assignment

7.1 Staff: The Essential Ingredient

If you traveled across the United States and visited every early childhood program on your path, you would have a hard time finding any two that are exactly alike. From a preschool in rural Alaska where children wear snow boots on the playground, to a child care center in downtown Miami housed in a busy office tower, programs differ in so many ways—in size, location, hours of operation, philosophy, and structure. The one characteristic that all share is the importance of the staff and the relationships they build with children and families. More than facility, equipment, and materials, it's the people working in the program, caring for and teaching the children, who determine the quality and value of the services provided there.

As described in Chapter 1, research confirms that the staff is the most important ingredient in program quality. Hiring enough staff to maintain low teacher-child ratios and attracting staff with credentials and skills are among the leading indicators of quality (National Center for Early Development and Learning, 1999).

The responsibility of the early childhood administrator regarding staff is to serve as a mentor, a supervisor, and manager, and a coach. As a mentor, the administrator serves as a role model and provides advice and guidance to support professional growth. As a supervisor, the administrator sets clear expectations for staff members, evaluates their job performance, and provides feedback. As a manager, the administrator creates schedules and calendars that structure the staffing patterns in the program and ensure that there will be enough staff available to meet the children's needs. And as a coach, the administrator works with groups or teams of teachers and other staff members, facilitating communication and planning, as well as resolving conflicts. An effective leader of an early childhood program balances all these roles and responsibilities to create an environment where each employee can do her or his best work.

7.2 The Problem of High Staff Turnover

Early childhood administrators are responsible for attracting, hiring, training, and supervising quality staff members, from the office clerk to the food service aid to the classroom teachers. In the field of early childhood education, staff turnover is a chronic problem (Hale, Knopf & Kemple, 2006). According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the turnover rate among early childhood educators is roughly one third a year (2012d). This means that many early childhood administrators have to hire the equivalent of a completely new staff every three years.

Compensation Rates

The causes of turnover are complex. One primary reason is low compensation (NAEYC, 1997b). Despite the important role they play in the lives of young children, early childhood teachers and caregivers are among the lowest paid professionals in the United States. According to 2011 data from the U.S. Department of Labor, child care workers are paid less than most other workers, including parking lot attendants, janitors, and restaurant cooks.

As demonstrated in Table 7.1, preschool teachers also earn significantly less than kindergarten and elementary school teachers. At the administrative level as well, preschool and child care administrators earn less than their counterparts in elementary and secondary education.

Table 7.1: Average Salaries for Early Childhood Education Professionals

Table 7.1: Average Salaries for Early Childhood Education Professionals
Position	Average Salary
Child care workers	$21,320
Parking lot attendants	$21,600
Restaurant cooks	$23,410
Janitors	$24,800
Preschool teachers  (except special education)	$30,150
Kindergarten teachers  (except special education)	$52,350
Elementary school teachers  (except special education)	$55,270
Special education teachers  (preschool, kindergarten, and elementary)	$56,460
Education administrators  (preschool and child care center/program)	$51,290
Education administrators  (elementary and secondary)	$90,200

Not surprisingly, programs with the lowest turnover rates tend to be those with the highest compensation (Whitebrook & Sakai, 2003). Compensation means more than just salary; it also includes the benefits offered to employees such as paid time off and health insurance.

Focus On: The Worthy Wage Campaign

In 1991, the Center for the Child Care Workforce, an advocacy group that has since become part of the American Federation of Teachers, initiated the Worthy Wage Campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to draw attention to the importance of child care work and the urgent need to improve child care jobs.

Initially, the Worthy Wage Campaign was a grassroots effort led by early childhood professionals to advocate for the improvement of the compensation and work environments for the early care and education workforce. In many communities May 1 is still celebrated as Worthy Wage Day, and advocacy events such as rallies and visits to legislators are held that call attention to the importance of early childhood education and the dedication of its workforce.

In recognition of Worthy Wage Day in 2012, Jerlean E. Daniel, executive director of NAEYC issued the following statement:

For too long, the woefully low compensation of early childhood education professionals has been demeaning to those who work in this field, and has inhibited recruitment, ongoing training and education, and retention of high quality professionals. Worthy Wage Day is a time to draw attention to the importance of the work of early childhood professionals. We cannot expect high-quality early development and learning experiences for our young children unless we tackle the issue of fair compensation. (NAEYC, 2012d)

Job Stress

Working with young children can also be a very stressful job. The hours are long, and early childhood workers usually do not receive as many breaks and planning periods as educators who work with older children. For example, for a kindergarten teacher in a public school system, the school day usually runs from around 9:00 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m. During that time the teacher likely has several periods when he or she is not working directly with the children, such as gym class, art class, lunch, or recess. This time is designated as planning time or a break.

In contrast, an early childhood teacher working in a full-day child care center probably works a full eight-hour day directly with children, with just one break during nap. Most teachers and caregivers in early childhood programs do not receive paid planning time.

At the same time, workers are experiencing higher expectations as policymakers and legislators advocate for greater accountability for child outcomes and higher standards for teacher training and college-level coursework.

Job Satisfaction

Early childhood administrators often struggle to recruit qualified candidates, and when they are successful in hiring high-quality teachers, they must also work hard to keep them. Successfully reducing teacher turnover requires more than just raising salaries. To keep good employees, there must be a good fit between employee and program philosophy, mission, and vision (Sheerer & Bloom, 1990). Staff members are more likely to stick with their employer when they feel a sense of satisfaction in their work. This satisfaction comes from a feeling that the work has meaning, is appreciated, and is leading to growth and new opportunities (Bloom, 2000). A successful program administrator works hard to deepen employee satisfaction and create a culture that values and retains quality staff.

7.3 Staffing Schedules

Early childhood administrators create and manage staffing schedules that consider and balance a variety of key considerations. These considerations include providing adequate supervision of the children, especially during key transitions and caregiving tasks such as naptime or diaper-changing, and making an efficient use of staff by staying within the number of staff hours allocated in the program budget. The overarching goal is to staff the program in ways that ensure the safe supervision of the children during all hours of operation.

