The AFT marked Worthy Wage Day, held each year on May 1, with a variety of activities to recognize and honor the hard work of early childhood educators and staff, and to draw attention to their low wages and minimal benefits.
"Early childhood educators and staff make it possible for parents to go to work every day and earn a living for their families," AFT president Randi Weingarten says. "Yet these workers' meager wages and practically nonexistent benefits barely allow them to make ends meet. There is widespread recognition that high-quality early childhood education provides an essential foundation for future learning. The average salary for early childhood educators remains less than $19,000, only one-third have health insurance and even fewer have a pension—making it unrealistic to attract and retain well-trained professionals in this field." An AFT fact sheet includes more details about the wages of early childhood workers.
To draw lawmakers' attention to these issues, the AFT ran a full-page ad on April 30 in Politico, a newspaper widely read by members of Congress and their staff. The ad features a letter from Weingarten to members of Congress in which she makes many of the same arguments about the importance of early childhood educators, and urges the lawmakers to pass a bipartisan resolution supporting National Early Educator Worthy Wage Day.
"The AFT supports using innovative compensation plans, such as career and wage ladders that provide monetary incentives including tuition reimbursements and stipends, to help and encourage early childhood educators to get additional training and professional development," Weingarten says. "This enables them to boost their wages and improve their ability to care for and teach children, which is good for both kids and educators."
Detroit hosted a special Worthy Wage Day event. At the World of Wonder Child Care Center, AFT Michigan president and AFT vice president David Hecker, along with staff from the center and local elected officials, toured the facility. They also presented an award to state Sen. Irma Clark-Coleman for her work to ensure small class sizes, fund full-day kindergarten and support early childhood education. [AFT press release, Leslie Getzinger/photo by Bill Burke-Page One Photography]
May 1, 2009
