Hanna Skellett can handle a lot of stress. She completed her Child Development Associate® (CDA) coursework while working 39 hours a week at Laugh and Learn Day Care in Ashville, Ohio, and finishing her associate degree in business management from Ohio University in Athens. She was awarded her associate’s this May, obtained her CDA credential in July and is now on track to complete her bachelor’s in applied management by May of 2020.
No question that she brings a lot of energy and expertise to her role as lead teacher and assistant administrator in training at Laugh and Learn. And she says the best part of her job is learning from the children. “They teach me patience, and when I’m frustrated, they give me confidence and comfort.” They’re also “smarter than you’d imagine,” she points out with a laugh.
For example, her center has a sweet little boy named Eric who knows how to wrap folks around his little finger. “The other day,” Hanna recalls, “when I asked him to pick up his toys, he said ‘no’ and then kissed me on the cheek. He knew just what to do to get out of cleaning up his toys, and for a while I didn’t think I could get him to do it. But we sang a clean-up song and — finally — he started picking up the toys.”
Another little boy, Steven, is a budding astronomer who shows early signs of a starry future. “His parents gave him flash cards,” Hanna says, “and he already knows the planets. One day he came to the center and told one of his little friends the names of all the planets all by himself.”
Fortunately, Hanna has the competence and skills to bring out these children’s best. “The CDA helped me understand all aspects of child development,” she says. “It helped me learn the professional side, including handling problems with co-workers and dealing with screenings in the classroom. It also helped her center get a five-star rating after she and five of her colleagues succeeded in earning the credential.
Quality early care and education costs money, Hanna says, and that poses a problem for parents in the rural community where she works. “Now that we have a five-star rating, we have to up our prices to do all the screenings and assessments the rating requires. But that’s hard for us to do. Parents already have trouble paying our rate and we don’t want our children to leave.”
Ideally, Hanna contends, “child care and education should be free. Parents shouldn’t have to pay for it because birth to five are critical years when most brain development is happening.” But right now, “everything still comes down to pricing.”
Hanna may have to contend more with this thorny dilemma since her goal is to be the administrator of a child care and education center. Her background in both management and education should make her well-suited to this role. So should her desire to bring out the best in her profession. “I would like to make sure all educators get professional training, understand child development and have the know-how to help every child succeed.”
Hanna is also a strong believer in continued training, and she would like to see all the educators at her center earn a CDA. “The CDA has already empowered some of our teachers,” she explains. “It’s very good for someone who wants to continue their education.” And Hanna is someone like that since she feels she still has a lot to learn. Despite all the time she’s already spent in school, she’s now thinking of earning an associate’s in early child development, too.
That would put even more on her very full plate and increase the stress she feels. But Hanna has a passion for her work. “What inspires me is talking to the children,” she says. “They make me want to be better for them, and they relieve me of my stress.”
Before a child even steps into a classroom or child care center, their first lessons in life occur within the walls of their home. During their formative years, from birth to age five, children undergo...
As Congress begins negotiating the next round of appropriations to ensure the government is funded for the upcoming fiscal year, it’s important that we work together as child care advocates to amplify our collective voice....
You might have heard the buzz that Congress just passed a new bill funding the government that includes big wins for child care. But are you familiar with the legislative processes that got us here?...
Congress just passed a new bill funding the government that includes big wins for child care. Here’s what was included: According to CNN, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, or CCDBG, will see an...
Happy Year of the Dragon, educators and parents! Now that festivities have begun, this is a wonderful opportunity to introduce young children to the rich traditions and customs associated with the Chinese New Year. Explore...
SPONSORED BLOG The task of sitting down and writing out all of your early childhood education career goals can feel daunting. Where should you start? How far in the future should you plan? And, once...
Shinichi Suzuki believed that “all children have the ability at birth to become persons of high ability,” and held a “Grand Concert” to convince the world it was true. On a sunny day in 1955,...
To our followers – We want to bring your attention to an important matter regarding communication from the Council for Professional Recognition. Recently, a Facebook account impersonating the Council for Professional Recognition responded to people...
SPONSORED BLOG Whether you’re embarking on professional development (PD) to meet state requirements, or you want to invest in your own growth, PD has a number of benefits. First, it helps ensure you’re keeping up...
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
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 (CFO)
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.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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.
