Wheaton professor leads the way to higher-quality early education
A Wheaton education professor has been commissioned to aid Massachusetts in improving the quality of early education. Vicki Bartolini will serve on the Workforce Development System subcommittee addressing issues of education, training and compensation of teachers and caregivers. Ultimately, the goal is to form a new Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care to focus more attention on issues of quality in early education.
"The research tells us how important the early years are," Bartolini said, "and if the early years are so important, then the people who spend a great deal of time with our children should be people who are highly qualified to do that. They need to be caring and nurturing people who are attuned to social and emotional development, but they also need to be well-educated people."
Bartolini has been intricately involved in many Massachusetts early education programs. She was a leader in Attleboro Reads, a prequel to the now national program, America Reads. Bartolini is currently involved in a study with Wellesley College to determine the capacity of higher education to meet the monetary and schooling needs of early childhood educators.
Child care and early education providers are major players in Massachusetts' economy. The industry supports nearly 30,000 full-time equivalent jobs and is comparable to top industries in the overall value of services. However, the wage levels for these providers are largely inconsistent with the industry's position in the economy.
According to a study done by the National Economic Development and Law Center, "The average income of child care and early education professionals is lower than that of janitors, bus drivers or administrative assistants. It is less than half that of a kindergarten or first-grade teacher."
Bartolini's subcommittee has held four meetings across Massachusetts. She estimates between 60 and 75 educators and concerned parents were present at each meeting, a significant turnout. Many voiced their concerns about the inconsistency between the industry's contribution to the economy and the level of compensation for higher learning. Bartolini is highly concerned about this issue as the representative for the Massachusetts Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators.
"I am the only voice of higher education, so I'm not just representing Wheaton but all of higher education's role in workforce development and program quality," she said.
Bartolini indicates that, if teacher qualifications change, there may be a lot of questions with no answers. Wheaton may have to consider changing its education curriculum to help those in the field overcome barriers to higher education. This may create opportunities to reach out to the local community, offering distance learning or night classes.
With the development of this new department, Massachusetts will continue to lead the way to improving the standards for early education. The Workforce Development System will present its findings to the Commissioner of the Department of Early Education and Care in mid-December.