Invisible Child: A Spotlight on Life in the Shadows
Dasani wakes up before dawn each day at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, New York. After slipping out from under the covers, she goes to the window. On a clear day, she can see all...
You can choose any career you want when you grow up, except for early childhood education.
Whether explicit or implied, this is the message that our society — and to some degree our own profession — sends to men, even in the 21st century.
What a missed opportunity this represents to bring smart, nurturing, energetic individuals into a field that needs them as educators, caregivers and role models.
In a new white paper titled “Supporting Men as Early Childhood Educators,” the Council for Professional Recognition explore the barriers that men face in gaining employment in early childhood education settings and how encouraging men to be in these roles benefits the workforce, our children and our social fabric.
Consider this: Since the 1970s, the percentage of men working in early care and education has ranged from 2.1 percent to 5.9 percent of the total early childhood workforce. In 2018, the number of men in the field reached 6.3 percent.
This data point conveys two important truths: First, men want to work in early childhood education. Second, we have not opened the door wide enough for more men to do so.
As the white paper explains, the cards are stacked against men for a few reasons. Low pay, low professional status, and the potential for suspicion and accusations top the list. While external economic forces are in play for the first two reasons, I challenge us all to consider how we can collectively overcome the third.
We know that men can and do thrive in early childhood education. We know male teachers serve as important role models that can contribute to boys’ development and growth.
We also know that some people — parents, administrators, perhaps even some teachers — may still have outdated notions of what a teacher should look like.
The good news is that we are paying attention to this issue, and a shift — even if it’s a slow one — appears to be on the horizon, thanks to programs nationwide that are inspiring and training men to enter the early childhood field.
From California to the Carolinas, programs are tackling the disparity from different angles:
The Council is likewise doing its part to build an early childhood education workforce. Men can train for a career in early childhood care and education, as well as increase their credibility with parents and the field, by earning our Child Development Associate (CDA®) Credential. Since credential earners must complete 120 hours of coursework and 480 hours of experience working with children, the CDA builds essential competency.
If you want to learn more about the CDA, I encourage you to contact me or find details online as well as application information.
Can we flip the script on long-held biases toward men in early childhood education? From where I sit, it would be a tragedy not to try.
Please read the full white paper to begin to understand what men face when choosing to become involved in early childhood education.
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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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