Kristi Snyder and Bonnie Caldwell

[00:01] BONNIE CALDWELL: Hi, my name is Bonnie Caldwell and I am 59 years old. Today is Thursday, December 10, 2020 and I am recording from Blacksburg, Virginia. I'll be speaking with my friend Christy Snyder, who is my colleague, mentor, friend, coworker for the school that we work at.

[00:28] CHRISTY SNYDER: And my name is Christy Snyder. I'm 50 years old. Today is Thursday, December 10, 2020 and I'm also recording from Blacksburg, Virginia. I'll be speaking today with Bonnie Caldwell who is my co worker, our wonderful teacher in our preschool classroom and a dear friend.

[00:52] BONNIE CALDWELL: So Christy, I was wondering if you would be willing to talk with me about how your journey started at Rainbow Riders childcare program here in Blacksburg Virginia.

[01:04] CHRISTY SNYDER: Sure. So I was 17 and a senior in high school and dating who is now my husband and was invited to go on a trip with his family. And my family said okay, but you need to get a part time job. And so I loved working with children and babysitting. And so I thought, well, I'll try Rainbow Riders, they're hiring. And so I started out working after school and being a senior in high school. It was that time in life where it's so hard to know what your future is, where you're going to be going, what you're going to be doing. I knew I was going to college, but I had no idea what I wanted to do. And so I really found my love. I worked in our toddler classroom with our one year old children and just found the joy in their discoveries every day, how they just everything was new. Looking at a bubble was just magical to them. And I really enjoyed kind of getting to know each child and getting to know their family and continued to work in our program, Rainbow Riders until I graduated from college in early childhood and then came back as a director, as an administrator, had lots of choices whether I wanted to be a public school teacher, whether I wanted to go work for a private school. And I decided that my love was really in early childhood that struggled. That's really where I felt inspired. And so I came back as a director and a couple years later our the birth mother of our school, Rainbow Riders, Lynn Hill was ready for her next adventure in her career and she began teaching at our local university, Virginia Tech. And I just had the hard decision to make about, about whether I wanted to purchase the business, which was very scary because I had no business experience. I just loved children and I loved the school, I loved our philosophy, I loved our families and I was so committed to trying to keep intact that loving community that we built at Rainbow Writers. And so that's when, at 26, I did take over the ownership. And we had a parent who taught me how to budget and how to run payroll and how to pay taxes and manage all of those very scary things for me at that time in my life. And we figured it out. And I was so lucky to have a group of teachers and co workers and administrators that came on over time that really helped support everything we did. As we grew our organization day by day, step by step, through accreditation, through licensure, and then through growth, we had an opportunity to partner with some other entities and grew about 11 years ago and opened a second facility. So working with children that are six weeks old up through 12, we now have a third site, which is an early Head Start partnership program, which has kind of become a special joy in my world because we've been able to really expand what we're doing to all families and ensure that no matter family's backgrounds, economically struggles, we're really able to be the support for every family now. And so that's been really a true joy to really see us get that far. So typically we have about 450 children enrolled, so it's pretty tremendous to think. Bonnie, we started with like 25 or 30 staff, and now we have 80 to 100. And so it's like having a. Having babies. Like, my first baby was Rainbow Riders in a way, because, you know, you think about them all night, they have trouble sometimes, and they also bring you so much reward and so much joy. And I think I've told you before and our teachers that one of the reasons I made that tough decision to become the owner and administrator was because I wanted my own children to have the experience growing up at Rainbow Riders. That's the why behind Rainbow Riders for me is that I wanted my children to have a community of people that really nurture and recognize the potential and appreciate the creativity and all the joys. And I loved watching my family grow up here. Bonnie, tell us your journey. You've had a long journey at Rainbow Writers, too?

