Preparing Pre-K Teachers: Policy Considerations and Strategies

Children across the nation lack access to high-quality pre-K programs that can support their development and build foundational skills for elementary school. The pandemic set pre-K enrollment and funding back further, with an enrollment decline of nearly 300,000 children and state spending remaining relatively flat. As children and families return to public pre-K, state policymakers must focus on investing in program expansion and strengthening quality. Those efforts should start with a pre-K teacher workforce that is well prepared and fairly compensated.

Teacher preparation is quickly changing, with new models emerging to develop more accessible, affordable, flexible pathways. We will describe four of these approaches: allowing community colleges to confer bachelor’s degrees, supporting paid work-based training through registered apprenticeships, funding grow-your-own programs that remove barriers for teachers within communities, and encouraging institutions of higher education (IHEs) to collaborate on developing aligned, articulated pathways.