Right now, at preschool programs around the country, teachers are tapping infinite reserves of patience to keep the peace among children at various stages of development and need. They're also providing meals, wiping noses and delivering a curriculum in math and reading that will get the kids ready for school.
And there are hugs. Lots of hugs.
A working parent like me would say these services are priceless. But according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, the economy values them between $8.63 and $20.99 per hour.
That wide range depends largely on location and classification. Child care workers, who are more likely to work with younger children and in homes, have seen their real wages drop by a penny an hour compared with 1989, when this study was first conducted — from an average of $8.63 in West Virginia to $12.47 in Massachusetts. Preschool workers, who are more likely to work with older children in licensed centers and in publicly funded, school-based programs, earn more — from $11.57 an hour in Delaware to $20.99 in New York City.
[For more of this story, written by Anya Kamenetz, go to http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/20...still-a-dead-end-job]
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