Teachers' Voices: Work Environment Conditions That Impact Teacher Practice and Program Quality--Minnesota

N

82

W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Heising-Simons Foundation
W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation
Greater Twin Cities United Way

Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Characteristics; Teacher Background; Teacher Salaries; Teacher Employment Benefits; Communities of Practice; Well Being; Early Childhood Teachers; Young Children; Child Caregivers; Child Care Centers; Professional Development; Teacher Surveys; Educational Quality; State Standards; Child Development; Adults; Teacher Supervision; Rural Urban Differences; Teaching Conditions

Early educators often do not have even basic expectations of working conditions -- such as program policies providing for payment for planning time, staff meetings, and professional development; a salary schedule accounting for experience and varied levels of education; and provision of health, retirement, sick-, and vacation-leave benefits that most K-12 educators can rely upon -- nor are teachers typically the focus of strategies and policies to improve the quality of early care and education services. This study captures early educators' perspectives about their work environments in the state of Minnesota and examines how these environments impact teaching staff practice and well-being. In order to teach to the best of their ability, educators require work environments that support their ongoing learning, emphasize time without child responsibilities for professional activities, and offer dependable benefits that ensure their well-being. With prioritization of workforce supports, quality improvement initiatives can make substantive progress towards a system that is equitable, efficient, and effective for children, their families, and educators alike.

ERIC

2019

ED597190