Early Childhood Teacher Policy in the United States: Continuing Issues, Overcoming Barriers, and Envisioning the Future

Abstract

The decentralized and fragmented nature of the early childhood education and care (ECEC) system in the U.S., coupled with an ongoing teacher shortage, high teacher turnover rates, and the increasing demand for early childhood (EC) teachers, has led to low entry requirements and lenient regulations for most EC sectors. Yet, the recent call for school readiness of preschoolers is pushing the field to be equipped with highly qualified EC teachers with professional knowledge and competence. Efforts to provide quality ECEC services by improving the quality of the teaching force at various levels have been initiated in the U.S. In this paper, we describe: demographic profile of America’s ECEC teaching force; regulatory standards regarding entry-level teacher requirements; condition of pre-service teacher training in higher education; and provision of professional development and retention efforts. Current trends and challenges of EC teacher policy in the U.S. are presented, and implications for EC policymakers are discussed.

Empirical Study of Parents’ Perceptions of Preschool Teaching Competencies in China

“…Again, few literature is available that focuses on parents' perception of teachers' quality indicator. Most available research builds on kindergarten teachers' reflections [15], care takers' perceptions of personal professionalism [16] or policy analysis frameworks and professional development [17].…”

The student perspective on Maryland’s associate of arts in teaching degree

“…They are also able to work as paraprofessionals in public schools, in hospital child-life programs, and as teachers or assistant teachers in several federal childcare programs. These requirements are being strengthened, and many states now require a four-year degree for center directors and paraprofessionals (Cho & Couse, 2008). Individuals with an AAS, however, were never able to work as a classroom teacher in a public school.…”

“…With the exception of public school teachers and Head Start, there is no universal policy regarding who is eligible to teach young children in private childcare centers and family childcare facilities. Each state identifies minimum preservice qualifications for early childhood teaching staff as a part of program licensing regulations (Cho & Couse, 2008). Due to the "decentralized and fragmented nature" (p. 16) of the early learning system throughout the U.S., state officials across the country have difficulty in coordinating policy efforts, with great variation in the training of EC teachers.…”

Transformational Leadership of Kindergarten School Principal Based on “Integrity, Professionality, and Entrepreneurship”

“…Some research findings (Suhartono, 2005;Cho, 2008;Waluyo, 2013;Sugiana, 2015) state that the school principal's efforts to incorporate school culture within daily life depend on how teachers accept any idea from school principal. The research findings showed that teachers accepted school principal's transformational leadership well.…”