The clock is ticking in Washington, D.C. By the end of 2023, workers who teach the littlest learners in the nation’s capital will be required to have advanced credentials in early childhood education.
For some teachers, this feels like pressure. For college leaders, it feels like opportunity. And so two of the city’s universities are setting aside cross-town rivalries to meet this regional workforce need together.
The partnership joins American University, Trinity Washington University and Martha’s Table, a nonprofit that runs child care programs and other social services. It creates a “stackable credentials” pathway for educators, who can earn a certificate at either institution, then apply the credits toward an associate degree at Trinity or a bachelor’s degree at either university.
“We’re meeting everyone where they are, to serve the needs of everyone at all levels,” says Karen Santos Rogers, associate dean of Trinity’s School of Education. “We’re really going to be a model and an example as this trend moves across the country.”
It’s unusual for private, national universities to respond to local labor market trends, and to offer credentials other than four-year degrees, says Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, dean of American University’s School of Education.