Dive Brief:
- Bellwether Education Partners has released a new paper reflecting on the state of Head Start since President George W. Bush passed a law in 2007 that required half of early childhood teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree by 2013.
- Researchers found the bachelor’s degree mandate was met two years ahead of schedule, despite the fact that relatively few colleges even offer early childhood teacher preparation programs, but the requirement may have exacerbated challenges in recruiting, retaining and fairly compensating Head Start teachers.
- Nationally, teacher credentials, compensation and retention vary widely across programs, types of Head Start providers and states — and researchers recommend providing equitable compensation, including the program in state initiatives, developing systemic approaches to improving teacher prep, and making Head Start a vehicle for innovation in early childhood teacher prep, support and development.
Dive Insight:
Head Start programs vary tremendously from state to state and even within states. The National Institute for Early Education Research released a state-by-state look at programs last summer, finding funding, enrollment and quality are inconsistent. Teacher pay is a major issue policymakers will have to address through funding. If teachers are expected to spend four years in college to lead Head Start classrooms, they need to be able to earn wages commensurate with that investment of time and money.
A fact sheet from the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services highlighted striking pay gaps between kindergarten teachers and those who teach preschool. The average preschool teacher makes $28,570 while the average kindergarten teacher makes $51,640. If the nation wants to make a commitment to early childhood — and help reduce skill gaps in kindergarten — teacher pay is an important place to start.
