It is utterly incomprehensible that Smith College would decide to celebrate 100 years of childcare at Fort Hill by closing the center. And I think that the prominent role of the human resources director points to the flawed process that informed the decision.
Somehow, instead of viewing the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education as an educational institution, it has been framed merely as an employee benefit. As a result, HR was given an absurd amount of influence to close the center, destroy the childcare arrangements of about 90 families and fire longtime Smith employees. Smith College needs to reverse this decision, reaffirm its commitment to education from the earliest years and the wonderful center at Fort Hill.
Someone deserves to be fired, but it’s not the employees of Fort Hill.
Jennifer Innes
Northampton