We are in a crisis.
Now, more than ever, the outlook is bleak for early childhood education and educators. There is a great need and a great shortage of educators in the field of early childhood education, including Jewish education. Without enough teachers there are not enough programs. This was an issue before the pandemic, and now it is much worse and impacting more and more families with young children.
On September 19 of this year, the Washington Post published an article by Heather Long with the heading ‘The pay is absolute crap’: Child-care workers are quitting rapidly, a red flag for the economy. The article provides both statistics and stories from parents and teachers illustrating the crisis that we are all in.
The statistics are staggering:
- Day Care workers earn in the bottom 2 percent of all professions
- The child-care industry if down 126,700 workers
- The hiring situation in early childhood is worse than in restaurants
- More than 10,000 workers have left the industry since June, 2021
- More than a third of providers are thinking about quitting or closing their business “as a sense of hopelessness permeates the industry”
In the Early Childhood Jewish world, we see this every day. And we are worried. Just a few of the comments I have heard recently include:
- I can’t afford to send my own child to the program I work for
- I can make more money as a cashier at Walgreens
- I worked throughout the pandemic and received only a cost-of-living increase. It is still barely minimum wage
- We live in a country that values money – it is clear how little they value educators
- I love teaching and I love children, but I am so tired of being treated like this – little money, no benefits, little respect
If you are reading this, you are probably not surprised. You probably have heard this before. You are likely a person who cares about young children and the field of early childhood Jewish education, who sees the value in the work of ECE-RJ, and who wants to support educators and education.
Keep reading.
We have an opportunity.
Now, more than ever, is the time for our collective voice to be heard.
The United States Congress is considering a bill that would support early childhood education and make quality early childhood education a right, not just a privilege, for all three-and four-year olds. The proposed legislation would reduce costs for families and offer wages for early childhood teachers that are comparable to educators in local public schools. Federal funding can work for Jewish and other religious schools in a mixed delivery system. While accepting federal funding would mean removing religious aspects from the curriculum; ethics, values, and honoring the cultures of all children can remain. Religious aspects of the program can take place before or after the funded program as enrichment class or family programming. This may be a challenge and a change for some
