Kildeer Montessori School teacher under fire for previous incident, fired for slapping student – NBC Chicago

A teacher at a Montessori daycare center 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 it was not the first worrying incident in recent weeks.

The daycare center is responsible 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 has been with us for a few months lost her temper at a moment when she was setting boundaries and hit one of the children,” said the statement from Guidepost, a Montessori chain with schools in many states.

“We immediately: (1) released her, (2) called the child’s parents, and (3) notified the Department of Children and Family Services. “The individual showed great remorse and knew immediately that he was wrong, but also knew that he could not escape from it,” the statement said.

Officials with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said an investigation has been initiated and is currently ongoing. The agency is also investigating a separate incident that occurred at the same school last month.

“I’m not surprised it happened again at this facility, 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 bruises on 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 violent incidents within three weeks are a coincidence,” Ostertag said. “I think a lot of parents have expressed a very concerning trend line. I think a lot of these people are not qualified to be teachers.”

Ostertag immediately pulled his son out of school after the incident.

NBC Chicago spoke with other current and former parents at two Guidepost Montessori schools who expressed similar concerns about low staffing, high turnover and poorly trained teachers. The parents asked to remain anonymous, but some said they were working to find a new daycare in the area.

Guidepost said in its statement that they recently completed a review of the toddler program. Montessori daycare centers are known for special training in the Montessori method.

“We encourage anyone interested in our school to come along, watch in our classrooms and meet our team. It is an exceptional Montessori school that offers world-class early childhood education. It has been a difficult few months, but with the new leadership and the thorough review we have completed, 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 allegation that a teacher hit a student. No charges were filed.