DPP Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin Preschool Educator Brief

Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin Educators’ Experiences in Preschool Settings Educators who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin are a large and important part of the Denver Preschool Program’s (DPP) workforce. Evaluators from the Butler Institute for Families at the University of Denver surveyed 410 educators, and 56% identified as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin.

Evaluators also interviewed six educators who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin. This brief summarizes these educators’ experiences.

Job Role and Pay Educators who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin had worked in early childhood education (ECE) for several years (59% for at least 7 years).

They were represented across all job roles; however, they were overrepresented in assistant teacher positions 1 (53% compared to 31% across all educators) and were underrepresented in lead teacher and leadership roles (13% compared to 17% across all educators).

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“Assistant teachers” also includes aide, paraprofessional, substitute teacher, and floater.

Percent of educators who were Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin by job role Lead Teacher or Teacher

34%

Assistant Teacher, Aide, Paraprofessional, Substitute, or Floater

53%

Director, Assistant Director, Principal, Assistant Principal, or Administrator Family Child Care Home Provider

13% <1%

Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators’ median pay was comparable to educators’ overall median pay, however, there were two notable differences. First, Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin administrators who worked at community sites reported lower pay than all community site administrators ($48,876 vs $55, 324). Second, Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin assistant teachers’ median pay was higher than all community site assistant teachers’ median pay ($35,825 vs $28,814).

Most Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators teach or speak a language other than English in their classroom (82%). Educators who spoke another language in their classroom were paid slightly more than those who did not (median annual pay was $38,373 and $36,397, respectively). However, bilingual educators shared in interviews that they

Differences in pay for Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin Educators at community sites: Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin Educators

All Educators

Administrators

$48,876

$55,324

Assistant Teachers

$35,825

$28,814

frequently took on additional responsibilities Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin outside of their educators indicated: classrooms. For instance, - Lower levels of self-care one educator shared that - Lower job satisfaction she was assigned to - Less frequent availability of necessary materials translate the math and - Less idea sharing among teachers literacy curricula at her - Lower overall workplace climate scores school, and she described - Higher burnout the task as “never-ending” - Less implementation of inclusive practices at ECE and “draining.” Pay equity program audits could be a good first step for DPP to ensure that bilingual and multilingual educators are compensated for their additional labor.

Four out of five Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators experienced at least some difficulty paying their bills over the last year and specifically reported difficulty: • • • •

Affording food they wanted Paying the full amount of their gas, oil, or electricity bills Paying for health care and/or medicines Paying for adequate shelter.

Although many surveyed educators reported at least some financial strain across all job roles, assistant teachers reported the highest levels of financial difficulty. As previously mentioned, Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin educators are overrepresented in the assistant teacher role, so they are more impacted by financial strain.

Experience in ECE Generally, Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators saw their career in ECE as their “chosen occupation” (53%) and intended to stay in their current position at their program for four or more years (59%). Regardless, this group of educators reported lower job satisfaction and a higher level of burnout than any other group of diverse educators. They reported significantly lower satisfaction than other diverse educators with their: • • • •

Job roles and responsibilities Pay Training and professional development opportunities Advancement opportunities

Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators indicated: • • • •

Lower levels of self-care Less frequent availability of necessary materials Less idea sharing among teachers Lower overall workplace climate ratings

In interviews, they also cited instances when they felt “othered.” One educator felt like they and their coworkers were criticized for speaking Spanish in a common area and were accused of talking about other teachers. These types of experiences make it hard for Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators to connect with other staff and impact the workplace climate, which may explain why they had lower ratings.

Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin educators were less likely to agree that their program was implementing inclusive practices. In interviews, several educators talked about the importance of language and culture in their classroom but explained that other staff at their program may not prioritize inclusive practices. One educator shared that some staff at their program thought cultural assimilation was best practice for refugee families, but the educator knew how harmful practices like assimilation could be, resulting in children “losing their culture, their language, and their way of communicating with their elders.”

These examples illustrate why Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators perceived a lack of inclusive practices at their programs. This perceived lack of inclusive practices makes educators feel unsafe and uncomfortable and impacts educators’ and students’ ability to bring their authentic selves to the classroom. DPP should offer professional development opportunities on inclusive practices and the impact of harmful practices like assimilation.

Workplace Racism

Racial battle fatigue (RBF) is stress and exhaustion “associated with racial microaggressions [that cause] various forms of mental, emotional, and physical strain.”

Two-thirds of Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators witnessed and/or experienced racism at their program, which was the most of any diverse educator group. These educators experienced racial battle fatigue (RBF) symptoms or stress and exhaustion “associated with racial microaggressions [that cause] various forms of mental, emotional, and

physical strain.” 2 Almost all Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators experienced psychological RBF symptoms (96%) including feeling disappointed, feeling shocked, or experiencing disbelief. Many also experienced physiological RBF symptoms like fatigue, sleep disturbances or insomnia, and headaches or other body pains (83%). About one in five educators (17%) reported using substances, either recreational or prescription, to relax after experiencing a racialized event. On the survey, many educators reported difficulty coping with racism and struggled to find social support in dealing with these racialized experiences.

