Stumbling Through Work
Working in education is to stumble through your everyday! We love what we do, but staff, families, policies, regulations and sometimes even the children make us quit everyday then come back the next day. Just remember, you are not in this alone.
Stumbling Through Work
Dangerous Preschools, Woke Tests, and the Walmart Bag Exit Strategy
The alarming realities of unregulated childcare facilities operating with twice its maximum occupancy, this facility housed infants in a windowless basement alongside propane tanks, creating what authorities described as "nightmarish, hellish conditions." The conversation shifts to Oklahoma's peculiar response to teacher shortages—creating additional barriers rather than incentives and professional approach to firing employees that maintains dignity while protecting children and programs from unnecessary drama. The episode concludes with a thoughtful response to an educator contemplating leaving the field due to burnout. Rather than seeing this as an indictment of early childhood education as a profession, the solution may be finding a better fit rather than abandoning our calling.
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Welcome to Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out. I'm your host, jarek Huff, and I'm here to explore and share the complexities of our work and let you know you are not alone. Before we start, though, please follow this podcast and share episodes with others. You can find me on my website, wwwjarekhuffcom, where you can find links to my social media and where I share information and tips for educators. Now let's jump into today's episode. Hey team, welcome to another episode of Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out.
Speaker 1:Today, we're bringing you a story from a town called Clarkstown in Rockland County. I don't know where Rockland County is, I don't know what state and, I'll be honest, I don't care enough to investigate, but an unlicensed and crowded daycare center in Rockland County has been shut down after town inspectors found children being cared for under dangerous conditions. Daycare is meant to be a nurturing, safe environment for babies and toddlers, but one particular center should have never existed. According to authorities, the town of Clarkstown discovered an illegally operating daycare with infants sleeping in nightmarish, hellish conditions and were in imminent danger of being hurt in nightmarish, hellish conditions and were in imminent danger of being hurt. According to Clarkstown officials, the daycare operated out of two buildings on Maple Avenue. Hmm, two buildings, huh. Trying to figure out how that looks. The owner of the building had a certificate of occupancy for a house of worship in one and had petitioned to operate a daycare, but the petition was never approved. One and had petitioned to operate a daycare, but the petition was never approved. On top of that, the building had a maximum occupancy of 33. Now does that mean the building both buildings are only one? I'm confused. Um had an occupancy of 33 and yet police were tipped off and found 69 kids and 21 adults inside.
Speaker 1:Eyewitnesses knew, spoke to a woman named Nancy who said she heard kids when she was in the area. I was curious and I kind of peeked over the fence and noticed there were I don't even know how many, but maybe 50-60 kids back there, she said. Police say part of the daycare was located under a tobacco shop, a windowless basement that housed portable playpens alongside propane cylinders. These conditions were horrendous, said Clarkstown supervisor George 30 children in an unfinished basement with gas cans. That's not acceptable. That's horrible. Yeah, they could get hurt. You know I'm a nurse and yeah, I would hate to even think of what could happen to them. Noreen said who the hell is Noreen and where did she come into this story? On Tuesday, child Protective Services evacuated everyone from the daycare and there's now a.
Speaker 1:So let's break this down. One I don't need to know where Clarkstown is. It sounds like somewhere I don't want to be and somewhere where they should be shamed. Two whoever wrote this? I'm still trying to figure out who the hell Nancy is just some random nurse that y'all just picked up outside of the road? I can't even focus on what the story is. But okay, on unlicensed daycare, maybe I'm too straight and narrow, but I could not even fathom just creating and starting just a child care facility and just saying, after state, I'm just going to do what I want to do. I feel like I was being watched and, as we see, somebody was looking over the fence, just being nosy.
Speaker 1:But how was the facility operating? Out of two buildings on Maple Avenue and if I live in Clarkstown, I'm now definitely going to look on Maple Avenue to figure this out, because I'm guessing maybe one was a church. I'm not quite sure, but 69 kids and 21 adults inside, which I'm still trying to figure out. Was that one or two buildings? But let's just from our. For my brain purposes. Let's just say it's one building, so an occupancy of 33 people, but 69 and 21 adults I have to do the math on that one. That's six, seven, eight. That is, 80 people inside.
