Professional Goals, Hopes, and Dreams

Professional Goals, Hopes, and Dreams

The biggest issue regarding quality and early childhood professionals where I live and work is the recent vote for teachers to walk out next week on April 26^th. Although this affects all teachers, support staff, and children and their families, it is still a discussion concerning recent issues and trends in early childhood. The reasons for striking effect all of us. I feel this relates to our current discussion regarding professionalism because teachers are standing up for better pay for themselves and for support staff, and for their students. They want consistent funding for better infrastructure, up-to-date curriculum, and smaller class sizes. Without these things, schools and programs cannot possibly be effective and high-quality.  Joe Thomas, president of Arizona Education Association, wrote an opinion piece on January 18^th, 2018 that pretty much states the same things but added how our current governor takes away and/or cuts this funding only to reinstate some of it later, call it ‘new money’ and take credit for helping out (Thomas, 2018). Issues such as this, a current lawsuit, and not seeing any real evidence to the promise of future funding, is why teachers are going on strike. Our governor promised a 20% increase in teacher pay by 2020 with no real proof of funding for the promise (Irish, 2018). Our local school district, at first, was allowing only 25% of staff to request time off during the strike. Shortly afterward, our superintendent made a statement that he would work with the schools, staff, children, and their families with what he called “new territory”. It will be interesting to see what teachers in my area will do, especially after watching my Oklahoma teaching family walk out. I do not see it affect where I work since we are a small private school not affiliated with the district. I also saw teachers in Phoenix were already taking donations of food for children who might go hungry if they do walk out.

For my little school, we are adding our 3^rd Prekindergarten classroom next year. We have an increase in numbers over the last few years with one of our classrooms had 21 students with 3 teachers. I am happy to say that I will be in this new classroom with another teacher. I taught Kindergarten with her last year due to large class size and followed this large class up to 1^st grade this year. We will be working over the summer (we are a year-round PreK program) to get our classroom ready and working on being a more cohesive team with more planning and professional development. My co-teacher will also be our supervisor. Previously, all things went straight to our director. I am excited about all the changes and opportunities for our school. To make this work, we are no longer offering 5^th and 6^th grades. Our school will only go to 4^th grade and aligns with our local district. Elementary school is K-4^th; Middle school is 5^th-6^th; Junior High is 7^th-8^th; High school is 9^th-12^th. We follow NAEYC guidelines for teacher requirements and professional development. Our local community college provides an AA in early childhood. You can apply for scholarships to help with the cost through  First Things First Arizona and the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry. Most of our assistants and co-teachers have gone through this program. We also attend area conferences to keep up with the latest news and research.

One of my goals was to continue my education so I could increase my opportunities within my school with the potential of moving on to new things. Currently, I am happy with my adventure in our newly added prekindergarten classroom next year. I will still have a few long days when it is my turn to help in the after school program instead of every day like I am doing right now. I also am one of the substitutes for all the classrooms that will not happen next year.  On the other hand, I will still be responsible for tutoring Kindergarten through 4^th-grade students with dyslexia using the Barton Reading and Spelling System. At least I will go to wearing many hats, to only wearing two!

As far as our profession as a whole, I hope to see prekindergarten available to all children. I also hope to see our profession unified under one system and following the same guidelines that are developmentally appropriate. I want play seen for what it is--the foundation for all learning. I want our pay to reflect the hard work we put into our profession. I want to see our profession as a whole to be respected by those who do not already respect what we do.

References

Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry (2018). Retrieved from: https://www.azregistry.org/index.cfm?module=login

Associates of Arts in Early Education (2018). Retrieved from: http://catalog.yc.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=12&poid=2535&returnto=1050

Barton Reading and Spelling System (2016). Retrieved from: http://bartonreading.com/

Irish, Lisa (2018). Governor proposes a 9% teacher pay raise this year, building to a total of 20% by school year 2020 (+ videos). AZEdNews. Retrieved from: https://azednews.com/governor-proposes-a-9-teacher-pay-raise-this-year-building-to-a-total-of-20-by-school-year-2020/

Thomas, Joe (2018). Teachers won’t fall for governor’s claim of ‘new money’ (Opinion). Arizona Capital Times. Retrieved from:

               https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2018/01/18/teachers-wont-fall-for-governors-claim-of-new-money/

Sharing Web Resources-Children's Defense Fund/Child Watch Column 4/13/18

I don't normally copy and paste an entire newsletter but this time I felt it was worth sharing instead of a link. Homelessness and poverty have profound, negative effects on child development. Children who move often, live in a crowded home shared with other family members, live in shelters, or live on the streets are missing that feeling of home and stability I feel most of us often take for granted. I also feel that with our current political and social climate, these families and possibly many others will feel these burdens intensify or worsen. More and more cuts are being made. These cuts are making it harder for those in need of a "hand-up" (I refuse to call them hand-outs). The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign is a multi-sector (health, education, housing, and economic status)effort to end homelessness through raising awareness and fighting to change policy. All sectors are in agreement that it effects all aspects of quality of life. Groups that have teamed up in this campaign include the NLIHC (National Low Income Housing Coalition), CDF (Children's Defense Fund), NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), NEA (National Education Association), NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), and UniDosUS. 

