Seen on the Screen / Improving Preschool Teachers' Working Conditions

Educational Leadership Staff

School Culture & Improvement

Imagine teaching young children while drawing on decades of training only to be told you're "just playing" with the children—and being paid $15 an hour. A video produced by New America shows teachers in action at St. Mary's Center Preschool in Oakland, California, and interviews researchers from University of California at Berkeley who describe a survey they've created (SEQUAL) to gauge the perspectives and challenges of preschool teachers. The researchers hope SEQUAL will be used to press for better working conditions. In the clip, educators explain the additional duties now loaded onto preschool teachers' plates. The teachers also reveal their deep commitment to preschool work, despite the difficulty of low pay and, often, a lack of respect.

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