The news coming out of early education has been disheartening of late. Many of our colleagues have had to close their centers and home based-care programs—and many don’t know if they’ll ever be able to reopen. Still, there are some grounds for hope.
Recently, the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development & Social Policy at Yale University released an encouraging study. The research found that child care is not associated with the spread of the coronavirus when programs follow safety precautions. This is a bright spot for us, since we know that early educators have been called on in this unique time to fill a critical need for parents who must return to work.
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...
The Council for Professional Recognition applauds the House of Representatives on passage of the Build Back Better Act. This historic investment in early care and education will provide critically needed resources by supporting increased access to...
“If you have support and people believing in you, you can do anything,” says Rory Sipp, Senior Vice President of Acelero Learning, the largest provider of Head Start services in Nevada. He saw how true...
The Council for Professional Recognition applauds the critical investments in early care and education included in the Build Back Better Act. This historic move will help children return to stable, developmentally appropriate, high-quality care, and help parents,...
It’s the start of a new school year which means it’s a wonderful time to think about how you engage with your students’ parents. Below are five tips to think about when planning how to...
The morning sun lit a clear, blue sky as America started its day. Highways filled with traffic and railroads rumbled with trains. Planes soared into that cloudless sky, two from Boston, one from Newark and...
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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