Speaker 1:I can only imagine wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Why would it who? As someone who's been in this field a long time, I'm trying to understand why you have 69 kids and 21 adults. So that means in my brain I'm thinking there's 21 people working there. Why so damn many for 69 kids? Like what are they all infants with low ratio? Like why is there so many damn adults in there? And who are all these adults that don't know any better that says, yeah, it's fine for this baby to be next to a propane tank? See, this is why you don't need to go to clarkstown. This is why I ain't tell you where clarkstown is, because they shamed. It's 21. So there's 80 people inside a building with an occupancy of 33, 21 adults to 69 kids. That is ridiculous.
Speaker 1:Even if I just break that down into a ratio aspect, we can just say a simple. That's almost a what? Almost like a one to four ratio. Like what is? I don't understand what's happening, I don't get it. All 21, the adults are inside are idiots. Let's just put that out there. They're all just stupid. And then you have people peeking over the fence, which is a whole nother thing, and then there's a tobacco shop. So now all the kids are gonna have tuberculosis and bronchitis as they get older. Then there's a windowless basement. This is sounding real people under the stairs, ish. And for all the people that are in my generation, we remember that movie as clear as day. And this is sounding like people under the stairs.
Speaker 1:I don't understand how this happens and I'm even shaming the parents. The parents and the families. You all should be embarrassed and ashamed that you are putting your children in an area where you see propane tanks next to these babies' play pens. I don't shame families a lot, but in this situation I am, because even if someone gave me the argument of well, maybe they weren't able to go and see that, well then you know what? If I did a tour and you didn't show me where my baby was sleeping, I'm not enrolling. So I am shaming the families. You all should be shamed as much as possible. Clarkstown, clarksville, clark, clark, clark, clark, whoever you are, wherever y'all located, the entire city should be shamed. We should all just shame them all the way, because I don't understand how any of this went on and the question is, for how long did it go on? And let's talk about the enrollment numbers 69. That's pretty good For a building with, I mean, in any facility 69 in this climate. It's pretty good. Criminal charges could also be filed.
Speaker 1:Uh, yeah, um, I feel like I need to follow this story to see where it goes, because it just showed up. But, um, yeah, and whoever wrote this, just this was all over the place. I, I can't move past noreen. She's just randomly in the story like I'm a nurse. Where the hell did y'all find Noreen at like? This is like. This feels like something that you know a high schooler would have wrote. That's just all over the place and she had red marks all over it. But I, just, I, I just feel so bad for those children that were in there. And then we don't know there's no window, so there's just no in my brain. How it's working right now is you being in there with gas links related or gasoline items? It's just fumes.
Speaker 1:It's all kind of things that are happening in a basement like that. The children are breathing it in and the staff, even even if I feel bad for these whole adults that are participating in this, I guess I should be a human and say they're breathing it in too, but, as we discussed earlier, they're idiots. Um, you all are breathing in these materials. It's just. This is just a horrible situation and, as much as licensing can get on my nerves sometimes, they are a needed source and and a needed authority so that we don't find ourselves in these situations, because only imagine if there was a light or a spark or something and all these children and families could be gone. It's just. That is so devastating to even think about as a possibility. I just this was just a sad story, but then it's just a stupid story, just stupid, just. It's just hard for me to move past that. If you know someone that doesn't understand why certain things exist, like child care, licensing, health, all of those government entities they are here to protect children from these situations. If you know someone that just does not understand, please send them this episode so they can hear the stupidity that happens when people are not watched and are not following the law in certain ways to protect our most vulnerable, and on that note we'll be right back.
Speaker 1:We all want our schools or programs to be the best and although every school is different, all successful programs have the same fundamentals. Best Practices for High-Quality Preschool, afterschool and Enrichment Programs by Jarek Huff share standards to foster a high-quality program. These tips will help you put your best service forward, focusing on your children, families and communities. Best Practices for High-Quality Preschool, afterschool and Enrichment Programs by Jerick Huff is available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle. Welcome back.
