"Why Not Become a Police Officer?" Recruitment and Retention of Men in Early Childhood Education

• In Event: Situating Gender and Race in Teacher Recruitment and Retention: Implications for Sustaining Agency

Abstract

Objectives/Purpose
This study seeks to understand the experiences of male early childhood educators, with the goal of identifying recommendations for policy and practice to develop a more gender-balanced workforce, where less than 3% of the early childhood workforce are men (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). Therefore, we sought to understand the challenges experienced by current male ECE educators and to document promising strategies in order to inform efforts at recruitment and retention of more men to the field.

Perspective/Theoretical Framework
The scarcity of male educators in ECE reinforces stereotypes and gendered power relationships that are harmful to people of all genders (Aina & Cameron, 2011; Sargent, 2005). Male educators can fulfill a particular need within their school community, providing models of a range of masculinities that support children’s social and emotional development and also challenge stereotypes (Brownhill & Oates, 2016; Wood & Brownhill, 2016). A more gender-balanced workforce would enhance the diversity of voices in ECE classroom.

Methodology and Data Sources
Data for this study was gathered in New York City. Participants held a variety of positions – assistant teachers, paraprofessionals, co-teachers, lead teachers – and had a wide range of years of experience working in the field, with 40% having worked in the field for over 10 years. A substantial questionnaire was completed by 46 participants which gathered both qualitative and quantitative data. Follow up interviews were conducted with 16 participants, who represented a cross section of the demographics and experience levels of our questionnaire respondents. Additionally we interviewed 14 administrators, both male and female, to gather their insight into the opportunities and challenges in recruiting and retaining male ECE educators.

Results
Analysis of the data revealed a variety of challenges to recruitment and retention of men in the field as well as promising practices that have supported men currently working in classrooms. Low levels of compensation and prestige are discouraging to all early childhood educators, but our participants described additional pressure in the form of a heightened level of scrutiny. Many of our participants shared that they were aware of others viewing their choice to work in the field with “…suspicions that, ‘Oh it's kind of creepy for a guy to be with young children, what's he really up to?’” (Interview transcript). Additionally men working in the field found their work to be constrained by gendered expectations. For example, they were asked to complete manual labor (e.g. moving boxes) or to deploy their masculinity to bring order to the classroom.

Significance
The challenges faced by the participants in this study was offset when men experienced targeted mentoring, either from a colleague or administrator, or, in the case of one multi-site agency, through the support of a men’s cohort that offered participants a safe space to work through the challenges they faced. Given the scarcity of men working in the field and the benefits of developing a more gender balanced workforce, this study offers actionable recommendations to address challenges to the recruitment and retention of male early childhood educators.

Authors

• Kirsten Cole, Borough of Manhattan Community College - CUNY

• Mindi Reich-Shapiro, Borough of Manhattan Community College

• Tina Siganporia, Borough of Manhattan Community College - CUNY

• Jason Tan de Bibiana, Borough of Manhattan Community College

• Jean Yves Plaisir, Borough of Manhattan Community College