The primary measure of the standard of supervision is teacher-child ratios. As discussed in Chapter 3, state licensing standards determine the minimum requirements for the staffing of the program and the supervision of the children. Though the regulations vary from state to state, most licensing codes specify the minimum requirements for teacher-child ratios as well as the maximum number of children who can be enrolled in each classroom or in the entire facility.

Table 7.2: Teacher-Child Ratios
Age Category	Group Size
	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24
Infant
Birth to 15 months	1:3	1:4
Toddler/ Two (12–36 months)
12 to 28 months	1:3	1:4	1:4	1:4
21 to 36 months		1:4	1:5	1:6
Preschool
2 1/2-year-olds to 3-year-olds (30–48 months)				1:6	1:7	1:8	1:9
4-year-olds						1:8	1:9	1:10
5-year-olds						1:8	1:9	1:10
Kindergarten								1:10	1:11	1:12

Maintaining teacher-child ratios throughout the day is essential to the safety of the children. Child care programs are typically open for 10 or 11 hours while the standard work day for staff is 8 hours. This means that the work schedules for teachers and caregivers must be staggered to ensure adequate supervision at both the beginning and the end of the day. For example, the teachers who open the center may work 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Other teachers may work 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Some teachers may work a closing shift, such as 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The start and end times will vary according to the hours of the program and the numbers of children scheduled to attend during the first two hours and the last two hours the program is open each day. The early childhood administrator is responsible for tracking the projected arrival and departure times of children in each classroom and creating staffing schedules that will provide for adequate supervision at the beginning and ends of the day.

Administrators use teacher-child ratios as the starting point for determining the number of staff members needed for safe supervision, but there are other considerations as well. One important concept related to staffing is continuity of care. This is a plan that ensures that children experience as few changes as possible in the caregiving relationships. Ideally, each infant or child would have just one or two primary caregivers. Frequent changes in caregiver assignments throughout the day, the week, and the year can have a negative impact on children's sense of security and well-being (Lally & Tsao, 2004).

The continuity of care is especially important for infants and toddlers. For example, suppose baby Isabella is enrolled in a full-day child care program, and she arrives at the center at 7:30 a.m. Isabella is initially cared for in the Early Room, which is supervised by a float teacher, a teacher who is not assigned to one classroom but used to fill in gaps in coverage as needed. At 8:00 a.m. Isabella is moved to her regular infant classroom, which is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. by the assistant teacher with help from the assistant director. Finally, at 9:00 a.m. the lead infant teacher arrives. Isabella has experienced three transitions and caregivers before her primary caregiver even arrives at school. It may be hard for Isabella to feel secure when she is experiencing so many changes. The primary obstacle to providing continuity of care is that it usually requires hiring additional staff. It is more efficient and less costly to combine several classes of children together in one room at the beginning and end of the day than to staff each class with a familiar, consistent caregiver. One strategy for minimizing these kinds of changes is to have a morning primary caregiver who opens the program, and an afternoon primary caregiver who closes it. This reduces the number of caregiver relationships to two. If providing consistency of care is a program priority, administrators can build a primary caregiver structure into the plans for the daily schedule and budget accordingly.

When creating and managing staff schedules, administrators must also take into account the availability and preferences of individual staff members. For example, some teachers or caregivers may only be available for an early shift while others may prefer a later shift. Often these decisions are made based on seniority; the staff members who have worked at the program for the longest time are given first choice of shifts.

Another factor to consider is coverage for staff breaks and for staff absences. In full-day programs, breaks are usually scheduled during nap time. Sometimes additional staff, such as a float teacher, must be hired to help cover breaks. Administrators are responsible for setting up and overseeing a turn-taking plan that allows for staff breaks while still maintaining safe supervision of the children.

Administrators are also responsible for hiring and scheduling substitute teachers and caregivers when staff members are absent. In small programs the administrator might be the one to serve as a substitute.

7.4 Recruiting and Hiring Quality Staff

Providing enough staff for the safe supervision of the children and creating staffing patterns that ensure continuity of care are the essential building blocks of a staffing plan. But staffing an early childhood program is more than just putting the right number of people in the right places. Early childhood administrators are responsible for recruiting and hiring quality staff. To do so, first the administrator must ensure that the roles and responsibilities of each staff member are clearly defined.

Job Descriptions

Each position, as defined by a job description, should be defined in a way that supports the program's goals, mission, vision, and philosophy. A job description should be specific to the role but general enough to apply to every person in that role. Often positions are divided into categories, such as administrative, instructional, and support. Administrative positions might include the director and the office receptionist. Instructional positions might include lead teachers and assistant teachers. Support positions might include a food service aide, a janitor, and a bus driver.

Individual job descriptions may be included as part of the content of the program's personnel policies; or it may exist as separate, supplemental documents. The primary purpose of a job description is to define the roles and responsibilities of each position. The job description plays an important role in the recruiting and hiring process because it determines the qualifications and skills of the ideal candidates for the position, and it explains to the candidates exactly what will be expected of them.

A well-written job description can also help to define career paths within the early childhood program. For example, assistant teachers can view the job description of a lead teacher and see exactly what it takes to advance to a position with greater responsibility and a higher salary. Job descriptions can also play an important role in the evaluation of a staff member's job performance. The description of responsibilities can form the foundation for the evaluation process. Performance evaluations will be discussed in more detail later in this chapter.

Job descriptions and job postings for similar positions at other early childhood programs can also be used as benchmarks to help determine both minimal and optimal requirements, as well as help determine salary levels. Table 7.3 demonstrates the elements of a job description.