[06:26] BONNIE CALDWELL: Well, a lot of it we've had together, which is just to have this time to reflect on that, because that's nothing we ever have time to do, right? I mean, in our brains. But so all those transitions, I can remember them so easily. And to think that, like, we've known each other that long right now that we're, you know, you're 50 and I'm 49, and what's spending over half of our lives with this community and Program and school. I came down to Virginia Tech in 1990 to go to school here. And in my sophomore year, I stayed down here for the summer and started living here full time in the area. And one of my teachers in Human Development and Child Development announced our class that Rainbow Riders was looking for help. And so I came over and applied and started working here then. So, gosh, so long ago. I remember working. I started in our yellow room and then, which was like our threes. And then when the fall program started, I got to move to the white room and work part time. So every afternoon I was able to come in and I started with these group of families and children that were our youngest, youngest people in the program, just six weeks to maybe six months old. And worked with such an amazing teacher, Margaret, who taught me so much that I could never, ever forget. And then as time went on, when I graduated from Virginia Tech, I was able to start full time at Rainbow Riders. And I moved to the other side of the classroom, which is where our toddlers were and our crawlers, excuse me, crawlers. And so that same group of six kids and families moved over with me and I got to continue. And so there the children were like six months to a year old. And then eventually I moved up to the next group, which was the toddlers, again with the same group of families. So with the same group of families, I got to spend just shy of two years. And so not being married and not having my own family that is really working with that age group, like you said, there's just something so unique. And then having these connections with so many children and families specifically. And then eventually I moved up to the pre K room, the red room. And about a year later, all those little friends and families moved up and got to be with me. And so I caught up with them again. And the pre K room was at that time three to fours. And then with the influence of Reggio Emilia, we got to go over to Italy twice and learn about the Reggio Emilio approach that is just renowned throughout the world. And we decided to start looping. And so the first year I was able to loop, which means I got to stay with those families for two years. They never left me till kindergarten was with that group of families and children again. And now those sweet friends are getting married and having babies and still keep in touch with those families. And then to think of all those families since then. And you know, friends, that's what I call my red room friends, my children. Wow. It's so overwhelmingly amazing. And so I'VE been in the red room ever since we came to our current site and stayed in red. I remember when we were building it and I've been there ever since. So I've been there for about 25 years in the red room. And that's definitely my love. I loved being a part of the admin team, you know, when I was part time with you guys as admin in the afternoon and a teacher in the morning. But my real joy is able to come with those children. And then now they're families. So I had my own kids. Ten years into Rainbow Riders, I had my own baby. So I was here for 10 years as just a teacher and then I had my two children and they both came through my Rainbow Riders at the site I work at and they both age out of the program now. And I loved it because I remember a parent, Janine Edelton, who said to me once you in a review in a like survey results, I still have it hanging up in my classroom right now, that she felt like I was an adequate and good teacher before, which was very kind of her to say. But once I became a parent, how that just made me an even a better teacher. And I always say I'm a mom. I'm a more tired teacher than I ever was before. I know that. But they're getting older, so it's getting easier in a different way. So I always say I've always been a teacher, but I'm just a more tired teacher now.

[12:00] CHRISTY SNYDER: But you have that parental perspective.

[12:03] BONNIE CALDWELL: Yeah. And that's. And that's what's so amazing because looking back, you know, in that history, I felt like I knew what and what I was talking about and the things I was doing with children and their families. But then to become myself a parent really opened a whole different lens for me to be able to connect, I think, with families too. So. And that's really what it's been about for me, of course, the children every day. But being a part of those families lives and their education for what we always say, our youngest citizens in the whole, whole society of life is these little babies that when friends that we get to be with every day.

[12:53] CHRISTY SNYDER: It's an honor, really. And it's an honor and it's a profound responsibility.

[13:00] BONNIE CALDWELL: Yep. Both they go together.

[13:02] CHRISTY SNYDER: They do go together. And it takes a very special person to do this job. I think that people don't really realize it's. It's not babysitting, it's early childhood education is so much more than that. And it is. It is about the relationships. It's about the relationships with the children, the relationships with the families. And it takes such. Such a unique disposition in a teacher who has the emotional energy to give. Because you said it's a physical job. I mean, it's a very physical job. A lot of people can't make it to 50 in this field because it hurts your body. These little people, there's a lot going on, but I don't think there's a great way to measure the emotional energy that it takes to be an early childhood teacher. They pull it from you every day.

[14:04] BONNIE CALDWELL: Whether it's there or not, it comes out. Whether you come with it or not, it's coming out of us.

