The Listening to Teachers Study - Towards a More Equitable Post-Pandemic Early Care & Education System in New York City

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys

Summary report for the second year of the Listening to Teachers Study examining how New York City early childhood educators have fared throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The study used multistage exploratory mixed methods: stakeholder consultation, an NYC workforce survey (June 2021, n=663), and in-depth interviews with racially minoritized educators (Spring 2022, n=28). Findings include widespread exposure to multiple stressors, income constraints, differing burnout risks by leadership roles, and inequities in leadership representation, informing reflection and action toward a more equitable ECE system.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages40

Reading Time1 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study Design and Methods

Key Findings

Well-being

Stressors and Income

Burnout and Leadership Risk

Social Support and System Assistance

Equity in Leadership Representation

Highlights & Implications

TECHNICAL REPORT The Listening to Teachers Study: Towards a More Equitable Post-Pandemic Early Care & Education System in New York City A ug ust 3 , 2 0 2 2 P re pa red Fo r : The New Yo r k City Ea r ly C h i ld hood Resea rc h Netwo r k Ma r k K . Nagasawa St ra us Ce nte r fo r Yo u ng C h i ld re n & Fa m i l ies , Ba n k St reet Co l lege of Ed ucat io n Image: Bank Street College of Education Abstract This is the summary report for the second year of the Listening to Teachers Study which asks how early childhood educators in New York City ( NYC) have been faring through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The study’s purpose has been to seek deeper understandings of what NYC’s early care and education ( ECE) workforce has experienced during the Pandemic to inform decision-making about the city's future ECE systems by raising issues for reflection and action-oriented discussion. The study has followed a multistage , exploratory-mixed methods design , incorporating: 1) ongoing consultation with ECE stakeholders to incorporate questions of interest to them – and their reactions to emerging findings; 2) a survey focused on understanding nuances in the workforce and how these might relate to well-being and coping (June 2021 , n=663); and 3) in-depth interviews with racially minoritized educators , given the Pandemic’s disproportionate effects on communities of color (Spring 2022 , n=28) . These data were analyzed through an iterative , constant comparative method that combined descriptive and inferential statistics with mixed deductive-inductive analysis of open-ended survey questions and interview transcripts. Among the key findings: 86% reported being affected by 5 or more (of 11) economic , health , social , and emotional stressors. 32% had a household income below $35K – in New York City. FCC professionals far more frequently worked with infants and toddlers than other survey contributors; were weathering more economic stresses; and reported significantly higher rates of suffering and struggling. 61% reported not feeling burned out in June 2021 , but the odds of program leaders indicating potential burnout were 1.7 times higher than all others. Support from supervisors and system representatives (e.g. , coaches) reduced the odds of someone reporting potential burnout. The odds of those identifying as Black , Indigenous , or Other People of Color being in leadership positions were less than their white colleagues. It is important to note that these findings are limited to those who contributed to this study and should not be applied to all of NYC’s early childhood educators; however , the totality of findings raise important questions about systemic issues moving forward , among these: What is being done to support the workforce’s holistic well-being? In particular , what is in place to sustain program leaders and family child care professionals? What is the status of wage equity efforts? What is being done to nurture diversities in the workforce? What more can be done? Image: Bank Street College of Education Listening to Teachers, Technical Report-2 “I discovered that I am worth more than I once thought,” declared a contributor to the Listening to Teachers Study, a multiphase, mixed method inquiry into how New York’s early childhood educators have been faring during the COVID- 19 Pandemic. The study’s first phase involved a statewide survey conducted in May of 2020 (n=3,355) which provided information about the Pandemic’s initial effects on early childhood educators, most notably its negative consequences on contributors’ emotional well-being.* This is the summary project report for the study’s second phase (April 1, 2021-April 30, 2022), which includes (1) a survey focused on New York City’s (NYC) early educators (n=663),(2) phenomenological interviews (n=28), and (3) ongoing consultation with early childhood leaders, advocates, and educators to discuss emerging findings

FAQs

What does the Listening to Teachers Study examine in New York City?

It investigates how NYC early childhood educators have been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic and what their experiences imply for improving the city’s early care and education system.

How was the second-year study designed and what data were collected?

It used a multistage exploratory mixed-methods design with stakeholder consultation, a workforce survey in June 2021 (n=663), and in-depth interviews in Spring 2022 (n=28).

What major findings relate to educators’ wellbeing and burnout?

The report highlights continued emotional support needs, that many educators faced multiple stressors, and that potential burnout indicators differed by leadership roles; social support from supervisors and system representatives reduced burnout odds.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Rhys