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Female African American Childcare Teachers In Milwaukee: Construction Of Professional Identity, Venner Joyce Alston

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand how African American women working in center-based childcare programs in Milwaukee describe their professional identity. In Milwaukee, approximately 1,500 women who identify as African American are employed as childcare directors and teachers. At least 45% of them are reported as meeting only basic education requirements. This is problematic as Milwaukee experiences the highest number of children and families receiving childcare subsidies through the Wisconsin Shares Program. How can low-income minority children enrolled in childcare programs in Milwaukee expect to be prepared to enter kindergarten without having access to teachers who have sufficient …