2 STRATEGY RECOMMENDATIONS

Develop an equitable, transparent wage scale that is comparable to SFUSD wages for job levels that include comparable educational attainment and work experience. Include equitable compensation for cultural competency on par with second language ability. Create clear salary scales that commensurate with experience and or degree and provide early childhood educators with resources to meet minimum salary requirements. Ensure educators required to meet the same education and licensing standards receive equitable salaries. Provide all licensed centers and FCC’s whose staff meet the bachelor’s degree requirement with funding to support minimum salary requirements.

WHO: City and State Policy Makers and Officials

Provide support for advocacy bodies by intentionally engaging Black educators to inform advocacy strategies. As with program and policy development, the voices of Black educators rarely inform advocacy strategies or campaigns in early childhood education.

Engage Black early educators to inform development and implementation of policies. Support trainings for early educators on how government and ECE systems operate and how they are funded. Ensure funding for both the AA ECE PC and AA ECE advocacy groups to develop specific implementation plans for policy reform efforts. Set recruitment and retention goals designed to maintain a workforce that reflects the diversity of the children served and monitor data accordingly. Assemble local commissions or taskforces on an annual basis to review data, assess the diversity needs of the field, and develop, maintain recruitment and retention strategies.

WHO: City Officials, Local Policy Makers, CBOs

RECOMMENDATIONS (continued)

Provide healthcare and retirement benefits by creating a fund or endowment that will ensure all licensed child care center operators and early educators have short- and long-term benefits. Initially, a public investment would be required to create the fund. Those opting in would pay into the fund based on their wages.

WHO: CBOs, Centers, FCCs, Policy Makers, City Officials

Provide business assistance and support by funding a City-endorsed fiscal education and technical assistance program addressing topics such as contracts/agreements, billing, accounting, taxes and payroll.

WHO: City Officials, CBOs, Philanthropy

Establish and subsidize business support services that assist ECE business owners with business and back-office support such as billing, accounting, taxes and payroll – so that providers can reduce administrative burden.

WHO: City Officials, CBOs, Philanthropy

3 Strategy Recommendations

Improve job satisfaction and efficacy so that Black Early Childhood Educators have the tools and resources to support Black children

Fund a citywide pilot program to establish Family Navigator position(s) that utilize an Afrocentric Family Engagement Framework to support Black children, families and educators. This culturally competent, whole child/whole family tactic will help families going through tough times and needing extra support navigating the rich set of social services available to them citywide while also adding a bridge of services and support to the K-12 system.

WHO: City Officials, Policy Makers, Philanthropy

Fund a citywide pilot effort to ensure access to dedicated ECE Black Mental Health Professionals so that early educators have support from experts when helping children navigate challenging times.

WHO: City Officials, Policy Makers, Philanthropy