Dear Colleagues,
What’s on your agenda when autumn rolls around? Consider joining the Council at our Early Educators Leadership Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is “Shaping the Future: A Time for Resilience, Renewal & Reform.” Join national and international leaders, policy makers and nonprofit directors, college professors and colleagues for informative sessions and fun.
Our conference will take place October 5 to 8 in lovely Leesburg, Virginia, and it features a great lineup. Attend a session on “Becoming a Better You.” Find out more about “Building Diverse Cultures of Belonging and Inclusion.” See why “Self-Care is Vital.” Learn about “Reflection for Professional Practice,” and line dance at our “Rodeo Glam” under the stars.
You’ll also want to kick up your heels after starting your days with JuNene K., a master trainer and social emotional specialist who we’re profiling this month. “I’ll be doing three sessions,” she says. “The first will be on affirmation and how to harness ‘The Power of I Am.’ In the second session, ‘Gratitude is Attitude,’ we’ll discuss how to deal with negative feelings. And the last will be ‘The Shift,’ a hands-on session that explores the use of essential oils to shift your mood. We’ll also be doing fun, creative workouts to get our juices flowing and get rid of stress.”
Many rising teachers do feel stressed out at the prospect of earning a degree, according to Dr. Sonia Pruneda-Hernandez, another of our conference presenters. As chair of early childhood at Montgomery College, she supports a diverse student body in taking the steps to success. “Students need to get their CDA®,” she tells us in this issue. That gives them the confidence to go on for their degree. And when they do it’s good for both them and the children. “They’re going to make more money, they’re going to get promoted, and they’re going to be better providers.”
The path to professional growth starts with the CDA as the ChildCare Education Institute agrees in its new blog. And the credential is even more essential in the wake of the pandemic. Many parents feel anxious about their children’s health and fret about sending them back to preschool. So, child care directors should reassure these reluctant moms and dads by hiring staff with CDAs. “Educators who’ve earned it must exhibit an understanding of competency standards—and the first competency standard focuses on establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy learning environment,” Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr. points out in a perceptive op-ed this month.
Dr. Moore is also the author of Find Your Happy!, an uplifting—and down-to-earth—guide to feeling safe, secure, loved. And the happiness you feel doesn’t have to be fleeting, as too many folks sadly believe. “I have discovered through love and loss that it is possible to live life with joy!” Moore says. And he’ll tell you how in his keynote speech at our conference. Join him for a thoughtful dialogue that explores his seven step-approach to finding joy as a way of life.
Take advantage of this chance to meet Dr. Moore, along with many other movers and shakers in the early childhood profession. They’ll give you tips and tools to advance your skills and gear up for the challenges ahead. Together, let’s find new ways to build a better future for our field.
With happiness for your support,
The Council for Professional Recognition
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Chief Operations Officer
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
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.
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