Speaker 1:I'm going to bring you a little bit of news from the state of Oklahoma back. I'm going to bring you a little bit of news from the state of Oklahoma. Amid an ongoing teacher shortage, oklahoma announced plans for a new test to screen teachers from states considered woke. The State Education Department announced Wednesday that it is partnering with the conservative media company PragerU to develop a new certification test for teachers relocating to Oklahoma from states with quote a history of promoting anti-American narratives. Unquote. While Oklahoma has reciprocal certification agreements with all 50 states and the District of Columbia All 50 states and the District of Columbia teachers from so-called woke states would also have to pass a new test of their knowledge of the US Constitution, american exceptionalism and their grasp of fundamental biological difference between boys and girls. Oklahoma's schools will not be a haven for woke agendas pushed in places like California and New York, said state school superintendent. And a statement added the state is dedicated to raising a generation of patriots, not activists.
Speaker 1:So let's break this down. So there is an ongoing teacher shortage. That's not in Oklahoma, that is not just in the Midwest, that is not just in America. This is a worldwide problem. There is an ongoing teacher shortage all the way from six weeks to up Oklahoma. You have one of the lowest paid educator salary rates in the United of the States. You already don't have anyone that lives there, and then, on top of it, you're creating extra screening tests for wokeness to stop people.
Speaker 1:See, this is why y'all not the brightest of the bunch, but for me it's the media company PragerU. So let's talk about them for a minute. So I did a little AI to say give me some of the highlights, and this is what AI said. To say give me some of the highlights, and this is what AI said. Prageru, formerly known as Prager University Foundation, is a conservative nonprofit media organization, not an accredited university. It's the fact that they had to put not an accredited university. It's known for producing short, five-minute videos of political, economic and social topics, often presented as educational content. The organization has faced criticism for its factual accuracy, promotion of conservative viewpoints and attempts to introduce its content into schools. Prageru has faced criticism for factual inaccuracies, promotion of misinformation and concerns about its influence on education. Now, I didn't make this up, I just this is what AI said. It's the five-minute videos.
Speaker 1:Why do we keep listening to people that are not professionals, people that just throw out their opinions? Because everyone has an opinion, but this is what the state of Oklahoma does. So let's go back to this. So, amongst a teacher shortage, then you are partnering with an organization to create a new certification, which just lets me know that they're full of opinions, they're not fact-based in anything. Then it has. So Oklahoma excuse me, oklahoma has reciprocal certification agreements, which basically means if you are licensed in one state, you can move to another state and get your license and everything transferred over and you don't have to go through the process of adding new classes and all that drama that happens.
Speaker 1:This is one of the most concerning parts for me. Quote their grasp of fundamental biological differences between boys and girls. Unquote. I have always had an issue, and this is about to sound dark y'all why are grown adults worried about the biological situations that are going on with children? That's disturbing the way people are obsessed. These grown adults are obsessed with children's private parts. This freaks me the hell out. It really does. It is one of the most uncomfortable situations that I could be in. Because why do you care? Like this just sounds, it's just nasty. Just nasty. It is dark, it is just. I just don't understand why they're so upset.
Speaker 1:Like, if you really break it down to a fundamental level, you are concerned about the private parts of children. And why are you concerned about the private parts of children? Like it just does not make sense. And why are you concerned about the private parts of children? Like it just does not make sense. And then you, they create these situations where they stand on. We're worried about the body. Why are you worried about that? Like, why is that a thought? Like that's something that doesn't go through my brain. I don't process the thoughts of that throughout the day, but you do. But I'm not going to digress. I said what I said Then the quote raising a generation of patriots, not activists. But if you really think about it, weren't patriots activists? When you think about it, wasn't this country in a way built on activism, of people standing up, people saying what they don't like, creating change, moving forward, all of these things. It's a hypocrisy for me, but America has a way right now of listening to people that are not professionals and keeping everyone dumb.
