This is our story:

When we started looking for preschools, we called several different ones and asked a lot of questions.  At the time, we
chose one that was close to our home and that we felt an immediate connection with.  Our child was excelling at this
preschool with teachers that obviously cared about her and they always made time to speak with us each morning
when we dropped her off and let us know how her day went and what she had done during the day when we picked her
up.  

However, mid-way through the year, we received a call from Val asking us to come to an open house at her school (it
was one of the places we had contacted when we originally started our preschool search.)  After attending the open
house and hearing about all of the wonderful extra activities and opportunities the children had, how happy the parents
were, and how bright and advanced the students were we chose to have our daughter tested for admittance.

When we arrived for the testing, after paying for the testing fees, Val and our daughter went upstairs for about ten
minutes while we remained in the classroom.  When they returned to the classroom, Val assured us that we had a very
intelligent child and that she would fit in well there.

From the first day we dropped our daughter off, Val acted as though she had no time to speak with us in the morning.  
Even when we picked her up after class, Val's attitude seemed to be that she was too busy to tell us how our
daughter's day went or what she was working on.  When we continued to press her for answers, she acted irritated we
were bothering her and she would tell us, in a patronizing way, that our daughter was "doing fine -- just fine.  No
problems."  A red flag went up immediately but we made excuses for Val thinking she must be very busy and had a lot
on her plate.  Being new, we expected Val's attitude to change once she got to know us and our child better.  It didn't.  

It seemed that Val could only make time for us when it came time to ask for tuition (which we always paid early.)  As
newbies, we had many questions about the extra activities and field trips -- when, where, etc...   When we would ask
about them, her answer was usually a very snippy, "Read the newsletter,"  rather than answering our questions.  
However, the newsletter normally did not contain the information that we were seeking and which she could have
answered very easily.  The field trips were often canceled, post-poned, or rescheduled without any prior notice even
though we paid extra money for the field trips ahead of time, in addition to the hefty activity fee which did not cover field
trips.  There were times when we picked our child up only to find out that she had been on a school trip and had been
transported without her car seat.  

We always volunteered to help out in class or on field trips.  However, Val went out of her way to tell us "don't worry
about it.  We've got it covered.  I'll let you know if I need anything from you."  Then, we received a note sent home to
the parents telling us she needed more volunteers for class activities or else the parents should consider taking their
children elsewhere.  Needless to say, we were confused.  The only time she told us she needed anything was once
when she told us she would like us to consider making an extra cash donation to the school because the activity fees
we paid "really don't cover the extra activities."    

There was a time when we needed to go out of town on business for a week.  At our previous preschool, if we notified
them ahead of time, they would give us a discount for the time we would be gone.  Not knowing if there was any such
policy at ECAP, we asked Val about it.  Her response was, "if a parent decides to suddenly up and go on vacation in
the middle of the school year, I can't be responsible for that, so there is no discount!"  We were shocked by her
response.  Not shocked that there was no discount, but shocked that her reply was given in a very hostile and belittling
manner as if we had some nerve to even ask her such a thing.  We did not ask her the question expecting the answer
to be yes that we would receive a discount, we asked the question simply because we did not know the answer and
either way we were happy to comply.  

When it came time for our child's birthday, we asked ahead of time if it would be OK to bring in cupcakes.  Val said it
would be fine.  We asked a couple different times.  On the day of her birthday, we brought in the cupcakes and asked if
we could come back during snack time to help pass them out.  Again, she told us "don't worry about it.  I've got it
covered."  However, when I arrived to pick my daughter up, Val was obviously perturbed.  She was scowling and glaring
at me when I came in and I could feel the tension.  I asked her how the cupcakes went over and she told me in a very
disgusted manner that cupcakes were not allowed at school unless they were put in a container to be sent home with
the kids at the end of the day because they caused a big mess.  She further told me I needed to inform my husband of
that (she had not mentioned that when we were asking about bringing the cupcakes in).  

