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.
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,...
Each December, people take stock of the year and think of what is to come in the new year. I am no exception. Working for an organization like the Council for Professional Recognition has been...
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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