The Perfect Solution-A Suspense of Choices Read Online Free PDF Page B

terrible might happen.
    "Excuse me," Stephanie placed her hand on the shoulder of a parent that was about to leave the room. "Would you take a note to the office for me? I can't leave the children."
    "Sure, that's not a problem. Don't they have an intercom in this room? All you have to do is push the button and call up front."
    "I know, but Mrs. Julioux turned it off this morning."
    "Didn't want to come down and give you any help, huh? That's how she is. That’s what all of the teachers complain about. It’s the same thing every day. She would rather sit in the office and pretend that she's important. I'm Ms. Jada by the way, Becky's mother." She jostled the toddler in her arms and Stephanie realized that the child happened to be the toddler that had been screaming bloody murder earlier. “Yes, I'll bring the note to her," Jada agreed. She looked around the room and smiled. "The children are a little rowdier, than usual. They are probably acting like this because you're new. Will you be taking the other teacher's place? I hope you can handle them better than she did. She mostly let them go for what they knew. Pretty much like today. It is starting to affect the behavior of my daughter at home. At least at home I can tap her on her butt and she'll check herself. You're not allowed to do that here are you."
    "Uhm no." Francine tried concentrating on what she was writing in her note while giving some attention to the woman's conversation. "I believe the teacher is out sick and the aide that is usually in here didn't come."
    "What aide? Don't make me laugh. I have never seen one in here. My child has been in this room since the day she made 18 months. She is going on three now and twice that many teachers have been in this room.
    The teachers in this center change often. I’ve never known who would be in this room when I arrived. Some of the teachers are nice and a few I wouldn't let train my dog. Most of the time, I just walk in, get my kid, and walk out. Something most of the parents have gotten into the habit of doing. The last teacher liked to talk though. She would always be over there," She pointed with a jerk of her thumb towards the low window seat."Talking on her cell phone or badgering whatever parent she had trapped. No one would be watching the children." She looked around the room. This room is just a mad house. But this is the way it is almost every day, no organization, and no adult supervision. My child comes here because it is convenient. Yep, this is about how I always find it." She pointed her hand towards the chaos.
    "Why is that?” Stephanie shook her head in confusion. “
    There are far too many children in this room for one person to be in charge of. This many 18 month olds through three-year-old children shouldn’t be mixed like this all day. I had over twenty-two children in here today, by myself. Have you ever heard of child/staff ratio? Did you get a hand book when you enrolled your child here?"
    "I got something, but I have no idea what it said. This is my first time dealing with child care centers and the director gave me the impression that it was not important, so I just tossed it."
    "It was important. That handbook is supposed to tell you some of the state's rules concerning the operations of child care centers. You should check into things around here. If the staff-turnover is like you say, something is definitely wrong. This is only the second center I’ve worked in and it measures to nothing I know. Here, give this note to Mrs. Julioux, please." She handed the piece of paper to the parent. "Ask her to make that call as soon as possible. I would hate to have that child's mother worried about him. I had better get back to work, now. Thank you so much"
    "All right, see you tomorrow."
    "I doubt it. Something terrible is going to happen in this place and I want no parts of it. I can see why the teachers keep leaving. They couldn’t pay me enough to come back here." Stephanie turned to face