DC now requiring day care workers to have college degrees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not a matter of whether or not people without college degrees can give good care to young children- of course they can. But it's a matter of wanting an extra layer of security and assurance that the specific childcare provider you are paying will do so. Education and training ensures that the childcare providers will have a strong understanding of child development, how to teach, how to encourage positive emotional development, etc.

Do some people understand these things innately without college? Yes, absolutely. But do you have any way of knowing that the person watching your child is one of those people? No, you don't.

The college degree requirement lets parents know that they are sending their child to someone with an understanding of the science behind child development and also someone who is committed enough and passionate enough about taking care of children to go through the process of getting the degree.

And how much are you willing to pay for that person with a college degree?
Do you think that someone with a college degree will work for $13-15/hour?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a matter of whether or not people without college degrees can give good care to young children- of course they can. But it's a matter of wanting an extra layer of security and assurance that the specific childcare provider you are paying will do so. Education and training ensures that the childcare providers will have a strong understanding of child development, how to teach, how to encourage positive emotional development, etc.

Do some people understand these things innately without college? Yes, absolutely. But do you have any way of knowing that the person watching your child is one of those people? No, you don't.

The college degree requirement lets parents know that they are sending their child to someone with an understanding of the science behind child development and also someone who is committed enough and passionate enough about taking care of children to go through the process of getting the degree.

And how much are you willing to pay for that person with a college degree?
Do you think that someone with a college degree will work for $13-15/hour?

...Not to mention having to pay back those college loans.

Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the college requirement is great, but I also think mothers should consider taking six months to a year off from work at a minimum to be home with their baby rather than put them in day care. The longer kids stay at home, the better. We need to value caregiving as much as we value working outside the home. Making a college degree a requirement is a step in the right direction.

Oh, yes please, I would absolutely consider this. You're going to hold my job for me and pay me my full salary for the year I'm out, right? Great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not a matter of whether or not people without college degrees can give good care to young children- of course they can. But it's a matter of wanting an extra layer of security and assurance that the specific childcare provider you are paying will do so. Education and training ensures that the childcare providers will have a strong understanding of child development, how to teach, how to encourage positive emotional development, etc.

Do some people understand these things innately without college? Yes, absolutely. But do you have any way of knowing that the person watching your child is one of those people? No, you don't.

The college degree requirement lets parents know that they are sending their child to someone with an understanding of the science behind child development and also someone who is committed enough and passionate enough about taking care of children to go through the process of getting the degree.

I SO SO disagree with this. This is the creeping credentialism mindset that has led us to the student loan debt fiasco and predatory for profits. Childcare does NOT at all require a 4 year degree; and there is no evidence that 4 year degrees will increase the supply of quality childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not a matter of whether or not people without college degrees can give good care to young children- of course they can. But it's a matter of wanting an extra layer of security and assurance that the specific childcare provider you are paying will do so. Education and training ensures that the childcare providers will have a strong understanding of child development, how to teach, how to encourage positive emotional development, etc.

Do some people understand these things innately without college? Yes, absolutely. But do you have any way of knowing that the person watching your child is one of those people? No, you don't.

The college degree requirement lets parents know that they are sending their child to someone with an understanding of the science behind child development and also someone who is committed enough and passionate enough about taking care of children to go through the process of getting the degree.

I SO SO disagree with this. This is the creeping credentialism mindset that has led us to the student loan debt fiasco and predatory for profits. Childcare does NOT at all require a 4 year degree; and there is no evidence that 4 year degrees will increase the supply of quality childcare.

Of course all the DCUM crowd thinks it should be a must. They can't type up all their credentials fast enough. Doesn't make you productive, empathetic, and good in a crisis. A degree is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the college requirement is great, but I also think mothers should consider taking six months to a year off from work at a minimum to be home with their baby rather than put them in day care. The longer kids stay at home, the better. We need to value caregiving as much as we value working outside the home. Making a college degree a requirement is a step in the right direction.

+1, absolutely. Totally worthwhile.

All I keep reading in this is "it'll cost too much, it'll cost too much".... criminy, what are your children worth, then?

So you have a large trust, a high earning DH, and/or a money tree in your back yard? Only way you could be that oblivious to the realities most people face. And something costing more does not always make it better, just as a degree does not necessarily make someone a better daycare worker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly does D.C. hope to accomplish with this new requirement?

