Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

As I near the end of my graduate degree program, and my own children will be enrolled in elementary school full time, it will soon be time to begin my search toward a new chapter in the field of EC.  I have thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to be home with my girls and provide quality care for several children and their families over the years.  Although I could certainly persist in this role, I feel that there is something else out there for me. 

           

I began searching locally for positions and organizations that align with my desire to provide well-rounded, whole-child curriculum for children of all abilities and interests, while stressing a balance of topics, learning styles, and cultures.  The first organization I researched was the SPARK (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids) program in my county.  This organization partners educators and families to work toward preparing children for kindergarten.  Their curriculum aligns with our current state early learning standards, but provides a combination of both in-home and group meetings.  It affords the opportunity for children and families to be met where they are, ready them for what they will be facing in the local elementary schools, and provide pre-assessments for early intervention, without the children being placed in a traditional preschool program.  The free programming is provided by groups of volunteer educators, administrators, and counselors at a local community center.  I became interested in this organization when I learned that I would have several hours available during the upcoming school year and began to research ways to positively donate my time.  This is definitely an organization that I will be contacting in the near future.

Secondly, I would love the opportunity down the line to work as a curriculum specialist within a local school district.  I feel that by immersing myself in the curriculum requirements of the early elementary grades, and could then work to inform local preschool programs as to what the expectations for the children will be.  I know that in my area, only programs that receive government funding (on any level) are privy to certain standards and requirements of the elementary level.  I have met with several educators who have been frustrated developing their own curriculum and assessing children properly when they are not being given the information they desire from the Department of Education.  I would work to break down these walls to provide greater equity in education for young children, especially those who attend independent private programs. 

The final local position that peaked my interest was a Site Manager for TNTP (The New Teacher Project), which is a non-profit organization committed to recruiting and training teachers of excellence for elementary schools across the nation.  While they began with the schools in greatest need, they began to realize that discrepancies in education exist across all demographics.  They believe that it is critical that educators receive proper training and support in order to properly serve their communities.  This specific position would entail partnering with clients within an at-risk school district near to me to perform an audit of their teacher recruitment strategies and selection processes.  After working to improve staffing attainment and retention models the Site Manager would follow-up to ensure that milestones are being met and that a team is developed to provide continuous real-time support for the district.  This particular organization not only seeks to bring greater equity in early education, but they also strive to advance teaching policies and practices. 

As I begin to dive further into the opportunities for me in the future, I would  also expand my search out-of-state and into varying areas such as program creation, implementation, and funding; data analysis of demographics and program results; and site inspection.  I look forward to consulting with my colleagues regarding positions and organizations in their areas as another tool in my search J