Table 7.3: Elements of a Job Description

Element	Description
Position title	The title of the position should be consistent among all staffmembers serving in the same  position in the same program. Forexample, some programs use the title "lead teacher" and  others" head teacher."
Position statement	Most job descriptions include a statement that describes theprimary purpose of the position  and its role within the program.
Supervision structure	The job description should state to whom this position reports.Also, if this is a supervisory  position, the job description shouldalso name which positions this person will supervise.
Minimum qualifications	Minimum qualifications are the lowest level of education and experience a candidate must  have in order to be considered forthe position. Often the minimum qualifications for a position  in alicensed early childhood program are the level required to meetstate licensing  requirements.
Salary range	Some administrators are reluctant to include a salary range on ajob description. The benefits  of doing so are that this ensuresconsistency and equity among staff members in the same position, and this transparency generates good will and trustfrom employees.
Essential duties	Each of the essential duties must be specific enough that it canbe measured in a job  performance review. For an early childhoodteacher, the essential duties will be related to the  supervision, guidance, and instruction of the children.
Nonessential duties	Every job includes tasks and responsibilities that are not essentialbut are still considered part  of the job. For an early childhoodteacher, nonessential duties are usually those that are  performedonly occasionally or those that are unrelated to the directsupervision of the children,  such as writing a monthly article forthe school newsletter or updating the classroom bulletin  board.
Minimum performance standards	The minimum performance standards are those job requirementsthat employees must  perform but are not part of the formalcredentials required for the position. For example,  in most states,licensing codes require that staff members who work directlywith children  must take a tuberculosis test and complete a healthexamination by a physician, indicating that  they are free ofcontagious illness and well enough to work directly with children.

Minimum performance standards may also include specific expectations regarding physical demands of working with young children: that the employee will be required to lift children, to sit on the floor, and to have the ability to speak and listen to children.

Including these job requirements in the job description may help prevent accusations of discrimination if the program chooses not to hire an applicant with a disability who is not able to perform these requirements.

In cases where an employee does not meet the expectations of the position, the information contained in the job description may be used later to discipline or terminate the employee. For this reason, the job description should be considered a legal document. Job descriptions should be reviewed and updated annually, ideally by a staff member, board member, or consultant with legal expertise. Any time there are changes in licensing standards or changes in program services or structure, job descriptions should be updated to reflect those changes. Figure 7.1 gives a description of what a preschool teacher's job description might look like.

Figure 7.1: Sample Preschool Teacher Job Description

Classroom Staff

In early childhood education, most of the positions administrators will recruit and hire are the teachers and caregivers who work directly with children in the classrooms. These are the people who interact with the children each day, providing direct services, the heart of the early childhood program. The titles for classroom staff vary, but most likely include some variation on "teacher," such as head, lead, float, or assistant teacher, co-teacher, classroom aid, or infant or lead caregiver (Figure 7.2).

The minimal qualifications for these positions will usually be determined by licensing requirements. Additionally, some qualifications may be related to the program philosophy or mission. For example, a Montessori program may require that teachers have received specific levels of Montessori training through the Association Montessori Inter-nationale (AMI).

Figure 7.2: Sample Assistant Infant Caregiver Job Description

Programs committed to providing a level of quality care and education that goes beyond minimal licensing requirements can look to accreditation standards for guidance. Even programs not seeking accreditation may use these higher standards to determine or influence the level of qualifications they seek for classroom staff as well as for administrators.

For example, NAEYC accreditation standards require that teachers have a minimum of an associate's degree and that at least 75% of the teachers on staff have at least a four-year college degree in early childhood, child development, or a related field. Accreditation standards also state that assistant teachers (who work under the direct supervision of another staff member) must have at least a high school diploma and at least 50% of the teaching assistants on staff have at least a child development credential (CDA). The recommendation for director is at least a 4-year college degree and at least 9 hours in college level coursework directly related to administration, leadership, and management as well as at least 24 credit hours in college level coursework related to early childhood education and child development (NAEYC, 2012a).

Support Staff

Hiring quality support staff is also important, as these employees are responsible for accomplishing specific roles and responsibilities in the program, such as the cook who prepares the meals or the janitor who cleans the classrooms. Although support staff positions, such as a janitor, do not work directly with children, all employees must be able to interact professionally and appropriately with families and children.

Support staff may include a wide variety of roles. Some positions, such as caseworkers and psychologists, may require academic credentials. Others, such as food service workers or maintenance staff, may require very little training or experience. The job descriptions for support staff may also list skills and experience that are different from the job descriptions of the administrative and classroom staff, such as the requirement that a cook have experience with food handling and sanitation (Figure 7.3).

Figure 7.3: Sample Support Staff Job Description

Hiring Staff

Most early childhood administrators spend a significant amount of time hiring staff. Administrators of programs with large staffs or of programs with a high turnover rate may find themselves working in hiring staff all year round. The hiring process includes six important steps: (a) recruiting, (b) screening, (c) interviewing, (d) demonstration of skills, (e) reference check, and (f) the job offer.

Recruiting

The first step is to announce the open position and spread the word to potential applicants. Administrators carefully consider where to post the position in order to attract the strongest pool of candidates based on the resources available in their community. Posting options may range from posting on websites for community groups or local early childhood organizations or posting paper flyers on the bulletin board of the local public library. The recruiting process involves making a plan for the application procedure, posting the position, and collecting applications from interested candidates.

Screening

Once candidates have applied for a position, the application materials must be screened to determine which applicants will be invited to interview. The screening process should be identical for each candidate, to avoid discrimination. An example of a screening process would be to start by eliminating any candidates who do not meet the minimal requirements for the position in terms of training, academic credentials, and experience. Additionally, candidates who submitted materials, such as a cover letter and resume, that were not presented in a professional manner, such as a cover that contains numerous spelling errors, may also be eliminated.

If the remaining pool of candidates is still too many to interview, the administrator could then select the candidates who have the most training and experience or those whose training and experience best match the philosophy and structure of the program. For example, an administrator hiring for a Head Start teacher might select just those candidates who have experience in a Head Start classroom.

Interviewing

The interview is the opportunity for both the employer and the applicant to gain information that will help determine if the position will be a good fit. Interview questions may be general, such as, "What interests you about this position?" Some administrators prefer to use behavioral interview questions, designed to elicit descriptions of the applicant's current skills and abilities in specific kinds of real-life situations. Behavioral interview questions are valuable because they demonstrate what the applicant is currently able to do, not just what they think they would do in the future (Carnegie Mellon, n.d.).

