UNC Asheville's New Program Helps Meet the Need for Licensed Pre-School Teachers

By the mid-1970s, it had become the norm for parents across the nation to send their five-year olds to public kindergarten. This “universal” kindergarten has laid a firm foundation for early childhood learning, but new research indicates that high-quality pre-school is just as vital for helping three- and four-year olds to develop mentally, emotionally and socially.

The increased awareness of the importance of early childhood education has created a growing demand for well-trained pre-school teachers and quality programs throughout the nation. UNC Asheville’s new birth through kindergarten (B-K) licensure program provides comprehensive training for these future pre-school teachers and caregivers. The first year of classes will wrap up in May.

“UNC Asheville’s B-K licensure program is helping to meet state and national legislative demands for improved childcare,” said Carole Becker, coordinator of UNC Asheville’s B-K licensure program and visiting assistant professor of education. “Our graduates will expand the number of licensed early childhood educators in a field that is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified individuals.”

UNC Asheville’s program provides students with in-depth training to work with children from birth through age five and their families. Students study the impact of culture, economics, gender, sociological foundations and disabilities on child development. Courses draw from several fields, including early childhood education and special education, psychology and community health. Students graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a B-K education license.

Students who earn this license are qualified to work in a variety of early childhood settings, including public schools, developmental day centers, child care centers and early intervention programs. In North Carolina, graduates holding a B-K license are fully qualified to teach kindergarten, and in fact some school systems and principals prefer teachers with B-K licensure, according to Ron Bradford, executive director of Smart Start Buncombe County. In addition, North Carolina’s More at Four Program for at-risk four-year olds requires the lead classroom teacher to hold a B-K license.

Becker expects this trend to continue. “I believe pre-school is beginning to follow the trend of nationwide universal kindergarten,” she said. “There is no doubt in my mind that pre-kindergarten classes will become a part of the public school system within ten years. The need for licensed B-K teachers will skyrocket at that point. At UNC Asheville, we’re beginning to address that need now.”

Bradford agrees.

“Universal pre-kindergarten is here to stay and this program provides a much-needed opportunity for college students locally,” he said. “UNC Asheville’s B-K licensure program is absolutely a benefit for Buncombe County. It’s just terrific”

Some 8,000 pre-school age Buncombe County children are enrolled in child care facilities or home centers. Nationwide, about 12 million children younger than age five spend part of their waking hours in the care of someone other than their parents, according to a study by Editorial Projects in Education, publisher of leading education magazines and newspapers. 

Those children enrolled in higher-quality preschools with licensed teachers have a marked advantage over those enrolled in other kinds of child care centers, according to a 1999 study by UNC Chapel Hill’s Franker Porter Center for Child Development. The study showed that students in high-quality pre-schools performed better on measures of cognitive and social skills. In addition, “the quality of the child care experience continued to affect their development at least through kindergarten and in many cases through the end of the second grade,” the study said.

UNC Asheville junior Lauren Elgin knows the importance of an excellent pre-school program. Not only is Elgin a psychology major pursuing a B-K license, but she’s also the mother of a two-year old. When it came time to consider her son’s education, she researched her options carefully.

“Pre-school should not be a place to just have fun, eat junk food and finger paint,” Elgin said. “Children are so eager to learn and pre-school is a very important first step – developmentally, emotionally and educationally.”

Elgin and her best friend and classmate Mary-Gardner Buffington plan to open their own pre-school upon graduation to meet the growing need for high-quality child care locally.

“My classes have really shown me that preschool is such a crucial age of development. It’s the building block for all other knowledge,” said Buffington, a UNC Asheville sophomore pursuing a B-K license.

Buffington and Elgin talk about their hopes of creating a bright, open child care center filled with mirrors and giant red poppies painted on the walls. Their classes at UNC Asheville are providing a firm foundation on which to build that dream.

Media Contacts:

• Dr. Carole Becker, UNC Asheville Visiting Assistant Professor of Education, 828/251-6420
• Jill Yarnall, UNC Asheville Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526