Published by CounciLINK on May 23, 2019
Council CEO Valora Washington and staffers Abena Ocran-Jackson and Tre Maxie will be among the presenters at this summer’s 2019 QRIS National Meeting in New Orleans.
The annual gathering – held June 25 to June 27 this year – will bring together scores of educators, administrators and other early childhood professionals to hear about the latest research, best practices, innovations and big ideas in the development, implementation and revision of QRIS’s.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from leading experts, share their own work and talk to colleagues across the country, and the territories, about their successes and challenges, according to the #QRIS2019 website.
New this year is BUILD Connections, which will provide the opportunity to connect with colleagues in advance of the conference.
Convention officials say it works like this: They will provide attendees with contact information for a group of five to eight attendees prior to the conference. Attendees will then email each other or connect on the conference app to get a conversation going. From there, the group can decide how to proceed. They can, for example, plan to sit together at the opening plenary or have breakfast or lunch together. The program is totally voluntary.
As for the sessions, here’s the breakdown:
Tuesday, June 25, 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m.
216. Taking on the Challenge of Change: 12 years Later, Are We Ready … or Not?
In the 2007 book by Valora Washington and Stacie G. Goffin, we asked: “What defines and bounds early care and education as a field of practice?” This still-unanswered question has resulted in others increasingly defining the future of early childhood education (ECE). Join this energizing discussion about unifying and advancing ECE as a field of practice. You will be given tools for exercising leadership so ECE can shift its developmental trajectory, fulfill its potential, and satisfy its obligations to children, families and society.
Presenters: Stacie G. Goffin, Goffin Strategy Group; Valora Washington, Council for Professional Recognition
Wednesday, June 26, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.
311. How QRIS Systems Use the CDA to Expand Reach, Enhance Impact and Advance Equity for Early Childhood Educators
For 35 years, the Council for Professional Development and its signature Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials have played a pivotal role in advancing the field of early childhood education. This session illustrates how three states systemically use the CDA to expand reach, enhance impact and advance equity.
Presenters: Todd Barnhouse, Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association; Ola Friday, Massachusetts Associate Commissioner for Workforce Development; Dianna Wallace, Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children; Valora Washington, Council for Professional Recognition
Wednesday, June 26, 3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
518. Leveraging CDA to Develop Inclusive ECE Workforce and Career Ladders
The Council and its signature Child Development Associate credentials have played a pivotal role in advancing the field of ECE for infant toddler, preschool, family child care and home-visitor educators. This session will examine the CDA, talk about updates with the credential as well as happenings at the Council. Included: new credentials and international expansion of the CDA.
Presenters: Abena Ocran-Jackson and Tre Maxie, 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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