According to a recent article in the Washington Post, “A federal court recently dismissed a suit that challenged a new D.C. regulation that requires lead teachers in District child development centers to earn associate degrees and boosts education credentials for other teachers and caregivers.” The regulations were issued in 2016 and the new standards must be met by December 2019
The legislation aims to improve the quality of child care offered in the D.C. area by raising the required credentials that childcare workers must have to be employed in certain roles at a variety of childcare institutions. Childcare workers responded negatively to the new regulations. They felt the credentials were overly expensive and the timeline was too short for the appropriate degrees to be acquired. Some critics believed that child care prices would greatly increase or that child care workers may lose their jobs altogether.
For some, the legislation makes the continuation of work seem impossible. However, current workers can apply for a variety of waivers to excuse themselves from needing the additional credentials. One waiver excuses caregivers from needing additional credentials if they have worked in the field for a certain length of time. Another waiver would excuse one from going to university to get a degree if they can demonstrate undue hardships that would come with earning a degree. Essentially, the regulations are aimed more toward the future than preventing currently qualified caregivers from continuing their jobs.
A second article from the Washington Post sees the dismissal of the case as a victory. The author, Rhian Allvin, finds the legislation to be a benefit to children and parents, since child care will significantly improve and benefit young kids. Allvin also sees it as “a win for early childhood educators who will be extending their own education to increase earning potential, opportunities for future jobs and job satisfaction.” While the initial article highlighted the difficulties caregivers are undergoing, the second article mentions the assistance that has been offered: “the District has worked to ease that burden by providing significant scholarship funding, shifting the timeline for meeting educational requirements and extending waivers that recognize experience and/or hardship.”
The article goes on to explain how crucial the educational period is from birth through age 8. The skills that are taught and learned at that time can have significant long-term influences in an individual’s life. Allvin expresses the importance of providing this education because this programming can help increase the likeliness of academic success and aid in closing education gaps.
Similar findings have been seen in other studies, such as the Perry Preschool Project. Below is a video that explains the how the Perry Preschool Project originated and the findings that resulted from the study.
The Perry Preschool Project provided high-quality education at the preschool level and researched the long-term effects that were exhibited. According to the Perry Preschool Project website, at age 40 the participants of the project had fewer teenage pregnancies, were more likely to have graduated from high school, were more likely to hold a job and have higher earnings, committed fewer crimes, and owned their own home and car. In addition to this, program participants were also more likely to earn higher degrees. There was also a revealed benefit for taxpayers, as students were generating a higher income.
The benefits of high-quality education at an early stage prove to be invaluable over the course of one’s life. While there may be initial pushback at the feasibility of the D.C. legislation, the goals and other effects must be kept in mind. Continuing to set regulations like those passed in D.C. could improve childcare in all areas of the country and improve academic success. That increased success will aid in contributing to society and closing education gap by supporting learning at an early age and preventing anybody from falling behind. While some in D.C. may be initially upset about the new regulations, they will likely change their views once they see the benefits children will develop over time.
Post by: Sarah Kaplan