Workforce Development Overview [CPPT, Section 3aii]

Teacher qualifications have assumed center stage in the policy discussions regarding state and federal preschool initiatives. According to W. Steven Barnett, economist and director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, “the only programs that have been shown to produce large gains in school readiness and long-term gains that benefit taxpayers and their children more than the programs’ cost have been programs with college-educated teachers with specialized training who were paid decent (not high) salaries” (Barnett, 2002). Preschool programs relying on teachers with weaker qualifications, he adds, have been found to produce minimal gains in school readiness, at best.

Some broad goals to increase the supply of early educators qualified to work in preschool programs include:

1. Develop a system of supports that encourages ECE staff to successfully participate and benefit from professional development opportunities.
2. Upgrade and align professional education and certification requirements for preschool instructional staff across roles.
3. Develop a system of compensation and benefits to increase retention of experienced staff, provide incentives for staff to upgrade their skills, and attract younger workers to the field.
4. Recruit/develop a preschool workforce that is culturally and linguistically diverse and that reflects the communities served by the preschool system.
5. Improve links to institutions of higher education and increase financial support for teachers to continue their education and development.
6. Develop alternative pathways to early childhood education credentials that are less cumbersome than the route to K-12 certification.

This document is part of the California Preschool Planning Toolkit.