The following are examples of behavioral interview questions:

Tell us about a time you worked with an especially challenging child. How did you handle it?

Describe a time when you worked with a difficult parent. How did you handle it?

Tell us about a time when you planned an activity for children and things didn't go as expected. What did you do?

Give an example of a time when you had a conflict with a coworker. How did you handle it?

Describe an experience you've had creating a curriculum plan that you felt was a success. What did you do? What made it successful?

Demonstration of Skills

For positions that require teaching and supervising groups of children, part of the hiring process may include an opportunity to teach a lesson or interact with children. The director will observe the candidate and evaluate his or her skills with children. The structure for the demonstration may vary. The candidate could be asked to prepare a lesson on a particular topic or to bring in a favorite storybook to read aloud to the children. Or the session may remain open-ended, with an invitation for the candidate to sit with the children at the water table and make conversations with them as they play.

During the demonstration, the administrator or another person delegated to the task would observe the candidate and either take notes or complete a checklist prepared for that purpose, indicating the demonstrable qualities that would be most desired for that position. For example, the observer would look for evidence that the candidate was able to communicate with children using appropriate vocabulary, develop a friendly rapport with children, ask questions that promote creative and critical thinking, and respond to children's emotional and physical needs. Creating some kind of document describing the candidates demonstration, whether notes or a checklist, is important because it may be helpful later when comparing candidates for the final hiring decision.

Reference Check

When the pool of candidates has been narrowed down to just a few people, employers usually conduct a reference check that involves contacting previous employers who can provide information about the candidates' job performance history. Many employers have specific policies concerning what information can be shared about an employee's employment history and job performance. Former employees may require a signed release from the applicant before they will share any information. But many colleagues and mentors, if they have a positive opinion of the candidate, will readily speak on behalf of the applicant.

Unlike the reference check, which is optional, a background check is a required part of the hiring process for positions in early childhood education. The specific requirements and procedures for the background check will vary from state to state, but it usually involves checking to see if the individual has a criminal record. Some positions may also require a credit check or a verification of professional credentials and employment history. Most of these checks must be authorized in writing by the applicant.

Many organizations wait until the hiring process is finished before a background check is conducted, usually because of the cost involved. They don't want the expense of conducting a background check for a candidate that is not going to be hired. Other organizations make it a practice to not offer a position to an applicant until the background checks are fully cleared.

Another similar step in the hiring process is employment eligibility verification. The federal government requires that all U.S. employers complete and retain a form called the I-9 for every individual they hire. The form is required of both citizens and noncitizens. On the form, the employer must verify that the employee has presented documentation, such as a U.S. passport, a social security card, or a driver's license, indicating he or she is legally eligible to work in the United States. Employment eligibility verification is usually conducted after an applicant is hired, as part of the onboarding process, the completion of paperwork and orientation required at the time of hire.

The Job Offer

Once the employer makes a decision about which candidate to hire, an offer is made. Sometimes there is a period of negotiation between the candidate and the employer regarding salary, benefits, schedule, or level of responsibility. An initial offer may be made over the phone, but verifying the offer in writing, either electronically or on paper, through a formal hire letter, helps to ensure that the details of the position, such as salary and work schedule, are clearly communicated. Some administrators will also require that the candidate respond in writing, usually by signing a copy of the hire letter, to confirm acceptance of the position.

Case Study: Mountain View Child Development Center

Let's follow one administrator through the hiring process from beginning to end. Ginny Morris is the director the Mountain View Child Development Center, a nonprofit program providing full-day preschool and child care service for children between the ages of two and five. Recently, Ginny was sad to learn that Beth, the lead teacher in the fours room, was leaving the program to take a job teaching kindergarten in the local school system. Beth was the only teacher on staff at Mountain View who had a master's degree in early childhood education, and Beth had served as a mentor teacher for many years. Ginny is determined to hire a new teacher with similar credentials.

Recruiting

Before beginning the recruitment process, Ginny meets with the personnel committee of the board of directors. They agree with Ginny that they want to fill this position with someone who has exceptional professional experience, someone who can be a real leader on the teaching staff. The board bylaws specify that the role of the personnel committee is to consult with Ginny through the hiring process and serve as a search committee. The teacher who is leaving, Beth, has given only two week's notice, the minimum required in the personnel policies, so Ginny would like to act quickly. Two weeks is probably not enough time to complete a search process, so Ginny hires a substitute teacher to fill in after Beth leaves. This will give Ginny about four weeks to complete the search process and bring on the new teacher.

The recruiting procedure that Ginny has followed in the past was to require applicants to submit a resume and a cover letter. One of the board members suggests that in addition to requiring the resume and cover letter they should also ask applicants to write a statement of philosophy, describing his or her values and priorities in working with young children. Ginny likes this suggestion and agrees to implement it.

Ginny writes the opening of the job posting to include a "pitch" in the hopes of catching the attention of the best applicants. She crafts a paragraph that emphasizes opportunities for professional growth and autonomy.

This position is an opportunity for developing a progressive and innovative early childhood environment and curriculum to meet the needs of a diverse and thriving community of young children and their families. Every teacher at Mountain View has an active voice in the decision-making process regarding curriculum, practices, and policies. Our collaborative team meets regularly for planning, reflection, and professional development.

Ginny develops a job posting that is similar to a job description but shorter. The full job description will be distributed later, when applicants are invited to interview. The posting can be posted on job boards, both virtual and real, and distributed via email to colleagues in the field (

Additionally, Ginny wants to focus on recent graduates with master's degrees in early childhood education. There are three universities in the area that offer such a program. She considers hosting a reception for graduate students and alums that includes a tour of the facility and a presentation of job opportunities, but since she needs to fill the position quickly, she feels she doesn't have enough time to plan that kind of event. She makes a note to revisit the idea at a later date, as a way to build interest in her program for future hiring opportunities. Instead, she takes a stack of hard copies of the job postings and brings them to the advising offices and the department chairs at each of the local universities.