[14:11] CHRISTY SNYDER: And I'm always amazed by how our teachers just somehow get replenished. And I think it's those little joys each day, those epiphanies that children have, those aha moments, that disequilibrium, that's frustrating. And then all of a sudden they tip over and it's this amazing surge and development or this understanding that they've crossed over. And it's just a beautiful thing to experience. But as you're talking, Bonnie, I've always just been amazed by your relationships with families. And I think, you know, you can look back year to year to year and see how the relationships you have with families are just so remarkable. And I really never really thought about it. But, Bonnie, it started when you had that looping experience. Experience when you moved up with that group from infants to crawlers and from crawlers to toddlers. That was so fundamental in probably shaping who you are as a professional because you formed these rich and loving, trusting relationships with these families. And I. I vaguely remember, I think you babysat for them sometimes. I think you went to birthday parties and I mean, you became an extended family member. And as you said, you still stay in touch with them. And it's pretty amazing, Bonnie, but. So talk for a few more minutes about families and how families have kind of, what. What do you do as a teacher to help build those relationships with family and build that sense of community within your classroom year after year after year. What does it take?

[16:14] BONNIE CALDWELL: Well, I think, like you say, hopefully, I think the biggest thing a teacher has to be almost as a risk taker, Christine. And I was reflecting on that a couple days ago just for another reason. And my connection with the children, of course, is the goal and always needs to be of the utmost importance. And I look back and I think I'm really thankful I didn't have my own family yet. It was a frustrating period because I wanted one really badly, as you remember. But looking back, it really did. I wouldn't have been able, I don't think, to make those connections as a mama, a mama of young children. And so we know those families are what kept me here. I had everything. I moved, but what was in my car. I had a job in another state. Everything I owned was there. And the day before I was supposed to go, I told my family I wasn't coming. And luckily there was an opening in that toddler room. And I came back and was right back, connected with those kids because I couldn't leave. My dad's like, what, do you have a boyfriend? And I said, no, I have these families. And I couldn't leave. I didn't want to leave them. I did not want to leave them. And looking back, I'm just. It's. It. It can be easy, but it's, it's. It's. It's still hard, you know what I mean? That. That social, that emotional, you know, that is taken from you. I always think to myself, I have like, you know, what, 14 to 16 children, right? But then they usually have a parent or their guardian. And so you multiply that and what it comes out to 36. I'm like, I'm responsible for 36 people, you know, not just. Just the ones I have, but I'm responsible and accountable to those families as well. And I want to be accountable to them. I want that because we know over time how we've realized it's not just, of course, it's the teacher child interactions, but when we can find a way to connect with those families through the involvement activities that we're able to provide here, through the conversations that we're able to have on a daily basis when situations are the same, as I said, regular times, then it really takes it to a deeper level because then we become a partner with them. And the only thing that benefits from that is the children. So we're making the experience that much more for children. And that's what I. My hope is that they are just getting everything that they could possibly get and that support. And with the family and the teacher working together as a team, there's going to. It just can't help but be successful through the yucky times and the great times, through the joys and the sorrows. And so I think that it's just a really great example to accept, to propose for the children to see that we're partners. Hopefully that continues through the rest of their educational career, whether they're academics or whatever they're in. And then I think what really happens is I'm hoping that those families become advocates for us. Christy?

[19:50] CHRISTY SNYDER: I agree.

[19:52] BONNIE CALDWELL: Those families are the ones that help me get to know their child. They're the experts. So I'm able to take that information and hopefully combine that with what we do here at school and share what's happening with that child developmentally. The happies, the joys and the haha moments. And then when these families, I think when they can trust and leave their children with us and not have worries, they go to their job, whatever it is, McDonald's, they're a grant writer, you know, whatever it is, then they're being protected to society. Right? So it's that chain, by us being here to provide a service, we are making the workforce and thus the economy productive. And that's what I want to be able to do. I'm hoping that I can come here and do my best. And if I'm doing my best, then I benefit this family and they can go do their best. And it's just, it goes up the whole, you know, the whole ladder. And those families help feed me as a teacher, too. What these children do and what I can see some of my co workers do every day fill me. They replenish me. You know, I always go to the office and say, I have a piece of happy for you. Guess what happened today. Because I know in the office sometimes you don't always get pieces of happy, you always get the pieces of yuck. And I want. And we all remember those. And that's what got us. Right? That's what, you know, drew us in. And so to be able to share those pieces of happy with families, you know, it's like, wow. So, so anyway, I went off on a tangent. Sorry. So. So, so when I think back to families that I was able to bond with, they. Sometimes I, you know, they would go away, like they would leave me with their child on Friday and not come back till Sunday. And, you know, and here's the power of attorney in case, you know, something happens on the airplane. And so I mean, like, it was like, so I was really, you know, I was there at 5 o'clock in the morning sometimes in the morning, and spending the whole day with families.

