This week I explored potential employment opportunities and
roles in the ECE field at the National and Federal levels. The three that I envisioned
myself working for were, The National Association for the Education of Young Children
known to us all by its acronym, NAEYC, Zero to Three, and Head Start Teacher II
a Non Civil Service job in Nashville, TN were I reside.
NAEYC: Although
I am not ignorant to the NAEYC organization, I never thought about possibly
working for them. NAEYC’s headquarters is located in Washington, D.C. Their
main focus is to improve the quality of early childhood programs, increase
accessibility, and improve services for the purpose of enhancing the development
of children and families. The organization is 100,000 members strong and is the
model by which many other quality improvement systems follow. I also came
across several positions, but the role that interested me most was the Program
Resource Specialist.
Program Resource
Specialist: Responsibilities include maintaining The Online Resource
Center Headquarters (TORCH) website, providing technical assistance regarding
accreditation and ensuring that the information is presented in a user friendly
way. To qualify for this position one must have the following,
B.A. degree in ECE or
related field
Two years work experience in ECE
Two years work
experience in customer service
Data base management
skills
Experienced in editing and maintaining content management
systems
The salary range for this position is in the mid 40s with
great benefits
What interested me about this position is the element of
being able to provide technical assistance. I like giving helpful information
related to the EC field, I am patient and understanding, and I think I have
good communication skills. On the other hand, the only computer skills I have
are what I have developed over the years. But from my new Walden online
experience, I am sure I can learn. I also liked NAEYC’s disposition about
diversity. NAEYC believes that high performance organizations are strong
because of the wisdom of diverse people.
“NAEYC's mission is 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 Bylaws, Article
I., Section 1.1)” (NAEYC, n.d.)
Zero to Three:
Unfortunately the only job posting was for a web designer. But based on the
description of Zero to Three’s objectives, training and supporting early
childhood professionals, policy makers, and parents is right in line with what
I enjoy doing. Zero to Three was established in 1977 by representatives from
the child development, mental health, and health fields. The mission statement
of Zero to Three is simple, “to promote the health and development of infants
and toddlers” (zero to three, n.d.). As a former technical assistant for CCMS
of Tarrant County in Fort Worth, TX, I am sure that “Zero to Three” and I would
be good fit for each other.
Head Start Teacher
II: While I love training others, this position appealed to me because
it allows me to provide a safe healthy learning environment for young children.
Also, I learned that head start has proven to be an effective program for
improving the odds of disadvantage children going to college. I also love being
able to be creative, read stories, sing, and facilitate children’s learning as I
learn too. Although I am aspiring to leave the classroom, hopefully with this
job being a government job, the working conditions will be better than the
private sector because of the holiday observances and available resources. In
terms of meeting the requirements, I am well qualified, as the position only
calls for a B.A. degree in early Child Education/ Early Child Development and
integrating the educational aspects of the Head Starts daily program to foster
children’s social, intellectual, emotional, and physical development (Nashville.gov,
2012).
References
http://www.nashville.gov/hr_benefits/jobs/employment_center.asp
http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/areas-of-expertise/training-and-professional-development/pcan-training-curriculum.html
I love that you looked into becoming a Head Start Teacher. I teach a Head Start class in urban Northern New York and love it! I feel as if I am actually making a difference for children and families every day. Really, it is a worthwhile occupation.
ReplyDeleteCheryl,
DeleteI love NAEYC stands for/ mission statement. I always wanted to be a head start teacher here in Louisiana but they have done a lot of budget cuts here that they are under paying head start teachers. Starting yearly salary here is between 18, 000 and 20,000. All educators in the education field need raises.
Dear Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteI also chose Zero to Three as one of my three National organizations. I have found their links and information available to be extremely helpful in several different assignments I have had throughout my Master's degree. In addition, I believe in their mission and in creating opportunity for all children in their early years. I feel that early childhood education is undervalued in our country and it needs to be brought to national attention. In order to have our children grow up and become lifelong learners, we need to provide them with early educational opportunities and monitor their development as they grow. Excellent post!
Raina