In an oped for The Conversation, Professor Anne Douglass writes that low, inconsistent and uneven credentialing requirements for the early care and education workforce are holding the field – and the families it serves – back.

Excerpt: “The science of brain development shows a clear connection between positive early educational experiences and later success in life. The foundation for literacy, mathematics and science develops rapidly in infancy and continues throughout early childhood. The competencies early educators must have to guide this development effectively, as outlined in a 2015 Institute of Medicine report, are extensive. They include a “sophisticated understanding of the child’s cognitive and socioemotional development [and] knowledge of a broad range of subject-matter content areas.

“Young children are natural scientists and innovators who test ideas and evaluate results. It requires skill, experience and knowledge to structure learning experiences and ask questionsthat guide the development of children’s creative problem solving and conceptual thinking.”

Read the full oped, “Why your child’s preschool teacher should have a college degree,” online at The Conversation.