Early education teachers influence a child's potential for success, but Arizona's early education industry provides little incentive for teachers to remain in the field. Key performance measures benchmark our success in training, compensating and retaining early childhood education teachers.
The median wage for lead child care teachers in Arizona, working full-time and full-year, is only $9 per hour. This is less than half as much as their counterparts who teach kindergarten.
(Source: Compensation and Credentials: A Survey of Arizona's Early Education Workforce, 2005 and Children's Action Alliance: Measuring School Readiness--How Do We Know When We're On Track?)
32% of lead teachers in Arizona's early childhood classrooms have a bachelor's degree.
(Source: Compensation and Credentials: A Survey of Arizona's Early Education Workforce, 2005)
Many professionals working in child care centers have only completed their high school education. Yet we know that one of the most critical indicators of a child's success is the educational level of their teachers. Providing scholarship opportunities for teachers to receive associate or bachelors degrees can be one of the wisest investments we make.