Job/Roles in the ECE Community

For this assignment, I chose one well known early childhood organization (ZERO TO THREE) and then really tried to broaden my knowledge on early childhood organizations. I found two more but was unsuccessful in finding jobs with in their organization... 

#1

 “ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development. Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life” (Zero to Three, 2015).   I chose ZERO TO THREE because I have used their website for guidance and content for many years.  Their support for children, families, and educators makes them a primary resource for me and naturally I went there first to look for positions. 

Position: Senior Subject Matter Expert – PRE-K

This interested me initially because my entire teaching career has been in preschool (with a short stint in kindergarten!)

I think that before applying for a position like this, I would need to spend some time as an Early Childhood Specialist to gain experience with the CLASS system and Head Start knowledge. 

Some of the job requirements are: 10 years minimum experience in early childhood professional development systems work · Strong knowledge of early childhood development birth to five, with particular focus and experience with services to preschool aged children ; · Strong knowledge of CLASS Pre-K observation tool and other program, teacher and child-level assessment tools commonly used in early childhood preschool programs · Strong knowledge of Head Start program development, the Head Start Program Performance Standards, Head Start Outcomes Framework, and HS technical assistance resources; · Strong knowledge of CCDF and Public Pre-K programming trends and regulations in states and territories · Excellent conceptual, written and oral skills; · Experience with organizing, developing and providing technical assistance resources to a variety of audiences; · Ability to work with a team as well as independently; · Strong oral, written and computer skills; · Strong interpersonal skills; and · Ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents. · Reliable CLASS Pre-K observer preferred

http://zerotothree.org

 #2

NEA – National Education Association.  The NEA “vision is a great public school for every student. Our mission is to advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world” (National Education Association, 2015).

The NEA also has a committed promise to support Early Childhood education because supporting early childhood education supports all children in kindergarten and beyond.  The NEA has many positions posted but seem to be more on the business side and not geared towards educators. I would not pursue a position with them at this time.

http://nea.org

#3

I found the T.E.A.C.H. Early childhood National Center in my research this week. I have heard to the TEACH grants but did not know what they were… T.E.A.C.H.  was originally started as a scholarship to attract people to become highly qualified educators from the child care field because teachers were leaving the field.  TEACH has awarded more than 100,000 scholarships ranging from CDA credentials to Masters Degree’s. (WHY DIDN’T I look into this!?).  Because of their support for leaders in early childhood education, I Found myself drawn to their organization for job hunting.  Although they have a Staff Page posted on the website, there are no actually career opportunities posted with in the website that I could find. 

http:// http://teachecnationalcenter.org

State and Local Organizations EDUC 6990

My Home State: MICHIGAN

Local/State Organization or communities of practice I am interested in:

MiDEC – Michigans Division for Early Childhood http://www.michigandec.org/

The MiDEC’s mission states, “MiDEC is dedicated to promoting policies and evidence based practice to support families and enhance the optimal development of all children. MiDEC shall encourage and promote the professional growth and quality practice to support young children with exceptional needs and their families” ( MiDEC, 2015).  I chose the MiDEC because their mission is to support young children and their families.  Work with families is a passion of mine and working with an organization that’s mission is to support children and their families seems like a good fit! I have also attended professional conferences led by the MiDEC and was pleased with their work. 

MiDEC did not have official employment opportunities posted but they did have links to join their community, be an advocate for young children, and contacts for their board.  I think my teaching experience as well as my continued focus in Early Childhood Education with Walden University qualifies me for future board opportunities or as a conference presenter. 

MiAEYC – Michigan Association of Education of Young Children  http://www.miaeyc.org/

“The Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children is committed to improving the education and welfare of children from birth through age eight” (MiAEYC, 2015).  Because of the local and state work the MiAEYC supports, future opportunities with them could be running for a position on their governing board, presenting at a conference, or being part of the local chapter in my area (Grand Traverse). The site also posts positions related to the early childhood field for the entire state including many Great Start Readiness Program positions like the one I am in currently.  Joining my local AEYC chapter would be a great Community of Practice to start in and network. 

Great Lakes Children’s Museum http://greatlakeskids.org/

The Great Lakes Children’s Museum is a hands on learning museum in my local area.  Along with a passion for families, I have passion for learning through play.  A children’s museum is literally the dream classroom for a preschool teacher like myself with such features as a giant water table with parts to change the flow of water and test different hypothesis about what might happen, open ended art areas, indoor climbing and play area, inquiry into the boating and fishing that occurs in our region, a lighthouse book area and dramatic play area.  The Great Lakes Children’s Museum is ran by volunteers and has a board of trustees to oversee.  The museum is funded by grants and other donors. 

I think I could offer some great ideas on how to change out stations periodically to keep things fresh and families interested in coming but I would need to gain some skills in grant writing to help on the financial side. 

Traverse Bay Intermediate School District (TBA ISD) http://www.tbaisd.org/

The TBA ISD has a wide range of employment options. There are no current positions posted that interest me, but one that I am extremely interested in for the future is become an Early Childhood specialist.  As a current classroom teacher, I work closely with my early childhood specialist on topics of behavior, academic concerns for children, classroom environment, materials, and best classroom practices.  I would love an opportunity to support other teachers in their classrooms like so many have done for me.  Further training I would need would mean becoming certified to administer the PQA Assessment in classrooms (Preschool Quality Assessment). 

Great Lakes Children’s Museum (2015). Retrieved from http://greatlakeskids.org/.

Michigans Division for Early Childhood (2015). Retrieved from http://www.michigandec.org/.

Michigan Association of Education of Young Children (2015). Retrieved from http://www.miaeyc.org/.

Traverse Bay Intermediate School District (2015). Retrieved from http://www.tbaisd.org/.