Early Childhood Education Work
In early March, Jen and I went to an Early Childhood Education conference in Sacramento (ECE; means ages 0-5). Lisa Murphey, the Ooey Gooey Lady, was the keynote speaker. She talked about her experiences running her own home daycare. We laughed about the parents who try to drop their kids off early, and the ones who habitually pick up late (often the same ones), and how amazing it was that people started paying her on-time after she married a big burly guy and he started working with her. She also talked about the skewed ideas that people have about daycare work, like the time a mother dropped off her kid and two big bags of laundry. She told Lisa, “I figure that you’re here all day.”
Flash forward to November, and Jen and I are at the California Child Development Corps statewide meeting in San Leandro. A group of 40 ECE home and center workers gathered to work on building the profession, networking, and creating an action plan for the year. I don’t think anyone in that room had less than a B.A. degree, and several had M.A.s. We all groaned together when we were told that someone with a two year nursing degree could land a $40,000 a year job, with benefits. That compared to the $8-$12/hour ECE work pays (often with no benefits). I spoke with one woman who, when she complained at her center, was told that she should leave child care in order to get better pay now that she has a BA.
In other words, we want our children cared for by those with little education and low pay expectations. We pay janitors and house cleaners more than we pay the typical 0-5 child care worker. And this is even though the research clearly shows that the first five years of a child’s life are the most important for future academic success. We left with a healthy respect for the amount of work needed to make any real change for society’s youngest. And a determination to try anyway…..
Brad and Nikki Finally In Same State
After a year and a half of living 2,000 miles apart, Brad packed up his house of 13 years and moved from Milwaukee to Chico. I found a cozy apartment in an old Victorian house that has been split up into units. We live in a cool neighborhood near downtown. Our expenses went up and Brad’s income went down, a difficult adjustment for us both. On top of that, Brad was grieving the loss of his family, his close friends, his successful job, and his ability to smoke indoor anywhere, so it was a hard fall for him.
I had the chance to take a part time job with the Butte Environmental Council (BEC) for better pay than the daycare, so I cut back my ECE work and started at BEC in October. The work is challenging, trying to organize a fairly disorganized office, and rework outdated and ineffective systems. I like this kind of work. However, as the months have gone by, more and more duties have been piled onto my list, overfilling my work hours and leaving more undone than done every day. Mostly this is due to the way the place is managed. That and a toxic organizational environment have pushed me to look for a different job. It hurts my heart to say this, but I will also be leaving the ECE field entirely as soon as I am able to find a “real” job (a living wage and maybe even benefits!).
Because of all of these difficulties, living together again with Brad has been challenging. I think we both thought the transition would be easier than it was. Even so, we made it through and are back in sync. I am very happy that he is here living with me.
Down Economy an Opportunity
As all of you know, the economy sucks. Budgets are tight all around, and nonprofits are starting to feel the pinch. Chico has one homeless shelter and it lost a $200,000 grant this fall; it is likely it will have to close. Stories like this are everywhere, brooding like storm clouds.
And yet, signs of giving still peek through. A couple of weeks ago my mom and I saw a guy go out of his way to flag down a homeless man so he could give him a sweat shirt. I know a woman going through a divorce who, even so, has started keeping an elderly woman company and assistance. Almost everyone at my church has been generous with their time and their money, making sure that we can keep doing the work that we do. Sure, we are all stressed, but aren’t we in this together?
And that is the key, I think. We have had recessions before. We will get through it somehow. That isn’t the point. The point is what we do with this opportunity. We have a beautiful chance right now to grow closer, to make our connections deeper, to build real community based on a new idea of shared responsibility for and care of each other. Don’t we all deserve food and shelter and a little something of beauty in our lives?
When times are tight, we are tempted or forced to sacrifice the beauty; some of us may be forced to sacrifice shelter and food. If we pull together, if we share what resources we have, if we let others help us where we need it, and we help others where we can, then no one will have to lose the basics, and no one will have to go without some beauty in their lives.
Hope for the Future
Jen recounted this toddler story the other day: “Aarish once again bit Caitlyn. I knew I needed to try something different so I said to Aarish, “Aarish—Caitlyn is hurt and she needs your help. Please take her inside and help her clean her owie.” He took her hand and as they were walking off together, he asked her, “Caitlyn, what happened?” Caitlyn responded, “You bit me Aarish.” “I’m sorry,” he said, as he continued to help her inside.”
As we move into 2009 and a whole new Presidency, I have hope. I have hope that we will try something a little different. I have hope that we will use this time of struggle to break down some of the roles and rules that keep us separated and powerless. I have hope that we can build deeper, closer community.
