Usma Mohamed
news@cdacouncil.org
WASHINGTON — The Council for Professional Recognition is pleased to announce that the Children’s Equity Project has received a grant from Trust for Learning, that will focus on increasing the knowledge, awareness and understanding of early educators on issues of equity, bias and systemic racism. The Council is honored to be partnering with the Children’s Equity Project to further the sector.
The Council, which administers the flagship credential for early childhood education the Child Development Associate® (CDA), is committed to ensuring the credentialing process has an equity lens embedded within it. This work aims to improve the learning conditions of young children of color and other children from historically marginalized communities.
Over the next year, the two organizations will focus on continuous improvement through the:
Dr. Shantel Meek, Founder of the Children’s Equity Project, says, “Systemic racism exists in every U.S. system. The early care and education system is no exception, and sadly, even our youngest learners are not immune to its effects. It’s essential that every part of our system centers around equity and identifies actionable ways to address it. We’re thankful for the support, and humbled to partner with the Council, who have led on these issues for decades, on this exciting new endeavor to concretely embed equity into the foundation of the credentialing process.”
Council CEO Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr., says, “Unfortunately, there are many structural inequities in the early care and the education field. This work comes at a crucial time. We want every aspect of our credentialing process to reflect the diversity in the field and give educators the tools to ensure their students are successful.”
ABOUT THE CHILDREN’S EQUITY PROJECT
The Children’s Equity Project (CEP) is an initiative of the Sanford School and is led in partnership with scholars from institutions across the United States including Yale University, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, The Center for Racial Equity and Excellence, and the University of California Los Angeles, among many others. The CEP focuses on closing opportunity gaps and dismantling systemic racism in learning settings to ensure that children reach their full potential. Visit https://childandfamilysuccess.asu.edu/cep
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 birth to 5 years old. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education settings including Head Start, pre-k, infant-toddler, family childcare, and home visitor programs. As a nonprofit organization, the Council sets policies and procedures for assessment and credentialing. To date, over 800,000 CDA credentials have been issued around the world. For more information, visit www.cdacouncil.org
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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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