Early childhood educators play a critical role in the lives of young children, especially through their sensitive interactions. Educators' capacities to engage in high-quality interactions are shaped by their mental health. Studies examining early childhood educators' mental health often focus on psychopathology or negative aspects of mental…

Background: Public administration scholars have thoroughly documented a major issue in accessing a variety of public programs -- the administrative burden embedded in the application process (Barnes & Henly, 2018; Herd & Moynihan, 2018; Moynihan, Herd, & Harvey, 2015; Nisar, 2018). Herd and Moynihan (2018) classify these administrative…

This dissertation investigates the nuanced factors influencing teacher retention within Title I secondary schools, comparing the perceptions of teachers from traditional teacher preparation programs and alternatively certified pathways. Drawing upon Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory, the study explores the psychological,…

This study addresses teacher retention in Title 1 urban middle schools, focusing on why veteran teachers remain despite the challenges. Anchored in self-determination theory, the study explores how fulfilling the psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness impacts teachers' decisions to stay. Employing a qualitative descriptive…

Food insecurity poses a serious threat to children's development, but the mechanisms through which food insecurity undermines child development are far less clear. Specifically, food insecurity may influence children through its effect on parents' psychological well-being and parent--child interactions as a result, but past research on the role of…