Dear Colleagues,
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” We all know what Neil Armstrong said when he set foot on the moon in 1968. But we should also remember the words of the women who have explored the reaches of space. “A bird cannot fly with one wing only,” said Valentina Tereshkova, who entered the history books in 1963 as the first woman to orbit the earth. “Human space flight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women,” she warned. And Tereshkova was right, according to Sally Ride, who spent seven days in space during 1983. “If we want scientists and engineers in the future,” Ride said, “we should be cultivating the girls as much as the boys.” And “we should recognize how important it is to explore for all and by all,” said Kristina Koch who joined in the first female spacewalk during the last week of Women’s History Month in 2019.
“I think the historical nature of what we’re doing is important,” Koch said, “because in the past, women haven’t always been at the table.” And as we mark Women’s History Month this year, we want to recognize two women who have claimed a seat at the table to help all young people learn and have the skills to explore their promise. They’re both immigrant teachers, and it’s especially fitting that we feature them as we also honor International Women’s Day this March.
It’s a time for inspiring women to step into leadership roles, like Marjorie Silvestrini has in Massachusetts. After studying early childhood education in Brazil, she went on to open her own family child care home in this country, became a PD Specialist for Portuguese-speaking teachers and formed a support group that convinced the state to offer free trainings for Brazilians in their native language. “This was a huge step for our community,” Marjorie says. And she’s helping it make added strides by serving on the Mass Bay Community College Education Program Advisory Board, where she pushes for needed changes in family child care policies and regulations.
Marjorie is convinced we need to increase the pool of bilingual early childhood teachers, and so is Carime Ruvalcaba, a native of Mexico who runs the only bilingual early childhood program in Grand Island, Nebraska. “I want to show other bilingual providers that they can succeed, too,” Carime says. So, she works to boost the ranks of bilingual teachers by serving as a member of the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Leadership Cadre and by joining the campaign Por Todos los Niños, a collaboration between state and community groups to give all Nebraska families the access they need to high-quality child care. Carime also leads a support group to help Hispanic providers earn their CDA® because she knows that “having a CDA is a guarantee to parents that a teacher can provide good services for their children.”
Teachers who have a CDA also know how to make learning fun, and we hope you’ll have some fun reading our blog Messages from the Movies. See how films about literate spiders, lonely, little pigs and not-so-lovely nannies can entertain children while giving them lessons about life, love and loss. Children can learn the power of language from Charlotte’s Web and the importance of family from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They’ll realize there are no limits to what they can do from Babe. And they’ll see how good behavior makes the world more beautiful for all when they watch Nanny McPhee.
Nanny McPhee uses magic to get her message across, but good teachers know more down-to-earth ways to impart prosocial behavior to children. That’s just one of the ways teachers can make a mark since you don’t know where teaching can take you, as Dr. Moore tells us this month. It could lead you to become CEO of a nonprofit, as he did, or it could help you become an astronaut, like Christa McAuliffe, who took a giant leap for womankind as NASA’s “first Teacher in Space.” And while preparing to reach the stars, she expressed the value of her profession. “I touch the future,” as McAuliffe told the world. “I teach.”
With our kindest regards,
The Council for Professional Recognition
A couple of years before becoming a mother, I saw the classic movie Terms of Endearment. Before the opening credits, the film portrayed Aurora, played by Shirley MacLaine, as a worried mom who checked on...
“Every child deserves a champion,” said longtime teacher Rita Pierson in a famous TED talk. She was talking about “an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and...
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I wanted to share how it is important for us all to reflect on women’s progress in the business world and the importance of supporting and empowering...
My mom called me up some years ago to praise a movie about a pig. As she began to mimic the pig’s squeaky little voice, I started to wonder what this meant and worried my...
It takes a village to raise a child, the old proverb tells us. But we need to expand our perspective, according to pediatric surgeon, social scientist and mom Dana Suskind. In her heartfelt work, Parent...
Dr. Calvin Moore shared that when he first arrived at the Council and took on the CEO role, he was focused on assessing the early childhood education (ECE) landscape, the reach of the organization and...
We have probably all seen the commercials this time of year when you can hear the popular holiday song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, playing in the background as parents dance joyously...
Did you know early childhood educators in Maryland have a special benefit that can help them and the children they serve? The Maryland State Department of Education has awarded a $1 million grant to the...
For the first time in three years, the Education Writers Association (EWA) gathered in person for their National Seminar in Orlando last month. The event drew journalists from across the country to hear from leaders...
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.
Read our monthly e-newsletter and keep up to date on all Council programs and services, as well as the latest news in the world of early care and education. Subscribe today to stay connected with us. You’ll receive timely information on events, webinars, special promotions, and more.
