Lori Anderson
Council for Professional Recognition
loria@cdacouncil.org
202-265-9090
CCEI continues its commitment to offering high-quality training programs for early child care educators
The Council for Professional Recognition and ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) are renewing their partnership to prepare early childhood educators for rewarding careers that will make a lasting difference to the families and communities they serve. The Council recognized CCEI as a Child Development Associate (CDA®) Gold Standard℠ Comprehensive training program, which means it meets the highest standards of excellence in training for early childhood educators.
“We’re committed to training educators who meet the developmental, emotional and educational needs of young children. Our partnership with CCEI began 10 years ago, and we’re proud to continue our collaboration with them so educators and families can benefit from the comprehensive and research-based approach to early childhood education” said Dr. Valora Washington, CEO of the Council.
CCEI has trained and graduated more than 15,600 early childhood education professionals from the CDA and other child care certification programs. By providing education coaches for students and aligning with the formal education coursework in the CDA’s eight subject areas, CCEI provides high-quality training and support that helps students graduate with the coursework need to obtain their CDA Credential.
Like the Council, CCEI keeps pace with the evolving roles of educators and adds new course content to its curriculum each year. This innovative approach makes CCEI an industry leader in early childhood education and ultimately benefits the families and children engaged by its professional graduates.
ABOUT THE COUNCIL FOR PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
The Council for Professional Recognition promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages zero to 5 years old. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education settings – Head Start, pre-k, infant-toddler, family child care, and home visitor programs. As a nonprofit organization, the Council sets policies and procedures for assessment and credentialing and publishes industry-leading training books and workbooks, including its CDA Competency Standards and the Essentialsfor Working with Young Childrentextbook and workbook (2nd edition), all of which are available in English and Spanish. www.cdacouncil.org
ABOUT CHILDCARE EDUCATION INSTITUTE
ChildCare Education Institute®, a division of Excelligence Learning Corporation, provides high-quality, distance education certificates and child care training programs in an array of child care settings, including preschool centers, family child care, prekindergarten classrooms, nanny care, online daycare training and more. Over 150 English and Spanish child care training courses are available online to meet licensing, recognition program, and Head Start Requirements. CCEI also has online certification programs that provide the coursework requirement for national credentials including the CDA, Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard™ training provider, is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). www.cceionline.edu
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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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