Whitko Accused of Ignoring Issues, Investigates Allegations Involving Alternative Services Director

LARWILL-Whitko’s administration has received new scrutiny lately, due in part to a small Facebook group, “Whitko Community Discussions 2.0.” This private group formed in early December as a way for parents and community members to practice free speech, as some members had complained that the “Whitko Community Discussions” group (of 1.2k members) removed comments and/or did not approve posts. With the new ability to freely discuss issues, the leadership of Little Cats came under fire almost immediately. While the small victory of “investigation into the issue” was earned, some are waiting for resolution before celebrating. Either way, hopes are high that things are moving towards change in the right direction.

On January 13, some anonymous posters accused the school board of ignoring parent complaints about the director, Jamie Paino, and another claimed that the director had been receiving complaints and ignoring parents’ concerns for some time. The same person also claimed Paino was not reporting instances to parents that she should have been and running the facility while understaffed.

On January 15, the school board held an Executive Session to “discuss personnel matters,” though the regular school board meeting was rescheduled due to winter weather. Despite several attempts to contact the members of the school board and Teresa Carrano (Superintendent Tim Pivarnik’s Secretary), who also belong to the discussion group, no response to the complaints was given, and no update on whether or not the executive session had still been held was answered either.

On January 16, another anonymous former worker claimed their boss had made them take a group of kids to a classroom alone (something illegal due to her age and the adult:child ratio), but when she expressed discomfort with the instructions was told to handle it and figure it out.

The next day, a former Little Cats teacher who worked at the facility in its opening years shared her story, saying that the overwork without compensation and lack of support forced her to leave. She closed her post with, “Overall, I want it to be understood that not just the director of Little Cats should be but to blame and investigated but her employer as well, as they also stuck their nose in the air and ignored all these issues at hand. I am confident making this statement as because myself and several other workers went to those above our boss and gave our concerns, little to no reaction to more times than I would like to count on my fingers and toes. This problem Little Cats faced involved innocent children, paying parents, hard working employees, and higher ups with a taste for greed and 0 compassion.” 

Also on the 17, a former student volunteer who had been working for a class through the Educations Professions accused the director of making her lose her love for working with children due to all the “dirty work” she felt she was unfairly forced to take on, the understaffing issues, and the frustration at having her expressed concerns ignored.

Not all the discussions involving Little Cats were negative, however. Great amounts of support for Christina Nieto were echoed from several parents and community members, including the former student, who said Nieto had been a mentor to her and that “[working with Nieto] was the best part of being there.”

On January 22, Paino was reportedly walked out of the building, and at the January 29 School Board Meeting, Superintendent Tim Pivarnik addressed the public about the situation, assuring those present that, “We take that early learning center very seriously. We take the safety and the well-being of our kids and our children in there very seriously,” and that fortunately while these issues are looked into, the dedicated staff will be able to step up, with Sieara Arnett accepting the position of Interim Assistant Director of Little Cats, as “She’s been running the place for a couple years now as the right-hand person to Ms. Paino.” Pivarnik said he’s already noticed a difference and spoke confidently of her ability.

Immediately after, a Whitko parent’s lawyer read the school’s grievance policy aloud and in full from the school’s handbook (that video here--skip to 52:32). As nothing further was said, many speculate her presence has something to do with the executive session and/or problems with the school’s grievance policy, which requires processing through the school’s Civil Rights Coordinator, Tim Pivarnik. If a person wants to appeal the decision of Pivarnik at that point, they can appeal to the superintendent--also Tim Pivarnik. After that, going to the school board would occur…the school board that hired Tim Pivarnik.

Understandably, some in the public are frustrated at this setup. For those who have complained of problems with the superintendent, the process may feel like a redundant waste of time. In a school board meeting last year, School Board Member Lynn Studebaker complained that her review of the superintendent had been thrown out, which was not according to policy (that video here). Last month, Studebaker complained that a grievance letter addressed to the school board members had been withheld from her. While Pivarnik and School Board Member Annette Arnold admitted that Studebaker had not seen the letter, they also denied her ability to read it until a later date (that story here). Some community members question whether everyone involved in Whitko’s leadership are truly acting with honesty and integrity and have speculated that some may be too intimidated or unaware to speak up. A recent unofficial Facebook poll asked simply if anyone in the Whitko Community Discussions 2.0 group had experienced unresolved complaints involving the superintendent, and of those who responded, 100% chose either “Yes” or “Felt Bullied and/or Intimidated by His Demeanor.” Some have also complained of an uptick in staff and teachers leaving over the last two years, which they've been quick to point out is often a symptom of an administration issue. Perhaps there is more to investigate than a single administrator at Little Cats.

Investigating issues is a start. Let’s hope our leaders start resolving issues next.

Photo byMelany Love