If I had a nickel for every time an OU faculty member, staff or student, or members from the surrounding community said, “The Lowry Center is the best kept secret at OU”, I would be rich! My response to this statement has always been “We don’t want Lowry to be a secret- we want everyone to know it is here” Let me give you a context for why folks have said this to me. I am an associate professor in Human Development and Child Studies, in the School of Education and Human Services. Since my arrival at OU in Fall 2005, I have had a continuous role at the Lower center as a researcher, faculty director from 2009-2019, and currently faculty liaison, ensuring communication between the Lowry Center for Early Childhood Education and SEHS as well as numerous programs across campus. Lowry provides a setting for academic and scholarly endeavors for faculty and students from Early Childhood, Elementary Education, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Music/Theater/Dance, Pediatrics, Sociology, Exercise Science, Psychology – the list goes on!
The Lowry Center, located on the first floor of Pawley Hall, provides an exemplary, accredited Early Childhood Program for about 150 children of faculty, staff, students and community families in 6 classrooms of children from toddler to Pre-kindergarten age children. These families are from all over the world and provide a rich cultural and linguistic setting in which students at OU can observe, practice and do research. Students can also work at the Lowry center as student staff while they are at OU. The Lowry teachers are highly qualified Early Childhood professionals who serve in an instructional capacity for student staff, practicum students, and field experiences. Of the 13 teachers, 7 teachers have been at Lowry for over 10 years (5 for over 20 years); 8 teachers have or are completing a master’s degree. Nine of the Lowry teaching and administrative staff are (or will soon be) OU graduates – some with multiple degrees from OU!
So now for the OTHER “best kept secret”: Despite being an exemplary program that provides opportunities for all OU students, some Lowry teachers are making barely more than the student staff now that OU has decided to increase that wage to $15 per hour. Some are not making as much as graduate student assistants now that that wage has increased to $25 per hour. In 2018, the Lowry teachers were recategorized from Miscellaneous Contract (MC) to Administrative Professional (AP) category and placed in bands according to years of service. Unfortunately, earning additional degrees does not seem to impact which AP band is assigned. This seems interesting in a University setting where we laud further education as a pathway to success.
Lowry is not alone in the advocacy arena in terms of trying to address the disparities in wages for Early Childhood Educators. The national and state conversations around teacher shortages and wage disparities have been going on for decades, and is currently the most prominent discussion in the media. The impact of COVID-19 on the early childhood field revealed the key role that Early Childhood programs play in maintaining the strength of communities in terms of supporting the work force. Temporary assistance to EC programs during COVID helped, but a long-term strategy has yet to be developed in many communities.
My biggest frustration around this issue is that on the one hand, Lowry is lauded as a “Center of Excellence”, “An Exemplary Demonstration School”, “An important cog in the academics of OU”, when tours are given, when funding is sought or when highlighting community engagement. On the other hand, efforts to increase Lowry Center teacher salaries has repeatedly been either minimally incremental or unsuccessful. We already know of the disparities between Early Childhood and Elementary wages. As reported by the Michigan League for Public Policy, the median wage in 2019 was $14.89 for early childhood teachers, $34.08 for kindergarten teachers, and $38.09 for elementary teachers. Compared to national, state and county Early Childhood teacher salary data – for teachers with similar (or lesser) credentials and responsibilities – Lowry teachers aren’t on the grid. It is not clear if market analysis to determine Lowry teacher salaries has included a comparison with the higher paid Early Childhood positions in federal (Head Start), state (GSRP) or other University Lab Schools programs. Lowry is losing teachers, and having trouble hiring new teachers.
The “best kept secret” on campus deserves to be recognized for its role in the OU and surrounding community. The teachers there need to be recognized for their professionalism, loyalty and commitment to excellence.
