Our look at the well-being of California’s early educators points to the need to consider work environments in early care and education (ECE) policy development.
The learning environments of young children are also the work environments of the ECE workforce. Supportive and safe work environments that foster a respectful workplace climate can enhance educators’ practice, professional esteem, and job satisfaction.
This is the second of three reports, drawn from our statewide survey of nearly 1,800 early educators.
Our finding show that:
- Though the majority of early educators find satisfaction and reward from their work with children, many feel their work is not respected.
- Despite their dedication to their profession, many educators encounter inadequate work environments: more than two thirds of center teachers are given duties no one else wants, and nearly a tenth have been the target of racial slurs at work.
- Working with children with challenging behaviors, finding planning time and spending time with individual children are common classroom challenges.
