Head Start is at it Again: Mandatory Meetings Without Pay Aren’t “Collaboration”

 It’s hard to stay calm when the same problem keeps happening—and this summer, it’s happened more than once.

For Monday and Friday, we’ve been told we must attend yet another non-reimbursed mandatory meeting during hours that fall outside Head Start contract time. This will make it the fourth time over the summer that we were told to go to meetings under the same unfair expectation: show up, make it work, and do it without compensation.

And this isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a direct message that our time doesn’t matter—despite the fact that we keep the program running, and we keep the school open and functioning for students and families.

The school is open, but it isn’t Head Start 24/7

Let’s be clear about what’s actually happening.

We kept the school open for the non-Head Start program and continued summer camp operations. That means there are still children on-site—but they are there for programs that are not Head Start. The school being active does not mean staff are automatically “on Head Start time” or available for mandatory events that are outside contract expectations.

So when these meetings get scheduled during non-contract hours, it ignores the reality on the ground and blurs the line between programs that are running on different terms.

“Mandatory” shouldn’t mean “unpaid”

People love to call meetings “part of the job,” “necessary,” or “required for communication.” But there’s a difference between doing your work and being asked to work for free.

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