A teacher at a Montessori daycare in Chicago’s northwest suburbs was fired this week after the school said she punched a child in the face during class.
Following the announcement, Guidepost Montessori School in Kildeer is facing criticism from parents who said this was not the first concerning incident in recent weeks.
The daycare cares for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years. In a statement to NBC Chicago, Guidepost Montessori said it immediately fired the teacher — known as a “guide” in the Montessori method — and alerted state authorities.
“A teacher who had been with us for a few months lost her temper while setting limits and slapped one of the children,” said the statement from Guidepost, a Montessori chain with schools in many states.
“We immediately: (1) terminated her employment, (2) called the child’s parents, and (3) notified the Department of Children and Family Services. The individual was very remorseful and immediately knew she was wrong, but she also knew this was something she could not come back from,” the statement said.
Officials with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said an investigation has been opened and is currently underway. The agency is also investigating a separate incident that occurred last month at the same school.
“I’m not surprised that this is happening again at this institution, but I find it very disturbing,” said parent Oliver Ostertag, who said his 3-year-old son came home with unexplained bruises.
The family spoke to NBC Chicago last month and said their son had bruising to his ear and face. Guidepost said the child was injured on a playground slide, but the family believes the boy was hit by an adult.
“I think it is extremely unlikely that two incidents of violence occurring in three weeks would be a coincidence,” Ostertag said. “I think many parents have expressed a very concerning trend. I think a lot of these staff are not qualified to be teachers.
Ostertag immediately withdrew her son from school after the incident.
NBC Chicago spoke with other current and former parents at two Guidepost Montessori schools who expressed similar concerns about understaffing, high turnover and poorly trained guides. The parents wished to remain anonymous, but some said they were working to find a new daycare in the neighborhood.
Guidepost said in its statement that it recently completed a review of the toddler program. Montessori daycare centers are recognized for specialized training in the Montessori method.
“We encourage anyone interested in our school to come visit, observe our classrooms and meet our team. It is an exceptional Montessori school providing quality early childhood education. We have had a difficult few months, but with new school leadership in place and the extensive review we have carried out, we know it is once again a place we can be proud of.
Kildeer police said they are investigating both incidents, including this week’s accusation that a teacher hit a student. No charges have been filed.
