Jobs/Roles in the ECE
Community: National/Federal Level
“Due to the definite rise in the
numbers of children now attending preschool and nursery programs in the U.S.,
there are currently more high paying early childhood education jobs available.
With input from the media, government officials, colleges and university
education departments and early childhood educational organizations, awareness
of the necessity of educating children beginning during infancy and toddler
years is growing rapidly. Fortunately, this occurrence has both developed and
enhanced the quality and extent of educational programs open to such young
children. In addition, it has caused impressive growth in the number and
variety of employment positions within the work area of early childhood education”
(ECED).
This final course has
opened my eyes to a variety of job opportunities for the future in early
childhood education. These positions
require a Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree, teaching experience, and a desire
to work with or advocate for children.
It also has expanded my Community of Practice. I reviewed two national organizations that include: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).
The NAEYC is the largest membership organization of
people working and/or interested in early childhood. I discovered the “Early Childhood Education Professional
Development: Training and Technical Assistance Glossary”. This is a joint project of National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and National
Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA). This provides professional preparation and ongoing professional
development for the early childhood education workforce is essential to
providing high-quality services to children and families.
The NACCRRA is the
national network of more than 850 child care resource and referral centers
(CCR&Rs) located in every state and most communities across the nation.
CCR&R centers help families, child care providers, and communities find,
provide, and plan for affordable, quality child care. Through this website, I discovered the “Child
Care Aware Training Academy” which has partnered with Lakeshore Learning
Company to create an exclusive pairing of Lakeshore instructional materials and
Training Academy online courses.
Educators need new and exciting resources to help meet the needs of our
children.
There are
many job opportunities to pursue. For
example: Grant Writers, Director of
Educational Programs with private or public schools, or political advocate in
my state. In addition to national
organizations, I decided to add a New Mexico state politician to my Community
of Practice. Gay G. Kernan is a Republican member
of the New Mexico Senate, representing District 42. She was first elected to the chamber in 2002. Kernan
earned a B.A. from the University of Mississippi. Her professional experience includes working
as an elementary school teacher from 1993-2003, and as Assistant Coordinator in
the Early Reading First Program since 2006 in my hometown of Hobbs, New Mexico. I believe those in charge of policies for
students should have knowledge and experience working in the schools. This might be an opportunity I might like to
pursue in some capacity. I have learned
that I need to be a “voice” for children in New Mexico in order to help make
changes. I have the background so I need
to use my knowledge to make a difference.
Instead of sitting on the sidelines, I need to step out of my comfort
zone to fulfill my desire to help students.
References
http://www.early-childhood-education-degrees.com/
Hi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteYou have done a detailed search of organisations and associations indeed to discover that we as early childhood professionals have more roles than teaching in the traditional classrooms. I found this to be very true because I had always thought that teachers are meant to be in the classrooms and interpret curriculum while ensuring student achievement in a continuous success story. Today, my program at Walden has given an insight into advocating for children and the most vulnerable among us using every technique and opportunities that I have. Children have a way of always coming back to us. Working as a director of public or private school is an opportunity to serve children and our community. I look forward to such open opportunity in the future. Thank you for sharing.
Cindy- The NAEYC has been a great resource for me throughout the years. I have even recommended it to parents that were struggling with certain issues and could not seem to find answers. Getting a job with NAEYC would be a dream come true for me.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a strong advocate for the children of New Mexico and I wish you well in your fight to bring about positive changes.
Donna
Hello Cindy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this great post. I am just coming across the NACCRRA mentioned in your post for the first time. This large network and their mission is very appealing towards leveraging on their size to avail affordable education for children. Their job opening are quite interesting and I observed it cuts into politics so as to provide advocacy impact as well. I have always thought on how advocacy through politics could be effective and your post has shared practical example.
Thanks a for sharing
Adesoye.
Hi Cindy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for providing me with an additional resource as I was unaware of the NACCRRA. The program you mentioned, Child Care Aware Training Academy, sounds like a wonder program as it the NACCRRA's partnership with Lakeshore. I must admit I could spend hours in Lakeshore as it has to be teachers version of a toy store or candy store. I like how you pointed out that teachers need new and exciting resources to better meet the needs of children. Sometimes I think that teachers need these resources so that teaching stays "fresh" for us and we do not become "bored" with teaching. If we are enthusiastic and passionate about what we are teaching our students pick up on those feelings and are more eager to learn.
I too was also inspired by looking at all the possible opportunities for early childhood educators. While I love my current position it is nice to know that there are other avenues I can pursue in my chosen field.
Cindy,
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to get an idea of the options we have as educators. I know that I wasn't aware of the options that are out there for us. After looking at the department of education website I may to work on a certification in administration. As a result of what you found in your state, do you thin you'll pursue any of the positions you listed? Thanks for sharing.
Cindy, you provided a awesome outlook on resources available as we move towards the end of this educational journey. I believe tht NAEYC is a favorite among educators. And thank you for providing us with the naccrra website. I had no knowledge of it. Nice post and thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete