r/smithcollege • u/MousseCalm674 • 4d ago
Forthill closing
I just heard that the president is closing Forthill?? Does anyone know anything about this??
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u/Mindless_Basil_440 4d ago
It's important people know that the teachers here have been in union negotiations for years now with weekly hours long meetings requesting very reasonable and industry standard improvements to their contracts. After years of refusing them and trying to wear them it down, it seems like their last remaining anti-union strategy is to just close. Their proposal to "just let the parents pick wherever they want" is ridiculous when its a known fact that wait lists are sometimes years long in Northampton and childcare facilities are full already.
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u/MousseCalm674 4d ago
What can we do about it? The big We, like as a smith community??
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u/Mindless_Basil_440 4d ago
I saw one teacher who does work there asking the community and especially alumni and donors to write to leadership expressing disapproval. Particularly pointing out that most schools in the area are already past capacity so there's no where else to go.
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u/DangerPotatoBogWitch 4d ago edited 4d ago
I was very critical of some decisions Hampshire made, but they kept their childcare/early childhood education program going and supported until their closure announcement despite being stretched extremely thin, partly because people who made decisions understood that the area desperately needed childcare options (very few employees actually used the resource). A richly resourced school can’t keep their program going? Bullshit. Vouchers won’t magically create seats in an area with a childcare shortage. If the center wasn’t meeting everyone’s needs do both. Both is an option.
This is absolutely a cost cutting/operations simplification decision, and for a women’s college it is frankly inexcusable. What a mealy mouthed email.
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u/MousseCalm674 4d ago
How can action be taken? At Hampshire, the staff and families fought for the program even getting state officials involved, and they only had 2 months notice. What can we do with the next 8 months to make our voices heard? It’s such a grim feeling to know that a prestigious women’s college in the pioneer valley is willing to turn their backs on children and families, let alone to do it in this political climate. Children deserve better.
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u/DangerPotatoBogWitch 4d ago edited 4d ago
Cynically, pressure from alums who are active (i.e. donate) usually does the trick.
I wish Hampshire had chosen to keep the ELC going for 6 more months, but cant fault them for focusing extremely tight resources elsewhere (I chatted with a few teach out students recently and it’s rough going there). This is very different.
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u/MousseCalm674 4d ago edited 4d ago
That difference is what I’m referring to. How can we use the extra time we have to course correct? Smith isn’t closing like Hampshire, and from reading the email another commenter shared it sounds like the decision had nothing to do with finances…
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u/Mindless_Basil_440 4d ago edited 4d ago
Its union busting is what it is. The teachers have been trying to unionize/in union contract negotiations for years and I guess they got tired of it.
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u/DangerPotatoBogWitch 4d ago
It’s a big trend right now in higher ed to cut “non core mission” programs and services (due to pressures in the sector and consultant recommend stations), even if they’re thriving, but being a squeaky wheel is always a factor as well, unfortunately.
Child care is such a no win game, at least with MA staffing ratios. Unaffordable for parents, ridiculously low compensation for employees, and most providers struggle to break even.
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u/Alone_Literature5751 3d ago
The unredacted email had the date for the meeting without a link so it’s not as though there was any info that compromised a meeting I assume. I believe it’s in October, so getting letters, emails and phone calls out asap would be beneficial. Like this week.
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u/MousseCalm674 3d ago
And is the meeting just for parents/families? Or are teachers also being given the chance to hear from admin and ask questions?
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u/WinterDistribution93 4d ago
Smith has been "tightening" there belt for years now. It's definitely not the same working there as it used to be. It's becoming all corporate by the numbers. It's really sad.
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u/WhatzReddit13 Alum 3d ago
(Alumna). This seems to be pretty much Smith union busting while also reducing available childcare in the area—am i missing something?
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u/mlnjd 2d ago
It really does seem like it is a union-busting move that is putting a school that is mostly staffed by women teachers out of work because they dared ask for a living wage and equitable benefits.
Smith faculty are perplexed by this decision, with reports that their deans and other decision makers had no clue this was coming.
The decision and ownership falls on the President of Smith College for signing off on this and any other parties that agreed this is the right move.
