Projects mentioned in this story: Early Childhood Action Strategy

From Civil Beat:

In 2004, Dana Senaha was a new graduate of the master’s program in early childhood education at Vanderbilt University and had completed all the work, except for a dissertation, for a doctorate.

She returned home to Hawai‘i that year to teach at Cole Academy, a private preschool in Honolulu, where she served as lead teacher and administrator.

Even with her advanced education, Senaha’s pay was just under $30,000 a year.

“That was par for the course,” Senaha said of her salary, adding it was comparable to similar early education teaching jobs in Nashville, Tenn., where Vanderbilt is located.

But Senaha wanted to be home. She lived with her parents to help offset the high cost of living and pay off student loans.

But even then, “it just wasn’t sustainable,” Senaha said.

Continue reading at civilbeat.org.