I'm only a teacher: An investigation into the deprofessionalization of the early childhood professional educator in 2004

Throughout the evolution of the public education system in America, there has been a steady migration toward professionalization. The earliest schools were rudimentary and focused on the fundamentals. Various thought processes regarding education, to include who should be educated, how long they should attend school, what constituted a proper education and even what constituted a proper educator evolved from the landing of the Pilgrims until the present day. Influences from the communities drove the practices of education as economic needs arose or changed. These influences came from both the business community and the political community as well.;The focus of this investigation was to explore and document the professional realities of early childhood educators from a small southeastern New Mexico school district. By entering into a dialogue with early childhood educators I learned more about their professional realities as situated in the ever-changing political climate. This dialogue provided insights into the professional realities of early childhood educators from their entry point into the profession to their present positions.;The investigation utilized a feminist qualitative design using a grounded theory inquiry strategy guided and framed by a feminist theoretical viewpoint. The investigation examined the professional realities of several veteran early childhood educators' experiences and viewpoints working with young children and the profession.;The investigation revealed that early childhood educators are being pressured by mandates arising from outside of the educational world that are negatively impacting on the practice of education in its purest sense. The mandates of federal legislation prepared by politicians, not educators, and the push for excellent performance on standardized testing that is not based in the overall demographics of society are providing a host of negative influences and pressures that reduce the professional effectiveness of otherwise excellent educators.