Beyond Caregiving: Reconceptualizing the Professional Identity of ECE (Early Childhood Education) Educators in California

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 1:45 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Identities, Pedagogies, and Practices in the Critical Early Childhood Teacher Workforce (Table 8)

Abstract

California’s educational landscape is transforming with the rollout of Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) and the PK-3 credential, highlighting a need to understand their implications for the professional identity of early childhood education (ECE) practitioners. Despite our cognitive development expertise, societal perceptions reduce our work to caregiving, undervaluing our knowledge. This study uses interviews, text analysis, and ethnographic observations with diverse ECE professionals to examine how societal biases related to gender, race, and class shape our professional identity. While these policies aim to elevate the profession, they risk marginalizing experienced educators, particularly women from BIPOC and immigrant communities. As an ECE practitioner-researcher, I advocate for a reconceptualization that supports and recognizes ECE professionals, enriching the educational experiences of California's youngest learners.

Author

• Sarah Elisa Stein, San Francisco State University