In an oped for Commonwealth Magazine, Professor Anne Douglass writes that low pay is driving the current shortage of educators for youngest children in Massachusetts.

Excerpt: “Some of the likely reasons for the skilled labor shortage are outlined in the early education workforce study, which also reflect national data: Compensation for early educators doesn’t match their professional credentials, nearly 30 percent of the workforce receives at least two forms of public assistance to meet basic needs like housing, and there are few professional development opportunities to hone the skills needed to meet emerging needs in the classroom.

“Despite these obstacles, the Massachusetts Early Care and Education Workforce Study also shows that the state’s early educators are deeply committed to the work. They are driven to keep up with the science of the field and bring it into the classroom. They’re motivated by the importance of their work as well as the joy they receive in caring for and educating young children.”

Read the full oped, “Massachusetts Must Do More to Boost Early Education Workforce,” online at Commonwealth Magazine.