Job Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level EDUC 6990 Week 4

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/