Men in Early Childhood Education

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2014, 2.8% of preschool teachers in the United States were men, and 19.1% of elementary and middle school teachers in the United States are men. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reports similar gender discrepancies in every developed country. There are three overall reasons to increase the number of men working in early childhood programs: (1) young children, both boys and girls, need and deserve positive interactions with men in their early childhood programs; (2) men who are gifted in working with young children and who would like to make this a career choice should not face barriers in doing so; and (3) increasing the number of men in early childhood programs ...