Then came the Invention Convention.  A note was sent home saying that the Invention Convention was coming up and
Val needed to know what each child would be making by a certain date and if there was any questions to please
contact her.  Again, since this was our first year, we had no idea what Invention Convention was or what was expected.  
When we tried to ask Val to explain it to us so we could help our child, she told us to read the newsletter again rather
than talking with us.  We checked the newsletter, again, which had no further information about it.  When we returned
the next day, we asked her again and she replied, "I told you it's in the Newsletter."  We explained that there was not
information in the newsletter about it and she said, "Oh, yeah.  That's right, you weren't here when the instructional
letter went out.  I'll get you a copy of it."  After two long weeks and continuing to ask her if we could get a copy of the
letter, she finally gave us one that looked like it had been a draft letter with handwritten comments on it that had
nothing to with the Invention Convention.

Finally, Invention Convention came and our daughter was very excited about her creation which was to be on display at
Exploration Place.  A day or two before we were supposed to pick up her project, a fellow parent called to inform us that
our daughter's invention was no longer on display and she was afraid it may have been stolen.  Of course that was
upsetting because our child had worked long and hard on her creation and was very proud of it.  When we returned to
school the next day, Val never said anything about it to us so we asked her if she had heard about it.  Her response
was to totally ignore us and instead to lean down and speak to our daughter and to tell her it looked like her project
had been stolen.  We were hoping that maybe it had just been misplaced while moving the exhibit and that it was still
there somewhere and we asked Val if that was a possibility?  She "instructed" me to not worry about it and basically
told me to just drop it, forget about it, and not bring it up again.  Instead, I went to Exploration Place to pick up the
accompanying poster and to try to find answers to my questions.  The people at Exploration Place were absolutely
wonderful!  They were very apologetic (which we never blamed them but we had hoped they were wrong about it being
stolen), kind, and even allowed us to look around ourselves.  I could not have wished for a kinder response from
Exploration Place, but I wish Val had been as kind.  

Within the next week or two, there was a kite flying day at Riverfront Park which my husband and I participated in and
helped transport children for.  The event went fairly well until the end when it was discovered that a little girl was
"missing" and no one knew where she was.  It was absolutely terrifying!  Several parents ran to the pond dreading that
she would be found floating in the water but luckily she wasn't there.  After frantically searching, she was finally found (I
am still not sure where she was) and everyone returned to the school.

The end of the school year photography show, school party, and graduation were all coming up within the next week as
well as my daughter's Dream Kids activity.  However, there were 3 days left before tuition due again with only a few
days left of school after tuition was paid.  Since our tuition had been prorated when we started the school to pay for
only the days we were enrolled, we did not know if we owed a full month's tuition for the last few days or if it would be
prorated.  We had never been told one way or the other and we wanted to find out how much to make our check out
for.  So, three days before tuition was due, my husband asked Val how much we owed for the last few days of school.  
She became very upset and told him, "No one else has a problem paying the entire month's tuition!  You know, all of
the activities we go on, I often have to pay for out of my own pocket and that helps to reimburse me."  Unfortunately, my
husband had the nerve to ask her what the "activity fees" we paid in addition to tuition were for then.  Her response
was that we didn't have to pay anything at all then and she said just don't even worry about it.   My husband tried to
calm her down and said that was not it at all.  We were happy to pay whatever was owed but we weren't certain if the
end of the year was prorated like the beginning had been.  She told him she didn't have time to talk with him about it
right then so he left.

After he went outside, he saw another parent in the parking lot and stopped to make small talk.  Right then the
assistant teacher drove by and waved to them then went inside.  Shortly thereafter, Val came outside to the parking lot
and told the other parent she needed to speak to her inside.  

When my husband returned to pick my daughter up he told Val that he was not upset with her at all, that he had the
check for the full tuition with him, and that he had not intended to offend her by asking about the tuition but he was
merely trying to clarify how much we owed.  Val told him there was a problem she needed to speak with him about and
to grab my daughter and to get upstairs.  When they got upstairs Val demanded to know what he had been talking
about with the other parent in the parking lot that morning about.  When he told her they had been talking about golf,
she handed him a stack of papers and told him, "Someone is undermining me and I will get to the bottom of it!  Here is
your paperwork.  I'll mail you everything else.  You are no longer welcome here.  It is best that you don't come back!"    
He was in a state of shock!  He asked why and if they couldn't sit down and work out whatever the problem was.  She
told him there was no discussion and said she would mail us the things from our child's desk and she turned around
and walked off saying she was done.

