The State of PD in PreK

The National Institute for Early Education Research came out with a report recently that showed the quality of preschool education in forty of the largest cities in the US. Out of forty cities, only six met the benchmark for teacher training and professional development. My first thought was that the benchmark might be set too high, and that was the reason for the failure to meet it. The NIEER has set the benchmark for preschool teachers at having to get only fifteen hours of professional development a year. That is less than two hours a month! How do we fix this sorry state of affairs? We start by participating in conversations about education. We encourage teachers to find training that they feel is relevant for them. We share our learning online!! We work together to create a community of learners! Begin here! Every month I share out training opportunities and educational podcasts with my newsletter. Is there more that you would like to see me do? How can I help make sure that every preschool teacher not only meets the benchmark for training and professional development, but exceeds it.

If you would like to read more about the state of early childhood education, there is a wonderful article here that will get you started. I also recommend following @YoungChildFacts on Twitter!