Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/taking-over-a-broken-program/5018224/
“The program has been a bit neglected for a while.”“Without a director or someone in charge it just hasn’t been the same.”
With these words, you receive some vague warnings that something is amiss, but until you walk in the door, you never really know what you are getting into.
This was my experience in April 2005 when I accepted a new director position. There was an Acting Director in place when I arrived; I took this to mean that I would have some time to adjust to the program, get to know my staff, the families, and the community. Was I wrong! What ‘Acting Director’ meant in reality was that someone had been inhabiting the building, doing her other job, and counting the days until the new director would arrive so she could get out of there! Unresolved problems were mounting and families were growing angrier by the day with staffing, biting, and other issues. Where was I to start?
What follows is a bit of what I learned through this process. I hope it can help others.
Observation is key
On my second day a parent approached me with a question regarding staff:child ratios in her son’s toddler ...