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

In the world of early childhood education reform, three national organizations stand out: National Association for the Education of Young Children, Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, and Voices for America's Children.
  
NAEYC was founded in 1926 with the mission “to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources."(NAEYC, n.d.) This organization is an invaluable resource to early childhood education professionals. They provide many opportunities for professional growth through their conferences, meetings, periodicals and books. They also support the mission of high quality early care and education by influencing public policy and setting high standards for accreditation.
Job opportunity:

Accreditation Coordinator

"NAEYC is seeking an Accreditation Coordinator to support the work of our Accreditation System by assisting program staff, NAEYC assessors and other stakeholders in understanding and interpreting the standards, the criteria and the system as a whole. The Coordinator provides information and technical assistance on the accreditation process, policies procedures via phone and e-mail to our customers.
Responsibilities include working with program administrators, assessors and decision makers throughout all aspects of the accreditation process. Coordinators review materials submitted to identify any procedural errors and measure program compliance with our standards and monitor the performance of assessors to ensure reliability is maintained in all assessment procedures and protocols, while providing support to assessors in their role.
BA in Early Childhood Education/Child Development, 3-5 years experience in the field of early childhood education and a sound understanding of its practices is required. Experience with high quality programming and NAEYC accreditation is a plus. Excellent oral and written communication, analytical, MS Office and database skills are required. Must be able to meet deadlines, work in a team and in a fast-paced environment. Some travel may be required. Salary $38-41K with excellent benefits." (NAEYC n.d.)

The Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families was founded in 1977 with the mission “to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers… by translating research and knowledge—specifically information about the kinds of early experiences that help children thrive—into a range of practical tools and resources for use by the adults who influence the lives of young children.” (Zero to Three, 2011). This organization is a very good resource to keep educators, parents and policy makers abreast of changes and new research in early childhood education issues. They work to educate families and educators and to influence public policy.

Job opportunity:
Senior Web Strategist - "This position leads the evaluation and implementation of web-based tools; the use, maintenance, and support of existing tools, and the technical implementation of custom web content ." (Zerotothree, 2011)
 
Knowledge and Skills:

 

At least 8 years of documented experience in Website development, and/or digital marketing, technical project management and production experience and understanding of current Internet technologies, protocols, and standards;

• Advanced knowledge of hand-coded HTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript and other Web-based programming languages;

• Experience in administration of HTTP, TCP/IP and FTP protocols;

• Advanced experience with content management systems, preferably Convio, cross-browser and cross-platform issues, and optimizing Websites for mobile delivery systems;

• Digital graphic design experience (i.e. Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver);

• Demonstrated ability to provide work direction to others including professional service providers;

• Demonstrated reliability and consistency with attention to detail and a sense of craftsmanship;

• Excellent problem solving ability and strong work ethic;

• Outstanding verbal, written and graphic communications skills;

• Knowledge of early childhood issues a plus;

• Outstanding organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines;

• Development of successful e-commerce programs and online educational media;

• Experience working with non-profit organizations;

• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented office;

• Ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision;

• Ability to build internal and external relationships with representatives at all levels;

• Demonstrated ability to work remotely if required

Voices for America’s Children is a “nationwide network [that] speaks up for kids and puts children on government’s agenda.” (Voices, n.d.). This organization offers membership into local affiliates. Educators from across the nation meet regularly to discuss the best practices associated with early care and education and devise plans to affect public policy. They have been a leader in campaigning for legislation that supports early childhood education.

Job opportuntiy:
Executive Director: Children's Leadership Council "who will play a significant role in leading, supporting and guiding coalition work focused on improving public policies affecting children and increasing federal investment in children and youth from birth to young adulthood. " (Voices, 2011)
Knowledge and Skills:
 

• Has excellent verbal and written communication, coordination, and consensus building skills

• Is a sophisticated advocate and can effectively work with, support and energize CEOs, Executive Directors and staff of national and state organizations, sister coalitions, foundations and other diverse audiences

• Has at least 6 years experience working in the policy arena

• Has the ability to create a personal connection, prioritize important issues and be a creative strategic partner in the development of both the policy focus and the overall future of the CLC

• Has experience in participating in or supporting multi-organizational coalitions at the state or federal level (experience in coalition building is a plus)

• Can manage and organize multi-step decision making processes that includes substantial committee work

• Is knowledgeable about the policy landscape for children and youth from birth to young adulthood

• Understands federal policy and the federal policy process in Congress (Hill experience is a plus)

• Experience managing contracts preferred but not required

• Is skilled in the use of the internet, and other related technologies to support communication and group work (experience with Convio is a plus)

• Master’s degree preferred but not required  



References
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/
 
Voices for America’s Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.voices.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The organization that I am most excited about joining is Voices for Children San Antonio. (http://www.voicesforchildrensa.org/)A major goal for this group is to expand early childhood education in my state. I feel that the experience that I gain from joining this group will help in making a difference in my community. I am excited about the knowledge and connections that I will gain by networking with this group. Their mission is in-line with my goal of providing preschool education for all children in order to assure school readiness and creating a love of life long learning. In order to become a member I will need to be passionate about early childhood education and be able to make the time committment necessary to advocate for change.
 
I plan to join my local chamber of commerce (http://lytlechamberofcommerce.com/) Being a member of this group will allow me access to influential people who may join in my goal of providing high quality early childhood experiences for all children. In order to be a member I will need to be a business owner.

A third organization that I will be a member of is one that I will launch myself. This organization will join parents, caregivers and early childhood professionals. We will meet regularly to discuss needs of early childhood education in our community. I will need organizational and leadership skills in order to organize and launch this group. I have demonstrated these skills in the past through the organizations I have operated as a leader and through the professional positions that I have held.

The first two groups I will be a member. The third group I will operate as president/leader.