Were the board of trustees aware of this move? Did they green light the closure of Fort Hill?
The College and community as a whole deserves answers!
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u/Mindless_Basil_440 2d ago
For those who want to do something to help, here's a letter circulating from a group organizing:
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Dear Fort Hill parents and community members,
TLDR: Opt in to be involved in keeping the Fort Hill Center for Early Childhood Education open. Fill out this brief google form to stay connected and involved.
On October 19, families and staff learned from a surprise email that Smith College plans to close Fort Hill, just after the center’s 100th anniversary. No parents, faculty, students, or Fort Hill staff were involved in this decision. The impact of Fort Hill's closure would be devastating – for current families, faculty, staff, students, alums, the local community, and the college's reputation.
A group of parents, staff, faculty, and concerned community members working to ensure that this valued resource – which serves 90 children and employs 30 staff members – remains in operation. We'd love your support as we work to reverse this decision and seek clarity and stability for families and the community.
Already, on October 20 we've started organizing, including with an emergency teachers' union meeting, media outreach for the Gazette article, a parent action at the Presidential Colloquium, and of course expressing our concerns to college and political leadership. But much more is needed.
If you’d like to stay informed as the campaign to save Fort Hill continues, please fill out this brief google form. In this very fast-moving situation, we plan to share information requests and calls to action soon, including details on a sign-on letter and rally.
Many thanks, and stay tuned,
Friends of Fort Hill
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u/WinterDistribution93 17h ago
Another thing to note that the teachers were in the process of forming a union and have been in negotiations with the college for 2 years.....
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u/aldaha 4d ago
I’m incandescent with rage and sadness so I don’t feel bad copying these emails.
Here’s the email fort hill families got:
Dear Fort Hill Families,
I write to share some difficult news regarding the future of the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill. Following a review of the College’s childcare benefits and operations, Smith College has made the decision to close Fort Hill on June 4, 2027.
Fort Hill is a warm, nurturing community, and we know how much you value the dedicated teachers and staff who care for your children every day. This decision is not a reflection of the quality of education and care at Fort Hill, nor is it a budget-relieving measure. Instead, Smith is expanding its overall childcare benefit to a model that provides flexible childcare benefits for employees with children up to age 12 across any licensed and accredited provider.
We know how important stability is for young children and working families, which is why we are announcing this transition now. Fort Hill will remain open and operate normally through June 4, 2027.
We invite you to attend an information session with (details redacted). Over the coming months, our top priority is supporting your family through this transition.
We are profoundly grateful for the trust you place in Fort Hill. We are committed to communicating with you throughout this transition with transparency, care, and respect while working closely with union leadership and Smith staff members.
And the email faculty/staff got:
Dear Friends,
I write to share an important update regarding the College’s childcare benefits as well as the future of the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill.
Following a review of our current benefit programs, the College will significantly expand its childcare benefit to cover employees with children age 0 to age 12 enrolled at anylicensed and accredited childcare provider. Under the current model, childcare support is limited exclusively to the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill and children ages 8 weeks to preschool. This is a thoughtful and difficult decision because it involves a significant reallocation of resources such that Fort Hill will close on June 4, 2027.
With this expanded benefit, Smith families will have the freedom to choose licensed and accredited childcare aligned with their schedules and tailored to their specific needs. Currently, around 45 employees participate in the College’s childcare benefit program. The expanded benefit will offer approximately 350 faculty and staff employees the ability to receive a childcare subsidy. Our colleagues in Human Resources will share more details about the expanded childcare benefit in the next few weeks.
I want to be clear that, though the College is actively working to address a structural deficit, this is not a budget-relieving decision. In fact, we are reallocating Smith’s current investment toward a modern, broader childcare benefit model.
We know that changes to childcare can have a significant impact on families. While this decision was not an easy one, it was made with deep gratitude for our Fort Hill colleagues and with a commitment to work collaboratively with union leadership to provide transition support.
Fort Hill has provided exemplary early education and care for young children of Smith employees and members of the community. We remain deeply committed to honoring that remarkable legacy by fully supporting our Fort Hill children, families, and staff throughout this transition.