Long-term Substitute Teachers in NC Pre-K Classrooms

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 11:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Unforgetting Childhood: Policy, Practice, and the Futures of Early Learning

Abstract

North Carolina has a Pre-Kindergarten teacher shortage approaching crisis levels. The North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten program (NCPK) provides funding, guidelines, and oversight for childcare centers that are not run by public school systems. NCPK requires lead teachers to have teacher credentials. During the pandemic, NCPK granted waivers to programs allowing them to use long term substitutes who are not licensed teachers. Not enough qualified teachers are currently filling lead teacher positions, leading to extensive use of long-term substitute lead teachers (LTS). The study investigates the severity of the shortage of licensed teachers and reports the perceptions of both center directors and the LTS population regarding their interest in teacher preparation programs, licensure, and ongoing support for their work as teachers.

Authors

• Qiao Liu, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Kristen E. Wright, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

• Richard G. Lambert, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Onima Vadakke Thodiyil, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Katherine Jiawen Ren, University of North Carolina - Charlotte