Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

When considering state and national organizations that were particularly appealing to me, I considered the mission and values held by each organization.  Three that stood out as particularly attractive were The California Association for the Education of Young Children, The California Early Childhood Mentor Program, and the Children's Movement of California.  

According to their website, The California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEFC) is dedicated to professionalizing and enhancing the field of early childhood. The organization emphasizes the need for “developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive, high-quality, early care and education for all young children.” CAEFC suggests that this can best be achieved through research, education, professional development and advocacy (http://caeyc.org/). Because of my interest in enhancing teacher preparation to ensure all children receive high-quality programming, this organization appeals to me.

The California Early Childhood Mentor Program provides “resources and support to aspiring and experienced teachers and administrators in programs serving children birth to five” (http://www.ecementor.org/). Considering the many skillful veteran early childhood teachers and administrators involved in the field, I believe new teachers would benefit greatly by learning from those with vast knowledge and experience in the field. This type of collaboration would likely serve as an effective approach to advancing the field of ECE.

The Children Now organization works to find harmony between “influential opinion leaders, interest groups and policymakers,” because each of these components is vital to initiating change and driving social initiatives (http://www.childrennow.org/). With the objective of generating “socially innovative, “win-win” approaches to helping all children achieve their full potential,” Children Now appears to be a major supporter of the battle of equity within the field, and they are supporting the California Children's Movement (http://www.childrennow.org/). Their approach to this movement considers both the health and education of California's young children, following what they call a proven and unique approach.  They first identify an issue and analyze the causes, followed by the production of stimuli such as research reports or policy briefs to highlight the issue before finally targeting the groups and individuals who can produce real change (http://www.childrennow.org/). This group understands the importance of the field of early childhood and their commitment to children bodes well for influencing policy.

Within the field of early childhood, there are also several potential jobs that are of great interest to me. One job that I am particularly interested in is Child Development Instructor at the community college level. The skills and experience needed to do this job include experience as an early childhood teacher, a Master’s or Doctorate in the field of early childhood, expertise in child development, and an ability to instruct diverse learners.

Another job that interests me is Early Childhood Site Director. I feel that this would provide an excellent forum from which to serve the field of early childhood as I could work with other early childhood professionals to create high-quality programming. To do this job, I would need more managerial experience, courses in administration, experience as an early childhood teacher, a Master’s or Doctorate in the field of early childhood, and an ability to work with a diverse group of staff and children. When I complete my Master’s, I will be applying for such positions.