took a very long time to get Springboard willing to do what they needed to do to get certified.

Anonymous wrote:Springboard was terrible at SSMA a couple years ago and luckily SSMA responded by creating their own aftercare program. The school still uses Springboard for before care since there aren't many other before care programs in the DC area. Springboard aftercare was terrible with some of the employees yelling and screaming at the kids for even moving an inch. Definitely made me uncomfortable even though my kid was never one of them that was being screamed at, but contemplated reporting it a few times.

Our kid did Springboard in PK3 at SSMA and all seemed fine. Then within the first year of PK4, Springboard was a shitshow. Abbreviated version of the email I sent to their regional director below. She called me right away and was apologetic and told me things would be taken care of, but the same site director and staff remained and I continued to hear bad things about the program throughout the year (thankfully we had MOMIES as an alternative). And as noted above, the in-house aftercare at SSMA has been much better:



"Today when I arrived at 5pm to pick up my 4 year old, many of the kids were outside playing, but about 10 kids were lined up along the wall in the Obama room in timeout. The woman in there with them (I believe she is the Springboard site coordinator but I have been remiss about introducing myself and getting her name), told me that my daughter hadn't been listening to the teachers and was thus in timeout and not allowed to go outside. That didn't seem so unreasonable (although last year it seemed like kids were asked to sit out on the edge of the playground during timeout and not separated indoors), but what was more upsetting to me was the way I heard her speak to the other kids in just the few minutes I was in there.


She yelled at one little girl for turning around and touching something in a bin behind her, then pulled her out of line to sit by herself at the table. She yelled at another boy for not standing still enough (and I don't use the word "yell" loosely here - she was snapping at them in a raised voice). And then a girl asked to use the bathroom and she said "No! You can't go to the bathroom right now!" She was a world away from the "grace and courtesy" that I think many of us expect to be modeled by the teachers and staff at a Montessori school (or any school for that matter). And this was what I witnessed in a few short minutes and what she was saying with a parent in the room."


I'm not an apologist for my kid, but it still makes me uncomfortable thinking about walking in and witnessing that last year to that large group of kids.

I posted upthread that as an afterschool volunteer with DCPS, I have had to go to central office and get fingerprinted by DCPS. They sent me my results and I forwarded them to my principal. I don’t understand why DCPS didn’t have copies of background checks (I understand charters have a different system).

Anonymous wrote:Anyone want to explore a class action lawsuit? I paid for a service with the expectation they complied with background checks. They made $ off me on that basis.

I think you’re spot on with this idea. There tons of eye opening information upon reading the article:
“The Office of the State Superintendent of Education is charged with overseeing background checks for employees of before and after school program providers, and is supposed to annually monitor all licensed programs in D.C. public and charter schools. But according to one official at OSSE, only six of Springboard’s programs were licensed: at KIPP, Two Rivers and Brent Elementary campuses.”
So this program was not licensed to operate in the 20 something other DC schools? It’s safe to say that there is enough blame to go around... DCPS, OSSE, and Springboard!

WTF, OSSE.

Anonymous wrote:https://wamu.org/story/19/06/11/misconduct-allegation-concern-over-background-checks-lead-multiple-d-c-schools-to-suspend-after-school-program-provider/

Almost two dozen D.C. schools suspended the private operator of their before and after school programs this week after allegations were raised that an employee kissed and inappropriately touched a minor student.

See, this is disheartening news and absolutely makes me sick to my stomach! Why not give the specifics of this situation? Meanwhile parents are left in the dark making all these assumptions of the “staff misconduct”

https://wamu.org/story/19/06/11/misconduct-allegation-concern-over-background-checks-lead-multiple-d-c-schools-to-suspend-after-school-program-provider/

Almost two dozen D.C. schools suspended the private operator of their before and after school programs this week after allegations were raised that an employee kissed and inappropriately touched a minor student.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Springboard was terrible at SSMA a couple years ago and luckily SSMA responded by creating their own aftercare program. The school still uses Springboard for before care since there aren't many other before care programs in the DC area. Springboard aftercare was terrible with some of the employees yelling and screaming at the kids for even moving an inch. Definitely made me uncomfortable even though my kid was never one of them that was being screamed at, but contemplated reporting it a few times.

