Race and the Well-Being of Early Educators

• In Event: Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Early Care and Education Workforce

Abstract

Introduction
Quality in early care and education (ECE) programs, including the nurturing, stimulating and culturally responsive educational experiences, is predicated on the well-being of the ECE workforce (Cumming, 2017; Whitebook et al., 2016). Yet, data consistently show that the ECE workforce continues to experience workplace environments that are not supportive of educator well-being, including inadequate compensation, and poor workplace support (Author, 2022; Gould et al., 2019; McLean et al., 2021). Recent studies examining disparities in the ECE workforce suggest that lack of attention to race in data analysis masks deep inequities in educator experiences along racial/ethnic lines that may entrench these poor outcomes (Author, 2023; Austin et al., 2019; Gould et al., 2019). By using race to examine early educators’ economic well-being this study will increase our understanding of the influence and consequences of race on employment experiences in the ECE sector to inform equitable ECE workforce policies.

The study is guided by the research question: How does the economic well-being of the ECE workforce vary by race/ethnicity?
Method
The study is based on a statewide survey of the California ECE workforce, fielded in October-December 2020. We use data from representative samples of approximately 2000 center directors and 3000 family child care providers, and a non-representative sample of center-based teaching staff (teachers and assistant teachers) of approximately 2500. Additional data from a follow-up survey fielded in Spring 2023 on educators well-being will be used to examine changes in the economic well-being of educators over time and differences in trajectories across different racial/ethnic groups.

We examine measures of economic well-being across 4 racial/ethnic groups: Asian, Black, Latina and White, based on self-identified race/ethnicity. Specific measures of economic well-being include, economic worries, ability to meet basic and unexpected expenses, and participation in public assistance programs. We also examine aggregated measures of economic worries to gauge compounded economic challenges faced by different groups. All results are weighted.
Results and Significance
While economic insecurity and well-being worries are prevalent among early educators, racial patterns are evident. Non-White educators are more likely than their White counterparts to report worries about their family’s monthly bills and affording food for their family. Use of public assistance programs is highest among Black (56%) and Latina (52%) assistant teachers, followed by Black FCC providers (41%) and lowest for Asian (12%) and White (13%) directors.
This paper sheds light on racial influences on early educator experiences of well-being. While the economic struggles of the ECE workforce are well-known, a result of chronic underfunding of the sector, historic undervaluing of the labor of women and of women of color, and a lack of support for career advancement, these hardships are more heavily experienced by educators of color. These findings point to the value of examining workforce data using a racial lens, as well as the need for fair workforce compensation and support policies that lift up all educators.

Authors

• Wanzi Muruvi, University of California - Berkeley

• Anna Powell, University of California - Berkeley

• Yoonjeon Kim, University of California - Berkeley