Degrees in Context: Asking the Right Questions about Preparing Skilled and Effective Teachers of Young Children
Preschool teachers play a critical role in children’s development yet there is little agreement about how to codify teacher knowledge and skill. This brief argues that too much attention has been given to debating the baseline of qualifications required of preschool teachers (e.g., AA vs. BA), failing to take into account the precise nature of the education that teachers have received en route to their degrees, support for ongoing learning, and the effects of the workplace environment on their teaching…