At Ratio, we’re solving the ECE workforce hiring challenge for good.

Early childhood classrooms deserve staffing solutions built around relationships, reliability, and real human connection.

Our Beliefs

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🤝 Connection

Direct connection drives real impact.

When schools and educators connect without friction, trust grows, time is saved, and classrooms stay full and stable.

Two teachers and five young children seated at a table in a colorful classroom.

🧡 Community

Community strengthens classrooms.

The early childhood field thrives when educators and schools support one another, not compete for attention on generic platforms.

A smiling woman with wavy brown hair holding a clipboard and pen, standing in a colorful classroom with children and educational decorations in the background.

🔄 Flexibility

Flexibility fuels fulfillment.

Whether full-time, part-time, substitute, or enrichment work, educators and schools should be able to choose what works best, not settle for rigid options.

A group of children hugging an adult man, all smiling happily indoors.

✅ Win-Win-Win

Long-term relationships matter.

When educators feel valued and schools feel supported, the result isn’t just coverage. It’s consistency and quality care for the preschoolers.

That’s what we call a win-win-win.

Meet the Founders

Paul brings deep classroom experience and operational leadership to solving one of early childhood education’s biggest pain points: workforce instability. As a former preschool teacher (married to an active preschool teacher) and parent, he understands both the passion and the daily reality of this work.

Ratio was built through years of listening to schools and educators and designing around their real, day-to-day needs. The result is a platform that prioritizes clarity, flexibility, and direct connection so schools can staff their schools quickly, easily, and with confidence.

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“I’ve worked in early childhood and I’m a parent. I’ve worked in operations and built teams. But really listening to what schools and educators want and need is what built Ratio.”
— Paul Buckley, Co-Founder of Ratio Staffing

Rachel is a longtime early childhood educator, child care director, and community builder who understands what it takes to keep classrooms fully staffed and thriving. From the director's desk, she has felt the daily pressure of ratios, last-minute call-outs, and the constant search for reliable substitutes.

A smiling woman with curly dark hair wearing a grey sweater and colorful beaded necklaces standing in front of a plain white wall with green plants.
“Ratio was created to honor the realities directors live every day — juggling staffing, supporting teachers, and caring for children — with tools that actually make those responsibilities easier and more sustainable.”
— Rachel Bolden-Kramer, Co-Founder Ratio Staffing

German is a software engineer and product builder focused on designing tools that serve the public good. He brings years of experience creating intuitive, scalable technology and applies that lens to early childhood hiring.

A smiling man with dark hair, wearing a blue collared shirt, standing against a plain light-colored background.
“Engineering for social good means building technology that feels simple, trustworthy, and within reach. Ratio gives preschools powerful hiring tools that are easy to use and truly affordable, so more of every dollar can stay in the classroom.”
— German Gil, Co-Founder of Ratio Staffing

💛 Why We Do This

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Our Story

💛 Why We Do This * Our Story

The idea for Ratio began with a simple but urgent insight. Preschools were struggling to find qualified educators and the tools available weren’t built for this field.

Our founder, a former preschool teacher and operations leader heard the same plea again and again:

“We need teachers but we can’t find them.”

After helping schools fill roles and save time through one-on-one recruiting, it became clear that the real solution needed to be bigger than individual placements. It needed to be a scalable system designed specifically for early childhood hiring.

Ratio began in 2018 as a hands-on recruiting service, shaped directly by conversations with school leaders and educators. Over time, those real-world insights evolved into the platform Ratio is today, a purpose-built workforce network that helps schools build dependable teams and educators find meaningful opportunities.

We’ve seen firsthand how chaotic hiring processes drain directors and educators.
We know that when classrooms are understaffed (even for a day) it impacts the children’s experiences and outcomes.

So We Built Ratio To:

  • eliminate staffing frustration

  • help educators feel seen, valued, and connected

  • ensure preschoolers have the consistency and care they deserve

A teacher standing in front of a classroom of young students sitting cross-legged on the floor, attentively listening. The classroom has colorful bookshelves with children's books and wall decorations, and a large window with paper daffodil decoration outside.