Speaker 1:So I'm trying to figure out who's moving to Oklahoma to teach, please. So I'm trying to figure out who's moving to oklahoma to teach, please. If you're moving to oklahoma to teach intentionally, please message me, because I want to know what is it? Unless you're from there, please tell me why you're moving there. I really want to know. And the fact that they said let me find it again um, um, skim, skim, skim, skim, sk, skim, skim, skim, skim, skim, yes, in places like California and New York. So Oklahoma? You just let me know that California and New York live rent free in your brain, because you had to mention them In your statement. So that says a lot. So I don't know why they live in rent free in your head, but they definitely are. And I can tell you one thing that I know I would not be doing I would not be going to Oklahoma. So the people that listen to Oklahoma Get out, run fast, because y'all are just getting more and more indoctrinated with foolishness, and I hope that you have a beacon of light to get up out of there. So please leave as soon as you can and on that note, we'll be right back.
Speaker 1:I love sharing information with educators and program administrators. I have had so many successes, but also so many failures in my education tenure. I want leaders to know what not to do, but better than that, what to do, so I decided to write a helpful guide Best Practices for Center Program and Activity Directors. It's short and to the point. It's a compass to guide education leaders. These best practices will give you a foundation to lead your school program or organization. You can find best practices for center program and activity directors by Jared Huff on Amazon or Amazon Kindle.
Speaker 1:Okay, we are back. Today. I'm going to give you a best practice and help you walk through the process of when you have to fire someone. The best advice that I can give anyone who has to let someone go is to never or very rarely, but never fire someone on the spot. Do not do it. Fire someone on the spot. Do not do it If a situation happens in your program, in your school, whatever I get it, sometimes you want to make an example out of somebody, and sometimes it's your ego, a little bit like oh, you're not about to get one up on me, but no, no, no, no.
Speaker 1:What you want to do is send that person home and say I will follow up with you, go home, follow up with you. Do not fire them on the spot. The reason why is because you cannot control what could possibly happen. It's too many wild factors out there. Example let's say somebody does something and you walk in. You're like you know what. We can't do this. You got to go Today. This is your last moment. You got to go. You're fired. You don't know what that person's going to do. You don't know if that person is about to cuss you out. You don't know if that person wants to get violent with you. You don't know who's watching, including children, families, other staff members. It could be in a situation where they could start throwing something Jerry Springer style. You don't know what's about to happen. There's too many wild cards out there for you to be aware of the situation. This is what you're going to do.
Speaker 1:You get everything ready to fire them, meaning any documentation. So if you live in an area, a state or whatever where you need to have all that stuff written out to turn into unemployment or whoever it may be, or your company policy, whatever it may be. You have that final termination, that final write-up, completed and ready to go, with your signature already signed on it. Don't sign it when they're there. You've already signed everything and all it needs is their signature if you need it to be a signature on there. You want to get all of their belongings ready to go. So if they have belongings in their classroom, pack all that shit up and put that shit in a damn Walmart bag.
Speaker 1:At this point, if I don't like you and you got to go, you get in a Walmart bag. So I'm put everything in a Walmart bag, unless you know really nice and fancy and you want to be nice and you know put it in a Amazon box or something. But they get Walmart from me. So I'm putting all of their belongings their color pencils, their crayons, that nasty ass sweater that you've been wearing all year, that you haven't taken home to wash, so I know it smells all of those things. I get ready for them to go when they get there.
Speaker 1:Oh, and also, if you live in an area where you want to give them their final check, or however. It may be too, but what I do is I'll say, hey, I need you to be here tomorrow at 10 am so we can review what happens as soon as they come in. Oh and, by the way, my firings are about a good three minutes long Walk in good morning. I want to review. I noticed I didn't ask them. Ask them, hey, how are you today? Because I really don't care. They come in good morning. I wanted to review the incidents of yesterday or whatever day it was. I want to review the incidents of yesterday. Quick 40 second recap of what happened, and because of that, we're going to let this be your last moment with us. I don't say last day, I say last moment, because someone could turn around and say, well, you said the day, so I get to work today. Nah, this is your last moment with us. Here is your final write-up, is everything that we just talked about is discussed right here, and here is your signature and I can get a copy for you really quick. Um, here are all your belongings and everything is ready for you and whether it's paper check here too as well, and we bid you farewell. That simple. And then you get up and you walk them out. You walk them out.