Screening

After the position has been posted for several weeks, Ginny has received application materials from 15 candidates. She and the chair of the personnel committee from the board of directors meet to review the materials and screen the applicants. They would like to narrow the list down to three or four top candidates to invite for an interview.

Out of the 15 applicants, 12 meet the minimum qualification of a bachelor's degree in early childhood education; however, only two candidates have an advanced degree. The personnel committee chair cautions Ginny against narrowing the pool to only two candidates and encourages her to take a closer look at the credentials of the other applicants. Ginny finds four applicants who are currently working on earning a graduate degree but have not completed the program.

Now Ginny has narrowed the pool to six applicants: two with graduate degrees and four who are in graduate school now. Next, she and the chair read each of the six resumes, cover letters, and statements of philosophy carefully. One of the six candidates has submitted materials that are poorly written. There are errors in spelling and grammar in both the cover letter and the philosophy statement. They decide to eliminate that candidate.

Another applicant has written a statement that is clearly in conflict with the philosophy of Mountain View Child Development Center. The applicant values a more academic and structured curriculum than the play-based curriculum offered at Mountain View. That candidate is also eliminated from the pool. This leaves four candidates. All four have submitted well-written philosophy statements that are consistent with the Mountain View values and philosophy.

Interviewing

Ginny will not be interviewing the applicants alone. The chair of the personnel committee will join her, as well as one of the current teachers on the preschool team. Ginny knows from previous experience that including the other teachers provides valuable insights on how the applicants will fit in with the other members of the teaching team. Including teachers in the hiring process also increases their own sense of commitment and investment in the program and contributes to their own professional development.

The members of the interview team will take turns asking the questions, and all three will take notes about the applicant's answers. Asking each applicant the same set of questions will make it easier to compare one candidate to the others and determine the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant.

Demonstration of Skills

The interview team invited the four final candidates for interviews. One of the four had already accepted another position and declined the interview. The other three were each interviewed for more than an hour. Afterward, the interview team discussed each candidate and decided to invite all three to continue to the next step in the process: the classroom visit.

At Mountain View, teaching candidates are asked to visit a classroom and accomplish two tasks: The first is to read a story aloud to the children during group time, and the second is to sit in the block area during free time to interact with the children and facilitate their play. This provides an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their skills working with children. Such an exercise can be valuable because an applicant may interview very well but not have a good rapport with children. By the same token, an applicant may have exceptional classroom skills that are not evident in an interview.

The applicants visited Mountain View on separate days, and Ginny observed all three. She wrote careful notes about what she observed regarding each candidate's rapport with the children, their ability to lead a story time and to ask the children open-ended questions, as well as their classroom management skills.

One applicant seemed especially reserved and hesitant with the children and did not demonstrate strong classroom management skills. The other two, however, were both very strong. Ginny and all the teachers who participated in the classroom visits felt that either of these candidates would be excellent choices for the position.

Reference Checks

Before she makes a final decision about which of the two candidates to hire, Ginny must check the references of both candidates. She chooses to contact the references by phone, so she can have a chance for a conversation with each individual. She uses a list of standard questions that she has prepared for this purpose (Figure 7.4).

Figure 7.4: Questions for Professional References

The Job Offer

Ginny conducts a background check for the two final candidates for the lead teacher position. All the references for both candidates are positive, but one of the candidates seems to rise above the other in terms of her leadership skills. Ginny calls a meeting with the personnel committee as well as the teachers who have been involved in the search for the new hire. Ginny presents information about both the final candidates and then makes her recommendation to hire the one with the strongest leadership skills.

The group supports Ginny's decision and agrees that if the top candidate does not accept the position, Ginny should offer the position to the second choice. They are all pleased that the process has yielded two excellent candidates and commend Ginny for conducting a thorough and thoughtful search.

Ginny calls the top candidate and offers her the position. They discuss specifics of the offer in detail: the salary, the benefits, the hours, and the school calendar. The candidate asks for 24 hours to consider the offer. The next day the candidate calls Ginny and accepts the position.

Focus On: ADA in the Workplace

Early childhood administrators are responsible for following ADA guidelines regarding hiring and employment. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is a federal law guaranteeing people with disabilities the same opportunities and access available to others. The law applies to transportation and facilities; requiring, for example, that public buildings are accessible to wheelchairs. The law also applies to the workplace. Employers can't disqualify someone for a position based on a physical or mental disability if the disability does not interfere with performance of the job as described in the job description (Guerin, 2012).

Employers must make "reasonable accommodations" for disabled workers. Accommodations may include adaptive equipment or modification of duties (U.S. EEOC, 2002). For example, if a teacher in a child care center experienced a disabling injury or illness that resulted in her being unable to lift a heavy toddler to a changing table, she could be reassigned to an infant room where she only had to lift small babies. Or the delegation of responsibilities in the classroom could be reassigned so that others on the team did the lifting and changing.

Paperwork: The Employee File

Once an employee is hired, an administrator will begin assembling an employee file, which includes a significant amount of paperwork. The contents of an employee's file are determined by many factors, including legal requirements and licensing regulations. Employee files are confidential and should be safely and securely stored.

The contents of employee files may include the following: documentation from the application process such as the employee's resume, references, and background check; copies of diplomas and college transcripts; training records such as certification of CPR and first aid training; a contract or hire agreement; job description and personnel polices with employee signature to verify that employee has received and read the documents; health records required by state and local agencies, such as verification of TB test and general health screening; emergency contact information; job performance history such as annual evaluations and performance reviews; professional development records; and acknowledgement of mandated reporter status (see Chapter 6 for more information about mandated reporters).

The employee file may also include records and forms related to employee benefits. If the employer offers a health insurance or a retirement plan, careful records of enrollment in these benefit programs must be maintained and updated.

Employee attendance must also be carefully documented; and days off are usually categorized as sick days, vacation days, or personal days. Many early childhood programs use software packages such child care manager or subscribe to online systems for keeping track of benefits and attendance.