Here is just one quote from the campaign:

“NEA is committed to the three million members and the 50 million students we serve and are pleased to support programs, campaigns and initiatives that are in support of students, educators and families,” said Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association. “We understand and know firsthand the impacts affordable and stable housing have on student success. We also know that given the wages and income of some of our members, it impacts where they work as well as their own families.”

What I like most about all of Edelman's Child Watch Column's is how they end with what we can do to help. Together, we can truly make a difference in the lives of others. I also believe that helping others also improves our own lives and society as a whole. Often times, it requires little effort on our part to be an advocate for those in need such as contacting elected officials and voting. 

I chose to talk about this because it focuses on the issue and trend of poverty that we discussed during week 3. Homelessness is a factor of poverty that can not be overlooked especially for young children living in these conditions. We have learned about the effects of toxic stress on the development of young children. Being homeless is another factor to consider when working with young children. I feel like it should be another aspect to consider when thinking of inclusion. It is also a factor to consider when thinking of accessibility, availability, and affordability. It might be difficult for these families to get their children to school or they may be moved from school to school which does not give them a since of security; plus the stress of not feeling safe and secure with home life. Reaching out to these families is another problem because of this lack of stability. They have usually moved on before you can provide enough support to help. This is why it is important that all sectors work together to provide support on all levels.

