Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The Council for Professional Recognition is an organization that promotes teachers advancing their education and gaining a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. With my challenge being based around higher pay for early learning teachers, this organization is a great resource for my community of practice. There is no secret that in today’s society promoting education also promotes increased pay. We are taught to further our educations because that’s the only way we get more money. The job opportunity that appeals to me is being  a Professional Development Site Specialist. This person will need a Bachelors Degree in ECE or Child Development and two years experience working with children Birth to Five. This person will have to go through a series of online training and once they qualify they will go through a selection process. Once selected this person will be a mentor/coach for those going through the CDA process. 

The American Federation of Teachers is another great organization to have in my community of practice. This organization is designed to advocate for fair employment for early learning and education teachers. It also advocates for high quality care that is affordable for our children and their families. The position that interests me the most is the Internal Organizer and Community Organizer. This person organizes programs to bring awareness to high-quality child care centers.  This person will need 3 - 5 years in organizing experience, motivational skills, writing skills, and ability to make visits. This seems like such a great career. I would love to be able to visit child care centers and help promote their quality care to enhance their enrollment. It is also great because this is a position in a company that advocates for the better pay of teachers working in high quality centers. 

Zero to Three is another great organization to work with in my community of practice. This organization works towards the advancement of children Infants to three years old. The thing I love about Zero to Three is that they are not just a great site for teachers and early learning educators, but it is also a great resource for the  families. There are several links on the website that bring awareness to better compensation for early learning teachers. The position that I am most interested in at Zero to Three is the Senior Policy Analyst. This person will help write grants, will participate in policy and federal advocacy for our youngest learners, and provide awareness. This person should have a Masters degrees in social work, public policy, or early childhood education. They should have knowledge on policy issues, 5 years experience, interpersonal skills and ability to travel. 

References:

http://www.cdacouncil.org/

http://www.aft.org/yourwork/ece/

http://www.zerotothree.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

• At least three local or state organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you, and explain why you chose them

Bright from the Start is the licensing agent for all child care centers in the state of Georgia. I chose this community of practice because it communicates to every child care center in the state. 

The other community of practice I chose is Sheltering Arms. This is a chain of child care centers that is government funded. These child care centers offer training and opportunities for other child care centers. They are also very family oriented and have staff that are there strictly to be a resource for the children and their families enrolled in their center. 

The last community practice that I am interested in is Bright Horizons. I this organization because they have child care centers located on some of the major businesses. HomeDepot, Coca Cola, Chick-fil-A, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Georgia Power, and Georgia Pacific are just a few of the business that offer child care at work for their employees. The amount of connections that this company has is amazing. 

• Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you

I would like to be a child care consultant for Bright from the Start. This person is assigned a region in Georgia and they visit all the child care centers in this region. This person is often feared by the centers, because they audit the center and make sure that all guidelines are being followed, but this person also offers some great advice, and has a wonderful relationship with the centers administration team. 

At Sheltering Arms I would love to be the Family Support Consultant. This person is there for the families. They offer support and resources for those who need it. If there is a family going through a divorce, this person is responsible for offering counselors, or attorneys that may be needed. This person will help get assistance for children who may need help with behavior issues. They can also be great for those who need help with children with disabilities. 

The Child Care Education Coordinator at Bright Horizons has the great responsibility of making sure the staff is well versed in the appropriate curriculum.   This person will have a classroom, but they will be able to collaborate with the team, the children and the families. 

• Skills and experience that you would need to competently fulfill each of these roles

The Bright from the Start child care consultant will need a bachelors degree, and child care experience. 

The Family Support Coordinator at Sheltering Arms would need a bachelors degree, customer service skills, three to five years child care experience, and training in families and support. 

The Child Care Educator Coordinator would need to have a CDA, Associates degree or higher, two to four years child care experience, and NAEYC accreditation process experience.