To make kids safer and better cared-for?

Seems pretty obvious

Except having a teacher with a degree doesn't make a kid any safer or better cared for. If we were talking about CPR training or some other training specifically tied to the job you might have a point, but a degree (which could be in something wholly unrelated to childcare/early education) doesn't provide that.

I would much rather have a 50-year old with years of experience caring for kids (her own and others in a professional capacity) than a 22-yr old who happens to have a degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly does D.C. hope to accomplish with this new requirement?

To make kids safer and better cared-for?

Seems pretty obvious

Except having a teacher with a degree doesn't make a kid any safer or better cared for. If we were talking about CPR training or some other training specifically tied to the job you might have a point, but a degree (which could be in something wholly unrelated to childcare/early education) doesn't provide that.

I would much rather have a 50-year old with years of experience caring for kids (her own and others in a professional capacity) than a 22-yr old who happens to have a degree.

Exactly. No evidence to indicate otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly does D.C. hope to accomplish with this new requirement?

To make kids safer and better cared-for?

Seems pretty obvious

Except having a teacher with a degree doesn't make a kid any safer or better cared for. If we were talking about CPR training or some other training specifically tied to the job you might have a point, but a degree (which could be in something wholly unrelated to childcare/early education) doesn't provide that.

I would much rather have a 50-year old with years of experience caring for kids (her own and others in a professional capacity) than a 22-yr old who happens to have a degree.

I don't like creeping credentialism either but isn't the degree in child development / early education?

otherwise yes it's totally insane.

What DC should do is form a partnership with UDC, AU, Trinity, Catholic etc-subsidize this degree and have a 'payback requirement'. IE loan forgiveness for working two years in a DC daycare facility. This type of set up is common for school teachers. They should also grandfather current workers so they have time to do this, subsidize daycare for their kids while they do this, and of course expect salaries to rise and address the impact of that. Last, they should have a non-traditional route that accounts for those who have proven or can prove they have the skillset in other ways. Teachers have hated creeping credentialing as it has inadvertently kept as many good people out as in, and that should not be the result here.

[Anonymous]

Has D.C. identified exactly which skills they want from their mandatory college degree graduates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly does D.C. hope to accomplish with this new requirement?

To make kids safer and better cared-for?

Seems pretty obvious

Except having a teacher with a degree doesn't make a kid any safer or better cared for. If we were talking about CPR training or some other training specifically tied to the job you might have a point, but a degree (which could be in something wholly unrelated to childcare/early education) doesn't provide that.

I would much rather have a 50-year old with years of experience caring for kids (her own and others in a professional capacity) than a 22-yr old who happens to have a degree.

I don't like creeping credentialism either but isn't the degree in child development / early education?

otherwise yes it's totally insane.

What DC should do is form a partnership with UDC, AU, Trinity, Catholic etc-subsidize this degree and have a 'payback requirement'. IE loan forgiveness for working two years in a DC daycare facility. This type of set up is common for school teachers. They should also grandfather current workers so they have time to do this, subsidize daycare for their kids while they do this, and of course expect salaries to rise and address the impact of that. Last, they should have a non-traditional route that accounts for those who have proven or can prove they have the skillset in other ways. Teachers have hated creeping credentialing as it has inadvertently kept as many good people out as in, and that should not be the result here.

I understand the need for some level of training and education, but the CDA and associate degrees exist, and I'd like to know why those aren't adequate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly does D.C. hope to accomplish with this new requirement?

To make kids safer and better cared-for?

Seems pretty obvious

Except having a teacher with a degree doesn't make a kid any safer or better cared for. If we were talking about CPR training or some other training specifically tied to the job you might have a point, but a degree (which could be in something wholly unrelated to childcare/early education) doesn't provide that.

I would much rather have a 50-year old with years of experience caring for kids (her own and others in a professional capacity) than a 22-yr old who happens to have a degree.

I don't like creeping credentialism either but isn't the degree in child development / early education?

otherwise yes it's totally insane.

What DC should do is form a partnership with UDC, AU, Trinity, Catholic etc-subsidize this degree and have a 'payback requirement'. IE loan forgiveness for working two years in a DC daycare facility. This type of set up is common for school teachers. They should also grandfather current workers so they have time to do this, subsidize daycare for their kids while they do this, and of course expect salaries to rise and address the impact of that. Last, they should have a non-traditional route that accounts for those who have proven or can prove they have the skillset in other ways. Teachers have hated creeping credentialing as it has inadvertently kept as many good people out as in, and that should not be the result here.