Child Opportunity and Stability Starts at Home Fifty years ago this week the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, became law after passing Congress in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination. The Fair Housing Act prohibited discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, or sex. It followed up the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 by addressing the persistent and pervasive housing inequality undergirded by federal policy that threatened to derail other efforts towards a more integrated and equal society. As he signed it President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “With this bill, the voice of justice speaks again. It proclaims that fair housing for all – all human beings who live in this country – is now a part of the American way of life.” The hope at the time was that the Fair Housing Act signaled the beginning of a new era giving all Americans access to safe, affordable housing. But as with so many of the historic promises during the Civil Rights Movement era, we have made great progress but huge implementation gaps and barriers remain. Fair access to housing for all is far from a reality and many Americans still have no access to decent and safe shelter they can reasonably afford as gentrification floods the land pushing the poor into shelters and the streets. Recently the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), an organization dedicated to achieving more just public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in our nation affordable and decent homes, launched the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign together with partnering organizations to champion federal policies to protect and expand affordable housing today. The national multi-sector campaign includes organizations addressing poverty, economic equality, civil rights, nutrition, health care, education, mental health, and more that recognize how essential quality affordable housing is to their own goals. The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is pleased to be one of its steering committee members. In a 2015 CDF report on the impact of modest improvements in nine existing policies and programs that could help reduce child poverty significantly right now, CDF found increasing housing subsidies for low-income families would have the largest impact. We know having a safe, stable home is a basic need for all children. Homelessness, unstable housing, and the unavailability of affordable housing all have dire consequences. But the critical demand far outweighs the supply for those most in need. As NLIHC explains: “There are only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 ELI [extremely low income] households nationwide, and no state has an adequate supply of affordable rental housing for the lowest income renters. Just one out of four eligible low income households receives federal housing assistance.” NLIHC research shows 11 million extremely low income renter households spend more than half of their incomes on housing, leaving them with far too little left over to fully cover other necessities, and there are only 12 counties in the entire nation where a full-time worker earning minimum wage can afford a one-bedroom rental home. In many cases the lack of affordable housing drives families into overcrowded rental units with extended family members or into homeless shelters.  Our housing crisis is felt in every state as new families, seniors, people with disabilities, and young adults entering the labor market face great barriers in their search for affordable apartments or homes. The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign’s goals are to “advance federal housing solutions that bridge the growing gap between renter incomes and rising housing costs; provide aid to people experiencing job losses or other economic shocks to avert housing instability or homelessness; expand the affordable housing stock for the lowest income renters; [and] defend existing rental assistance and other targeted housing resources from harmful cuts.” It is clear that such a broad new national movement is desperately needed.  At a time when on any given night more than half a million people are homeless in America, fair housing enforcement is being cut back under Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and housing assistance is under attack in the Administration’s budget proposals that included deep funding cuts, harmful rent increases, and arbitrary work requirements increasing the burden of vulnerable people already facing many challenges. In a recent Child Watch column I cited findings from the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall Center on Children’s Missed Opportunities: National Estimates report which highlighted results from a national survey on unaccompanied youth homelessness in America. The study, also published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, captures the horrible burdens of youth homelessness, including sleeping on the streets, in shelters, running away, being kicked out, and couch surfing. It showed one in 10 young adults 18-25 years old and at least one in 30 adolescents 13-17 years old experience some form of homelessness unaccompanied by a parent or guardian over the course of a year. This is horrific and demands urgent action. As a nation we are hurting our growing edge and abnegating our responsibility to ensure all young people can reach their full potential and contribute to stronger communities and economies across the country. I can think of nothing worse than having no place to call home. Another recent survey reports nearly one million American households received eviction judgments in multiple states in 2016. Author Matthew Desmond taught many of us in Evicted the profound repercussions of evictions. Families may lose their benefits when they are sent to an old address, be denied employment, and be required to find new schools for their children and transportation to help them get there. Healthy child development is linked to safety, nurturance, and predictability in daily routines. Yet too many children are being bounced around from pillar to post jeopardizing their positive cognitive and emotional development during a critical stage of their lives when stability is crucial. Find out how you can become involved in the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign.  It provides many ways you can take action including sharing your own story about how housing needs have affected your family. It also shows you how to contact your Members of Congress to urge their support for stable, safe, affordable housing everyone, especially children, needs.   May 1 – May 8 will be a “Our Homes, Our Voices” National Housing Week of Action, with events across the country including letter-writing campaigns to elected officials, meal- and story-sharing, community discussions, housing site visits, press events, rallies, meetings with elected officials, and nonpartisan voter registration drives. I agree with Doug Rice, senior policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a campaign partner, that: “[A] home is much more than just four walls and a roof; it’s the pathway to a healthier, more prosperous, and more secure life, and something that far too many Americans cannot attain.” It’s way, way past time to make that pathway of stability and safety accessible to all of America’s children and families. Click here to share your comments and find out what others are saying. Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children's Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org. Mrs. Edelman's Child Watch Column also appears each week on Mom's Rising. References Edelman Wright, E. (2018). Child opportunity starts at home. Child Watch. Retrieved from: www.children'sdefense.org National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). (2018). Opportunity starts at home. Retrieved from: https://www.opportunityhome.org/leading-national-organizations-in-education-civil-rights-healthcare-and-more-join-in-a-campaign-to-increase-affordable-housing-across-america/

Issues Related to Excellence and Equity in Early Childhood

Issues Related to Excellence and Equity in Early Childhood

I listened to the podcast conversation with Barnabus Otaala on the World Forum Radio (World Forum Radio, n.d.). Otaala spoke about villages in Uganda and how HIV affects children. He spoke about a child who tested positive for HIV and how children with HIV are judged in the villages by everyone, including parents and teachers. They were invited to speak with a doctor about HIV to gain better understanding about the disease. This collaboration between doctors, educators, and the villages shows how communities can work together to gain knowledge and a better understanding about topics even if they are controversial.  By working together, they took the time to understand the disease and helped in the fair treatment of children with HIV.

            Through researching the Global Children’s Initiative, I learned more about “persistent gaps in education and health”, how they are “associated with socioeconomic status”, and what other countries are doing in an effort to combat these gaps (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.). The website covered different programs in Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. The work in Brazil is a collaborative effort through Nucleo Ciencia Pela Infancia. Their main effort is to provide training to “Braizilian policy makers on how to apply developmental science to inform programs and policies” (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.). The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative works to bridge that gap between “what we know” and “what we do”. They do this “through activities in applied research, knowledge translation, professional training, and evaluation” (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.). In Mexico, the Aceleradora de Innovacion para la Primera Infancia is working on an “extensive urban revitalization effort” (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.).  The last program is Across Countries: Saving Brains. It is a “partnership that seeks to improve the outcomes for children living in poverty through interventions that nurture and protect early brain development in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life” (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.).

 What I learned through reading about the different programs is that all of them are centered on the science of brain development and what they can do to help policy makers around the world in an effort to close these gaps in education and health in children. I also learned what each program was doing to address the issues of equity and excellence in their countries. Regardless of the inequity, there was scientific evidence to help guide the way. All of the programs used science, policy, and education to help provide interventions for each of their unique issues.

