NAEYC Children’s Champions

October 25 , 2007

REP. HIRONO INTRODUCES H.R. 3966, THE EARLY EDUCATION WORKFORCE ACT

Today, Rep. Hirono (D-HI) introduced a bill to provide grants to states to develop and implement comprehensive professional development and career systems. The bill, developed by NAEYC, would give grants to states which would develop systems that address areas of quality and financing, including compensation, core competencies, articulation among degree and other credit bearing education, quality assurances for training and education, support for new teachers and directors, and resources to help individuals access professional development for educators in all settings.

The bill, the Early Education Workforce Act, is a companion to the Senate bill introduced by Senators Brown (D-OH) and Voinovich (R-OH) last spring and which was included in the Senate-passed reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. It is critical that the Hirono bill be included in the House version of the Higher Education Act so that there is greater likelihood of its enactment.

Please email or call your Representative to ask them to cosponsor H.R. 3966, the Early Education Workforce Act.

Talking points:

• Please cosponsor the Hirono bill, H.R. 3966. In our state, it is critical that there be focused attention to the quality and compensation of early childhood educators. All children - in family and center-based child care, Head Start, and state prekindergarten programs - should have high quality educators and to better compensate and support them so that they can remain in this critical field.
• As we know more about the importance of the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators, it is critical that we deal with the fragmented and inadequately funded way in which we support their professional growth and retention in this critical field.
• Every state will design its own system.

To find your Members of Congress, go to our website at www.naeyc.org/policy, click on Action Center, and enter your zip code.

What the bill does:

• Provides competitive grants to states. States would establish task forces of state agencies, all types of providers, professional development and higher education representatives, resource and referral, and others to create a coherent system based on gaps, areas needed to scale up, barriers to helping improve quality of individuals knowledge, and skills and compensation whether they work in child care, Head Start, or other early childhood programs.
• Requires states to address in their systems issues such as core competencies, articulation agreements, assistance in getting higher education and professional development, mentoring/coaching new teachers and directors, linkages in a career lattice between roles, competencies and compensation, improving the quality of higher education degree programs for early childhood education teachers, and quality assurances so that programs know they are paying for high quality professional development.
• Provides the opportunity for public input into the state plan and an evaluation of the efforts and their impact that will give better data on the status of early childhood education professionals, professional development, training, retention, and higher education.

NAEYC: Comments on Major Legislation in 2005

CCDBG (Child Care & Development Block Grant)

Head Start

Higher Education