The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) says in its current policy paper that, for high-quality early education to exist outside of tiny islands across the country, the following must be addressed: (1) teacher preparation; (2) ongoing professional learning; and (3) disparity in early education teacher pay. To achieve widespread high-quality early education opportunities for all students, NAEYC says, "Early childhood professionals must have excellent preparation, ongoing professional development, and compensation commensurate with their qualifications and experience." The characteristics of a high-quality early education program are presented in this article.