Conclusion

Many, including those who had pushed for the program, were shocked that the bilingual associate degree program became a reality. But this outcome was no miracle; rather, it was the product of strong leadership and collaboration. The individuals who helped to shape and implement the program were driven by a shared goal to provide a pathway to higher education for those who had struggled to do it on their own or had been shut out. Along the way, they allowed for organizational learning and adjustments to help strengthen and streamline their efforts.

The bilingual associate degree proved to be a professional milestone for many of the leaders who helped make the program a reality. And it would not have been possible without the leadership and determination of Cecelia Alvarado and Marilyn Hamilton at UDC-CC. They “are just amazing women,” according to McKay. They “had a passion for making this happen and they weren't going to let anything get in the way. It was their mission. And I told them, it's probably one of the most amazing things that will happen in my career is having this [program] actually come to fruition,” she said.¹

For the educators enrolled in the program, it provided a pathway to career development. As one program participant told us, “Creo que es una gran oportunidad que están dando a la mujer Latina…para crecer y obtener un título de asociado…con esa asociado podamos tener esa posición de ser líderes de profesoras que unas no somos.” [I think this is a great opportunity they are giving to Latinas to grow and earn an associate degree…and with this degree we can become lead teachers, which not all of us are.]² Indeed, the bilingual associate degree program has enabled Spanish-speaking educators to move to more senior-level positions. And it puts them in a better position to earn their bachelor’s degree, which will enable them to advance to child care center directors, an outcome that would not have been possible before this pathway was created.

The District of Columbia has made strong investments in adult education, and the public charter school system has created targeted programs and services for adult English learners. Due to these investments, schools like Briya are in a position to offer a comprehensive pathway for early educators. Consider: a typical adult student enters Briya at the lowest ESL level and with about six years of formal education. This student works her way through all of the ESL courses, earns a high school diploma, matriculates into the Spanish CDA program, and then moves onto the bilingual associate degree program at UDC-CC. With the creation of this program, adult education schools such as Briya can offer a pathway for someone who begins with roughly an elementary school level of education that leads all the way to an associate degree and career as an early childhood educator—all at almost no cost to the student. “It makes a lot of sense for us to hire our students to be able to provide the best education and care [for] our families. No one is going to be able to do it better than our own students. Briya develops its own students so they can do that work and give back to the community,” said McKay.³

The integration of secondary and postsecondary programs can help limit the use of developmental education courses, but more importantly, potentially shorten the time it takes someone to complete their postsecondary degree. These integrated pathways are uniquely beneficial for students who are working full time while attending school and have family and other demands that can serve as obstacles to completing postsecondary education.⁴

The bilingual associate degree program was created in response to policy and regulatory changes mandating a baseline credential for early childhood educators. While the District of Columbia has multiple pieces in place to facilitate strong pathways for early educators, it lacks a comprehensive approach to bringing these pieces together into a coherent system. The D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has sought partnerships with local universities and other universities that offer online degrees. These efforts would be strengthened through the creation of a specified career pathway program to support bilingual educators and remove barriers at each step of the process, in both English and Spanish.⁵

The city has already invested in launching CDA programs for high school students and developing CDA programs in Spanish and Amharic. With the bilingual associate degree program in place, all that is needed now is a bilingual bachelor's degree program. City leaders should investigate whether current funding streams could be used to incentivize the creation of this type of degree program, which would help D.C. grow its own early childhood educator workforce and increase access to higher education for historically marginalized populations. The work of building a stronger career pathway for early educators could be incorporated into local efforts to strengthen and sustain the child care system in D.C. in the wake of COVID-19.

Earlier this year, a group of 15 national organizations collaborated on Power to the Profession to develop a unifying framework that outlines recommendations for defining the early childhood workforce. The bold proposal includes a focus on educator preparation, qualifications, career pathways, and compensation. Under this vision, early childhood educators would have three professional designations, each paired with the minimum credential to hold that role (e.g., CDA, AA, BA, and MA). To make this proposal a reality, educator preparation programs would need to become more nimble and “offer flexibility along with innovative and/or evidence-based approaches that support,” non-traditional, first-generation, and English learner students.⁶ UDC-CC’s bilingual associate degree provides an example of how preparation programs can create specialized programs designed to meet the needs of the local workforce.