Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/to-be-or-not-to-be-degreed-are-we-focusing-on-the-right-question/5022730/
With publication of Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation1 by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the question of whether early childhood teachers should have baccalaureate degrees has once again become a contentious topic of discussion. Since first proposed in 2001 by Eager to Learn: Educating Our Preschoolers,2 a National Academy of Sciences report that was followed by innumerable policy-oriented papers,3 the early childhood education (ECE) field has wrestled with this question, focusing on the level of education necessary for early educators and debating the pros and cons of degrees, with arguments revolving around whether they contribute to improved practice, barriers created by higher education costs and lack of articulation between higher education institutions, the need for varied pathways to degree attainment, concern for losing the field’s rich diversity, and the knotty issue of commensurate compensation. Add to this list the reality that unevenness in preparation standards and faculty expectations means degrees are not comparable to one another in what they teach and what graduates know or are able to do.
The IOM’s new report documents the explosive growth of new knowledge about children’s learning and development, as well as the varied and sophisticated pedagogical skills needed ...