Nanci Bell's (CEO) office is in the neighboring building, yet in 3 years, she set foot in the Learning Center only once. She did not say hello or ask for my name, but rather brusquely asked if another employee was in the office. Aside from that, I only saw her in company-wide leadership meetings on Zoom. Despite having ample opportunity to observe firsthand the various joys and challenges learning centers faced, as well as talk to the people on the ground, she remained aloof.
Her demeanor set the tone for all leadership. The further one advanced in the company, the further they became from the people and problems they were managing. This led to a spiral of contradictory messages, creating perpetual confusion and frustration among all staff, particularly Clinicians. In addition, roles and expectations shifted constantly. Just when we had adjusted to one major change, another (often conflicting) change was thrust upon us. It was impossible to maintain integrity.
What made this pattern particularly insidious was the fact that Nanci and her closest team members (husband, daughter, etc.) refused to acknowledge it. Instead, they’d find and often announce (in the aforementioned company-wide Zoom meetings) a scapegoat. Scapegoats were inevitably those who received the least support/voice while doing the most difficult work, i.e., Clinicians, Consultants, Associate Center Directors and Center Directors. Upper management preferred to speculate about or publicly humiliate those in inferior roles rather than have an honest conversation.
In addition:
- Schedule leaves no room for error/humanity (e.g., as a Clinician, you get 5 minutes between students. If you are one minute late to pick up your student from the lobby it is a problem, even if you were late because your previous student made a mess and refused to clean it up or you needed to use the restroom). Clinicians are expected to drill the student with questions and activities every moment of the 45-55 minute sessions. If there is a brief moment of conversation/fun that does not have to do with instruction, it is rebuked as a “wasted frame.”
- Unclear guidelines on acceptable behavior. Conduct policies are vague and feedback from management and Instruction Support is conflicting. Feedback on how to manage behavior is given from those who have either met the student once for 30 minutes (whilst the child is on their best behavior) or never met them. Any and all conduct is almost always attributed to those who are forced to endure it (Clinicians, Consultants, ACDs) falling short in some way.
- Nepotism and favoritism run rampant.
