Leveling the Playing Field for Early Educators as They Pursue Degrees: Ensuring Strategies Address Issues of Equity and Diversity

As the expectations for degreed early childhood educators increase, effective strategies and supports are needed to ensure that the field does not lose its rich diversity. This session will include a presentation on what the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® Initiative is doing to assure equity of access to both scholarships and debt-free degree completion. Participants will hear from T.E.A.C.H. program representatives from NC, WI, and the District of Columbia about how they are making this happen on the ground and the results they are seeing.

Presenters: Marsha Basloe and Edith Locke, Child Care Services Association; Nar Doumbya, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association; Cemeré James, National Black Child Development Institute

Resources:

• Supporting the Essential Early Childhood Workforce Behind the Workforce
• T.E.A.C.H. 2019 Brochure
• TEACH Annual Report 2019-2020
• Joint Statement and Policy Recommendations from the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) & UnidosUS