Posted ByJacquie on May 05, 1999 at 23:27:25:
In Reply to: day care teacher qualifications posted byRobin on May 01, 1999 at 23:31:52:
I also teach preschool in Ohio - I started 3 years ago with the home daycare and moved from there - I have worked with infants, threes and pre-k - I have been taking classes to get my degree for the past 3 years, am a member of NAEYC and a Girl Scout Leader - I have finished my "education" classes and now just need to finish my LER's for graduation - probably another couple years. I agree that college is a great step, but as a parent, I must also say that sometimes, experience is not given enough credit - enthusiasm isn't always enough, nor is college. I guess, as in everything, we need a happy medium - 4 year degree and no experience isn't always better than 10 years experience - I do believe that centers need better regulation and higher standards - of course, that brings us back to who will work for minimum wage!!! I recently joked with a professor (but it's true), that my student loans from last year are nearly more than I earned WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE - oh yeah, the government says we need more prisons - I guess I forgot...
: I'm doing a research paper on quality child care. I am looking for opinions on teacher qualifications. Do you think child care teachers need at least a 2yr early childhood education degree to be a day care teacher? Here in Ohio, all you need is a high school diploma. Many centers in my area hire woman who love kids to 'teach' in the infant and toddler rooms. No training in early childhood education is needed. Teachers with some experience or education are put into preschool rooms. Once you take first aid, communicable disease and child abuse recogniion trainings, you are then considered 'state certified'. I beleive many parents are misled by this type of labeling, we need a national minimum education standard for the day care teacher. The question is what should the minimum be? A 2yr degree? No degree? On-the-job training (your kids would be used as gueini pigs by the new teacher)