Discourse vs. Reality: Unmasking the Dissonances in New York City's Universal Pre-K Implementation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Early Childhood Education: Policy, Collaboration, and the Realities of Pre-K Implementation (Table 7)

Abstract

This study unearthed the dissonance between policymaking and reality and how those incongruences contribute to furthering racial injustices in NYC’s Universal Pre-K (UPK). Examining early childhood teacher compensation discourse through content analysis, the study juxtaposes policymaker rhetoric with on-ground perceptions of teachers and administrators. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory and Schneider and Ingram's (1993) social construction and policy design theory, 53 documents and 240 Twitter posts from 2014 to 2022, were critically analyzed. Findings revealed policymakers’ bias towards specific groups, perpetuating racial disparities in NYC's highly segregated early childhood system, and highlighting UPK's role in amplifying existing inequities. Recommendations were provided with the aim of repairing past injustices in policymaking.

Author

• Maria Mavrides Calderon, Hunter College - CUNY