7.5 Orientation

Once an employee is hired, he or she should go through a thorough orientation, which includes everything from a tour of the facility to introductions with the children, families, and teachers and demonstrations of important procedures. The main goal of the process is to pass along important information; but orientation also sets the tone for the future. In a positive and productive workplace, employees are oriented in a way that makes them feel welcome and reassures them that they have the information they need to do their job well, and they have been able to make positive connections with the people, including children, families, and other staff, with whom they will be working.

The orientation may be led by the director or delegated to staff members who will be responsible for training or mentoring the new employee. In some programs, each new staff member is assigned a buddy or partner who is designated as the contact person for answering questions and providing advice and guidance. If the program has a formal mentoring program, the new staff member may be assigned a mentor at that time. Mentoring will be discussed in greater detail later in this chapter.

Often a full orientation process will take several days or even several weeks. An orientation checklist is a helpful tool for ensuring that all important issues have been discussed (Figure 7.5).

Figure 7.5: Orientation Checklist

A Tour of the Physical Space

A tour of the building is often one of the first things to happen in the orientation process. The new employee needs to know where to park and where coats are hung and lunches are stored. A teacher needs to know in which classroom she or he will be working, where the materials are stored, and how to get to the playground. In large programs new employees may be provided with a map of the building and a written guide to the classroom assignments.

Introductions

The sooner the new employee is introduced to staff, families, and children, the sooner he or she can begin building positive relationships and becoming a productive member of the staff. The new employee may have met some of the other staff members during the interview and hiring process, but if the program has a large staff, it can be important to allow time for introductions during the building tour. The priority is introducing the new employee to the staff members with whom he or she will be working most closely. Some programs ask all employees to wear name tags during the orientation of a new staff member to ease the learning of names.

When a new employee will be working directly with children, it is important to give families advance notice of the change, either through a direct conversation, or via phone calls, emails, or newsletters or flyers. When families are well informed or even included in staffing decisions, they are more likely to feel comfortable and trusting of new relationships.

Young children adjust better to teacher changes when they are given a chance to meet the new teacher ahead of time and get to know him or her before the first day. A special classroom visit by the new teacher is one option. Another option is to invite families to an informal reception at the beginning or end of the class day. Refreshments could be served and families would have a chance to meet and talk with the new teacher in a relaxed setting.

Review of Expectations and Responsibilities

While a new employee may have read the personnel policies and staff handbook before the first day of work, the orientation process should still include a review of expectations and responsibilities with an opportunity to discuss details and ask questions about information not included in the written documents. This review should also orient the employee to the methods that will be used to evaluate job performance, such as a formal observation at the end of a probationary period. Ample time and opportunity should be given for new employees to ask questions to ensure that they fully understand their roles and responsibilities.

Demonstration of Important Procedures and Routines

Most jobs in an early childhood program are too complex to learn in one day. It may be helpful for the new employee to shadow an experienced employee for a few days so that the schedules, procedures, and routines can be demonstrated and observed. Then gradually parts of each process can be delegated to the new person, and he or she can be given an opportunity to perform the job responsibilities with direct supervision and support. As described in Chapter 3, instructions for important procedures and routines should also be documented in the staff handbook.

Follow-Up

No matter how carefully the orientation process is planned, it can be very difficult for new employees to remember and understand all the new information that is presented in such a short time. The director or another supervisor should check in with the new employee at regular intervals to see how things are going and give the new employee an opportunity to ask questions.

Many early childhood programs build in a probationary period as part of the personnel policies. During this period, the job performance of the new employee can be evaluated, and a decision can be made about extending employment. In some personnel policies, benefits such as paid time off are not available to new employees until they have served their probationary period.

7.6 Supervising Staff

The supervision process in an early childhood program means someone in a position of authority has the responsibility of observing, guiding, and directing other employees. This should be more than a passive process. In quality early childhood programs, supervisors actively support, guide, mentor, and evaluate employees. Teachers and caregivers work directly with children and are responsible for forming positive relationships with those children and their families—a demanding and sometimes stressful role that requires the active support of their supervisors.

Three of the most important ingredients in a successful supervisory relationship are evaluation, reflection, and conversation. The primary responsibility of the supervisor is to evaluate the job performance of the supervisee. This assessment is a combination of both formal and informal evaluation and for teachers usually covers all aspects of job performance, including the development and implementation of the curriculum.

Ideally, the supervisory relationship also nurtures reflection. Professional growth is best supported when teachers take an active role in setting their own goals for improvement. Reflection is necessary for self-assessment. A supervisory relationship that promotes reflection usually involves conversation—opportunities to discuss what is happening in the classroom and to consider areas of growth and improvement.

Staff Evaluation

In many workplaces a common practice for evaluating an employee's job performance is an annual review. Once a year a supervisor fills out a form and records the employee's strengths and weaknesses. The results are shared with the employee in a meeting, and the form is filed away in the staff files.

Among human resources professionals, as well as most early childhood professionals, there is a consensus that most workers benefit from more regular feedback about their job performance and that, ideally, employees should have an opportunity to self-assess and to create their own goals for professional growth and improvement (Figure 7.6).

Figure 7.6: Examples of Self-Assessment Questions for Teachers

Assessment

One key responsibility of the early childhood administrator is to evaluate the job performance of the teachers and other staff members under his or her supervision. The purpose of the evaluation process is to assess the employee's job performance and provide feedback and suggestions that will improve the quality of the employee's work and, in turn, improve the quality of the program.

Assessment can be both informal and formal. Informal assessment consists of the day-to-day observations and conversations that take place between supervisors and staff members. When a director visits a classroom and spontaneously compliments the teachers on the detailed documentation of children's learning that are on display in the room, that is an example of informal assessment. Formal assessment, in contrast, includes an organized and documented process that employs specific assessment tools and procedures.

