skyler@violet.berkeley.edu (07/05/88)
From the April 6, 1988 _Christian Science Monitor_ (page 3) "...This is a Dade County public school, but each student has a parent working at the company next door, American Bankers Insurance Group. In the nation's first such arrangement, the company supplies the classrooms and the school district operates the school. It means that instead of tedious trips to schools and daycare centers before and after work, Manola and Cecilia Gutierrez commute straight to American Bankers together. Manola Gutierrez is director of cash management. Cecilia is in kindergarten. It means parents like Mrs. Gutierrez can meet the teacher several times a week instead of once a year at open house. Cecilia often visits her mother's office. Knowing she is just minutes from her child, Mrs. Gutierrez says, brings peace of mind. For the school district, it means relief from severe overcrowding in its regular classrooms. Administrators figure they save $219,000 for every new classroom they do not have to build themselves. The company is looking for more stability and productivity for its money. By offering day care for preschoolers since 1984, it has cut employee turnover drastically along with tardiness and absenteeism, and improved morale, says Philip Sharkey, senior vice-president for human resources. Kindergarten promises to extend those benefits-- for less trouble, because the public schools run it." The article goes on to talk about the various benefits to everybody and to mention that there are 11 other companies interested in this kind of program. When this group was discussing the option of working at home, someone mentioned that this didn't really solve the problem-- it would be extremely naive to think that working at home meant that you were paying any attention to children. This kind of program seems like a perfect solution, and it seems especially well-adapted to firms that are situated in research parks, like computer firms. -Trish