In early March, Jen and I went to an Early Childhood Education conference in Sacramento (ECE; means ages 0-5). Lisa Murphey, the Ooey Gooey Lady, was the keynote speaker. She talked about her experiences running her own home daycare. We laughed about the parents who try to drop their kids off early, and the ones who habitually pick up late (often the same ones), and how amazing it was that people started paying her on-time after she married a big burly guy and he started working with her. She also talked about the skewed ideas that people have about daycare work, like the time a mother dropped off her kid and two big bags of laundry. She told Lisa, “I figure that you’re here all day.”
Flash forward to November, and Jen and I are at the California Child Development Corps statewide meeting in San Leandro. A group of 40 ECE home and center workers gathered to work on building the profession, networking, and creating an action plan for the year. I don’t think anyone in that room had less than a B.A. degree, and several had M.A.s. We all groaned together when we were told that someone with a two year nursing degree could land a $40,000 a year job, with benefits. That compared to the $8-$12/hour ECE work pays (often with no benefits). I spoke with one woman who, when she complained at her center, was told that she should leave child care in order to get better pay now that she has a BA.
In other words, we want our children cared for by those with little education and low pay expectations. We pay janitors and house cleaners more than we pay the typical 0-5 child care worker. And this is even though the research clearly shows that the first five years of a child’s life are the most important for future academic success. We left with a healthy respect for the amount of work needed to make any real change for society’s youngest. And a determination to try anyway…..
Brad and Nikki Finally In Same State
After a year and a half of living 2,000 miles apart, Brad packed up his house of 13 years and moved from Milwaukee to Chico. I found a cozy apartment in an old Victorian house that has been split up into units. We live in a cool neighborhood near downtown. Our expenses went up and Brad’s income went down, a difficult adjustment for us both. On top of that, Brad was grieving the loss of his family, his close friends, his successful job, and his ability to smoke indoor anywhere, so it was a hard fall for him.
I had the chance to take a part time job with the Butte Environmental Council (BEC) for better pay than the daycare, so I cut back my ECE work and started at BEC in October. The work is challenging, trying to organize a fairly disorganized office, and rework outdated and ineffective systems. I like this kind of work. However, as the months have gone by, more and more duties have been piled onto my list, overfilling my work hours and leaving more undone than done every day. Mostly this is due to the way the place is managed. That and a toxic organizational environment have pushed me to look for a different job. It hurts my heart to say this, but I will also be leaving the ECE field entirely as soon as I am able to find a “real” job (a living wage and maybe even benefits!).
Because of all of these difficulties, living together again with Brad has been challenging. I think we both thought the transition would be easier than it was. Even so, we made it through and are back in sync. I am very happy that he is here living with me.
Down Economy an Opportunity
As all of you know, the economy sucks. Budgets are tight all around, and nonprofits are starting to feel the pinch. Chico has one homeless shelter and it lost a $200,000 grant this fall; it is likely it will have to close. Stories like this are everywhere, brooding like storm clouds.
And yet, signs of giving still peek through. A couple of weeks ago my mom and I saw a guy go out of his way to flag down a homeless man so he could give him a sweat shirt. I know a woman going through a divorce who, even so, has started keeping an elderly woman company and assistance. Almost everyone at my church has been generous with their time and their money, making sure that we can keep doing the work that we do. Sure, we are all stressed, but aren’t we in this together?
And that is the key, I think. We have had recessions before. We will get through it somehow. That isn’t the point. The point is what we do with this opportunity. We have a beautiful chance right now to grow closer, to make our connections deeper, to build real community based on a new idea of shared responsibility for and care of each other. Don’t we all deserve food and shelter and a little something of beauty in our lives?
When times are tight, we are tempted or forced to sacrifice the beauty; some of us may be forced to sacrifice shelter and food. If we pull together, if we share what resources we have, if we let others help us where we need it, and we help others where we can, then no one will have to lose the basics, and no one will have to go without some beauty in their lives.
Hope for the Future
Jen recounted this toddler story the other day: “Aarish once again bit Caitlyn. I knew I needed to try something different so I said to Aarish, “Aarish—Caitlyn is hurt and she needs your help. Please take her inside and help her clean her owie.” He took her hand and as they were walking off together, he asked her, “Caitlyn, what happened?” Caitlyn responded, “You bit me Aarish.” “I’m sorry,” he said, as he continued to help her inside.”
As we move into 2009 and a whole new Presidency, I have hope. I have hope that we will try something a little different. I have hope that we will use this time of struggle to break down some of the roles and rules that keep us separated and powerless. I have hope that we can build deeper, closer community.
