U.S. News and World Report – Sara Mead
“Teaching young children is hard work. It’s also highly skilled work: Effective early childhood educators need both a deep understanding of the science of child development and practical skills to interact with children, assess and support learning, and engage diverse parents. Yet they often do this work with little training and low pay. In recent years, early childhood leaders and policymakers have sought to elevate the early education profession by increasing training requirements. Overall, research suggests that better prepared early childhood teachers are more likely to implement effective practices. And preschool programs that demonstrate lasting learning gains for children employ teachers with bachelor’s degrees and specialized early childhood training.”(more)