The inaugural CounciLIVE season is packed with some of the foremost voices in early childhood education today. Covering trending topics and issues in our field, the live broadcast series debuted this month with a short, introductory episode featuring Council CEO Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr.; a full-length episode on the paramount importance of safety in early childhood settings, featuring Council Executive Vice President of Programs Michelle Brown; and a conversation with Dr. Ryan Lee-James, Director of the Rollins Center for Language and Literacy at Atlanta Speech School, on equity and literacy in early childhood education
Did you miss the CounciLIVE kickoff? Catch up by streaming the episodes you missed, available now on Spotify or YouTube. Every CounciLIVE episode will be reshared to Spotify and YouTube within one week of airing on Facebook Live (on our Council for Professional Recognition Facebook page). Follow us on Facebook, Spotify and YouTube so that you never miss an episode!
And mark your calendar to join us for the next two conversations with CounciLIVE featured guest speakers! Tune in Dr. Cindy Shackelford’s (Professor at Jefferson State College) dialogue on professionalism with Abena Ocran-Jackson (Council for Professional Recognition Vice President of Credentialing) on Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 1:00 PM ET; and catch Dr. Shantel Meek’s (Founding Director of the Children’s Equity Project) conversation with Michelle Brown on equity in PreK programs on CounciLIVE on Thursday, August 26, 2021 at 1:00 PM ET.
Anchored in our flagship publication, The Essentials for Working with Young Children, each CounciLIVE episode will bring to you a conversation on one or more CDA® functional area(s) and will explore its importance in relation to current events, educational philosophy and research today. Learn more about the series in our recent press release and blog.
Where can you connect with CDA® holders and the wide range of folks who serve them? Turn to the Council Alumni Network (CAN), an online community that brings together current and past CDA earners, CDA...
Professional development is absolutely critical to your success, as well as the success of all the children in your care. Not to mention in most states, you’re required to complete a minimum number of training...
This month marks my second year at the Council for Professional Recognition. When I first arrived at the Council, I was no stranger to the organization or its mission, as I had been involved with...
Schools are microcosms of the world beyond their walls. Factors like race, culture, class and gender set the stage for what takes place in our schools as learners from different groups interact. The conflicts that...
There is no denying the academic and emotional impact of the pandemic on children. News websites and TV newscasts are full of stories about the unknown long-term effects of the past two years on kids....
Finding informative and trusted early childhood educator resources online can be a challenge. That’s why the CDA® Advisory Committee met virtually to learn more about the nonprofit, The Source for Learning (SFL) and its ECE...
Each year I update my professional bio and pause at the part where it says, “Rachel Robertson has worked in the field for over X years”. Not because I can’t believe it or can’t remember,...
Teachers aren’t keen to bring up the topic of COVID, according to their Facebook posts. “I don’t think we are allowed to,” one teacher wrote. “There’s no way I’m going near that subject since it’s...
CDA®. These three little letters can change the entire trajectory of your career. The Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential is the most widely known and valued credential in early childhood education. By earning your CDA,...
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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