Speaker 1:I've watched people let people just have free reign and they wandering around the building and they speaking to so-and-so no, no, no, no, no, no. And if they say, oh, all my stuff isn't here, I follow them to their room with them to make sure that they're getting their stuff. So now, still in my but they're also getting their stuff and I can listen to the conversations and I can intervene as necessary. Like one time I had a teacher walk in and didn't speak to the children and it was. It was really nasty and the kids were like, hi, miss, so-and-so and hi, and I was like, hey, friends. I just kind of jumped in hey, friends, how you guys doing guys? Well, you know what? Ms So-and-so is busy right now. And I jump in. I'm like, girl, get your stuff and get on out of here, because now they're trying to talk to you and you're just ignoring them. Or you can have that teacher that wants to be well, you know, mr Jerick is firing these conversations and get you out of here, because you have sometimes you have those people that just talk to everyone on their way out and wants to tell their version of the story. None of that is important. You are no longer hired here, you are no longer employed here, you are unemployed for this organization. Get your shit and get out. And then I ushered them right on out the door. I told you I keep it short and simple Something that happened to me one time when I was first as a as when I was a first first time director um, it's kind of funny, but it's not because I felt bad for firing this person.
Speaker 1:We were actually downsizing positions and she was one of them and I called her in to my office and my supervisor at the time was on the phone and it was probably like a 40 minute firing. Now I look at it, it really was time consuming and one of the things that I did at the end, first of all, I apologized like I'm so sorry, don't apologize. Just it is what it is. But what I did at the end I said, well, I'm sorry and well, how are you feeling? And she said something and went on about their way. So my supervisor at the end said um, that was pretty good, a little bit, a little bit lengthy, but don't ever ask somebody how they feel when you fire them, they don don't feel good, obviously. So why would you ask that? Because I felt bad, because sometimes I do feel bad, especially when there's something that wasn't their fault. But I was like I felt bad so I didn't know what to say. So I asked her how she was doing. She was like she ain't doing good. I was like, well, yeah, you kind of got a point there and and I realize when I make it quick, fast and short, to the point, it saves the awkwardness, like there's no awkward, it's I say what I say and I'm out and I'm keeping it pushed. I got other things to do. I like three minute terminations and that is the best practice that I can give to you.
Speaker 1:So don't fire somebody on the spot. Send them home, get they shit ready. When they come in review, it have them sign Give ready. When they come in review, it have them sign, give them their walmart bag and escort them out the building. That is the best way to let someone go. And, on that note, if you know someone that needs to know how to fire somebody, send them this video. This is how you do it. You don't make a scene. You don't go back and forth with somebody arguing because you can't tell who's the employee at this point, because both of y'all look like fools sitting here arguing in front of children and families coming in. No one's going to forget that one. And then you've lost all your power. Do not be that person. Send this to someone that needs to know how to let someone go and we'll be right back. If you're trying to tour and enroll new families or create a foundation for a high-quality program, or just be a better leader, the Best Practice Series books by Jarek Huff found on Amazon can help you and your program. Okay. So here is today's Reddit post.
Speaker 1:After years of working in child care and nearly a year studying early childhood education, I am seriously considering a career change. The place I work at made me realize that, without support, caring for other people's children really sucks. Generally, there is no support in this field. I feel drained every day I have to handle everything in my room 14 kids ages two to four, in-app co-teachers who won't do anything unless I tell them what to do, in-app directors and much more. I believe this won't change. The child care environment is simply like that. I also realized that lacking a strong excuse, I also realize that lacking a strong co-worker support system makes it even worse. In other places and states I've worked. It wasn't as bad because of my co-teacher. She was amazing and the job never felt as overwhelming as it does now. I feel like I can't take this environment anymore. I'm starting to get irritated by everything a child does. I feel like I don't like them anymore and it's so sad because I know it's not their fault. I keep seeing customer service jobs that pay a lot more and I've started to think maybe this career is just wrong. For fuck's sakes. I've even thought about quitting and never coming back. Okay, so let's break it down.
Speaker 1:Dear Reddit user, why does your classroom have 14 children ages two to four? Who put two-year-olds and four-year-olds in the same classroom? I would be irritated too. They are developmentally in different places. So you have 14 children between the ages of two to three, and if anyone that knows me knows I do not like two-year-olds because they are evil. I will go in an infant room, I will go in a toddler's room, I will skip that whole two-year-old age group and three-year-olds and catch me again at four. Something about them two to threes. They just, they just mean, they, they just mean. But you have two and four-year-olds in the classroom, so that's already problematic.
