Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Education Community: Federal/National Level

As an educator, I believe strongly in the advocacy for children with special needs, as well as the promotion of high quality preschool, for all children.

I too feel their needs to be greater support for teachers and the work they do with young children and families. Each of the three organizations I have included appeal to me because each of them have each of these goals in mind.

1.The Institute also supports The National Professional Development   

    Center on Inclusion (NPDCI).

·      The website for the National Professional Development Center on Inclusion is http://npdci.fpg.unc.edu

The center is working with states to ensure that early childhood teachers are prepared to educate and care for young children with disabilities in settings with their typically developing peers (National Professional Development Center on Inclusion [NPDCI], 2013).

Having the opportunity to work for a well renowned agency like NPDCI, would be both rewarding and challenging. I would love to be the person who provides professional development training to early childhood programs, schools, and teachers. NPDCI has an impressive reputation. It is highly recognized and seen as the “guru,” for inclusive preschool practices. I feel that in so many ways, teachers are unsupported and they have continuous expectation placed upon them. I would love to offer my support and working with the NPDCI hopefully my role would allow me to do just that.

2. The next organization I am interested in working with is United States

     Department of Education.

·     The link to the website is http://www.2.ed.gov

I am interested in employment within the Office of Early Learning. Their work is to promote of school readiness and improved learning outcomes of young children.
By providing high quality professional development programs to improve the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators and caregivers who work in early childhood programs located in high-poverty communities and who serve primarily children from low-income families (United States Department of Education, n.d.). My primary focus is on supporting teachers and programs on the provision of high quality early childhood programs. I am currently am employed with the Arizona Department of Education as a program specialist. The job with the United States Department of Education would hold a similar job title. I think that working with the federal department of Education and having an impact on the national level could allow me to better understand the laws, and rules along with the use and allocation of federal dollars.

The last agency I am interested in working with is the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL).

·      The link for the website for CSEFEL: http://www.csefel.vanderbilt.edu

The organization's attention is on promoting the social emotional development and readiness of young children birth to age five. CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country (CSEFEL, n.d.)

I think working for an agency like, CSEFEL, would be a unique opportunity. I hold the Head Start Agency in such high regard in relationship to their continued efforts and focus on young children birth to age five and concern for children's overall health and development. 

I must sound boring. Yet, I am once again attracted to a similar career path, which provides professional development and training to coaches, educators and families. 

Currently, there are no open job opportunities with any of these three organizations. Yet, if they did the skills required would include strong knowledge that encompasses all developmental domains and knowledge to ensure each child's education success. 

The educational requirement for each position is a Master's Degree, along with:

·      The ability to provide training, technical assistance to programs with regard to best teaching practices for children to encourage a cultural learning that promotes school readiness

·      Ability to provide professional development

·      Ability to maintain up to date knowledge of current research and developmental practices

·      Understanding of content standards for toddlers and preschool, guidelines, school law, IDEA, and developmentally appropriate practices.

·      Knowledge of effective teaching strategies in early care and school programming

·      Five plus years of experience in the field of early childhood education

·      A Masters in Early Childhood Education

If given the opportunities to work with either one of these agencies, I realize that I would be utilizing the knowledge and skills I currently possess. Yet, at the same time, each would offer me new challenges and continued professional growth.



References:

 The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI).   http://npdci.fpg.unc.edu

The United States Department of Education.

http://www.2.ed.gov

The Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL).
http://www.csefel.vanderbilt.edu