[22:07] CHRISTY SNYDER: And then that was babysitting while they were out of town.

[22:12] BONNIE CALDWELL: Right. And I couldn't have done that as a mama. Right. So the fact that when they would see me at work and I could share information with them about you know, they're worried that their child's not sleeping through the night or, you know, why aren't they walking yet? Kinds of things, you know, to be able to share with them in such an easy format that, you know, action. Actually, some children don't do that till, you know, nine months or 10 months, but look at the other ways they're progressing. And so to really be able to. I don't want to. We don't want to say educate the families, but I think we help them gain a certain kind of knowledge developmentally.

[22:55] CHRISTY SNYDER: I think we learn every day together.

[22:58] BONNIE CALDWELL: Right. I couldn't go do a computer job. Right. And they always say, well, I couldn't do your job. Thank you. I appreciate that. I couldn't do your job either. Right. And so helping them to just understand and them thinking and trusting that, you know, there's an expertise and the knowledge that we have. And I think that's what's so great about our program, too. Bonnie Christy Christy I was talking to my daughter Christy is. That's the thing with the knowledge. And so just all those little threads, you know, if my car broke down, a family would let me borrow one of their cars, you know, until my car got fixed. And when I needed a place to live, you know, we have a garage apartment. I needed to move. Don't get a truck. We'll just bring all. Bring our big trucks and help you move. And so I know now that we can just create those memories at school. But for that specific group, it was really that personal level. And I really do think because of those connections, I was able to feel at ease with other families and not every family. I'm not everybody's favorite flavor, and that's okay. That's okay. But we. Even the families that there's been challenges with, there's a level of respect, you know, you don't have to agree with what I'm telling you. You just have to know that this is what I'm telling you. This is Rainbow Rider policy. Well, I can agree with you, but I can respect that. But I don't like it. And I said and that, you know, and that's what it is. I'm not saying you have to agree with me, but this is our program, and this is how we handle this situation if it's something that's difficult. But our program is able to offer so much to families. And the reason teachers can do that is because of the kind of school we are. And so, unfortunately, some of those things have now changed since we're in the season of COVID And that's really been a struggle because I think, think anyone who knows us understands how important that aspect is. And now we don't have that aspect with families. But then on a broader level, as an administrator, what you have to go through on a daily basis, Christy to be able during COVID provide critical care, continue that critical care for families and our business and our school and all the protocols that are happening and changing throughout the days. So that must be like. That's, I think, I guess, one of probably the biggest challenges you think our program's ever been through.

[25:39] CHRISTY SNYDER: It's definitely been a huge challenge. I mean, I think it starts with the safety aspect and making sure that we are able to be safe, a safe place. I mean, I think above and beyond, I mean, everything else, we want to educate children, we want a safe place for families. We want all of these things for our children. But first and foremost, we have to be safe and healthy. And this definitely has created a challenge, you know, that's like no other. We've always had germs, and luckily our protocols have hand washing and cleaning. All those things are really. We kind of had those things in place all along, luckily. But it's more important than ever. And making sure everyone's following those procedures are more important than ever. And I think one of the biggest challenges and I think saddest parts of COVID for me as an administrator is that families are not able to come inside the doors anymore to reduce the amount of potential exposures our families drop off and pick up outside our door every day. And that's been a really fundamental change for us because Bonnie's way of welcoming families in her red room classroom every day is so important. I mean, when the child comes in the classroom and Bonnie's like, hey, come on in. And you can only imagine Bonnie's enthusiasm is just so welcoming at 7:30 in the morning. Sometimes parents are like, whoa.

