The battle for visibility: playing defense in early childhood

3/21/2023

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At a recent union meeting I attended (a perk of student teaching with a cooperating teacher with many hats), the conversation between early childhood representatives concluded with observation, "It sounds like you are acting more on defense than as advocates."

"That explains it!", I thought. This differentiation between defense and advocacy validates my exhaustion from struggling for simple recognition.

As early childhood (EC) educators, one of the many roles we carry (seriously, you should read the definition of educator-- it is probably many paragraphs) is the defender of our field. We are ostracized or "othered" so often that we constantly defend ourselves for our needs, spaces, time, rights, and value.

I hear disturbing anecdotes of EC teachers being pushed out of their classrooms to be replaced by a K-5 staff member. Not to mention the specialists' and special education staff's degradation from an office to a broom closet. Do not forget the preschool staff excluded in the elementary yearbook.

Don’t get me wrong: the elementary (K-5) staff face enduring issues with class size, space, funding, planning, and resources. However, what is the cost of invisibility of an entire department of families, students, and educators?

Now, I realize the clear difference between defense and advocacy. Defense is the fight for visibility, an offer for a place in the room, and protection of our threatened rights. What it feels like: screaming into an abyss; running in a dark tunnel while seeing the light at the end but never escaping; asking, “Haven’t we been here before?”; cycling through propositions without follow through for years. Take your pick.

Advocacy, on the other hand, is the productive, empowered ability to influence decisions, policy, and change after one is recognized. If the broader group --such as a school building, committee, or team-- does not value the EC educator at the table, they stifle the educators’ voices. When EC is recognized and invited, decisions and policy which integrate EC insight and perspective are formed. We become visible; we are invited instead of being an afterthought.

Another thing to note: the work should not fall only on the defense, meaning that the broader group must do their part to see value in EC and the professionals under that umbrella. Elementary buildings and teachers need to view EC (or preschool) as the starting point: when relationships with families and students launch, interventions begin, and development blossoms.

Thankfully, some spaces and yes, real tables, invite EC representatives to offer their voice. Behind-the-scenes changes are emerging due to work across positions, grade levels, and pay grades. The invisibility of EC is not limited to a school or even district. Its cloak spreads across counties, states, and borders. You guessed it, lovely readers, it is a systemic sentiment.

Oh jeez (cue the Minnesotan accent)! I really cannot make it through a blog post without mentioning the “system.” I am a lost cause. Your patience is appreciated.

I’ll conclude with a call to action –am I becoming predictable? We (EC folks) are tired of standing alone and repeating ourselves. Although our voices are stronger together, they are still not being heard. Elementary folks, do not fret. I will not ask too much of you. Perceptibility is communicated through simple actions and awareness. If your school hosts a preschool program, become familiar with this branch of your school community. Because yes, your school community extends from preK to 5.

Other ways to include EC educators in your school community
Introduce yourself if you pass preschool staff in the hallway; greet the young children in the hallway if they pass by; offer opportunities for one of your students to visit a preschool classroom to read a book; speak up for preschool staff if their space is threatened. A little goes a long way!

Previous post:
do you ever wonder?

As a society and community, we must consider why teachers are leaving. We must wonder why our children are missing out on their education and why their needs are not met. We must question the status quo; we must consider the consequences of our continued inactions, bystanding and blissful ignorance of a nationwide crisis. And we must be loud and demand change.

Take action. Start the conversation. Be the change.

2 Comments

Paul H.

3/21/2023 08:32:56 am

A key aspect of the invisibility of early childhood is that many districts do not include early childhod teachers in the standard teachers Union contract and pay them hourly rather by salary. This contributes to both underpayment of EC teachers and exclusion from the primary way for teachers to seek recognition and better pay. In spite of the critical importance of learning in early childhood, EC teachers are too often not seen or treated as “real” teachers.

Meghan Hesterman link

3/21/2023 06:17:27 pm

Yes, absolutely!! Thank you for contributing to the conversation. The value (or lack thereof) of EC educators is unfortunately reflected in their pay. The hurtful misconception of "glorified babysitters" makes the folks in charge of contracts feel like EC educators deserve an hourly rate instead of salary.