QUALITY OF LOCAL PUBLIC PRESCHOOLS

What should be done?
Problem: Attracting and Maintaining Qualified Staff
Solution: To attract and maintain qualified staff for Hawaii’s public preschools the government must improve teacher compensation. It is noted that preschool teachers earn much less than teachers in the state public schools. Preschool teachers only earn a mean hourly wage of about $13.00 while public school teachers earn a mean hourly wage of $19.40. This is a significant difference in wages of about $6.40. Preschool teachers cannot earn a proper living. Therefore, the salary should be increased drastically. Preschool teachers should be earning just as much as public school teachers. A rise in pay would no longer deter applicants from a position as a preschool teacher.
Also, to retain qualified staff, the government should start compensation initiatives. Compensation initiatives are programs that increase the benefits of early education teachers based on their attainment in education, their qualifications. This means that there would be a salary raise or bonus to those preschool teachers that earn a college degree or other special credential. To ensure that all public preschools have quality educators the government should provide the funds for teachers to attend special classes and get a college degree. University of Hawaii West Oahu has just begun offering a bachelor’s degree program in early childhood education meaning that the classes are now easily available. University of Hawaii West Oahu isn’t the only university offering this program, Chaminade also has this program. If the government were to fund this new initiative for better qualifications it would dramatically change the preschools. Most preschools if not all will have better learning environments, which will be created by more qualified teachers.

Problem: Lack of Attendance by Preschoolers
Solution: Currently, many three and four year olds aren’t attending preschool programs because of insufficient funds. Two-thirds of the jobs in Hawaii do not pay enough to meet the minimum level of income needed to support a family. On Oahu alone, less than fifty percent of three and four year olds have the finances to attend preschool. This is not only a problem on Oahu but on the neighboring islands as well. To get children to start attending preschool the state must supply the funds for all the needy children. This means that the state needs to start creating more public preschool facilities. Creating more public preschool facilities would allow the vast population of low-income children to attend preschool. Thus, there would become a need for additional preschool facilities.
To raise the attendance of three and four year olds in public preschool programs the public should also be made aware of the need for early childhood education. It is crucial for children to receive early childhood education because it gives them a head start into learning. Most children entering into public schools are years behind in learning. Therefore, the government should promote early childhood education through commercials and other advertisements or messages.


Problem: Need for Additional Preschool Facilities
Solution: Once all the children in every community begin attending public preschools there would be a tremendous need for and increase of preschool facilities. Thus, the state needs to start looking into expanding the number of preschools on the island. The state should use their funds to build new preschools in open state land. Another option would be to renovate old facilities to create better classrooms and better learning environments for the children. Many facilities are rundown and could use a renovation.
Since land is sometimes hard to find, the state could also place preschools within other state buildings. The state could combine preschools and public school buildings to create more early education centers. This could be a positive move to link the early education programs with the primary education programs. Linking these two programs would enable to children to smoothly transition into higher learning opportunities.


What should be done on the governmental level to help alleviate the “problems” this issue is creating?
-Create funding for preschools
-Create a board for early education
-Raise the salary of preschool teachers
-Recruit preschool teachers
-Provide training for preschool teachers
-Build and renovate facilities
-Raise awareness of the need for early childhood education
-Get the communities involved in early childhood education initiatives

What should be done on a societal level to help alleviate the “problems” this issue is creating?
-Donate money to preschools
-Donate learning tools/supplies to preschools
-Volunteer at community preschools
-Form associations advocating early childhood education