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The only possible plan we can see for the future of early childhood education is to focus on and demand high-quality care and not back down until we get it. It's been too long and too many people have suffered.
Many well-meaning but misdirected people don't realize that to help children in early childhood, we have to help the teachers and the parents. It's not possible to pour from an empty cup. but that's just what we're expected to do.
Here's an excerpt from an article by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
The early childhood education workforce in the United States is comprised of 2.1 million teachers, teacher’s aides, and staff in child care centers, schools, home-based care, and child care center managers. These individuals work in private childcare centers, public schools, or in-home settings. They are in cities, suburbs, and rural areas.
A highly qualified early childhood educator--one who knows how to create a dynamic, accountable learning environment-- is at the center of a high-quality early learning experience.
Research has shown that children who attend high-quality preschool are better prepared to be successful in school and in their future careers. The economic and community benefits of high-quality early learning and development experiences for all young children cannot be understated and include, increased graduation rates, increased economic well-being for all
communities, and the long-term development of a high-quality professional workforce.
Yet, despite the important role early childhood educators play, and despite increased public demand and incremental financing for high-quality early learning, it is difficult to earn a living wage being an early childhood educator.
Their median hourly wages are $10.60 per hour.
Currently, at least 46% of the early childhood workforce receives public assistance.
It is not enough to demand high-quality education for young children; we also must ensure that educators are provided with affordable high-quality training and education opportunities. Early childhood educators dedicate their life’s work to nurturing, educating, and caring for young children. Only the most effective teachers and staff can ensure children in their care have the early experiences they need to be more likely to succeed in school, read on grade level, and graduate on time.
The entire article can be found here. If we want to see change in early childhood education and care we have to have a clear plan for quality. Some aspects of quality are health, safety, and sanitation. They're defined mostly by state licensing rules. The social-emotional aspects aren't as easy to define. Here's how we break them down for clarity at early childhood rocks.
We realize that without the right ratios and environment, these aspects of quality can't be achieved but with the right support, they most certainly can.
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