The driving force of Jayne Kaht’s career has been serving the best interests of children and their family members. It’s been her mission for the past 35 years, including the 31 years she has spent working for the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Service in Oakdale, NY. As an early childhood educator at the Milliken Technical Center in Long Island, she teaches high school students from diverse cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds. Different as they are, they come together in Jayne’s class to pursue a common goal: learn and understand best practices for fostering early literacy and play-based learning in children ages birth to five years. This training will prepare them for hands-on experience at an onsite preschool or community-based internships with industry partners of the school. The students also are busy with classes, a wide range of field trips and career-based opportunities for enrichment and preparation to earn their Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential.
“My commitment extends beyond the classroom,” Jayne says, “so I provide conferences and workshops that educate parents, teachers and other community members on best practices in early childhood education and care.” She has also raised funds to build an outdoor classroom where children can explore the natural world and worked with a number of advocacy groups to increase funding for quality preschool programs on Long Island.
Despite all she’s already achieved, she has additional goals: serve as a division leader at a Long Island summer camp, become a CDA Professional Development Specialist™ and contribute as a CDA trainer for the Suffolk County Child Care Council. Clearly, she’s convinced that you can never work too hard to do what’s best for our youngest children.
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...
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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.
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