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There's no doubt about it - preschool is an important time in any child's life. It's the foundation for learning, the beginning of socialization, and the preparation for grade school. And with the growing awareness of how important preschool is, there's still one piece that doesn't fit. Why are there such high turnover rates for preschool teachers?
As any parent of a preschooler would know, teachers are often cycled through quite frequently. On the outside, it seems to be a logical explanation that because many preschool teachers are young women shortly out of college, they find other opportunities, change career fields, etc. At least - that's what the preschools want you to think.
The hard truth of the matter is that preschool teachers simply aren't paid enough and don't earn enough benefits to deal with such a demanding job. Rewarding - yes. But highly demanding.
In fact, preschool teachers' average salaries are less than $22,000, which means that they make less than a bus driver or janitor would. Yet, many states require that preschool teachers hold a bachelor's degree and be First Aid/CPR Certified. If you don't have these credentials, assume you'll make less.
And don't think about a day off coming easily. Because of the strict ratios of teachers to students, it can be near impossible for a preschool teacher to have any time off, especially if requested at the last minute. And because full-time preschools are open year-round, there's no summer breaks or holidays (except for the essentials) to regroup.
But the worst part about high turnover rates is that preschoolers have poorer outcomes and less stability. Studies show consistently that high turnover lowers the quality of preschool altogether - not good news for these crucial and delicate years.
So what can you look for when choosing a preschool?
- ASK about the turnover rate. For most preschools, turnover rates are anywhere from 25%-50% annually, so make sure the preschool is leaning toward the lower end of those numbers - but be aware that the school will ballpark in their favor.
- When touring, study the teachers to see if they are familiar with the children and their individual needs. Teachers that take the time to do this are going to be more invested in their jobs.
- Check to see what the preschools' policies are on hiring teachers. Are they educated? Fluent in second languages? First Aid/CPR Certified? Schools that have a large number of highly qualified teachers probably make efforts to keep their teachers happy and offer them better benefits.
Until the salaries of preschool teachers are bumped up to a more competitive salary, such as those in the public schools, turnover rates will continue to be high in the preschool field.
In the end, happy teachers = happy students!
Comments
Good point - teachers are so important and should be compensated to reflect that!
Thanks, Valerie, for this GREAT article! But you fail to mention WHY preschool teachers (even the educated ones) are so poorly paid. it is because education is expensive and adult:child ratios are low (good). Parents cannot afford to shoulder the whole cost of quality early edcuation. that is why we subsidize public education and why we need to start subsidizing early education for children at age 3!!
All I can say is-AMEN!
I agree that the reason they leave is money, but even paying them what ODE does, they do not want to have ALL the responsibilities that go with child care. Their main goal is to make good money and have the whole summer off, which with the state programs we cannot allow them to have the whole summer off; and without the state programs, those of us who are in low income areas cannot survive with the quality that we should provide. I wish the state (Ohio)would recognize our dilemma.
Our priorities are mixed up, children are our future yet children are always receiving the short end of the stick. Until we understand the implications of lack of quality care for our most precious resource we will continue to pay for a system that is broken with no sign of relief. Teachers are many times the only stability that children have in their lives. There are many teachers in Early Care and Education that stay in the field for that reason despite the pay or the perks. We invest in our future, we pay it forward. There are not many people in high paying jobs that can honestly say that. Children need us more than ever jut look around in your own towns, cities and neighborhoods...something is terribly wrong.
Thanks for all the great input! This was such a difficult article to write because I wanted to reflect the difficulties teachers face, yet still be true to the children. There are so many people out there that assume that being a preschool teacher is all fun and play. It is an important, essential job and these children ARE our future. Teachers that continue to devote their lives to this career ought to be recognized, and I know that with a better pay structure, more teachers will stick around.
Wait,there's more:
I would rather work with teachers than with professional babysitters, which child development centers often have.
Schools that expect blood for $10-15 an hour,such as extreme amounts of paperwork,constant meetings and trainings,some on weekends.Some people have a life.
Lack of respect from management,such as half baked ideas and paperwork foisted on the teaching staff and told to make it work.
Etc.
Thanks for the article,
Mario,SF Preschool Teacher
When touring, recognize that a high quality center with low turnover will have a low teacher-child ratio, pay teachers a decent wage with health benefits, and hire educated teachers--if the center is "affordable," it has to skip at least one of those requirements. As Melinda says, the future of quality early care and education lies in public subsidy, which seems like a distant dream in this economy.
I agree whole-heartedly about this issue and it is something that I, a preschool teacher, struggle with often. I LOVE teaching the younger ones, but the amount of physical labor, paperwork, emotional investment, etc etc that is required for $10-$12/hr is frustrating. Not to mention the germs that spread throughout preschools and the fact that teachers are often sick and unable (or able, but not without getting slack for it) to take a sick day. Vacations are difficult without a doubt, the hours are long, and you do not get a "break" from your 20-something young children ALL day. It really is almost like having 20 children of your own, but they are all the same age. I do think that parents need to know more about why there is such high turnover in early childhood education, and maybe then they can partner with teachers to someday, somehow improve upon the situation.
The only way preschool teachers will stick around is if they're treated like a real teacher and not like a babysitter. That means, we need to be payed a descent salary, with health benefits and vacation days off, on a one year contract. Also, private preschools need to be regulated because there are a lot of unqualified preschools that don't deserve to be around. They don't provide developmentally appropriate activities, sit the children in front of a TV set while the teachers sit and watch like zombies without any interactions. Often times on job interviews, preschool owners bragged about being able to open multiple preschools in different areas, while offering to pay me $8.00 an hour. Bottom line is because our country is profit driven and because of free enterprise, anyone under qualified can open a preschool. They treat preschools only as a business and not as a developmentally appropriate learning environment for children to thrive and become prepared for the rest of their lives. That means, they hire anyone with the very minimum qualifications and pay them minimum wage. They also work with the government to bring in low income children by offering affordable child care. Because they are "affordable" the government would rather pay for the child to go to that preschool than a much more qualified and expensive preschool. Like I mentioned before, preschools should be regulated. For instance, preschools should not have any television sets on the premises. They should also be stocked with enough activities for children to thrive and not become bored. When children become bored, they misbehave, throw tantrums and become frustrated. Then parents assume the kids have ADHD and put them on medication. One thing parents need to know is that children are always learning, their minds being like sponges. When they are put in front of a TV, their minds go into neutral and they stop learning, developing, thriving, growing. Please do your homework and don't send your children to a bargain preschool. The more you pay for your child's education, the better head start your child will get, the more qualified the teachers will be and the less turn over there will be. If you bargain, just know that you're paying for a babysitter and not a good one at that because they're letting the TV do the babysitting for them, while they watch like zombies.
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