I understand the need for some level of training and education, but the CDA and associate degrees exist, and I'd like to know why those aren't adequate.

Well an associate's degree is a college degree, and is what DC is now requiring. Assistants have to have CDAs.

I'm a director and honestly (and generally), there is a HUGE difference in the quality of care given by degree holding caregivers vs. non degree caregivers. And this just happened a few minutes ago: a CDA-holding assistant teacher at my center was asked to take an online training on SIDS. There was a simple 7 question quiz at the end, requiring a minimum score of 60% to pass. After 4 tries, she still had not passed so I sat down with her and reviewed the material and helped her take the test.

I thought this article was very enlightening:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/16/the-famous-word-gap-doesnt-hurt-only-the-young-it-affects-many-educators-too/?utm_term=.c6f19ce2321d

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly does D.C. hope to accomplish with this new requirement?

To make kids safer and better cared-for?

Seems pretty obvious

Except having a teacher with a degree doesn't make a kid any safer or better cared for. If we were talking about CPR training or some other training specifically tied to the job you might have a point, but a degree (which could be in something wholly unrelated to childcare/early education) doesn't provide that.

I would much rather have a 50-year old with years of experience caring for kids (her own and others in a professional capacity) than a 22-yr old who happens to have a degree.

I don't like creeping credentialism either but isn't the degree in child development / early education?

otherwise yes it's totally insane.

What DC should do is form a partnership with UDC, AU, Trinity, Catholic etc-subsidize this degree and have a 'payback requirement'. IE loan forgiveness for working two years in a DC daycare facility. This type of set up is common for school teachers. They should also grandfather current workers so they have time to do this, subsidize daycare for their kids while they do this, and of course expect salaries to rise and address the impact of that. Last, they should have a non-traditional route that accounts for those who have proven or can prove they have the skillset in other ways. Teachers have hated creeping credentialing as it has inadvertently kept as many good people out as in, and that should not be the result here.

I understand the need for some level of training and education, but the CDA and associate degrees exist, and I'd like to know why those aren't adequate.

Well an associate's degree is a college degree, and is what DC is now requiring. Assistants have to have CDAs.

I'm a director and honestly (and generally), there is a HUGE difference in the quality of care given by degree holding caregivers vs. non degree caregivers. And this just happened a few minutes ago: a CDA-holding assistant teacher at my center was asked to take an online training on SIDS. There was a simple 7 question quiz at the end, requiring a minimum score of 60% to pass. After 4 tries, she still had not passed so I sat down with her and reviewed the material and helped her take the test.

I thought this article was very enlightening:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/16/the-famous-word-gap-doesnt-hurt-only-the-young-it-affects-many-educators-too/?utm_term=.c6f19ce2321d

LOL.
Again, how does that affect her ability to take care of babies/infants?
Uneducated women have been taking care/raising kids from the beginning of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly does D.C. hope to accomplish with this new requirement?

To make kids safer and better cared-for?

Seems pretty obvious

Except having a teacher with a degree doesn't make a kid any safer or better cared for. If we were talking about CPR training or some other training specifically tied to the job you might have a point, but a degree (which could be in something wholly unrelated to childcare/early education) doesn't provide that.

I would much rather have a 50-year old with years of experience caring for kids (her own and others in a professional capacity) than a 22-yr old who happens to have a degree.

I don't like creeping credentialism either but isn't the degree in child development / early education?

otherwise yes it's totally insane.

What DC should do is form a partnership with UDC, AU, Trinity, Catholic etc-subsidize this degree and have a 'payback requirement'. IE loan forgiveness for working two years in a DC daycare facility. This type of set up is common for school teachers. They should also grandfather current workers so they have time to do this, subsidize daycare for their kids while they do this, and of course expect salaries to rise and address the impact of that. Last, they should have a non-traditional route that accounts for those who have proven or can prove they have the skillset in other ways. Teachers have hated creeping credentialing as it has inadvertently kept as many good people out as in, and that should not be the result here.

I understand the need for some level of training and education, but the CDA and associate degrees exist, and I'd like to know why those aren't adequate.