Similar situation at our charter. I did escalate. The on-site manager yelled at me and kept repeating "you will not disrespect me!". Refused to give me her manager's contact. When I finally tracked down the "manager" she kept telling me to "calm down". I was calm, but pissed. I demanded her manager's contact info. She gave me contact for someone in SB's Boston area corporate office. After some research it turns out that she gave me the contact of her friend, not her boss. Ultimately the 32 year old person who was "in charge" at corporate refused to give me management contact (no email, no phone #, no nothing).

Long story short, they didn't care then and they don't care now. Background checks cost money. Multiply that cost times the number of staff and that is more $$$$ to go into the profit numbers for the private equity that owns them. Who cares if convicted offenders or others with serious issues get unfettered access to our kids. Their profit #s went up...

Outrageous. My kid is starting at Logan this fall, and I really hope the school is able to find another aftercare provider. Any advice for steps I could take?

Enrolling at Logan was your first mistake

Thanks very helpful!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Springboard was terrible at SSMA a couple years ago and luckily SSMA responded by creating their own aftercare program. The school still uses Springboard for before care since there aren't many other before care programs in the DC area. Springboard aftercare was terrible with some of the employees yelling and screaming at the kids for even moving an inch. Definitely made me uncomfortable even though my kid was never one of them that was being screamed at, but contemplated reporting it a few times.

Similar situation at our charter. I did escalate. The on-site manager yelled at me and kept repeating "you will not disrespect me!". Refused to give me her manager's contact. When I finally tracked down the "manager" she kept telling me to "calm down". I was calm, but pissed. I demanded her manager's contact info. She gave me contact for someone in SB's Boston area corporate office. After some research it turns out that she gave me the contact of her friend, not her boss. Ultimately the 32 year old person who was "in charge" at corporate refused to give me management contact (no email, no phone #, no nothing).

Long story short, they didn't care then and they don't care now. Background checks cost money. Multiply that cost times the number of staff and that is more $$$$ to go into the profit numbers for the private equity that owns them. Who cares if convicted offenders or others with serious issues get unfettered access to our kids. Their profit #s went up...

This is terrible and completely unacceptable. At our school there are two aftercare providers, and the conduct you describe above is what I routinely witness with the other program. Fortunately for us the Springboard providers at our school have been the total opposite of your experience. They are warm, caring, always running on the playground with the kids, down on the floor playing with them, doing art projects and activities. My child LOVES the SB providers. We are disappointed we are not finishing the school year with them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Springboard was terrible at SSMA a couple years ago and luckily SSMA responded by creating their own aftercare program. The school still uses Springboard for before care since there aren't many other before care programs in the DC area. Springboard aftercare was terrible with some of the employees yelling and screaming at the kids for even moving an inch. Definitely made me uncomfortable even though my kid was never one of them that was being screamed at, but contemplated reporting it a few times.

Similar situation at our charter. I did escalate. The on-site manager yelled at me and kept repeating "you will not disrespect me!". Refused to give me her manager's contact. When I finally tracked down the "manager" she kept telling me to "calm down". I was calm, but pissed. I demanded her manager's contact info. She gave me contact for someone in SB's Boston area corporate office. After some research it turns out that she gave me the contact of her friend, not her boss. Ultimately the 32 year old person who was "in charge" at corporate refused to give me management contact (no email, no phone #, no nothing).

Long story short, they didn't care then and they don't care now. Background checks cost money. Multiply that cost times the number of staff and that is more $$$$ to go into the profit numbers for the private equity that owns them. Who cares if convicted offenders or others with serious issues get unfettered access to our kids. Their profit #s went up...

Outrageous. My kid is starting at Logan this fall, and I really hope the school is able to find another aftercare provider. Any advice for steps I could take?

Enrolling at Logan was your first mistake