In the dynamic landscape of early childhood education, acknowledging and supporting the pivotal role of early childhood professionals is paramount. The Alaska SEED Retaining Our Outstanding Teachers (ROOTS) Awards, spanning the years 2021 to 2022, stood as a beacon of recognition and support during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we delve into the insights gleaned from the evaluation of these awards, it becomes evident that they have not only met their intended objectives but have also paved the way for greater advocacy and enhancement within the field.
“Early childhood educators aren’t compensated adequately in comparison to other educators in the field of education and social services. The ROOTS Award helped to provide more equitable wages in 2022.” – 2022 ROOTS Award recipient
Evaluation and Insights
Collaborating with the Stellar Group, thread, and Alaska SEED embarked on a journey to assess the effectiveness of the ROOTS Awards. These awards, with amounts varying from $500 in 2021 to $3,000 in 2022 aimed to address several critical aspects within the realm of early childhood education:
- Retention and Compensation: The primary goal was to decrease turnover rates among early childhood professionals while simultaneously increasing their compensation without burdening parents with additional costs.
- Educational Advancement: Encouraging and facilitating higher education among educators to enhance their skills and qualifications.
- Competitive Compensation: Ensuring that the compensation offered through the awards remains competitive in the broader marketplace.
“This was an amazing impactful award. It was felt by every single person, and I really hope it continues.” – Alaska SEED ROOTS Award recipient.
In the report, financial stress emerged as a significant concern among early childhood educators, particularly regarding basic living expenses. A staggering 71% expressed worry about credit card bills, followed closely by 69% who fretted over rent or mortgage payments, and 66% who were concerned about food costs.
Despite the challenges, there remains a strong interest in remaining in early childhood education. However, the issue of low compensation, coupled with inadequate access to benefits, stands out as a persistent barrier. Alongside financial concerns, various workplace stressors contribute to the overall strain felt by educators in this field.
Interestingly, regardless of whether they received recognition or not, early childhood educators unanimously expressed their enjoyment of their profession. Moreover, a striking three in four respondents (75%) view early childhood or school-age education as a viable long-term career path. This sentiment extends across experience levels, with 44% of those in the field for less than a year and 52% of those with 1-2 years of experience expressing a commitment to the profession.
The evaluation surfaced invaluable themes and recommendations:
- Annual Availability: It was recommended to offer the ROOTS Awards annually to sustain their impact and support.
- Tailored Awards: Recognizing the diverse backgrounds and challenges faced by educators, there was a call to provide larger awards to those with more experience, and education, and in regions with higher living costs.
- Enhanced Communication: Improving communication channels and advertising the awards extensively to ensure all eligible professionals are aware and informed.
- Inclusive Eligibility: Advocating for the inclusion of various positions within childcare facilities for the awards, acknowledging their indispensable contributions.
“While both were so very much appreciated, the $3000 actually brought some relief to financial strain. It made all the many personal sacrifices feel appreciated and a special thank you and recognition for all I have done.”– ROOTS Award recipient.
Utilizing Evaluation Insights
Armed with the evaluation findings, we immediately set to work on refining our approach for the 2024 ROOTS Award. Updates were made to our application processes and communication tools, ensuring a seamless experience for applicants. Moreover, efforts were made to advocate for broader eligibility criteria, recognizing the diverse roles within childcare settings.
Celebrating Success: The 2024 ROOTS Award
As we reflect on the journey thus far, we are thrilled to announce the success of the 2024 ROOTS Award. With a record-breaking 1,828 applications received, we were able to distribute a total of 1,599 awards, each amounting to $4,860. This culminated in a staggering $7,771,140 distributed to early childhood professionals across Alaska!
The State of Alaska Child Care Program Office (CCPO) announced on November 14, 2023, that $7.5 million was added to the FY24 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024) Alaska State budget to increase wages for eligible child care professionals and stabilize child care operations in the state of Alaska. Further, the $7.5 million from the State of Alaska was leveraged with additional resources from the Child Care Resource and Referral grant and the Preschool Development Grant – Birth through Five (PDG B-5) grant number 90TP0103. These additional resources brought the total available for the 2024 ROOTS Awards to $7,771,140.
We invite all recipients to share their stories and feedback on how this support has impacted their lives and careers. Your experiences serve as a testament to the profound difference these awards make in the lives of our dedicated early childhood professionals.
Together, let us continue to champion the invaluable contributions of early childhood educators and pave the way for a brighter future for Alaska’s children. Early educators deserve higher wages and support to ensure they can afford to stay and grow as early childhood professionals. thread will continue to advocate for increased wages and comprehensive benefits for early educators. Please join us in our advocacy and make your voice heard! Keep up to date with what’s happening at the policy level and sign up for threads advocacy alerts.