May 9, 2019
Community-based organization (CBOs) programs provide services for most young children enrolled in the city-funded early childhood education system — particularly those with high economic need.
Currently, there are 81,611 children under age 5 enrolled in early education services at Department of Education (DOE) schools and CBO centers. Of these children, 62% (50,906) are taught in community-based centers.
The city pays CBO educators, who are mostly women of color, significantly less than their peers at the Department of Education (DOE). This pay inequity, in addition to other risks factors, now compromise program stability and quality.
Over 70% of CBO Pre-K teachers are people of color, while just 40% of DOE Pre-K teachers are people of color, according to the National Center for Children and Families at Teachers College, Columbia University.
BA certified teacher salary gap progression
MA certified teacher salary gap progression
DOE
CBO
Pay disparity among CBO and DOE teachers widens over time according to the most recent UFT Teachers Contracts and DC 1707 Contract.
We urge Mayor de Blasio and the Department of Education to end pay disparity and to build a stable birth-to-5 early education system that invests in high-quality programs. An investment in CBO teachers and essential program components is an investment in children, families, and communities.
Click on each button to learn more about the important role CBOs play in each borough.
Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Staten Island