References

Working Globally- Center on the Developing Child. (n.d.). Retreived from: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/

World Forum Foundation Radio (n.d.). Barnabus Otaala. Retrieved from: http://www.viaway.com/category/2691-21490/world-forum-radio

Sharing Web Resources- Children's Defense Fund

Children's Defense Fund (CDF)

One of the Children’s Defense Fund’s policy priorities is supporting early childhood development and learning. Part of their mission is to work towards ensuring that every child should have a head start and a strong start (CDF, 2018). They also understand the importance of healthy early brain development and that intervening with quality early childhood education during these early years benefits the children, their families, and society. They note that research shows that for every dollar invested in early childhood care there is a 7-10 percent return on investment annually (CDF, 2018).  CDF goes on to mention that far too many children do not have access to quality early childhood care and education and that they are working to change this situation by supporting policies that help to provide services to low-income and vulnerable children. The opportunities they support include “access to evidence-based, voluntary home-visiting programs; Early Head Start and Head Start; high-quality, affordable child care; high-quality preschool; and full-day kindergarten” (CDF, 2018). Each of these programs supports children and their families by providing child development information, education, and support; school readiness; allowing parents to work; preparing children to be successful later in life; and ensuring children do not miss out on the benefits of full-day kindergarten (CDF, 2018). Reading over this priority and how they plan to support it shows the same commitment that other groups and individuals have who are involved in early childhood education. It also reinforces what I have learned, so far, in my studies.

I also gained further insights into things that are going on in our nation. CDF is known for being strong advocates for children so it was no surprise that they support children in their fight for gun reform.  This issue is just one of several addressed in the CDF’s February 2018 newsletter. Other things in the newsletter included the “good news” and the “bad news”. The good news is about the bipartisan deal signed on February 9^th and in it was the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First). It is funding provided for “preventive services such as substance abuse and mental health prevention and parenting skills so children stay with their families rather than going into foster care” (CDF, 2018). The bad news is that no deal has been made about DACA and how “nearly 1,000 Dreamers a day lose their protection from being deported and their ability to work” (CDF, 2018). The newsletter also encourages voting, especially because children cannot vote and we need to be their voice. They even provide a link to register to vote. Lastly, the newsletter covers what certain divisions of the CDF are doing to advocate for children in their communities/regions. One program that I find intriguing is the advocacy and ministry group, The Proctor Institute. Their work is “to end the ‘Cradle to Prison Pipeline’, end child poverty, and improving the lives of children in their communities” (CDF, 2018). I am intrigued by the subject of the “Cradle to Prison Pipeline”, the effects of school suspensions, and the privatizing of prisons. All of these things are related and have adverse effects on society, especially children and families living in poverty. It is one of the most heart-wrenching topics I have ever researched and the realization for me is profound.

You can read more about the “Cradle to Prison Pipeline” campaign here: http://www.childrensdefense.org/campaigns/cradle-to-prison-pipeline/

References

 Children’s Defense Fund (2018). Cradle to Prison Pipeline. Retrieved from: http://www.childrensdefense.org/campaigns/cradle-to-prison-pipeline/

Children’s Defense Fund. (2018). Early Childhood Development and Learning. Retrieved from: http://cdf.childrensdefense.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=47794.0&dlv_id=0

Children’s Defense Fund. (2018). February 2018 Newsletter. Retrieved from: http://cdf.childrensdefense.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=47794.0&dlv_id=0

Getting to Know International Organizations: Part 1

United Nations Development Programme

The organization I chose to research is the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). They are the “United Nations Development arm” (UNDP, 2018). I found on their website under sustainable development goals that their #1 Goal is to end poverty by 2030 (UNDP, 2018). They’re work is presented on an international political level by providing their research and reports to the UN. In the UNDP Support to the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, they outline all of their sustainable development goals (SDG’s). I downloaded SDG #1-No Poverty to see what they are planning and implementing to achieve this goal. In this document they explain the poverty is multidirectional meaning “it is more than a lack of income” (UNDP, 2016).  They provide support to countries by offering “assistance to the formation of development planning strategies, strengthen institutional capacity, policy advice and tools to end poverty, advocate for enhanced, risk-informed, public investment and economic governance, prepare for and strengthen resilience to the impacts of climate change, and work to develop financial solutions” (UNDP, 2016). They also provided success stories of their work in action. For example, “In Cambodia, to address the problem of escalating biodiversity loss and the high incidence of rural poverty, the UNDP-GEF supported the government to integrate biodiversity conservation objectives into development plans” UNDP, 2016).