Assessment may also be summative or formative. Summative assessment reflects the abilities or accomplishments of an employee's job performance in regard to a set of specific criteria. It is the "summing up" of the employee's work at that point in time. An annual performance review is an example of a summative evaluation. In contrast, formative assessment is an ongoing evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses; the results are used to promote growth. Formative assessment "forms" and shapes the employee's plans and goals for the future. A teacher or staff member's self-evaluation and reflections, as discussed in regular supervisory meetings, are formative in that they are an effective way to promote growth.

Some of the methods for assessing job performance include checklists, rating scales, and narratives. These are all used in conjunction with direct observation, which is necessary to accurately evaluate an employee's job performance. Observation is one of the best ways to gather information about a teacher or caregiver's job performance since so many of the responsibilities, such as leading story time or serving snack, can only be demonstrated in the classroom through actions and conversations. Frequent and lengthy observations yield the best results.

Portfolios are a valuable complement to observations. A teaching portfolio is a collection of materials such as photographs, student work samples, lesson plans, and notes from parents that demonstrate an employee's strengths and accomplishments. Any teacher may choose to create a professional portfolio, but in some programs portfolio assessment is part of the program's formal practice, and portfolios are used in supervisory meetings to review and discuss job performance.

Goal Setting

Just as travelers need maps to know where they are going, employees in early childhood programs need goals to direct their professional growth. Supervisors work with staff members to create and review goals on a regular basis, usually as part of an annual or semi-annual evaluation of job performance. Ideally, goal setting is a collaborative process; both the supervisor and the employee have input into the content of the goals.

Goals should be specific and measurable. A teacher may state that she wishes to improve her classroom management skills, but a wise supervisor will help the teacher shape her goal in order to make it specific enough that she will be able to measure her success after a few weeks or months. For example, rather than setting a goal to "direct the children's attention to cleanup tasks," a director might recommend a goal to "introduce a cleanup song to transition between free play and lunch." After a few weeks, the teacher and her supervisor will be able to determine if the teacher has consistently met her goal and then discuss whether adding a song to the transition has indeed improved classroom management during cleanup time.

Goals also provide a focus for planning professional development activities. For example, if a teacher's goal is to improve her ability to create challenging curriculum activities in the area of math, the administrator could arrange for the teacher to attend a course or workshop on the topic of early math curriculum.

Reflection and Conversation

Conversations between a supervisor and an employee about the employee's job performance are confidential and should take place during one-on-one meetings. Most early childhood professionals benefit from informal supervisory meetings on a regular basis, ideally each week, not just when there's a problem to discuss. One successful model for these meetings is a method called reflective supervision or relationship-based supervision. In reflective supervision, the supervisor and supervisee meet regularly and have conversations about the supervisee's work, developing a collaborative, reciprocal, reflective, and trusting relationship (Pflieger, 2002).

In early childhood education, best practice follows the social learning theories of Lev Vygotsky; learning takes place in the context of relationships. In relationship-based supervision there is a parallel process between the way supervisors work with teachers and the way teachers work with children. It follows that when supervisors support and challenge teachers in ways that support learning and growth, those same teachers will support and challenge children in ways that also support the children's learning and growth.

Some of the characteristics that define relationship-based supervision include trust; shared goals; commitment to growth, change, and reflection; respect for staff; open communication; and standards and a vision for staff to strive toward (Heller & Gilkerson, 2011).

During reflective supervision, teachers and supervisors collaborate in conversations about improving practice, focusing on meeting the needs of the children and families. Having an open dialogue depends upon the supervisor's ability to facilitate a discussion, communicate openly, and listen well. When the supervisor is able to ask open-ended questions, listen carefully to the responses, and offer affirming and supportive feedback, not only is the supervisor able to encourage reflection and growth, she is also modeling techniques for solving problems and building trusting relationships in the classroom.

Reflective supervision works best in organizations where reflection and conversation are valued. Meeting one-on-one takes time, and it takes a commitment for administrators to build this time into a busy schedule. Reflective supervision also works best when the supervisor has classroom teaching experience and is able to spend time in the classrooms observing teachers and becoming familiar with their challenges and their strengths.

Professional Development

The term professional development refers to structured learning experiences, such as workshops and classes, attended by early childhood professionals. Ideally, this is a career-long process planned to support specific goals and produce optimal and measurable learning outcomes.

How an early childhood program supports and organizes the professional development of the staff contributes to the culture of the workplace. Early childhood administrators should be intentional and strategic in planning and implementation of professional development activities to ensure that they help to meet the goals of each staff member.

Professional development can include on-site activities such as mentoring, consultation, and staff meetings. Off-site activities include professional conferences and seminars and enrollment in continuing education courses or degree programs. For example, many local affiliates of NAEYC offer professional development conferences, such as the Arizona AEYC annual conference that includes a day of workshops for early childhood practitioners.

While the cost of college courses can be prohibitive, many programs will subsidize tuition if they are not able to fully fund the courses. Grants and scholarships are often available through state quality enhancement initiatives. An example of this is T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Minnesota scholarship program (Child Care Aware of Minnesota, 2012).

An Infrastructure to Support Professional Development

Professional development activities require resources, such as funding and staff time. Early childhood administrators should take advantage of every opportunity to collaborate with other programs and agencies to access professional development resources. In recent years, an administrator's work to access resources has become a bit easier, as many states have started initiatives to create infrastructures to support the professional development of early childhood professionals. The NAEYC has developed a task force to support the work of these efforts, a group called the Early Childhood Workforce Systems Initiatives.

This initiative assists states in developing policies that will create and maintain an integrated early childhood professional development system for early childhood professionals at all levels, from classroom aides to master teachers and even administrators. An integrated system is more efficient because it decreases duplication of efforts. An integrated system also increases opportunities to develop a competent early childhood workforce and sustain it over time.

Advocates for an integrated professional development system are focused on developing professional standards that define what it means to be prepared to work with children. The system should include career pathways, a plan for creating opportunities for increasing qualifications and advancing into new roles in the field. Another important focus is funding. The agencies that oversee the system need financing, from both public and private sources, in order to operate the system and provide professional development opportunities for the professionals in the system (NAEYC, 2012c).