Educators shared their experiences with workplace racism in interviews. One educator talked about how their family’s assimilation into U.S. culture led to racialized incidents at their workplace. They explained:

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I am a Mexican American that does not speak Spanish. My grandmother came here from Mexico, and because of the way that everything was, you didn't teach Spanish to your kids. You taught them English because they needed to know English in order to be able to survive in America … But working in the community that I work in, not speaking Spanish, I see the racism from both sides, right? So I see Spanish speakers that come to talk to me in Spanish. I’m like, ‘I'm sorry. I can kind of understand you. I can tell you the answer, but you're not going to understand me speaking back to you.’ I've had parents be like, ‘I don't want to talk to you. You don't know Spanish.’”

Another educator spoke about witnessing racism that families experienced at their program, explaining that a family was upset because school resources were being used to support refugee families. The educator shared, “I've seen people looking at refugees differently than it used to be because it's overwhelming everything.

It's a lot of needs, and so it's starting to form some type of resentment, and you can see it in their eyes.” Racism is impacting not only educators, but families as well, yet there is no safe way for the ECE community to discuss and report these incidents.

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Smith, W. A., Yosso, T. J., & Solorzano, D.G. (2006). Challenging racial battle fatigue on historically White campuses: A critical race examination of race-related stress. Faculty of Color Teaching in Predominantly White Colleges and Universities, 299-327.

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Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators often responded to racism at work by having conversations about stereotypes and biases with everyone involved and spreading awareness. However, some educators did not feel safe talking about racism at their program. They instead described how they approached racism with their students in the classroom:

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“I like to say that I fight racism from the inside, Scan QR code or click here to listen to recording and I hope that my students feel empowered, and they keep on feeling empowered years in the future because it is not okay that we make them feel less because they speak a different language, or they come from a different culture, or their food tastes different. And so I just want them to feel proud of who they are and as a person, as a human being, and they have so much to give, and that's why we are teachers.”

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Retention About one in four Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin educators planned to leave their current position in the next two years (27%), and many of these educators planned to leave the early childhood field to work in a different profession (27%). Unsurprisingly, the most common reason Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators gave for leaving was to pursue a higher paying job (73%). Other reasons educators frequently selected for leaving included: • • • •

Not feeling supported or valued by leadership Wanting better benefits Wanting a job that better matches their interests, skills, or degree Being emotionally exhausted or “burnt out” from their current job

Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators planned to leave their current position because they: -

Wanted a higher paying job Did not feel leadership supported or valued them Wanted better benefits Wanted a job that better aligned with their interest, skills, or degree Were emotionally exhausted or “burnt out”

We must consider everything the ECE field loses when diverse educators leave. Interviews illustrated the welcoming and accepting environment that Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators offer to families from a variety of cultures. One key aspect of a welcoming classroom environment is the teacher’s ability to speak multiple languages with children and families. This skill is also helpful for translating classroom documents and for administrative purposes. About one in five Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin educators grew up outside the U.S. (18%) and 43% reported that at least one of their parents grew up outside the U.S. Many of these educators shared their lived experience with refugee families and their children who came to the Denver area in recent years. One Hispanic, Latino, Spanish Origin educator explained:

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It has been a very enriching experience going from one country to another. I feel that it can be enriching for them all. I've been privileged. I had a degree, and I was a legal immigrant when I came to the United States, and I know many of them are not in that position, so that is different. I've struggled financially, I've struggled in many ways, and so I can identify with what they're going through. Also, I have another culture, and I know that they have their culture, and so I can feel and I can speak to that as well. My first language is not English. I feel that in my heart, and I know that it's the same way for them … I feel I am in a good position to be a teacher right now and educate immigrants because they're going to grow not only academically, but personally as well.”

Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators are in a unique position to build trust with children and their families and foster their growth and development. The field cannot afford to lose this type of support for children and their families.

Conclusions and Next Steps The majority of DPP’s diverse early childhood educator workforce identifies as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin. Many of these educators reported low job satisfaction, negative views of their workplace climate, low pay and financial strain, and racialized experiences. About one in four of these educators planned to leave the ECE field. When the ECE field loses Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators, it loses passionate, committed, and talented educators who bring empathy and shared experiences, cultural representation in the classroom, and the ability to connect with children and families through language. These losses make it harder for families to access high-quality ECE

programming. DPP approved resources specifically for diverse educators like Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators to implement in the 2024 – 2025 school year. These resources include a webinar series and reflective consultation for educators of color. This will provide support and build a community for diverse educators. In addition, DPP must continue collaborating with Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish Origin educators to explore their experiences in ECE programs and collaborate on the supports they need to thrive in the field. Continued advocacy for a system to report racism and discrimination, language justice, and pay equity are also key to supporting this group of educators.

Resources: WEBINAR SERIES The Webinar Series provides a supportive space for educators from historically underrepresented communities. Each session addresses common challenges, exploring ways to celebrate racial identity and use creativity for healing. Participants will engage in healing practices and gain practical strategies to navigate these experiences, fostering resilience and empowerment.

REFLECTIVE CONSULTATION Reflective Consultation supports educators in their first three years of teaching by fostering selfawareness, enhancing their work with students and caregivers, and creating individual and collective learning opportunities. Participants will gain strategies to strengthen connections with fellow educators, navigate the challenges of teaching, and develop their ability to process, reflect, and grow in their roles.