Well an associate's degree is a college degree, and is what DC is now requiring. Assistants have to have CDAs.

I'm a director and honestly (and generally), there is a HUGE difference in the quality of care given by degree holding caregivers vs. non degree caregivers. And this just happened a few minutes ago: a CDA-holding assistant teacher at my center was asked to take an online training on SIDS. There was a simple 7 question quiz at the end, requiring a minimum score of 60% to pass. After 4 tries, she still had not passed so I sat down with her and reviewed the material and helped her take the test.

I thought this article was very enlightening:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/16/the-famous-word-gap-doesnt-hurt-only-the-young-it-affects-many-educators-too/?utm_term=.c6f19ce2321d

LOL.
Again, how does that affect her ability to take care of babies/infants?
Uneducated women have been taking care/raising kids from the beginning of time.

Well, one of the questions on the quiz was regarding tummy time. She thought that tummy time meant putting a child to sleep on it's tummy as long as the child was supervised from time to time. So you drop your infant off, ask her to do tummy time with your child. Then be surprised when your kid who you put to sleep on her back suffocates in her crib at day care. Kids are at higher risk for dying from "SIDS" at daycare than they are at home, and one reason is that babies who are normally put to sleep on their backs at home then put on their stomachs at daycare are at higher risk.

Look, this person I'm talking about is wonderful with children. She really is. But do not pretend that her functional illiteracy does not impact her ability to do some child related tasks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly does D.C. hope to accomplish with this new requirement?

To make kids safer and better cared-for?

Seems pretty obvious

Except having a teacher with a degree doesn't make a kid any safer or better cared for. If we were talking about CPR training or some other training specifically tied to the job you might have a point, but a degree (which could be in something wholly unrelated to childcare/early education) doesn't provide that.

I would much rather have a 50-year old with years of experience caring for kids (her own and others in a professional capacity) than a 22-yr old who happens to have a degree.

I don't like creeping credentialism either but isn't the degree in child development / early education?

otherwise yes it's totally insane.

What DC should do is form a partnership with UDC, AU, Trinity, Catholic etc-subsidize this degree and have a 'payback requirement'. IE loan forgiveness for working two years in a DC daycare facility. This type of set up is common for school teachers. They should also grandfather current workers so they have time to do this, subsidize daycare for their kids while they do this, and of course expect salaries to rise and address the impact of that. Last, they should have a non-traditional route that accounts for those who have proven or can prove they have the skillset in other ways. Teachers have hated creeping credentialing as it has inadvertently kept as many good people out as in, and that should not be the result here.

I understand the need for some level of training and education, but the CDA and associate degrees exist, and I'd like to know why those aren't adequate.

Well an associate's degree is a college degree, and is what DC is now requiring. Assistants have to have CDAs.

I'm a director and honestly (and generally), there is a HUGE difference in the quality of care given by degree holding caregivers vs. non degree caregivers. And this just happened a few minutes ago: a CDA-holding assistant teacher at my center was asked to take an online training on SIDS. There was a simple 7 question quiz at the end, requiring a minimum score of 60% to pass. After 4 tries, she still had not passed so I sat down with her and reviewed the material and helped her take the test.

I thought this article was very enlightening:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/16/the-famous-word-gap-doesnt-hurt-only-the-young-it-affects-many-educators-too/?utm_term=.c6f19ce2321d

LOL.
Again, how does that affect her ability to take care of babies/infants?
Uneducated women have been taking care/raising kids from the beginning of time.

Well, one of the questions on the quiz was regarding tummy time. She thought that tummy time meant putting a child to sleep on it's tummy as long as the child was supervised from time to time. So you drop your infant off, ask her to do tummy time with your child. Then be surprised when your kid who you put to sleep on her back suffocates in her crib at day care. Kids are at higher risk for dying from "SIDS" at daycare than they are at home, and one reason is that babies who are normally put to sleep on their backs at home then put on their stomachs at daycare are at higher risk.

Look, this person I'm talking about is wonderful with children. She really is. But do not pretend that her functional illiteracy does not impact her ability to do some child related tasks.

Ok, so those without a college degree are illiterate? What?
See here director lady, I expect YOU to be well educated and running a clean and well managed facility. I expect you to set the standard of care. If you can't coherently explain to your workers the policy for preventing suffocation, lord help us all.