Staff Meetings

Staff meetings are one way to increase opportunities for professional development. Weekly or monthly staff meetings can be used for collaboration, team building, and learning. Often the greatest challenge to early childhood administrators is scheduling the meetings. A staff meeting held during the 10 to 12 hours of operation of a typical daycare requires substitutes to staff the classrooms. Some programs overcome these obstacles by scheduling separate team meetings during nap time and having the teams take turns supervising each other's nap rooms.

Finding an opportunity when every staff member can attend a meeting often means scheduling meetings for evenings or weekends. Another option is to regularly close the school for teacher in-service, on-site staff training sessions, though this option can be very inconvenient to working families.

Administrators can use staff meetings as time for active learning and collaboration, often using dialogue and interactive workshops that provide opportunities for problem solving, role playing, and applying theory to practice. The time shouldn't be wasted on announcements or logistics that can be accomplished through other methods.

Many resources are available to support efforts to train and coach staff toward continual reflection and improvement. One example is Training Teachers: A Harvest of Theory and Practice by Margie Carter and Deb Curtis (2002). Carter and Curtis write,

Teachers need to understand the complexities and forces that impact their roles, getting past the urge for quick fixes and recipes. We want to help them find joy in the challenge of this work and develop a desire to continue growing and learning themselves. (Carter & Curtis, 2002)

Off-Site Conferences and Workshops

The annual budget for an early childhood program should include funds devoted to sending staff to conferences and workshops. Regional, state, and local chapters of the NAEYC frequently sponsor early childhood conferences throughout the United States. Colleges and universities may also host conferences and workshops. Early childhood administrators are responsible for gathering information about these opportunities, communicating them to staff, and encouraging them to attend.

The benefits of attending off-site conferences and workshops extend beyond the learning that takes place during each session. The events are also opportunities for staff members to experience what it is like to be part of a larger professional community. It's easy to feel isolated working in the same classroom every day, year after year. When teachers and caregivers participate in professional development activities outside their programs, they gain a sense of collegiality and experience the affirmation of knowing they are part of something much larger than themselves. Staff members can also be encouraged to take on leadership roles in professional associations and to develop their own leadership skills through presenting workshops and leading conference sessions.

Continuing Education

Nothing has a more lasting impact on advancing the career of an early childhood professional and improving the quality of services than continuing education. Research demonstrates that when early childhood professionals have specialized education and credentials, children benefit (NAEYC, 2009b).

Unfortunately, cost is one of the biggest obstacles to seeking degrees and taking courses. Many states offer scholarships, such as the T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) for currently employed early childhood workers. Such programs can help provide access to educational opportunities for preschool teachers, child care center directors, teachers and aides, and child development home providers working in regulated programs (T.E.A.C.H. Iowa, n.d.).

Disciplining Employees

One of the most difficult challenges faced by early childhood administrators is supervising an employee who is not meeting expectations. Usually orientation, coaching, mentoring, training, and reflective supervision provide enough supports for teachers and caregivers to thrive and do their best work. Occasionally, however, a staff member struggles. When this happens, the early childhood administrators need clear expectations in the program's personnel policies to guide their work.

A well-written staff handbook should clearly state the consequences, including disciplinary actions and potential grounds for termination, for an employee who does not meet expectations. A staff discipline policy may be progressive, which means that it explains the process supervisors will follow if the problems persist. The process may include a verbal warning, a written warning, a written improvement plan, a probationary period or administrative leave with or without pay, and, finally, termination.

What Would You Do?

Maya Garcia is the director of a full-day preschool program. One of the assistant teachers, Denise, is very well liked by children and families. Denise has an outgoing personality and a fun sense of humor. In fact, several families have hired Denise to work as an occasional babysitter for their children. Maya appreciates the great rapport Denise has with the families but knows from observing Denise that she has a lot to learn about best practice and professionalism. On several occasions Maya has had to ask Denise to put away her cell phone because she was texting on the playground.

Over the past few weeks there has been some tension growing between Denise and Roxanne, the lead teacher. Denise has been questioning Roxanne's decisions regarding the curriculum plans, and at a staff meeting Maya heard Denise tell Roxanne that she "always makes a big deal out of everything. You should just relax once in a while." The next day, Roxanne comes rushing into Maya's office. She reports that when she asked Denise to stack the cots after naps, Denise became angry and refused to do it. Maya has never seen Roxanne, a seasoned professional, so agitated and upset. Roxanne then explains that Denise insulted her in front of the children.

If you were in Maya's position, what would you do?

Disregard what Roxanne has reported. You can't discipline a teacher based on word of mouth.

Reassign Denise to another classroom so Roxanne doesn't have to work with her anymore.

Investigate the report by interviewing Denise and Roxanne individually and documenting their responses. If the interviews show that Denise was at fault, give Denise a written warning stating that if there are any additional problems with her work, she will be let go.

Terminate Denise's employment immediately. This kind of disrespectful behavior in front of the children is absolutely unacceptable.

Click here for explanation.

Employment law varies from state to state. Many states subscribe to at-will employment, which means that either party, the employer or the employee, may terminate the relationship at any time with no liability or legal consequence. The exceptions to this rule include cases when the action can be proven to be discriminatory or when the employee is a member of a union. Early childhood administrators may need to consult with an attorney who specializes in employment law to determine appropriate policies and actions.

In the event of having to terminate an employee, an early childhood administrator must help staff and families recover from the change. The administrator should let staff and families know that the staff member is no longer employed with the program and let them know what plans are in place to replace the staff member in the short and long term. Administrators should also be open to listening to concerns and questions from staff and families during the transition.

All information about a staff member's job performance and job status is confidential, and administrators must strike a balance between keeping everyone informed about the staff member's departure and avoiding discussing inappropriate information. During these difficult times the administrator must model professionalism, provide reassurances and support to staff and families, and keep the program's priorities, values, and vision at the forefront.

Gadzikowski, A.  (2013).   Administration of early childhood education programs (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. .  San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.