You can find SDG #1- No Poverty by following this link and clicking SDG 1- No Poverty in the Resource box on the right hand column: 

 http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/sustainable-development-goals/undp-support-to-the-implementation-of-the-2030-agenda/

Under the stories section on their website, Poverty isn’t Permanent. International Day of the Eradication of Poverty, states that there has been a reduction in extreme poverty from 28% to 11% from 1999 to 2013 (UNDP, 2016). There is even a short video of people in New York giving their definitions of poverty and whether or not poverty has increased or decreased. It was interesting to hear what the average person had to say on the subject. It was also interesting to see that poverty on a global scale has decreased. 

I like that they work on a global scale and that they include all the dimensions that attribute to poverty such as natural disasters and climate change. Their work is very interesting and uplifting. I hope to see their goal achieved by 2030.

 References

 United Nations Development Programme.

(2018).  http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-1-no-poverty/targets/

United Nations Development Programme. (2016). Poverty isn't Permanent. International Day of the Eradication of Poverty. Retrieved from: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/ourstories/poverty-isn_t-permanent.html

United Nations Development Programme.(2016). UNDP Support to the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. SDG Goal 1- No Poverty. Retrieved from:  http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/sustainable-development-goals/undp-support-to-the-implementation-of-the-2030-agenda/

Sharing Web Resources: Children's Defense Fund

Children’s Defense Fund

                At the beginning of my course, Issues and Trends in Early Childhood, I chose the Children’s Defense Fund as my organization I would learn more about and subscribe to their newsletter.  I just started receiving emails from the organization. In this first email was today’s entry in Marian Wright Edelman’s column, Child Watch and is titled Our Children’s Cry: Do Something.  In the column, she talks about the nation-wide student walk-out that just occurred on the 14^th to honor the 17 students that died during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting one month ago. They also walked out to say they have had enough and want to feel safe again through stricter gun control. They are tired of waiting for the adults and for Congress to do something about it. The column also mentions the statistics of children’s’ gun-related deaths, the daily fear these children endure, and the need to stand up with these children. The next big march is called the March For Our Lives and is being held on March 24^th across the country. It is time that we stand up with these children, with all children, and let them know that we do hear them and that we also care.

                This website covers many different issues and focuses on policy priorities to end child hunger, child criminalization, and child poverty. They also want to ensure that all children have access to health care and quality early childhood education and to protect them from abuse and neglect.

Their website is: www.childrensdefense.org

The link to their newsroom where you can find Edelman’s column Child Watch: http://www.childrensdefense.org/newsroom/#child-watch

               As I was looking through their website, I found a program called Young Advocate Leadership Training (YALT). It is conducted by the Children’s Defense Fund on behalf of the Black Community Crusade for Children (BCCC). The program’s focus is to build a movement for children and to train a new group of young leaders.  The purpose is to build a strong advocacy group and for social justice. They also train young leaders ages 18-30 to be strong advocates in their communities (CDF, 2018).

Children’s Defense Fund’s website is full of information and they have several programs that help children. They are a strong advocate group. I am looking forward to learning more about them.

References

Children’s Defense Fund. (2018). http://www.childrensdefense.org

Child Watch. (2018). http://www.childrensdefense.org/newsroom/#child-watch

Children’s Defense Fund. (2018). Youth Development & Leadership. http://www.childrensdefense.org/programs/YouthDevelopment/

Expanding Horizons and Expanding Resources

Expanding Horizons and Expanding Resources

 Expanding Horizons: Global Fund for Children

Upon exploring this website, I learned that the Global Fund for Children looks for programs that work with children around the world, fund their partnering programs, provide support to these programs, and build a network between all of the programs that they support. Through their partnering programs, they empower some of the world’s most at risk children by advocating for their rights. “Our partners become national leaders in children’s rights, and influence government policy to defend and protect hundreds of thousands of children worldwide.” They have a 91% success rate and have many awards. I like the work they are doing by funding these grass-roots programs in order to help them be successful in empowering children and aiding them in positive social change. You can also read about all the success stories, subscribe to their updates, and donate to their cause.

Expanding Resources: Children’s Defense Fund

It was hard to choose which organization I wanted to immerse myself in and to learn about how they impact the early childhood community. I decided on the Children’s Defense Fund mainly because I love the work Marian Wright Edelman has done for early childhood. I want to learn more about her influences and how they impact children and communities. The Children’s Defense Fund is a strong advocacy group for all children and I find myself inspired by their work.  Advocacy is an important part of what we do as educators. All kids need us to be their voice.

 

References

Global Fund for Children:  https://globalfundforchildren.org/

Children’s Defense Fund:  http://www.childrensdefense.org/about/