[27:35] BONNIE CALDWELL: I don't really give them a chance. They kind of have to like me because I'm right there. You know, I'm across the room if they need me to be. But I'm like, hey, how are you doing today, Joe, I'm so glad to see you, you know, and so.

[27:47] CHRISTY SNYDER: But sorry. It's been fun, and it's fun to watch how Bonnie, over time, you've learned that sometimes when you. When some children go like turtles, kind of go back in their shell a little bit. And so you've had. You've learned to sort of like, hey.

[28:01] BONNIE CALDWELL: When you're Ready, come on in.

[28:03] CHRISTY SNYDER: And you know, whenever you're ready, when you're ready. But you do that with children and families and it's such a, such a great quality you have as a teacher. But the silver lining of greeting and parents at the door. One of the things I have enjoyed watching is administration. Our team of leadership here, who is so busy with the phones and everything else going on that they have not been as engaged and know the parents as well. And I do think that's been a silver lining. And we certainly have had some of those. It's been an incredible challenge. And from the beginning, that day, Friday the 13th of March, which was such a day that will kind of go down in history at Rainbow Riders as well as probably across the country, for us, it was a day when our administrative team came together with a parent who is an expert in epidemiology and was able to say, you know, I don't have my crystal ball, but here's where we are and this is what you need to know. And at that, from that point forward, everything changed. That Sunday we had a big zoom meeting and a meeting with all of our staff and we talked about what was about to come and what we thought we could expect, which of course it was so much bigger than we could have ever imagined. And starting on Monday of that week, about a third of our staff did not return because they kind of fell in that high risk category. Either themselves or someone in their household had kind of a risk issue. And so we started Monday morning short staffed. I mean, we are already in the childcare industry, have a staffing crisis. It's difficult always because we can't pay our teachers what they deserve. Not even close, not even close to what they should be making. And so to have this kind of crisis unfold and fortunately, enrollment sort of shifted as well and we had many families choosing to stay home. And thankfully our numbers kind of played out. And so that was a big challenge for us to kind of reset ourselves and start this new way of functioning. We reduce the numbers of children enrolled. We have families that withdrew from the program. And financially that side of our organization, which is that business side, I have to remember that we're more than just a school that loves children and loves to educate. And you know, we're also a business. We have to make, we have to pay the bills, we have to pay our teachers. And you know, Bonnie, the thought of not being able to keep someone like you paid, you know, that was critical. And so those high risk staff, we continue to pay and we didn't know how we were going to come up with the money. We just knew we had to keep everyone paid. And so that was scary. And I was offering scholarships because we have an in house scholarship program. And so next thing I know, we were giving scholarships to everyone. Just stay enrolled, please. We'll get through this together. Don't. It was like everything began to crumble. And for, for about a month or more, I thought, oh my gosh, everything we've done over the last 33 years to build this program in this community with our families and with our teachers and so many of us here that have dedicated our lives to this important work and with our school, it was all going to crash. It was all going to be gone. And it was very scary because a lot of our teachers that have worked with us for so long, I mean, we pay their, you know, we're their paychecks. We need them, but they need us too. And it was, thank goodness that the paycheck protection program, the PPP came through. I thank the federal government for doing that important job to take care of the small businesses that would have folded without that support. And other subsidies have come through locally, statewide, and those have kept our doors open. And we're, we're operating, you know, take the subsidies away, we would have closed. But at this point we finally, in September, kind of reach that sustainable place where we're bleeding by about $25,000 a month. And we can continue to bleed that much until April without more subsidies. But more subsidies have, local and state have come through and you know, that extends that timeline out. And we hope that Congress will act again. We hope that they will help extend that. The childcare industry, oh my gosh, it's so fragile. We do the best we can in our field to keep tuition for families affordable and pay our teachers as best we can. There's no profit going on at this school. Unfortunately not be a very good business to sell. I'm not a very good business person. I've paid our bills and we're still open after this long, so we can do that for us. But we love our employees, we love what we do and we reinvest in our people because it is our teachers, our administrators, our frontline folks that make this school what it is. And so we hope that as we move forward that those sorts of subsidies will continue to happen. But I feel like Covid really created, has created an opportunity. You know, we keep thinking about how awful it is, but it's also an opportunity and if to reinvent the early childhood system. Families cannot afford to pay the true cost of quality early childhood education, and they shouldn't have to in every other developed country across the world and even underdeveloped countries. Remember our friend Noni from the baby room? She was my son, one of his teachers, and she's from Malaysia, and she was here as a student at Virginia Tech and worked with our babies and with my baby when he was very little. And she's gone back to her country and is instrumental in their educational system there. And they brought their minister of education here to Rainbow Riders a few years ago, and she said, we want to come learn from you at Rainbow Riders and the Virginia Tech Child Development Center. Because in our country, we believe that early childhood education is a right for our citizens. Our education beginning at infancy is a right for our citizens. And I thought, if Malaysia can do it, then why can't the United States of America, the wealthiest countries in the world? How can we not make our greatest asset, our children, our young children, a top priority when we know from brain research that so much of a child's brain is developed and the first five years of life, we don't invest in our children until. Until they go on to kindergarten. Well, we. We're too late, right? Too late. So, Bonnie, you've been at Rainbow writers for 27 years. Why did you stay? What. What kept you in this crazy place?

