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

 

 

 

This week, I had to research job opportunities at a federal and national level.  The first organization I chose to search was NAEYC (National Association of Education for the Education of Young Children).  One job opportunity that sparked my interest is the Quality Enhancement Coordinator (NAEYC, 2014).  The responsibilities of this position is collaborative in nature and involves travel to the Middle East and Africa to coordinate with early childhood professionals and stakeholders in the Middle East and Africa to assist ensure quality early childhood education programs (NAEYC, 2014).  The minimum requirements for this position are a Bachelor's in International Development or related field, experience in early childhood education, and abilities to work independently but also collaborate successfully (NAEYC, 2014).

 

Although I do not meet all of the qualifications of this position such as the international background, I find this job very intriguing.  The position involves travel at a moment's notice and I would enjoy the opportunity to travel and learn about early childhood education programs in other countries besides the United States.

 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATORS (NAECTE)

 

The NAECTE is an organization that encourages collaboration and resources for early childhood educators around the world (NAECTE, 2014).  Their website has job listings but they are provided by agencies and early childhood settings.  In order to inquire about job openings with the organization, prospective job seekers are encouraged to email Will Mosier at william.mosier@wright.edu (NAECTE, 2014).   I emailed Will Mosier but have not received an email from him yet. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 

 

Although I did not find any job opportunities for this site, I was able to become more familiar with this site as a result of researching it.  I did not know that NAECTE existed.

 

National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)

 

The National Institute for Early Education Research is an organization that dedicates time to research about early childhood education, appropriate practices, and public policy decisions (NIEER, 2014).  One of the reasons I was attracted to this site was the fact that there is a section on their home page dedicated to information about ELL (English Language Learners) in preschool  (NIEER, 2014).

I researched the job opportunities for NIEER and found the position of Data Collectors (NIEER, 2014).  The data collectors are responsible for collecting data from early childhood settings around the nation and analyze the data to report back to NIEER about how early childhood programs are performing to program standards nationwide (NIEER, 2014).  The minimum requirements consist of actively engaging in a graduate program and classroom/teaching experience an early childhood setting (NIEER, 2014).

This was another organization that I was not familiar with and I am excited that I found it and the resources it provides.  I believe I have the minimum requirements to fulfill the position of data collector and might find the position interesting as it would provide me the opportunity to venture to various early childhood settings to see how other programs in the United States operate.



 

 Resources

 

NAEYC.  (2014).  Job Opportunities.  Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/jobs

NAECTE.  (2014).  Positions Open.  Retrieved from http://www.naecte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=42

NIEER.  (2014).  Job Opportunities.  Retrieved from http://nieer.org/about/jobs



Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels



The first organization that I researched in Iowa is the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC).  I belong to this organization collaboratively with my NAEYC membership.  There is actually an article on their website entitled "Careers in Early Childhood" (IAEYC, 2008).  One of the jobs that appealed to me in this article was Professional Development Coordinator.  The Professional Development Coordinator can work in many different settings such as colleges, high schools, and child care and resource referral agencies (IAEYC, 2008).  The minimum qualifications include a Master's in Early Childhood Education (IAEYC, 2008).  This job description and title appealed to me because I would like to become a leader in the field where I can help educate prospective early childhood professionals in their journey to become successful early childhood professionals.

 

 

The second organization I checked out was the Iowa Community Action Association which has local agencies located in the state of Iowa.  The Community Action agencies work collaboratively with other agencies to provide resources for low income families in Iowa.  One job opening that I found that interested me and connects with my Capstone challenge is a bilingual advocate for a Head Start center in Iowa.  The minimum qualifications are a Bachelor's in Social Work or related field with excellent communication skills (Iowa Community Action, 2014). This person would work closely with families to ensure that they are receiving information about services they are receiving and also assist with communicating information to bilingual children and their families (Iowa Community Action, 2014).

 

 

 

Iowa has Area Education Agencies that cover all of the counties in Iowa.  I checked my local AEA which is Great Prairie AEA but there were not any job openings at my local agency.  The job position I found at the AEA 267 is in Clear Lake, Iowa searching for an Early Childhood Consultant.  The consultant position requires a Master's in Early Childhood Education along with four years of successful teaching (AEA, 2014).  The consultant would provide leadership and professional development to other early childhood professionals in area schools and early childhood centers (AEA, 2014).

 

I found it interesting to research other positions in my field.  I have done this before but only looked at positions that required a Master's.  Now that I am finishing my Master's and pursuing my Capstone project, I am inspired to start looking again.

References 

AEA 267 Area Education Agency. (2014). Employment Opportunities.  Retrieved from

            http://employment.aea267.k12.ia.us/jobs

Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children. (2008). Careers in Early Childhood. 

            Retrieved from http://www.iowaaeyc.org/CareersEarlyChildhood_Iowa10_27_10.pdf

Iowa Community Action Association.  (2014). Jobs - Bi-lingual Family Advocate Needed For

Denison-Area Head Start Program.  Retrieved from http://www.iowacommunityaction.org/Job/308/BI-LINGUAL_FAMILY_ADVOCATE__NEEDED_FOR___DENISON-AREA__HEAD_START_PROGRAM/





Reflections on Learning

My hope for the children and families that I serve is that they will not only feel welcomed and comfortable in my classroom but also continue to have the same experiences throughout their school aged life.  I know that is a big order to expect that all of the children and families I serve have positive educational experiences as they go on in their education but I believe that the education world needs to re-examine how we teach children and treat families (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  There is really no reason for children to be ignored, talked to in a negative way, and mistreated in the classroom or anywhere for that matter.  There is also no reason for families to feel ignored, disrespected, and detached from their children.  I realize that teaching is not an easy profession but if you have the passion to teach, then you have a responsibility to care and nurture children’s minds and spirits.  You also have a responsibility to create positive and respectful relationships with the families to ensure the success and well-being of their children but also to continue those connections and relationships.  One of the favorite things about being an early childhood educator for me is creating those relationships with families and their children and then continuing them as they leave our classroom.  I see my children and families out in the community and at school and it is rewarding to me when they take the time to come over and talk to me to tell me their latest happenings.  I feel as though I am an important part of their life and development.  Teaching is not just about the ABC’s and 123’s.  Teaching is about the children and their families and how we can help them get from to wherever they are to wherever they need to be in a nurturing and caring environment. 

Thank you Dr.Pickens for all of your encouragement and positivity throughout the two classes I have been fortunate to take with you.  You have inspired me to become an even bigger advocate for young children and their families.

Thank you to my colleagues for your positive, intelligent, and encouraging feedback throughout the course and other courses we have taken together.  I am so happy that I decided to pursue my Master’s in Early Childhood Education because not only is it my passion but it is a pleasure and a privilege to be with other dedicated early childhood professionals.  My hope for all of you is to continue pursuing your passion for early childhood education and continue becoming beacons of light and hope for all children and their families.

Nicolette

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children                   and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.