Discussion - The director is the person legally responsible for the total program

Discussion Post

Hiring Issues: A Case Study. 1st Post Due by Day 3. The director is the person legally responsible for the total program and services and hence the overall program quality. A director's responsibilities include both a leadership and management component. Please read the following case and respond using the directions below:

Kristi was a new volunteer in the Jack and Jill Preschool Center. She observed the class for a few days and then was asked to help in the art and cooking centers. Seemingly all was going well, and the director was pleased with Kristi's rapport with the children. As a result, she hired Kristi as a permanent employee when a teacher in the 3-year-old room resigned. About a month after Kristi was hired, several experienced teachers complained to the director that Kristi was constantly criticizing them with comments such as "the paint should be thicker" or "children should never be allowed to . . ." Although the director spoke to Kristi about the situation, it did not improve. Within a few weeks two teachers threatened to resign because Kristi had told several parents that she did a better job than some of the other teachers. At this point, the director knew she would need to take quick action.

Address the following in your initial post:

• Summarize the role of the director at this point.
  • Explain how, as the director, you would handle the delicate nature of this topic.
  • How could the director rebuild a positive work climate from both a manager and leadership standpoint?
• Could the director have prevented this situation?
  • How could the program’s orientation have helped?
  • What alternatives does the director have in this situation?
• Suggest a statement that could be added to the administrator policy manual of this program to prevent this type of issue (or other related issue) from happening again.
• Support your post with the course textbook and at least one additional source.