Chuck Chapman's speech to the STRS Board, August 17, 2006: It is past time to address the childcare center problem

August 17, 2006

I am Chuck Chapman, life member of OEA and ORTA, with thirty-two years of teaching service. I am Legislative Chair for Medina County RTA.

The Board-approved plan for making the childcare center cost neutral by the 2007-2008 fiscal year was approved at the March 17, 2005 meeting.

Educators have been accused of not being good business managers for a long time. It seems to me that if I was operating a business that was losing large amounts of money, I would do something about it to correct the situation promptly. Of course, using someone else's money makes a difference.

Retirees have no argument about the positive effects of a childcare center on the work site. There is no question the benefits for employees are great. A parent feels very comfortable when their child is being cared for in the same building where they are working.

There are thousands of childcare centers around the country. They are being operated as a business and for a profit. They are good models to copy.

Why can't we follow their practices and operate our facility at a profit? We should not be trying to be cost neutral. If we feel it is so important that, as Mr. Slater reports, it saves us $370,000 for staff training and recruiting, then why do we not make it a profit-making business?

We have been promised for over two years that the center would be cost neutral. I urge the Board to encourage Mr. Slater and Dr. Asbury to correct this situation now and not in 2007 or 2008. It is past time to correct this costly problem.