Job/Roles
in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level
This week, we
were asked to explore jobs/roles in the ECE community at the national/federal
level. Although there are many noteworthy national organizations, I decided to
choose two that have intrigued me, piqued my interest, and fueled my passion
for equity in early childhood education. The two organizations that I explored
further are the HighScope Educational Research Foundation and the Children’s
Defense Fund.
The first organization that I chose to explore further is
the HighScope Educational Research Foundation. HighScope is known for the Perry
School Project. The Perry Preschool Project was conducted in the 1960s of 123 preschool students that were split
into two groups (HighScope, 2019). One group was put into a high-quality preschool program and the other
group did not receive a preschool education (HighScope, 2019). They have
followed participants in both groups in a longitudinal study to evaluate the
value of high-quality early childhood education (HighScope, 2019). They
continue to research, educate, and train to provide the most equitable early
childhood education for all children. “Every day we focus on the variables that
allow all children to be their best selves, regardless of their
circumstances. This conviction for equity is at the center of our research and
what we practice in the classroom” (HighScope, 2019).
I looked at both the people involved in this organization as
well as available careers. It was interesting and intriguing to read about the
different people involved in the organization as well as the available careers.
Some of the positions that appealed to me were research assistant and early
childhood consultant. Neither of these positions is available at this time but
based on a few profiles I read, they sound like fulfilling and rewarding
positions. As a research assistant, I would be at the ground level of the
latest research at HighScope and would be a part of helping early childhood
education becoming high-quality and equitable for all children. As an early
childhood consultant, I would be able to take what I have learned as a HighSchope consultant and share it with other
educators. To qualify for any of their positions, I would have to train to
become a HighScope educator. They provide courses on their curriculum as well
as training to become a trainer (HighScope, 2019). If I were willing to move to
Michigan, they have some interesting positions available. I would love to start
in their Demonstration Preschool as their Preschool Teacher before moving on to
other positions in their organization. I feel this would be the best course for
me to pursue if I wanted to be a valuable part of their team. As the Demonstration
Preschool Teacher, my job would be to “work
in collaboration with the Early Childhood Applied Practice Group to develop and
demonstrate best practices in the HighScope curriculum based on current
research in the early childhood field” (HighScope, 2019).
References
HighScope Educational Research Foundation (2019).
Demonstration Preschool Teacher. Retrieved from: https://highscope.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/43780795_demonstration_preschool_teacher_-_11.2018.pdf
HighScope Educational Research Foundation (2019). Our People.
Retrieved from: https://highscope.org/who-we-are/our-people/
HighScope Educational Research Foundation (2019). Perry Preschool
Project. Retrieved from: https://highscope.org/perry-preschool-project/
The other organization that I would love to work with is the
Children’s Defense Fund. I love the
vision and wisdom of Marian Wright Edelman and she is a strong advocate for
children’s rights. I am most intrigued by
the Cradle to the Prison Pipeline Campaign. Their website has been updated and
you can now find their latest research related to this under the tab Youth
Justice (Children’s Defense Fund, 2018). They state that the problem is the
criminalization of our youth and they strive to reform the current system and
want to provide a proactive system rather than a reactive one (Children’s
Defense Fund, 2018). They understand that children are harmed by zero-tolerance policies and reactive policies
through the latest research on child development.
One of the positions available
is a special assistant in their policy department (Children’s Defense Fund,
2018). ” CDF’s Policy Team is responsible for identifying
and carrying out, in collaboration with other CDF departments and state
offices, CDF’s policy priorities in child poverty, child health, early
childhood, education, child welfare, youth justice, gun violence prevention and
immigration, all intended to improve the odds for America’s children” (Children’s
Defense Fund, 2018). As the special assistant, I would be responsible
for the functioning of the policy
department as well as conducting research and gathering information for the
website and other publications (Children’s Defense Fund, 2018). I would love to
be a part of this organization and to be a strong advocate for the well-being
of all children.
References
Children’s Defense Fund. (2018). Special
Assistant, Policy Department. Retrieved
from: https://www.childrensdefense.org/connect/join-our-team/jobs-at-cdf/
Children’s Defense Fund. (n.d.) Youth Justice. Retrieved from: https://www.childrensdefense.org/policy/policy-priorities/youth-justice/
