‘The Workforce Behind The Workforce’: Confronting Colorado’s Critical Child Care Staffing Shortage
Early childhood teachers must meet the demands of children whose first language isn’t English, who may have trauma and those who come with a whole range of cognitive and emotional needs.
Rebecca Kantor, dean of the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education and Human Development, said because shortages are so pronounced, teachers with lower educational attainment are recruited, and they are more likely to leave feeling defeated. When teachers leave, a third of directors say they notice an increase in children’s challenging behaviors.
“It’s a stressful environment,” said CU Denver’s Diana Schaack.“Teachers need planning time. They need breaks, they need health care benefits. They need professional development for when there are children who exhibit behaviors that teachers find challenging.”