When I heard what had happened, I called Val to beg her to reconsider, after all, we had already paid for the next three
days of school prior to tuition being due, the photography exhibit was that night, my daughter was really looking forward
to the end of school party scheduled for the next week, she had been practicing her little heart out for the end of year
program, and she was supposed to have her Kids Dreams activity in the next day or two.  Val told me she was too busy
to talk with me at that time but that school was over at 3:00 p.m. if I wanted to talk with her.  So, at the end of the school
day, I went to see Val.  She told me that she didn't appreciate being undermined and negativity and that if I didn't leave
she would call the police.  I maintained my composure and forced myself to remain calm and pleaded with her to
reconsider.  She told me if I wanted to know what had happened to talk with my husband and the other parent about
what happened in the parking lot that morning and I needed to leave.  I told her I would leave but I wanted a copy of my
daughter's admission testing, her school picture and banner which we had  paid for, a refund for the unused portion of
tuition already paid, and a refund for a trip to Exploration Place that we had paid.  She told me she would send me all of
those things in the mail and to leave, which I did.  I was absolutely baffled by what had just transpired and stunned
doesn't begin to explain my feelings.  

When I returned home, I asked my husband what could give Val the impression that he was "undermining" or talking
negatively about her?  When I told him what Val had said he was in disbelief.  He could not imagine what she was
talking about.  

We found out later that the other parent my husband had been talking to in the parking lot was dismissed right after we
were in a similar fashion.

A few days later, I heard from another parent still at the school that the remaining children had been told by Val that we
had been dismissed because we were "bad people."

I waited several weeks and never received any of the things I had requested be returned to us so I wrote a letter to the
Better Business Bureau.  Val's response was to send us the school picture along with one of testing results and a letter
stating that our daughter had tested as "average" but nothing else.  When the BBB asked if the problem had been
resolved I told them that no, it had not.  We still had not received the unused tuition, the school pendant, or Exploration
Place fees we had paid for.  A few weeks later, I received the money we had paid for Exploration Place and the pendant
and was again asked by the BBB if our issues had been resolved.  Again, I said no because we had still not received a
refund of the unused tuition.  Sadly, the BBB decided to close the case at that point rather than take it any further.  

Val lied to the BBB that our tuition had never been prorated when we started but when we provided a copy of our
tuition agreement clearly showing that it had been prorated she never addressed the issue again.  Below is her
response to the BBB about tuition:

"It is unfortunate that the ... family misunderstood the tuition contract that they signed. ECAP Academy offers two ways
to pay the annual tuition fee. Parents may pay for the entire year upfront or they are allowed to break up the annual
tuition fee into 10 monthly payments during which school is in session. There is no prorating because it is a payment
plan. Neither Mrs. ... nor her husband were ever told by myself or anyone representing ECAP Academy that her tuition
would be prorated in any way. Furthermore, the ECAP Academy tuition contract does not state that tuition can be
prorated for any reason (which would include dismissal of a student)."

The fact is, we started halfway through the school year and were prorated to pay for the days my child would actually
be attending so it was logical for us to ask if the end of the school year would be the same.

She also lied to the BBB about telling the remaining students that we were "bad people" and tried to blame it on the
parents.  Her BBB response was:
"No statement was ever addressed to the 3, 4 and 5 year old children regarding the dismissal of parents. What parents
from the Academy may have discussed with their children is information to which we are not privy. The very fact that
the children are 3-5 years of age may easily explain how any discussion with reference to any topic could be easily
misinterpreted from a child's view point."

Further, Val wrote to the BBB:
"I think it is also important to note that there have been only two families that were ever dismissed, and once again I
stand firmly behind my decision to do so and wish them the very best."


To this day, I am still dismayed that Val acted in such an unprofessional manner.  However, looking back, it was really a
blessing in disguise.  My daughter did not learn much at the school other than how to copy what was put in front of her.
 Also, there were behavioral problems at the school and a lack of discipline and manners.  Since being away from Val,
my child has flourished and is doing exceedingly well.
Parent Story #2 - Submitted 6/17/09
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