[S2E12] The Future of Early Childhood Education

The expectations placed on schools have increased.

The expectations placed on teachers have increased.

The expectations placed on directors, owners, and leadership teams have increased.

Families expect more.

Governments expect more and give less.

Communities expect more.

And while those expectations continue to grow, many of the challenges facing our schools have grown as well.

We're still experiencing workforce shortages.

Operating expenses continue to rise.

Insurance costs have increased dramatically in many parts of the country and in some places have been eliminated altogether.

Commercial rents remain elevated.

Food costs are higher than they were just a few years ago.

Benefits and wages continue to rise, and rightly so, because our educators deserve competitive compensation.

And at the same time, families are struggling with affordability.

Many parents are paying what feels like a second mortgage for childcare.

School owners often find themselves caught in the middle.

Raise tuition too much, family struggle.

Don't raise tuition enough, school struggle.

It's a balancing act that becomes more difficult year after year.

It's often described as the perfect storm when you discuss today's environment.

Not because everything is negative, far from it.

In fact, I believe there has never been a more exciting time to be in early childhood education.

but it is a time that requires better leadership than ever before.

Think about everything that has happened over the past several years.

We've navigated a global pandemic.