Another aspect of this problem has to do with that in order to keep chilccare affordable to the families that need it, it is difficult to pay early childhood teachers adequate salaries. This fact impacts their ability and willingness to afford the education they should have, and it therefore impacts how they and the services they provide are viewed by the general public.

I love the videatives and use them in teaching a class on Play and Development. Wish I could purchase them all. Maybe I will.

It is difficult to get consensus on "standards", when that buzzword often leads to reallocation of resources toward external assessment tools, instead of toward worthy wage and benefits for staff retention, high quality materials, and an administration with an appreciation for the difference between talent and certification.

If "standards" requires a day chunked up into 15 minute periods for literacy, math skills, nutrition and social development - you can keep it. I will gladly take the label of glorified babysitter if it allows for children to enjoy observant, impassioned adults providing a play-based environment with long periods of uninterrupted time to support project-based explorations. I don't need more frustrated 3rd grade teachers working in preschool teaching reading - I need Early Childhood Educators that understand pace, wonder, discovery and experience to address the whole child.

Perhaps I misunderstand Mr. Duncan's comment; it would be appropriate to lose the phrase "glorified baby-sitting" when referring to early childhood education. We here at Rowan feel we have a comprehensive pre-service program that prepares our candidates to "teach" in pre-school, not "baby-sit". Our field experiences incorporate theory and include observation of various "high quality" program with many opportunities to utilize what they learn in the classroom.