Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

I never really considered working for a national or federal organization. I enjoy working face-to-face with children and their families too much. There is no greater feeling than watching a child grow throughout the year and to have an impact on that growth. However, this assignment was very informative. I never realized how many national education associations there were. A lot of them want you to become a member, but few offer actual job opportunities. I was able to find three that stood out to me:

 Playworks (www.playworks.org)

Playworks is a national nonprofit organization that transforms schools by providing play and physical activity at recess and throughout the school day. This organization actually has job opportunities where you can work directly with children, their families, and the school. Plus, it involves incorporating play into the daily curriculum! They offer jobs during the school year. The position that I am interested in is the AmeriCorps member position or "Coach." This is a full-time position bringing healthy play and physical activity to low-income schools to create a positive environment for learning and teaching. The duties and qualifications are rather lengthy. You can check them out here http://www.playworks.org/careers/school-openings/americorps-program-coordinator.

Jumpstart (www.jstart.org)

 Jumpstart is a national early education organization that recruits and trains college students and community Corps members to serve preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. Their proven curriculum helps children develop the language and literacy skills they need to be ready for kindergarten, setting them on a path to close the achievement gap before it is too late. Within this organization, I am interested in the Site Manager position. The primary responsibility of the Jumpstart Site Manager is to manage the day-to-day operations of the campus Jumpstart program in order to ensure that Jumpstart Quality Standards, guidelines provided by Jumpstart, are met and that the program is meeting grant requirements. The rest of the job specifics and qualifications can be found at https://home2.eease.adp.com/recruit2/?id=7076282&t=1.

 National Alliance of Black School Educators (www.nabse.org)

 The National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) is the nation's premiere non-profit organization devoted to furthering the academic success for the nation's children - particularly children of African descent. NABSE is dedicated to improving both the educational experiences and accomplishments of African American youth through the development and use of instructional and motivational methods that increase levels of inspiration, attendance and overall achievement. I am not qualified for this position, but it still sounded interesting. The NABSE is looking for an Executive Director who will have overall strategic operational responsibility for NABSE’s staff, expansion, and execution of the mission of NABSE. The job requirements can be found at http://careers.nabse.org/jobs/#/detail/4878171/1,false.

Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Education Community

There are many organizations that cater to early childhood education in Maryland. The following are the organizations that caught my attention:

 

• Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children (www.mdaeyc.org)
• This organization is an affiliate with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org). They also have local affiliates that serve the different counties in Maryland. The mission of MDAEYC is to empower those who care for and educate young children. This would be a great community of practice because I would be able to network with other professionals and even experts in the early childhood field. They provide education to help individuals grow in this profession.   
• Maryland Family Network (www.mdchildcare.org)
• This organization works with everybody that is involved in helping young children. They work with parents, child care providers, advocates, employers, and even policymakers. Their goal is to enhance the early childhood education and child care available to Maryland’s children. For parents, they help families find child care providers within the state and for child care providers they offer training and education. This organization is a major resource for anyone working with children.
• Maryland State Child Care Association (www.mscca.org)
• This organization promotes the growth and development of professional licensed child care and learning centers in Maryland. As a member of this organization individuals have the opportunity to network with other professionals in the field on a national, state, and local level. Members also have the opportunity to meet with mentors that help with accreditation, credentialing, and regulatory issues.
• Maryland Head Start Association (www.md-hsa.org)
• Lastly, this organization offers education and training opportunities for Head Start programs. They educate the community at large on the issues of low-income children and families and school readiness.

 

I researched different job opportunities on CareerBuilder.com. I found a few positions that interest me. The first position is with Bright Horizons Family Solutions as an Education Coordinator. As the education coordinator, I would guide staff in the implementation of a developmentally appropriate curriculum, partner with parents, and impact the lives of children every day. Another position I found is a Center Director for La Petite Academy. The only major requirement for this position is a degree in early childhood education. Lastly, I found a position with The Goddard School as the Preschool Education Director. However, I do not qualify for this position because I do not have any management experience in a large, licensed preschool or childcare center.