Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Part 3
The issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals that are being discussed where I live and work are proper education for early educators, the cost of quality care, and compensation for early educators. In the state of Washington the standards for lead teachers are low and it is a concern for parents and professionals. The cost of care is high compared to the wages being earned in my local community and many families cannot afford licensed care. The wages are low for those working in the field unless they are working for Head Start, Early Head Start or the community college.
The opportunities for professional development include courses at the community college and STARS credits through a variety of sectors. The requirements for a lead teacher are 20 Hours Basic Training, food handler’s card, first aid and CPR, and a TB test.
My professional goal right now is to complete my master's degree in ECE. After that I would like to gain some more experience as a mentor teacher and adjunct faculty at Lower Columbia College. Eventually I would like to be full time faculty at LCC.
Being a full time instructor is also part of my hopes and dreams. The challenges I face I am unsure of at this time. :)
Josie Zbaeren
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Wow Josie,
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't take much to teach in your area. In my home state you must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution as well as three years teaching experience and hold a state license.
Good luck!!!
Josie,
ReplyDeleteI too would like to teach at the local community college. They don't seem to have vacancies very often though. Good luck with your dream! I believe it is a good one to have!
The teaching standards are pretty low in your state!I lived in Tacoma for 4 years, but never taught there. Now that I am reading what the standards are, I am glad I didn't have children then!North Carolina has pretty low standards too, but not that low! We have to have completed your early childhood certificate, 20 hrs of training, CPR and that is about it to be a lead teacher here! And I certainly don't feel like that is enough either!
Thanks for your information!
Deb
Josie,
ReplyDeleteMichigan has very high teaching standards, where it was easy to advance in the field of early childhood 20-10 years ago is not so today. There are teachers in our Head Start program who have been teaching for over 20 years who have just recieved a Associate's Degree or are working on one. These teachers must have a their degress in early childhood by 2013 or they will lose their lead teachers positions.
Here in Virginia the cost of care is really high too, and I think many families can not afford licensed day care programs. Teachers in the day care center I work in are required to have Associate's degree in Early childhood education, but many of them are working on their Bachelor's or Master's program.
ReplyDeleteHi Josie, Your post this week and the comments that our colleagues have made are very interesting and gives a good glimpse into how requirements for lead teachers in the early childhood field varies. Here in Cayman the preschools are all private, so there is no set requirements as to the qualifications for teachers. I think the Ministry of Education is now looking at addressing this. It will be interesting to see what requirements they put in place. I wish you the best of luck with your hopes and dreams!
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