Early Childhood Educators See Higher Job Satisfaction, Point to Flexible Professional Development as Key to Retention and Growth

(via PR Newswire)

Annual survey of 2,700 early childhood educators conducted by Teaching Strategies examines  workforce conditions and trending topics like literacy instruction, child-facing technology and assessment

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 10, 2024)– Teaching Strategies, provider of early childhood education curriculum, assessment, professional development and family engagement solutions, today released findings from its annual survey of early childhood educators, revealing notable improvements in job satisfaction and a clear demand for meaningful, flexible professional development opportunities. This includes support to integrate child-facing technology into the classroom and to build foundational literacy skills in young children.

Unsurprisingly, 97% of early childhood educators report having a genuine passion for working with young children. This year, 78% report they are satisfied with their jobs, an increase from 73% in 2024. Likewise, those considering leaving the field within the next five years dropped to 20%, down from 26% last year.

While issues like compensation (45%), mental health concerns (41%), and workload (37%) continue to influence career decisions, a growing number of educators pointed to the lack of professional growth opportunities as a key factor contributing to their decision to leave their current school or program. Among those considering leaving their specific school or center—but not the profession—43% cited the desire for career advancement.

“Educators are telling us clearly that they love what they do, but they need high-quality resources and pathways to grow,” said Nicol Russell, chief academic officer at Teaching Strategies. “When professional development is flexible, accessible, and responsive to their daily challenges, it becomes a powerful tool not just for building new knowledge and skills but for workforce stability.”

The survey drew responses from more than 2,700 early childhood educators in its third year. Respondents included public/private preschool educators, Head Start educators, child care center educators, and public/private kindergarten educators. Among the additional key findings:

• There’s a growing preference for online, self-paced professional learning. This year, 65% of educators said they were interested in continued education, up from 57% in 2024. Asked about formats for that training, 66% said they prefer online courses they can take at their own pace, a significant increase from 61% in 2024 and 38% in 2022.
• Early childhood educators want more support to integrate child-facing technology into the classroom. While most early childhood educators (73%) believe child-facing technology can have great benefits when used appropriately, 41% of educators report they have not received sufficient training to support their use of  technology in the classroom. They also report the importance of boundaries, with 77% of educators agreeing child-facing tech is best used with clear time limits.
• Educators feel assessment is important but time consuming. Educators find assessment most valuable for understanding children’s developmental progress (33%) and individualizing learning (32%). Despite recognizing its value, 31% of educators report assessment “feels like just another thing I have to do.” Moreover, 29% of educators are spending 2-5 hours weekly on assessment activities.
• There remains limited familiarity with the science of reading among early childhood educators. While more educators expressed familiarity with the science of reading research since 2024, 33% still report they are “not familiar at all.” That said, 52% of educators overall feel “prepared enough” to teach reading and literacy skills. They expressed a desire for more educator materials and guides (36%), more reading-specific lessons and curricula (31%); better training (27%); and more time dedicated to literacy lesson planning (26%).

View more survey findings here.

The findings echo the feedback Teaching Strategies has gathered from educators in recent years to inform the evolution of its ecosystem of teaching and learning solutions.

Today, over 100,000 early childhood educators and administrators are active members of Teaching Strategies’ online professional learning community, which provides 24/7 unlimited access to a catalog of online courses with over 400 hours of research-based content including IACET-accredited courses including those required for CDA certification, live virtual classes, and an 8-week rapid onboarding bootcamp for new teachers. An extended version of the membership also offers an early literacy certification aligned to the science of reading.

About Teaching Strategies

Teaching Strategies is the leading provider of early childhood curriculum, assessment, professional development, and family engagement solutions. Its products, including the most widely used curriculum and assessment solutions, The Creative Curriculum and GOLD, are found in over 240,000 classrooms and more than 80 countries around the world and reach over 4 million children each year. A trusted partner and advocate for the early education community for 45 years, today Teaching Strategies connects teachers, children and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences, insightful data, stronger family partnerships, and robust professional learning through SmartTeach, the leading early learning platform.