Teachers' Voices: Work Environment Conditions That Impact Teacher Practice and Program Quality--Marin County

There is broad consensus that high-quality environments for young children depend on teachers who are skilled at nurturing their development and learning, yet low pay and inadequate working conditions routinely hamper teachers in their efforts to apply their skills and knowledge. This condition exists among teachers in early education as well as K-12 classrooms, fueling the ubiquitous challenge of recruiting and retaining a skilled teaching workforce across the age spectrum. This report presents the findings from the 2019 Marin County SEQUAL study and shares the perspectives of teaching staff in licensed child care centers throughout the county, including centers that participate in one or both of Marin County's quality improvement initiatives (Marin Quality Counts and the ECE Quality Improvement Project) as well as centers that do not participate in either initiative. Following a description of the study design, this report will explore major findings drawn from teaching staff responses. The report is divided into three sections: (1) Study Design shares a study overview, the goals guiding the study, a profile of the survey respondents, and a guide to the findings; (2) Findings outlines teaching staff responses to items in each of the five SEQUAL domains, including an analysis of how responses varied by site characteristics; and (3) Appendices presents additional information on the study design, which includes survey instruments and analysis, characteristics of program leaders, and additional tables and figures. Marin County has made significant investments in and taken critical steps toward improving the quality of early care and education services. Notwithstanding the investment of resources and supports, the working conditions of teaching staff as captured in this study suggest further efforts are needed to support teacher practice and well-being necessary for quality services. Recommendations are made to support funders and policymakers in advancing county efforts to enhance its quality improvement systems and address work environment conditions. [Funding for this report was provided by First 5 Marin, Marin Child Care Council, Marin Child Care Commission, Marin County Office of Education, and the Marin County Board of Supervisors.]