"We went over your concerns and investigated and found the complaints valid"

[BusynMember]

I was doing better until the biotch from Human Resources told me that. Now I feel like just giving up again. How stupid. They wouldn't tell me what the investigation entailed or what I'm guilty of and wouldn't give me any answers. They won't fire me either because they don't pay unemployment. I'm a sub. A sub they will never call.

The only little tingle of satisfaction I got was when I said I had contacted many people and that Head Start will be hearing from them. In fact, I did. They are funded by the Feds (with our taxes) therefore if they get a bad reputation, they can be shut down. They are paranoid about this. I think I contacted every legislator in our state, looking for ways to fight back and at least find out what their issue is. I've learned they do this to a lot of employees. Maybe, if I raise a stink and put people in their path who really matter, they'll stop doing it to others. They are a horrible, horrible place. I hope most Head Starts are not as horrible as this one is. If they are, these kids aren't really doing much other than getting their pictures taken for t he Feds (they have to look happy and diverse) and getting beaten up by the special needs kids in class who are not allowed, at least in our center, to be removed from the other children or to be in any way disciplined or even forced to say "I'm sorry." There is no discipline and I feel sorry for the teachers who have to follow this insane Conscious Discipline method of, what I call, non-discipline. And I'm going to speak my mind about this to the politicians. Head Start is a hot button, although I didn't know it. Many politicians don't like the program. Others want it to be truly a great place for kids. Maybe many Head Start Schools are great, but this one isn't. And it's no picnic to work there either. Oh, yeah. We don't have money so our buses are always breaking down. I always wonder w hat would happen if the brakes went out while we had a busload of kids. They are not 4X4 so I would worry when it was snowy/icy.

Funny thing is, I don't miss the job. I had to get up at 4am and I hated that part of it. Plus I only had two routes so I had most of the day free, but at 2:30 I had to halt and go catch my bus, which was kind of a pain. But it was money and companionship and kids. And being dumped from the job...I am still not myself. I wish we were closer to being able to do foster care. At least I'd feel useful.

Well, tomorrow is another day of phonecalls. I've always been big on justice, although it often eludes. But I will try until I burn this out of my system. j

If anyone is kind and wants to talk on the phone, I'd love to have people to vent to and to listen to as well. Send me a PM.

Anyhow...thanks for listening to the whining here.

 

[witzend]

I understand your anger, but Head Start is vital to the children and families who use it. Shutting them down would not be a good thing.

 

[BusynMember]

Work for one, then tell me that. Almost all of us are shocked at how inept they are. At least at this Head Start. I would never send my child there. It's not a safe place at all. Getting bite marks up and down your arm, getting deliberately poked in the eyes repeated by disturbed Johnny and getting a bloody nose because Susie kicked you in the face takes away from the learning aspect. When there is no discipline, there is no learning. The kids are constantly crying. Like I said, some Head Starts work, but this one in my opinion does not. I've worked in the classrooms (by the way, I'm not really certified to do so but they let me anyway). I was pretty shocked what I saw and heard. And, of course, the other kids pick it all up too. I see nothing wrong with useless ones being shut down and maybe somebody with brains will build another one that actually has a purpose and allows dangerous children to be in their own room. There are some pretty scary kids out there and they ruin it for the normal kids...and the teachers are forbidden from doing anything.

 

[HaoZi]

Maybe you could gather a coalition of the parents to petition the people with the pursestrings to make it a safer place?

 

[DaisyFace]

They won't fire me either because they don't pay unemployment.

Oh yes they will. If you file for unemployment and say 'They have no work for me'....the Unemployment Office will contact them to verify whether this is true. Head Start will be forced to answer that they a) terminated you with cause, b) did NOT terminate you, but have no work for you, or c) they DO have work for you.

I once worked for a Temporary Agency and we had to go through this quite a bit because most assignments were "termporary" and our people would file for unemployment when their assignments ended. We usually tried to find them more work...

 

[BusynMember]

I know somebody they did this to and she was denied unemployment because she was still employed as a sub although she hadn't been called back in four months. So I'll do what you said...I'd planned on it...but we'll have to see. I'm not expecting anything.

As for Head Start, after working there I'm not a big fan. If some parents want to lobby to make it better, so be it, but right now I've seen way too much and am not exactly feeling warm and fuzzy about this particular Head Start. If I had no money and that was my only choice for my child's education, considering that there really isn't much learning going on, and a lot of fighting, I'd choose homeschooling. If anyone bit my kid at school (do we know she doesn't have AIDS? I doubt they can force testing), that would have been my childs last day. People did threaten to pull their kid out of school because of certain other violent kids and were told, "Well...do what you have to do." No motivation on their part to make it better. I have some horrible examples of what certain kids did to other kids and THEY NEVER TELL THE PARENTS WHEN A CHILD IS HURT. We aren't allowed to unless it shows. Nutty to me. I am, however, bound to confidentiality so I am unable to give specific examples of stuff I've seen even if I don't use names.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Did the HR person tell you in person/by phone? or in writing?
In reality, they need to give you their response in writing. Otherwise, they have not responded at all.
Not that you can force them to... but unemployment may require them to document something.
Print that email you got, too. It's part of the "other side" of the story.