[37:00] BONNIE CALDWELL: I think, of course, the children and families. But Christy, we've always been a growing program. And that's what's so exciting. Sometimes it's so frustrating because you're like, quality is a moving target. Can't the target just stay still for a few years? But the target's always moving. And that's the thing. Our school year, our visionary. And it inspires me. Lynn Hill, who, who bore us, who birthed us, but the great mentors and really what I hope people would know, and that's what I hope that we do, and I know you do it, is this just that what we do is a profession. And that's what keeps me here. The fact that at our school it's such a priority to keep us growing and to keep us the best we can be. Because we know the best we can be benefits the children and the families. And it only makes our school better. And that's the thing for to be re inspired just over and over and to have the support that we have. You know, people come here. I've never worked at another school. This is my only school, so I don't know. But people come to us and work for us. And they're like, oh, you do this and, yeah, you do that. Yeah. And you hear just these sad, sadder experiences that have happened and. But Rainbow Riders, it's my home. I ride the rainbow every day. That's what we are. We're Rainbow Riders. We ride the rainbow every day. I had a little girl once say, how do you ride the rainbow? And I'm like, this is what we're doing. We're riding the rainbow every day together. That's what we are. And so through the peaks and valleys, there's just. I just don't think there's any. I always say, I just don't know, what else would I do but to be. When I didn't start here, I didn't think of myself as a professional. But now we know. We know that what our teachers do every day, they are professionals, and that's what it is. And so that's always, I think, your goal, and that's my goal, to be viewed as a professional. And the families to help them know what the professionals that we are. But just to the growing and the caring from the children, the families, from you and our administrators and the relationships. We know that everything in life revolves around relationships, every single thing. And I don't know how you can think of anything but relationships when it comes to Rainbow Riders. Adult to adult, adult to child, child to adult, teacher to family, family to everybody. And that's really what it's been for me, is those full relationships with every entity that we're a part of. Children and families and our just school as a whole.

[40:15] CHRISTY SNYDER: And it's the respect. I think, too, that we really care about each other in a way that's. That's really powerful. It's. It's respecting diversity. It's not tolerating diversity. It's embracing.

[40:30] BONNIE CALDWELL: Embracing integrated. It is a part of us and all families, because I think that's the goal. I mean, it's always seems so high to me, and now it's starting to happen. But every child and family deserves quality care, not just the ones that can pay for it. Every child and family. And so it needs that. Just all socioeconomical, all that diversity, it just really enriches us. And again, it all starts with those relationships with everybody.

[41:04] CHRISTY SNYDER: Couldn't do it without you, Bonnie. I can't imagine without you. And I can do it.

[41:10] BONNIE CALDWELL: I can do it.

[41:12] CHRISTY SNYDER: I know you say that all the time. If you can do it, I can do it. All right. You can do it. I can do it. My friend.

[41:21] BONNIE CALDWELL: Good.

[41:22] CHRISTY SNYDER: Thank you.

[41:23] BONNIE CALDWELL: Thank you.

[41:24] CHRISTY SNYDER: Bye.