The Council is still on the road, so rev up for inspiration and information. We look forward to sharing thoughts with you and the communities you serve. Check out our Spring schedule below and be sure to read CounciLINK next month. We’ll be announcing more stops as the Council continues on the road.
April 28 – May 1: Maryland State Child Care Association Conference by the Sea, Ocean City, MD
Visit us at Booth 20 and meet Sandra Kowalchek, Growth and Business Development Manager. She will share valuable information about special funding for Maryland ECE educators to earn a CDA.
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May 1 – 4: Child Care Aware of America 2022 Symposium, Arlington, VA
Council Presentation: Turning Differences into Strengths: A Systemic Approach on Inclusion and Diversity for CDA® Candidates
Presenters: Vilma Williams, Manager, Multilingual and Special Programs
Katorra Enoch-Longshore, Credentialing Director
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May 2 – 5: National Head Start Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD
Council Presentations:
Telling Our Story: How the Council is Positioned to Support the ECE Workforce
Presenters: Dr. Calvin E. Moore Jr., CEO and Brionnea Williams-McClary, Director of Public Policy
GROWing ECE Teachers: A Coaching Strategy Used by CDA® PD Specialists
Presenters: Chonda Walden, Training and Development Manager
Larrisa Norris, Training and Development Coordinator
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May 16 – 19: World Forum on Early Care and Education, Orlando, FL
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...
In the world of early childhood education, there’s a remarkable achievement that more people should know about – earning a Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™. The Council for Professional Recognition, a nonprofit that supports early...
SPONSORED BLOG Whether you’re just starting out in the early childhood field, or you’ve been teaching for years, chances are you’ve heard the term CDA at least a few times. The Child Development Associate® (CDA)...
SPONSORED BLOG Excitement. Jitters. Uncertainty. The new school year comes with a multitude of emotions and challenges — but thankfully there are things you can do ahead of time to prepare and ensure it’s the...
Language and literacy skills are fundamental building blocks for a child’s development, enabling effective communication, social interaction, and academic success throughout grade school and beyond. For young children with disabilities, however, traditional educational models may...
The Council for Professional Recognition’s Council Alumni Network (CAN) recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. This free community boasts 1200+ members. CAN is a diverse group of stakeholders in early childhood education (ECE) across the U.S....
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...
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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