 

[BusynMember]

On the phone. It doesn't matter. In the US, you can be downgraded or fired for no reason at all. All the HR person has to do is write a note to herself and date it. I don't need to get anything in writing. Non-union workers, most of us, have no rights. They are too smart to give me anything in writing.

However, since Head Start is a Federal Program it's a little different. It's not a private company and it is a controversial program. Many conservative politicans are very against it and Head Start has to fight that all the time. Meanwhile, the more liberal politicians don't like it when companies treat employees like crapola. Getting politicians involved can make a difference. They will probably have to explain to both sides why they did what they did because the politician's underlings will check it out. HS doesn't like that.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I guess I take our basic employment standards for granted! Across the board - every employer has to follow basic rules, and there is a government agency that will investigate disputes - no lawyer required. It doesn't mean people don't get unjustly terminated from their jobs (there are loopholes if you know the system)... but it does mean that the company can't do that in ways that prevent the person from getting unemployment.

 

[Jody]

Definately fight for your unemployment. DF information is correct! Appeal even if you think it's not worth it, and that you don't have a chance sometimes this is exactly what they are banking on.

 

[DownTheRabbitHole]

Have you spoken with the DWD in your state yet? Most of the time these agencies work with employees to help them apply for and receive unemployment. I'm in another state but verification from employers are required to be responded to after an unemployment claim has been filed. Employers are required to verify wages, hours etc.

If you've been working long enough you are entitled to these benefits. I briefly looked on the site and there are specific laws that relate to schools non-profit etc. and as I have never worked with anything related to educational services so I don't know if there are any differences with this type of employment. It might just be to protect against teachers, school workers filing for unemployment during school breaks.

I would still believe, assuming you've worked there longer enough, you can apply for and should be entitled to receive unemployment benefits.

Good luck

 

[Hound dog]

Wouldn't your Head Start program still fall under the State Board of Education, just as any other school in the state does? (they are federally funded too) If you've not done so already, I'd call them up and have a chat with them, as this may be a more immediate fear of your Head Start Program than dealing with the fed level that takes longer to act. Our state board of education is so very helpful, so very on top of it when you contact them and they want you to let them know how it works out so they can back you up. They're the only ones who could get our SD to ask how high when I said Jump over Travis' IEP, gave me the correct laws to back me up and told me to contact them if there was no follow through so they could come and back ME up themselves. They never had to come back me up, I mentioned such and such info was given to me by the state board and they started hopping.

 

[BusynMember]

I didn't think of that, Hound Dog. Maybe. I don't think so. I'll give it a try. I'm calling unemployment today and will tell them they are forcing me to stay employed on paper, but aren't giving me any hours. See what they say. This is making me physically sick and emotionally sick too. It may be better if I just walked away, but then they'll keep doing this to other people. It's a pattern. And so many people NEED the job, even more than I do...

 

[DammitJanet]

I dont believe Head Start is funded through the dept of ed. Head Start is a Federally funded organization on its own. It is funded from a grant from the US Administration for Children and Families. In NC, the Head Start office is located with all the other early education, Pre-k and title 1 programs are located in Raleigh.

Here is the website for the national website: http://www.nhsa.org/

 

[BusynMember]

Thanks a lot, Janet That's what I was looking for. Head Start freaks at the Feds. I talked to a nice lady there and she encouraged me to write a long, detailed complaint, including everything to her office, the Federal Office of Head Start. They play no favorites. She told me that if I'm complaining most likely others have too. I put down everything I could think of and it was quite lengthy and Head Start will be investigated by the Feds. There is no "maybe" they will be. They will be. I have no idea of the outcome, but I do know that many of the things I put down there, that are verifiable, will be a problem for them. Whether I can resolve MY situation or not, I don't know. We're going to continue filing for unemployment to see what happens.

At the very end of the complaint, there was a question about how I would like this resolved. I said that I either wanted my job back without prejudice or to be let go. I added that if I am not considered fit to be a bus aide, then it makes no sense for me to be a sub, since that is doing the same job. I also told them that subs who get to be subs the way I did are never called in. In the body of the letter, as per instructions, I put down everyone who was fired during my three and a half years there and how many were made subs and never called in. It was nice to be told to make it long and detailed. I had a chance to let everything out. I tried to be careful with my wording.

I wish I felt better than I do about Head Start, since I did file a complaint, but it's very hard for me to bounce back from this. I have tried all my tricks and therapies, but I'm still dragging. I hope this goes away soon.

 

[1905]

If you are still employed as a sub but not working....you can still get unemployment!!!!!! Seriously, you must apply for it!! If you do work some weeks, well then unemployment will just pay you less - you will report to them how many days that week you worked and they will pay you the rest. You still get it! This way, it last longer and you will even get it during the summer when there is not any work. You'll make out better in the long run. They know this and will dissuede you from trying to collect it. Tell the unemployment office you are now a sub and have not worked since xxx, and you only be working sporadically, you will have absolutely NO PROBLEM getting it since that is the case. HUGS!

 

[BusynMember]

I thought it was a joke too, but, seriously, this thread is over two years old, I think.