Educating Young Children Volume 1 - Summer 2025 | Page 51

To attain equitable compensation and benefits, program leaders can

› Advocate for an increase in early childhood educators’ base pay by contacting policymakers, leaders, and funding sources at local, state, and federal levels to share stories about the impacts of low pay on early learning professionals

› Provide other financial benefits to educators, such as covering expenses for trainings( registration and travel) and membership fees for professional organizations

› Recognize and compensate educators of color for their additional contributions by providing overtime pay, performance-based bonuses, or additional time off

Nearly 70 percent of our respondents underscored the importance of involving early childhood educators of color in program-level decisions. As one Black / African American, Hispanic Early Head Start educator expressed,“ Listen to us and, after listening, show us that you care about what we’ re saying to you. Because we’ re not just saying it for our own personal gain. We’ re saying it for the good of everybody in the building.”

Early childhood educators in our study noted that administrators can develop inclusive programs by engaging them as partners. Leaders can implement shared decision making by drawing on educators’ expertise and honoring them as professionals who are capable of being change agents who provide high-quality early childhood education for all. This aligns with findings from other published work, which suggest that engaging educators in decision making can lead to increased workplace satisfaction and retention and higher-quality experiences for children and families.

To involve educators of color in the decision-making process, program leaders can

› Allow time for educators to collaborate and share ideas on a regular basis by scheduling ongoing meetings and workshops,