Analysis: Public School Pre-K Teachers Are Professionals, But Aren’t Treated That Way
From pay to professional development to coordination with colleagues in higher grades, schools have a long way to go, study finds
States are investing in expanding their pre-K programs. More than 1.5 million children were enrolled in a state-funded pre-K in 2022-23, about twice the number who attended in 2002, and thousands more were in locally funded programs. An estimated 60% of public elementary schools now have a pre-K classroom. That adds up to 70,000 or more pre-K teachers working inside U.S. public schools — a growing workforce that warrants distinct consideration and research as states...