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

Professional early childhood educators are continuously learning, advocating for children and families, and attempting to spread knowledge to others.  Helping family’s help their children grow and develop in the most positive way possible is a passion I pursue wholeheartedly. I am familiar with organizations and programs within my state and local community that help me nurture my passion. Yet, if I were to become involved in a national or federal program or organization with the goals of helping families to help their children, the impact of my work could reach more families and expand across many states. Researching such organizations can broaden my career choices and help me explore new ways to educate and advocate for young children and their families.

                As I began my search, I thought about the national organizations that I felt made the greatest impact on young children and their families. One of the most influential organizations in the early childhood education field is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Besides being a leader in setting developmentally appropriate standards for early childhood education, NAEYC also assists on public policy concerning early childhood, does research, provides professional development opportunities, and encourages early childhood programs to strive for excellence in care and education. I find this organization particularly appealing because it gives educators the tools they need to provide the best care and education services to children and families while also encouraging collaboration with community resources. They currently have a position open for an Accreditation Coordinator. This person would assist all NAEYC Accreditation staff with “understanding and interpreting the standards” (NAEYC, 2012) of the accreditation process. To be qualified, I would need to hold a degree of a BA/BS or higher in the early childhood education field, have an understanding of NAEYC and its practices, have 3-5 years of experience in an early childhood education program, and to communicate effectively orally and through writing. I am currently helping four of our programs through the accreditation process. It is rigorous and time-consuming, but the teachers and I are learning a great deal about quality.

              I next looked into a federal program listed under the Department of Education. I searched the federal job site for vacancies in the Office of Early Learning (OEL), which was established in 2011 to collaborate with Office of Elementary and Secondary Education in order to recognize the importance of early learning. The OEL leads the Early Learning Initiative which has two main goals: “(1) enhancing the quality of early learning programs, and (2) increasing the access to high quality early learning programs especially for young children at risk for school failure” (United States Department of Education, 2012). Programs such as Head Start and Early Head Start fall under this initiative. I find it refreshing that the current administration sees such a huge benefit to early learning. I would be proud to be part of the team that strives to provide quality programs and access to them for children and families in need. While I’m sure there are many job opportunities in the program, I found one that was particularly interesting. It is an Education Program Specialist (USA Jobs, 2012). This job entails informing superiors on appropriate and current education research for young children in order to fully prepare them for school. The position requires a Bachelor’s Degree but the candidate only needs nine or more hours in education courses OR they can substitute four years of applicable experience. I find this intriguing because in this position I would actually get to contribute to federal laws and standards that contribute to the improvement of early childhood education programs who receive any federal funding. I am in no way qualified for this position, but it is something in which I aspire.

               A final national agency that I believe to be a shining benefactor to early childhood education is Zero to Three (Zero to Three, 2012). This organization is a leader in advocating for families, young children, and early childhood educators by providing research, resources, education, and information and contribution on public policies for the growth and development of infants and toddlers. It is an indispensable resource for me as a professional in the Early Head start program. I found no current job openings. However, there is a listing for an unpaid internship in with the applicant would conduct research for public policy recommendations as well as assist in training parents and educators in appropriate practice with infants and toddlers. This person applying must be in an undergraduate or graduate program and must possess excellent written and oral communication skills. This sounds very appealing, but I am not in a position where I can do an unpaid internship, so I looked for a position that is not currently available but may be in the future. To my elation, Zero to Three has a program called “Reflective Practice and Program Development” (Zero to Three, 2012) in which they encourage the building of relationships between educators, young children, and families for optimal care and education. I would certainly enjoy being a member of this team. Helping educators learn how important relationships are and how to foster those relationships to build trust is one of the key aspects of a successful early childhood education program.

                In relation to working for Zero to Three, I spoke with our local representative who works with the organization. His name is Joe Priece. His main job is to certify CDA applicants by administering the written exam and the oral interview. He travels quite frequently, but finds his work very fulfilling. “I meet many educators who are aspiring to provide the best care and education to infants and toddlers. They make great sacrifices that include low pay and little recognition for creating the base for solid and positive developmental growth for young children. All people should be so lucky as to meet these kind of individuals daily. It’s a very positive thing in a sometimes very negative world. (J. Priece, personal communication, September 28, 2012). Mr. Priece also offered his services at any time to help make improvements to our program. He told me that his job required a B.A. in early childhood education, experience with being a mentor and advisor to CDA students, supervisory experience, and excellent written and oral communication skills. “It also helps to be passionate about infants and toddlers,” (J. Priece, personal communication, September, 28, 2012) he added seriously.

                                                                                References:

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2012). Naeyc jobs. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org

United States Department of Education, Office of Early Learning. (2012). Early learning initiative. Retrieved from website: http://www.ed.gov

USA Jobs. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.usajobs.gov

Zero to Three. (2012). Internships. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org

Zero to Three. (2012). Reflective practice and program development. Retrieved from      http://www.zerotothree.org