Understanding Early Educators’ Responses to the Coronavirus Pandemic: Lessons from Large-Scale Surveys in Louisiana

• In Event: Educating the Youngest Learners During the Pandemic: The Impacts of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Education

Abstract

The COVID-19 or coronavirus pandemic, which arrived in the United States in early 2020 has had a profound impact on early education. By late March 2020, school-based pre-kindergarten around the United States had entirely shut down, as had federally-funded Head Start and Early Head Start. Working parents could now only send their children to privately-run child care centers, about half of which shut down soon after the pandemic started. As the economy has re-opened, child care programs have had to grapple with the financial challenges of new regulations—changes to operating procedures, the provision of new supplies, etc.—as well as navigate concerns about provider health and wellbeing.

A number of surveys of child care leaders and center directors have highlighted the financial challenges many child care centers are facing, and raise questions about centers’ ability to stay open under new COVID regulations (e.g., Bipartisan Policy Center, 2020; NAEYC, 2020). Much less is known, however, about the COVID-19 experiences of the teachers caring for and teaching children in child care centers. Young children grow and develop primarily through the small, everyday interactions they have with their teachers and caregivers (Hamre, 2014), and the quality of these interactions is largely dependent on the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of early educators (Buettner et al., 2016; Ota et al., 2012; Sandilos et al., 2015). Teachers experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, or depression are less able to meet children where they are and appropriately scaffold interactions to support development.

To ensure that COVID-19 does not have a negative impact on young children, it is essential to understand child care teachers’ experiences with COVID-19. This study leverages data from two waves of a large-scale survey of child care teachers (N~400) taken during COVID-19; one early in the pandemic (April 2020) and one after re-opening (October 2020) to document (1) what teaching and learning looks like in ECE classrooms during COVID-19 and (2) the financial and emotional wellbeing of early educators. Survey response rates for the first wave of data collection was 60%.

Preliminary findings from the first wave show that early educators made several changes to their classroom and program practices to prioritize the safety of children and families (see Figure 1). In addition, the first wave of data shows early educators struggled financially and emotionally. Nearly three-quarters of teachers reported that it was at least somewhat difficult to live on their current household income, and about 50% of teachers reported at least some level of food insecurity (Table 1). Finally, 38% of teachers reported clinically-relevant levels of depressive symptoms. Data from the second round of the survey will re-assess teacher wellbeing and more specifically assess changes in classroom practices, including curriculum and assessment use.

These data will inform policymakers designing targeted supports for the child care sector. It is essential to understand child care teachers’ experiences with COVID-19, to target needed supports and mitigate negative impacts both for the educators themselves and the children and families who rely on them.

Authors

• Anna Markowitz, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author

• Daphna Bassok, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Molly Michie, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amy Smith, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author