Saturday, July 27, 2013

Jobs/Roles in the Early Childhood Community: National/Federal Level


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

            There are many federal/national organizations that are specific to early childhood education.  Of the many that I am interested in, I chose the following to research more in depth:

            National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC):

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has a mission that states, “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, n.d.). 

            All positions are in Washington, D.C., which is the headquarters of the agency is located. 

            Senior Meeting Planner: Requires a Bachelor’s degree and 5-7 years of experience in planning

            Records Coordinator: This job requires a minimum of one year clerical experience

            System Integrity Assistant: Requires a minimum of an Associates degree as well as clerical experience

In my opinion, and experience, NAEYC is the “standard” for early childhood programming.  It was the first organization to be specifically geared towards early care and education.  With the background of the national organization, many states and local municipalities have formed chapters to integrate NAEYC standards.

Children’s Defense Fund:

The mission of the Children’s Defense Fund 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” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2012). 

I chose to research the available jobs at the national headquarters in Washington, D.C.

            Scheduler: Office of the President: This job requires the ability to work in an organized environment, in addition to having a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree

            Executive Assistant:  Requires a Bachelor’s degree and minimum of five years experience.  This position would assist the Chief Operating Officer.

I chose this organization because its origins began during the civil rights movement (Children’s Defense Fund, 2012).   I believe that its history is intriguing and so important because it supports children from all socio-economic backgrounds.

Zero to Three:

According to their website, the mission of Zero to Three, “is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life” (Zerotothree.org, 2012) and their work supports this mission.  Currently, there are only three jobs listed under the employment opportunity section of the website.  Two of the jobs are located at the Zero to Three National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the third is located in Los Angeles, California. 

            Chief Business/Development Officer: Requires an advanced degree in business and knowledge in early childhood education

            Development Manager: Proposals and Grants: Requires at least a Bachelor’s degree in applicable field

            Senior Policy Analyst: Master’s degree or equivalent in early childhood, business, or associated field

The reason why I chose this organization was because of its involvement with young children and their families.  I believe that there is a significant link for families to be the child’s first teacher.  While this organization works on trainings, a large portion of the work is done with public policies.  There is a strong need for non-profit agencies to support policies that relate to young children and their families. 

References:

Children’s Defense Fund.   (2012).  Our history.  Retrieved from http://ch.tbe.taleo.net/CH04/ats/careers/searchResults.jsp?org=CHILDRENSDEFENSE&cws=1

National Association for the Education of Young Children.  (n.d.).  NAEYC mission statement.  Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/mission.

Zero to Three.  (2012).  Our Mission.  Retrieved from http://zerotothree.org/.

           

           

No comments:

Post a Comment