When the reality of transition impacts our lives, we have an opportunity to model for children how to meet the challenge. Transition is embedded in the fabric of life. Nevertheless, we have deep feelings about it. This is especially true for young children: volumes have been written about "The New Baby" "Starting Kindergarten" and "When a Grandparent Dies". These feelings are deep and true - we question our own existence when faced with uncertainty or inconstancy. But is the answer to live a life ever unchanging?
The field of Early Childhood Education seems to struggle from staff retention. There is some curiosity about whether this is completely accurate, or if this perception is colored by the very real anxiety parents of young children feel when their lives are changed by the transition of a trusted caregiver. It is important for a learning community to have candid conversations
about why staff move on, especially if there is an opportunity for the
organization to learn and grow from the information. Transition can happen for healthy and happy reasons. Transition can occur due to parenting, marriage, partner's promotion, winning the lottery. Transition may simply stem from job opportunities too substantial to ignore. And transition may infer job dissatisfaction.
We look critically at the known strategies to aid staff retention, and how Alternatives in Action seeks to learn from this body of work:
Communication
Open and honest communication is
given and received to ensure understanding and to support everyone's
capacity to develop and grow in their role. Alternatives in Action
dedicates time monthly for staff cohorts to engage in the deep and
meaningful process of "Reflection" to aid these skills.
Communication
strategies are clearly defined in multiple places. Teachers and
parents hold themselves accountable to staying well informed through the
websites, handbook, and email groups. Teachers and parents take
initiative to know and be known by others. All involved practice
civility and intentional listening even when topics are challenging and
emotions run high. Teachers meet weekly to formally share their
observations, needs and provide support to co-staff. The director and
parents meet monthly to enable 360 sharing and to provide an opportunity
for planning and observation. Teachers and parents formally meet twice
annually to share observations to inform the care of the child.
Partnership
Parents and teachers understand and
respect their roles and their relationship. They hold to agreements,
including contracted policies and procedures, and understanding systems
and routines. Through personal accountability and open and honest
two-way communication, the relationship becomes a mutually supportive
partnership. Teachers reflect great job satisfaction when they feel
respected and valued by preschool families. The quality of these
relationships holds a higher value and stronger impact than increased
compensation to the goal of teacher retention.
Professional Development
Alternatives in Action provides a strong culture of support for professional development. Home Sweet Home has provided all teachers with very high level professional development opportunities to grow their capacity as Reggio pedagogiste. This includes participation at state and international conferences as well as information on local pathways to the CTC Child Development Permit. The AIA and HSH commitment to providing our hard-working teachers with the encouragement and financial support necessary to undertake these challenges demonstrates the organizational investment in their talent and training.
Working Conditions
Teachers are scheduled to work 12 months per year Mondays through Fridays for a 9 hour day ( less a 1 hour lunch), yet staff often take their observations home and use personal time reflecting for content planning and preparation. Alternatives in Action recognizes the deep impact of presence dependent caregivers on the lives of young children and their families. Teachers are encouraged to use their vacation time, and the director schedules planning time and limits preschool sponsored night and weekend events and activities to ensure that staff have ample time to rest and refresh to enable their work-life balance. Parents can further support this effort by knowing key dates for events, activities and education and holding time to be present to engage within this scheduled time.
Compensation
Early Childhood Education remains a
notoriously low paid field, especially considering the rising standards
for teacher education and certification. This is a national problem and
a social justice issue: over 85% of ECE staff are women, the working
poor pay upwards of 34% of their net income on childcare costs, and the
State of California slashed daycare subsidies and child development
programs by over 1.6 billion since 2009. Although our industry employs
(nationally) just under two million people in over 800,000 businesses
with an annual revenue of 47 billion, there is little to no federal
government support around the issue of cost versus quality to alleviate
the financial burden to working families while supporting a living wage
for caregivers.
Home Sweet Home compensates full time
Child Development staff 15% - 30% above the County of Alameda average,
providing a salary and comprehensive benefits to all full time
teachers. This includes paid holidays and vacation. Parents are
invited to join the national advocacy Worthy Wage Campaign and vote
their regard for Early Childhood Educators at the polls in June and
November.
Appreciation
Parents and teachers take time to create opportunities to express their appreciation. This is modeled to children by adults through acts of generosity and kindness, such as Teacher Appreciation events or staff emailing a special photo to a parent. At Home Sweet Home this is further framed in meetings through the OAARRs structure that specifically opens with check-in and closes by holding time for acknowledgement.
In addition to these acts, it is the feeling - holding an attitude of mutual respect and appreciation that supports Home Sweet Home.
My experience with Alternatives in Action as an organization exceeded all my expectations from my initial attraction to the original position of Home Sweet Home Preschool Director. My decision to accept a position with another organization was one that I agonized over when it was presented to me; and even though this opportunity greatly enables my ability to support my family. Because I have deep relationships with children, youth, teachers and parents that I do not feel ready to let go of, I have had to reflect on what that means to me and to others before I was able to find the strength to make a responsible decision. I have an opportunity to use my AIA transition to prove to myself that, through communication, partnership and appreciation, one can leave a position well. My great desire to stay engaged with Alternatives in Action will be realized through volunteer work and this realization has supported me to know I will have closure with this separation by identifying the new pathway that will allow me to successfully support Home Sweet Home going forward.
With much gratitude to all the staff and parents who have helped me through my process,
Kathleen Seabolt
My volunteer activities will include:
June-July 2012 HSH staff check-ins
design of Professional Development arc
Summer 2012 Interns mentorship
July 2012 New Parent Orientation
AIA Board of Directors Facilities Committee
Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 Reggio Parent Workshop
