TAMPA, Fla. — “Being in early childhood, of course, that’s when they grow so quick,” said early childhood education teacher Sys Paul.
The most unique aspect of working in early childhood education, compared to any other area, is that it’s not just about teaching.
“So a lot is happening in like the week from helping them hold their bottle to them holding it on their own, to them crawling, to them taking their first steps,” said Paul.
It’s been about three years since the COVID-19 pandemic started. That’s when experts said the teacher shortage reached crisis levels, highlighting existing problems in early childhood education.
A reportfrom the National Institute for Early Education Research showed during the pandemic, enrollment in state-funded preschools dropped for the first time in 20 years, wiping out a decade of progress.
Private pre-schools were affected too.
“It is a real, pervasive problem that emerged after the pandemic. Nearly 50% of all private pre-schools closed in America. Depriving hundreds of thousands, if not millions of families of essential childcare,” said Frank Toral, early childhood education expert and founder and president of Neighborhood Kids Schools.
The ongoing teacher shortage has only added to these issues.
With 2020 came the departure of many experienced and tenured teachers — which experts said has left a gap in early childhood learning.
“The teacher shortage crisis in central Florida, particularly Florida as a whole, is really acute,” said Toral.
Early childhood education teachers face the same challenges as other teachers — namely, poor pay and a lack of resources.
“Teacher to student ratio. It’s always great when you have an assistant in there. It makes things a little easier,” said Paul.
The Florida Department of Education acknowledges early childhood education as one of the areas seeing teacher shortages.
Educators said this is a huge problem, as this age group is one of the most important for children and their development.
“This affects not only teachers but it really affects why we’re all there, and that’s for the students, for the kids. If they don’t have instruction, guidance, and example during what is the most critical time of brain development, a significant percentage of a person’s brain development occurs by the age of five,” said Toral.
Advocates are calling on state and local education leaders to put more emphasis on attracting and retaining teachers so students don’t fall behind and teachers can stay in a profession they’ve dedicated their lives to.
“It’s actually been a joy being in the early childhood education. It’ so much fun. Every day is different but in a good way,” said Paul.
“It’s really critical to have qualified teachers in the classroom in a loving, caring, and inclusive environment,” said Toral.
