UPDATE: CSD’s Bruce Roaden provides a bit more detail regarding the “actions by YMCA staff…involving supervision of students”, which was referenced in the Superintendent’s letter…

During summer camp in 2009 (operated by the YMCA’s Summer Camp Staff) a student was unaccounted for at the end of a field trip when the group returned to the ECLC. The child was located and Y staff and the parent were in communication. After this incident training and staff changes were made.

On a subsequent NAEYC visit there were some transportation forms the Y staff had not completed correctly.

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Many parents have been writing in since yesterday afternoon reporting that a letter from Superintendent Phyllis Edwards was sent home with College Heights students yesterday announcing that City Schools of Decatur will end its relationship with the YMCA, which runs the 0-3 year-old and summer programs at College Heights, at the end of the calendar year.

According to the letter, the reason for the separation is that “some actions by the YMCA staff (particularly involving supervision of students) has put the school’s National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) at risk.

The Superintendent goes on to reassure parents that College Heights is CSD’s highest priority and that they are “already working on plans to find another partner to operate these programs or make the determination that it is feasible for CSD to operate the 0-3 program.”

You can read the full letter after the jump (thanks to a transcribing by one parent) or see the actual letter in PDF HERE (thanks to another parent) .

I’m going to follow up with CSD to see if I can get a bit more info on what sort of issues with supervision led to the concerns by NAEYC.

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