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Early Childhood Education Degrees in Kansas

In an effort to curb growing prison populations, high crime rates, and other social ills, many states have ramped up their spending on education programs. Money spent on early childhood education now can minimize state spending on incarceration and welfare programs down the line.

Early childhood is where the socioeconomic divide begins, a finding that makes early childhood education one of the most important parts of public education in the United States.

Availability of education is an issue in many areas, which is why it’s important for Kansas to expand its early childhood education workforce.

Becoming an Early Childhood Teacher in Kansas

If you pursue an early childhood education degree, you could benefit from significant hiring efforts and programs in Kansas.

Learn more about schools in your area by contacting early childhood education programs.

In many ways, Kansas has pioneered the early education movement in the United States. Legislators recently praised Kansas City, one of only two cities in the entire country to fund all-day early education for all children (Kansas City, 2016). As the benefits of this program become evident, other Kansas communities may follow the same path, ensuring that financial issues do not keep children from a good education.

High-quality training from experienced teachers can help you turn your interest in teaching into a calling.

Request information from early childhood education Kansas programs below.

Getting Your Early Childhood Education Degree in Kansas

To teach the children of Kansas, you obviously need a solid foundation of teaching skills and techniques. However, you must also understand the field of education as a whole, have a foundation of knowledge in general academic topics, and have the experience needed to back up your education.

You may reach your goals by completing a Bachelor’s degree at an accredited Kansas college or university. It takes about four years to earn a Bachelor’s degree, since you need 120 credits to qualify for graduation.

At most Kansas schools, you have to meet rigorous admissions requirements to become a teaching student. This often includes completing a set amount of credits at your current institution, meeting minimum GPA expectations, and passing an exam that tests your knowledge of mathematics, science, and literature. 

Coursework Options in Kansas

  • Interaction Techniques with Young Children
  • Exceptional Development in Early Childhood
  • Environments in Early Childhood
  • Language Development
  • Emergent Literacy
  • Assessment of Young Children
  • Behavior Management
  • Curriculum for Cognitive and Language Development of Young Children
  • Emotional, Social, and Physical Development of Young Children

After you get accepted to a teaching program, you may start to apply for scholarships unique to this field. For example, one option in Kansas is the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Kansas scholarship. If you work in an area with struggling schools after graduation, you may qualify for loan repayment programs and other awards.

Getting accepted to a teaching program lets you begin your curriculum of required and elective courses. You may get hands-on experience fairly early in your education, since it is important for you to be comfortable working with children of varying ages by the time you start your student teaching placement.

You may complete rotations in local schools, elementary schools, and preschools. Student teaching differs from other placements because you spend the entire semester in one location. Furthermore, you keep the same schedule as your supervising teacher, which makes this experience similar to the obligations of a full time teaching job.

An early childhood education degree can put you in a position to improve the future of Kansas.

Explore local schooling options by contacting Kansas schools below.

Working as an Early Childhood Educator in Kansas

You can apply for a teaching license after graduating from an accredited program. The Kansas State Department of Education verifies your education hours and requires a passing score on the Praxis II prior to licensure.

Kansas, like many others, is going through a period of significant growth in the field of education. For that reason, job growth rates are steady. O*Net expects job openings for preschool teachers to increase 8% through the year 2024 (2016). They predict a 10% boost in job openings for elementary school teachers during this time (O*Net, 2016).

Salaries vary between districts, but in general, you may see that your income potential grows as you become more experienced. Currently, preschool teachers earn an average of $28,820 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). The average salary for an elementary school teacher in Kansas is $45,490 per year (BLS, 2016).

Education truly is the future, and when you earn your education degree, you can feel confident that your daily work makes a difference.

Get started now by reaching out to Kansas teaching programs.