Published by Hechinger Report on April 30, 2020
Written by Valora Washington, Ph.D.
This highly skilled work is undeserving of the “babysitter” connotation too often ascribed to it
During this time of heightened concerns about health and safety, it’s important to remember where we can find reassurance, especially for society’s youngest and most vulnerable.
Hundreds of thousands of early childhood educators around the world have benefited from training focused on how to maintain a safe environment for children; this includes practices for preventing and reducing injuries.
Working in early childhood education requires in-depth knowledge and skill. This work is highly skilled and undeserving of the “babysitter” connotation too often ascribed to it. Knowing how to promote the intellectual, emotional and physical development of young children requires deep competencies. Done well, early childhood education results in skills that benefit children over the course of their entire lives.
Many early childhood educators in the United States begin their professional pathways by earning the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential from the nonprofit Council for Professional Recognition, where I serve as CEO.
This credential, which began as part of the War on Poverty with Project Head Start, is now widely embraced by all types of public and private programs that serve young children. Over 800,000 early childhood educators have earned this credential in its 45-year history.
Over time, we’ve developed practice principles about how to best support early childhood educators. For one, we’re committed to serving all children and educators in-person, in their programs wherever they are, whether it’s a dense urban community or a remote Alaskan village.
We offer CDAs in a center-based preschool setting, a center-based infant/toddler setting, a home-based family child care setting or a home visitor setting. We also serve early childhood educators in their own languages; we’ve credentialed educators in 23 languages so far.
A group of 12 students received the first CDAs in July 1975 in Washington, D.C. Today over 800,000 CDA credentials have been issued across the nation and around the world. What makes the credential unique is that it represents multiple sources of evidence of competence: 120 hours of academic training; 480 hours of experience; a passed national exam; a portfolio; and a site visit by a professional-development specialist.
We view the CDA credential as the best first step in an early childhood educator’s career path. Since we began, the Council has been an important voice for professionalizing early childhood education to increase support for — and the reputation of — the educators and the vital work they do.
We continue to grow as we keep an eye on the quality of the professional development that early childhood educators receive, to ensure their work continues to meet the high standards that help lead to positive long-term outcomes for children.
That’s why, in 2017, we introduced the CDA Gold Standard, which affirms the quality of training and professional development programs across the United States.
This story about certification for early childhood educators was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up here for Hechinger’s newsletter.
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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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