Lack of teachers in child care, preschool reaches 'crisis' in Colorado Springs (insurance, day care)

[Vision67]

https://gazette.com/news/lack-of-tea...6100fefe1.html

"A teacher shortage in early childhood education is forcing licensed centers and homes in El Paso County to reduce classrooms, which, in turn, is creating wait lists for children and leading some parents to seek unlicensed care out of sheer desperation.

“We are absolutely in a workforce crisis for the early childhood sector,” said Kelly Hurtado, early childhood program director for Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families. The nonprofit works on improving legal, government and community services for children and families.

El Paso County has 437 state licensed centers and homes that provide day care and preschool for infants through 5-year-olds, Hurtado said.

An estimated 75% are reporting shortages of teacher-qualified staff, studies show."

"Traditionally, entry-level workers earn minimum wage, but the field offers the ability to advance and progress on a career path, Bolton said.

Employees with bachelor's degrees can earn $20 an hour or more, Price said."


A way to fix this is to increase pay to a living wage. That's how Oregon is dealing with the problem.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...nd/6268784002/

[otowi]

The pay is clearly a major issue - it is already a very demanding job and requires higher education, but then to offer such low pay on top of it is asinine.

ECC educators that work in a public school get paid the same as other public school teachers - which is at least better.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by otowi

The pay is clearly a major issue - it is already a very demanding job and requires higher education, but then to offer such low pay on top of it is asinine.

ECC educators that work in a public school get paid the same as other public school teachers - which is at least better.

I would say that to offer such low pay on top of it is insulting and is no wonder that potential employees are voting with their feet.

For minimum wage one may as well be the greeter at WalMart or flip burgers, neither of which require much of any education.

[Coloradomom22]

Originally Posted by Vision67

https://gazette.com/news/lack-of-tea...6100fefe1.html

"A teacher shortage in early childhood education is forcing licensed centers and homes in El Paso County to reduce classrooms, which, in turn, is creating wait lists for children and leading some parents to seek unlicensed care out of sheer desperation.

“We are absolutely in a workforce crisis for the early childhood sector,” said Kelly Hurtado, early childhood program director for Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families. The nonprofit works on improving legal, government and community services for children and families.

El Paso County has 437 state licensed centers and homes that provide day care and preschool for infants through 5-year-olds, Hurtado said.

An estimated 75% are reporting shortages of teacher-qualified staff, studies show."

"Traditionally, entry-level workers earn minimum wage, but the field offers the ability to advance and progress on a career path, Bolton said.

Employees with bachelor's degrees can earn $20 an hour or more, Price said."


A way to fix this is to increase pay to a living wage. That's how Oregon is dealing with the problem.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...nd/6268784002/

$20 an hour isn't even $40k a year. Because of worker shortages there are jobs now that require no education that would get you that same wage without an expensive degree.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by Coloradomom22

$20 an hour isn't even $40k a year. Because of worker shortages there are jobs now that require no education that would get you that same wage without an expensive degree.

To me it seems this all goes back to the archaic view that this sort of work is "women's work" and thus gets paid a lot less, even though one of the most critical things a nation needs is citizens with a strong mind and good education which all begins in the earliest years of life.

[StcLurker]

Originally Posted by Coloradomom22

$20 an hour isn't even $40k a year.

Unless we are using new math, $20/hr is just over $41k/year

[TCHP]

$20 an hour is indeed $41,600 annual gross. Taxes, healthcare, and retirement, even in a teachers union, will drop that quite a bit below $40k take home.

[wilberry]

and then there is the " Adjunct professor " another form of slavery, in my opinion, sorry it's not the subject here buy it really gets me angry.

[bontrager]

Originally Posted by TCHP

$20 an hour is indeed $41,600 annual gross. Taxes, healthcare, and retirement, even in a teachers union, will drop that quite a bit below $40k take home.

Sure, but net take home pay is not how we compare income in this country. My net pay is a little over half of my reported annual salary after federal and state taxes, social security, medicaid, 401k, insurance, etc. but I don't use my net income to describe how much I make per year. My wife and I also pay >$30k in day care expenses per year with after tax money. It is what it is.

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Originally Posted by wilberry

and then there is the " Adjunct professor " another form of slavery, in my opinion, sorry it's not the subject here buy it really gets me angry.

Yes, tenure-track positions are disappearing quickly, particularly in the humanities.