Dear Colleagues,
Emotions are always high when it’s back-to-school season. Excitement fills the air as children try on new clothes and test out their backpacks. Parents feel the jitters as they wonder whether they have every item on their assigned school supply list. Meanwhile, teachers are preparing for the year ahead and looking for ways they can motivate even the littlest of learners.
Both parents and teachers can be a bit anxious as they get set for the back-to-school transition. The good news is everyone’s feeling less uncertain about this new school year than they have in recent times, according to a survey by market researcher One Poll. Parents look forward to getting more accomplished and having more time to focus. Teachers are excited about refreshing their classrooms with new supplies and tools to promote learning.
And you can get some fresh ideas by attending the Council’s ECE Practitioners Day this fall. The tips you’ll pick up can also work for parents. And children learn best when parents and teachers put their heads together. So, parents should stay informed about what’s happening in the classroom and connect with their children’s teachers to identify how to bring out the best in their little ones.
Another key component of a successful school year is the two-way communication between teachers and families. Both parents and teachers want children to succeed in school, and parents can provide teachers with insights on ways to meet their children’s needs. It’s also important that teachers encourage families to participate in their children’s education and provide a welcoming atmosphere for family engagement. This partnership is key to our youngest learners’ growth and educational achievement.
Educators who’ve earned a CDA® have an edge since their training includes partnering with parents and initiating family involvement. And this month, we profile two professionals who have joined us as members of our CDA Advisory Committee, where they provide guidance to our community members nationwide. Our two featured teachers have also guided many students in earning their CDA and believe firmly in the value of the credential.
April Woodard brought the CDA to Perry Career Academy in Georgia and went through the CDA process though she already had a college degree. “Gaining a CDA,” she says, “helped me be a better teacher for my high school students because it put me in touch with what they needed to succeed. Besides, the students were less anxious about the CDA process since they knew I had gone through it, too.”
Reassurance like this especially matters for rising teachers with children, and there are many students like this at Columbus State Community College in Ohio, where Charvella McKaye teaches early childhood development and education. She’s now working on a study to show the concerns of single Black moms on campus. “My plan is to explore the role of family and friends, employers and professors in helping them toward degree completion,” she explains. And it’s a subject that brings Charvella back to her own days as a single mom struggling to get an education.
Dr. Moore also takes a walk down memory lane this month when he talks about Doing Double Duty as a Parent-Teacher. “Being a dad,” he recalls, “made me see how complex it is to help children advance, whether you’re a parent or teacher. There’s no manual that can prepare you to shepherd another human being into the world.” Still, parents and teachers who work together can double the impact they make. Their partnership will smooth the back-to-school transition and guide children to success all year long.
Looking forward to connecting with you,
The Council for Professional Recognition
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Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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