Speaker 1:Then you're like oh, I have inept teachers and inept deck directors and much more. I believe this won't change. No, that just sounds like where you work at sucks. And the fact that you said I can't take this environment anymore, you want to quit. Because you said the place you're quitting the whole field because the place that you work at sucks. Because you go on to say later on that you had a great support system at another job and the teacher was amazing. So this one place have just made you say just F it all together. That lets me know that you're not here for the real cause. So bye girl, you can go. We don't need you going about your way, need you going about your way? You don't need to exist with us anymore.
Speaker 1:If one place did all that to you when, especially when, you've had the experience of being somewhere else that was supportive, then that should let you know that the place that you're working at is not giving you what you need and you need to go find somewhere else. So instead of sitting here complaining and griping about it, go find somewhere else. To be happy, girl is your life. If you don't like it, go on somewhere. But don't like it, go on somewhere. But don't be sitting up here complaining to us about how you, in a room with 14 kids that are two to four which still does, never it's going to make sense to me and then you don't like your in-up teacher and your in-up director. Well, maybe that's just not the place for you.
Speaker 1:Sometimes you can be too bright for an area, and that's true. You can be too bright for a school, for a center. Wherever you work, you, it is a thing, it's happened to me. I've been too smart for some places, it's a thing, and maybe you're just too smart to be there. You need to find a place that resonates on your caliber for you, and sometimes you can be too dumb for an area too. That happens too. But from what this sounds like, like from your perspective, it just may not be it's giving off real daycare tease, and you know the ones that know me know I hate the word daycare because it's not like you just caring for the day, like there's no education happening. This sounds more like you want a caliber of, a caliber of professionalism and education that you're not getting. Then go find that place and then you keep saying I keep seeing customer service jobs that pay a lot more.
Speaker 1:Girl, this is customer service, and if you haven't realized that what we do is customer service, go on about your way again as well. What we do every day, any thing that works with people, is a level of customer service. Now, there are places where you work with people and you get the worst customer service because it's not a top priority for them. But for us, in this field, it is because we are working with human beings. We are working with people that have to understand developmentally appropriate practices. We are working with people that don't always understand some of the best practices to raising children and working with children. So we have to have a high level, a top tier of customer service.
Speaker 1:So, girl, if this isn't the customer service for you, then go on about your way. You can go on down to the Target. You can go on down to the Big Lots your way. You can go on down to the target. You can go on down to the big lots. Oh, wait a minute, they not, they don't exist anymore. You can go on down to the, the pet smart, wherever you want to go, go, don't sit here and try to tell me, because someone did that to me once before.
Speaker 1:I had a teacher tell me well, for what I'm making here, I can go to target and I can get paid the same thing. And I looked at her and both of her eyeballs and I said to her well, you can go on down to Target and I can get paid the same thing. And I looked at her in both of her eyeballs and I said to her well, you can go on down to Target and hit that little machine up to the left when you walked in and apply, you do what you got to do. And I think she got pissed at me and that's a story for another day when she tried to call my bluff. But if it's not for you, it's not for you.
Speaker 1:But don't make yourself do it, because if you start doing something that you don't want to do, yes, you are going to start hating those children, and then the children going to start feeling it and they're going to start giving you the flux and then they're going to start doing all kind of things to piss you off, and then everybody's pissed in a situation and then now we're at a license situation. So, girl, you got two opportunities leave the field and go do what you got to do, and or go find another job somewhere else in the field. I don't know. I just don't want to hear about the complaining. I don't want to hear about solutions. Figure out what you got to do, girl.
Speaker 1:But that's all for today's episode. Thanks for listening, supporting and sharing my thoughts and I will talk to you all soon. That's it for today. If you like this episode, it would mean so much to me if you left a rating review and subscribe to the show. I'd love to hear from you. You can visit my website, which is in the show notes, to contact me, and I hope you have a great rest of your week and speak to you all soon.
