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Jewish early childhood education is a connector unlike any other entry point into Jewish life, drawing young families into Jewish friendships, experiences and community. But behind the scenes, the teachers who make these connections possible have trouble making ends meet.

Imagine yourself working day after day in a low-paying job, albeit one that you absolutely love. You’d love to progress in your career by attending graduate school, but an advanced degree seems out of reach at your income.

This is the case for educators in preschools, including Jewish ones, across the nation.

According to the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, the median wage for an early childhood educator is $20 per hour, or $41,600 annually. In my experience, Jewish preschools range from around $18 to $30 per hour. And many receive no benefits.

That doesn’t cut it in the Bay Area, where a single person with no kids needs to make $84,000 to live comfortably. Some directors of Jewish preschools don’t make that much, let alone the teachers they work with.

That’s why we started “To Teach and To Learn.” It’s a partnership between the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund and the L.A.-based American Jewish University, offering an affordable way for educators in Jewish preschools to obtain a master’s degree in early childhood education with a focus on Judaism.

More than two years ago, the Federation launched this initiative, supported by the Rodan Family Foundation, designed to raise the compensation, quality and professionalism of educators in East Bay Jewish preschools.

The program began in fall 2021, with applications sent to directors of Jewish preschools in the East Bay. Directors were asked to recommend applicants, including themselves. Our first group of 10 included teachers and directors from seven preschools, all eager to work toward a master’s degree in early childhood education at American Jewish University through an online program. The first group recently graduated, and the next group starts this fall.

Beginning this school year, program participants will receive a salary increase of $12,000 per year.

This is more than just an opportunity to go back to school.

While we know that advanced degrees raise the quality of preschool programs, we also know that preschools in our area can’t afford to pay for teachers with advanced degrees. We decided to address this problem directly.

The initiative provides heavily subsidized tuition. Program participants are only responsible for 10% of the cost, along with other fees.

Beginning this school year, the program is open to participants from across the entire Bay Area, each of whom will receive a salary increase of $12,000 per year upon graduation. In addition, all teachers and directors at the participating preschools who already have an advanced degree in early childhood education will also receive a $12,000 pay raise.

As a result of this new compensation and as this program continues, our community will build a critical mass of expertly trained and well-networked professionals.

With their master’s degrees, teachers and directors are better equipped for their work and compensated more appropriately. They will also have deeper connections to their East Bay colleagues and can turn to one another for support.

We see this program as integral for recruitment and retention in our Bay Area preschools. The second group in this program filled quickly.

Our families and children are already receiving deeper, more meaningful learning and family engagement experiences designed by better trained educators with a fuller understanding of our community’s needs. The JCCs and synagogues that host most of these preschools and our broader Jewish community all benefit from innovative and experienced educators who elevate Jewish preschools, contributing to stronger and more connected local Jewish life.

There is no single, easy fix to the challenges facing Jewish preschools. But in our community, we have taken a huge step forward by increasing their professional development and pay.