EDUC6990 - Week 4 - Employment in National/Federal Early Childhood Agencies

My passion is early childhood inclusion.  I found several national agencies which appealed to me due to their interest in early childhood inclusion.  These agencies are all valuable resources in all teaching areas, and also provide information on inclusion.

The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, 2012) is a center located in North Carolina devoted to studying young children and their families on both a state and a nationwide scale.  This Institute is currently working on more than 80 projects which are related to early care, education, developmental disabilities, social health, physical health, professional development, and diversity.  The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion is a part of the Frank Porter Graham Center.  The Institute shares their generated studies with the general public, and publishes their works in professional journals.  The motto of the Institute is “Advancing knowledge. Enhancing lives.”  The Institute hires about 300 staff, specialists, researchers and students.  Positions are available for a variety of skill and experience levels.  While there are no openings at this time, I feel this would be a great place to work!

The Head Start Center for Inclusion is an agency which studies inclusion.  This agency tries to increase the effectiveness, confidence and competence of the personnel that work in Head Start programs.  This site has free online training modules on inclusion available for teachers and trainers.  There is currently a position open for a “Birth to five education/disabilities director” in the state of Washington.  Education required is a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, experience required is three years as a preschool teacher plus five years as an education supervisor of ten or more teachers as well as five years’ experience with budgets of $120,000 or more.  

The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, 2012) has a position statement which details recommended requirements for early childhood teachers in public school settings.  Public school education of three to eight year old children is improved with stronger early childhood certification and endorsement at the state level.  This agency accepts advertisements for employment positions of the members.  Currently, they are advertising for a Day Care Teacher in Baltimore, MD at the Good Samaritan Hospital.  This position requires a Bachelor’s Degree, three to five years of experience, and excellent verbal and writing skills as well as excellent organizational skills.

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (The National Association of Special Education Teachers, 2012) is a national organization of members dedicated to providing assistance and support to current and future teachers of special education.  This site has a wealth of employment information such as average special education teacher salaries by state and career fact sheets.  They have several positions advertised.  One is for an Accessibility Manager in Dover, NH.  This person must have a Master’s Degree in Education, training in Universal Design for Special Education and Learning, and a minimum of ten years of experience in special education or accessibility.

References:

Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. (2012). About FPG. Retrieved from www.fpg.unc.edu/about-fpg

Head Start Center for Inclusion. (2012). Abstract/Mission/Goals. Retrieved from http://depts.washington.edu/hscenter/abstract-mission-goals 

National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. (2012). Position Statements, By-Laws, and Policies. Retrieved from www.naecte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=43  

National Association of Special Education Teachers. (2012). What is Early Intervention? Retrieved from www.naset.org/earlyintervention2.0.html

EDUC6990 - Week 1 - Local and State Organizations – Job Possibilities

I have the advantage of living within a fifteen minute drive of the state capitol of Pennsylvania.  Therefore, many state positions are in the local area.  The following are positions available in the capitol city of Harrisburg, PA, with the exception of the position with NAEYC.  This opening is in Washington, D.C., which is within commuting distance.    

               The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL, 2012) is an agency which is overseen by the Department of Education and by the Department of Public Welfare.  This agency partners with many other agencies in a collaborative effort to create an early education system for children in early childhood and young school-age children.  The agency is dedicated to providing young children with the educational building blocks they will need for lifelong learning.  As an employee of OCDEL, I would have a voice in determining educational practices and setting educational requirements in the state of Pennsylvania.  OCDEL is now hiring master degree graduates in a Pennsylvania Management Associate Program.  This program provides extensive training on the job.  The work assignments are rotated through many different agencies in order to allow the participant to learn information from each agency.  In this way, OCDEL is creating the leaders for tomorrow.  They are creating persons knowledgeable in a variety of areas, and trained to enter into collaborative decision making.     

               The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA, 2012) is a non-profit organization specializing in early childhood care and education programs.  PACCA advocates for young children and their families, and promotes inclusive education.  PACCA has an Early Care and Education committee that meets four times a year.  This community of practice would offer an excellent opportunity to have a voice in educational practices, and would be an excellent committee to join.  As a voluntary member, you would not enjoy employment benefits, but you would be making a difference.  A master’s degree is required to join this group.

               The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2012) is looking for a person to accept the job of Accreditation Coordinator.  This position requires a Bachelor’s Degree, experience in the early childhood field, and experience with NAEYC accreditation.  The candidate will work with early childhood programs in all fields of the accreditation process.  This position would give a qualified person the opportunity to interface with quality early childhood programs on an individual basis.  NAEYC is an agency which is dedicated to the quality of the educational program and developmental services in the early and young childhood environments.

               The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW, 2012) is an agency that regulates early childhood licensing.  As an Early Childhood Education Advisor you would have the opportunity to assist various charter schools and school districts as well as intermediate units in the implementation of effective, quality programs for young children up to age eight.  You would also promote collaboration between local community programs in the preschool sector.  Goals and objectives, statewide committee leadership and academic standards would also be addresses.  The requirements for the job are the completion of the Civil Service Test and one year experience in curriculum and training and four years of experience in the early childhood field.  Eighteen credits in early childhood are required.

 

References:

Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW).            (2012). Pennsylvania State Civil Service Commission.  Retrieved from http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/jobseekers/11372/open_state_and_local_government_career_opportunities/590498#education

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2102). Employment Opportunities. Retrieved from http://oldweb.naeyc.org/about/employment.asp

Office of Child Development and Learning (OCDEL). (2012). Employment Opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/employment/index.htm

Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA). (2012). Membership Center. Retrieved from http://www.pacca.org/membership-center.html