In support of the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Week of the Young Child, Teachstone welcomes guest blogger, Marica Cox Mitchell, Deputy Executive Director for Early Learning Systems. Teachstone and NAEYC share a commitment to improving the interactions between early childhood educators and children with the goal of ensuring the highest standards of learning for our nation’s youngest learners.
The early childhood education field is in the spotlight now more than ever. The importance of the early years is no longer a conversation that occurs only within the confines of early childhood education circles. Our work is featured on the front page of national newspapers and magazines, prominent in political campaigns, and promoted by national security experts and economists. While there are still growth opportunities, let’s reflect on our past, honor the advocates who brought us this far, and acknowledge that we—the collective we—have made significant progress.
It should come as no surprise that this heightened level of visibility has also increased performance expectations for early childhood educators. While being on center stage can cause a bit of stage fright, we cannot demand professional recognition for early childhood educators and at the same time shy away from accountability. Early educators must be accountable for creating environments and facilitating learning opportunities that support child development and learning.
However, this accountability does not rest on the shoulders of educators alone. We know the lasting impact early childhood educators have on children, and we must make every effort to ensure that we are supporting our educators to improve their practice and help children thrive. National and local organizations, administrators, professional preparation programs, coaches, policy makers, researchers, foundations, state and federal agencies, and society as a whole must also be held accountable for the indirect yet critical role they all play. Teachstone is an example of an organization committed to supporting teachers and driving children’s learning.
- What is the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) role in this dynamic early childhood education landscape?
- How can NAEYC share in the accountability?
NAEYC’s National Governing Board, along with members and key stakeholders, spent the bulk of 2014 pondering these questions as part of an intense, collaborative, and transparent strategic planning process. The result of this process is a bold new strategic direction that clearly lays out NAEYC’s commitment to promoting high-quality early learning and advancing the early childhood profession.
Here are a few highlights from the strategic direction:
A new vision statement: All young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.
A new mission statement: NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
Five strategic priorities and goals:
1. High-Quality Early Learning - Goal: Children birth through age 8 have equitable access to developmentally appropriate, high-quality early learning.
2. The Profession - Goal: The early childhood education profession exemplifies excellence and is recognized as vital and performing a critical role in society.
3. Organizational Advancement - Goal: NAEYC is a highly valued, credible, and visible organization.
4. Organizational Excellence - Goal: NAEYC reflects excellence in all aspects of organizational health and vitality.
5. Leadership and Innovation - Goal: NAEYC cultivates leadership and incubates innovative strategies that propel the field, profession, and systems of early learning.
As we celebrate this year’s Week of the Young ChildTM, let’s use this as an opportunity to acknowledge our collective progress, join hands with others, and commit to owning our share of the accountability. Together with Teachstone, I encourage you to ask yourself:
- What is your role in this dynamic early childhood education landscape?
- How can you share in the accountability?
