Don’t Become a Gossip Girl at Work
We have all been victims or participants of gossip at work, and sadly, this is no different in an early childhood education setting. Maybe it’s something you overheard in the hallway about a co-worker’s romantic...
The countdown to graduation is a rite of passage for many high school students. Even before senior year, students dream about the day when they will march across the stage, receive their diploma, and toss their graduation caps high into the air as the audience erupts into applause. Preparing for graduation is exciting, yet at the same time, seniors face the nerve-wracking question: “what are you doing next year?” For students who earn their Child Development Associate® (CDA) credential in high school, post-graduation prospects are bright.
Students interested in early childhood education can accelerate their careers by gaining academic and hands-on training during high school. CDA programs allow students to earn college credit and graduate from high school with the only globally recognized education credential. Seniors who graduate with the CDA credential are recognized for their knowledge in child growth and development and are qualified for higher education and vocational employment in early childhood education.
Earning the CDA in high school is not only an impactful career step; it’s fun, too! “My favorite thing about CDA training would have to be the ability to spend half of my school day with the kids,” Alabama high school student Noah Malone says. Noah volunteers as an instructional aide with a preschool teacher as he prepares to study early childhood education in college. Though constructing a school schedule aligned to the preschool’s hours was challenging at times, in Noah’s view, it was worth it. “Earning the CDA helped me learn ways to handle behavioral situations, has given me opportunities to teach lessons, and to learn from my mistakes early. It’s a great stepping stone for high schoolers wanting to dive deeper into the world of ECE and can lead to career opportunities straight out of high school.”
Zoe Labarthe, a high school student based in Florida, feels that her high school’s training program offered numerous opportunities for vocational learning. “One of the main things I’ve learned is how to interact with children” she reflects, “[since] there is a lot of emotional and positive reinforcement we need to give them.” The experience gained by high school students who earn their CDA prepares them to enter early childhood education with confidence in their knowledge of child cognitive, social and emotional development.
High school faculty members also see the value of the CDA for high school students, including Utah-based Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, Mary Matthews. “I think the CDA is a great opportunity for students to start their career path,” Matthews explains. “Whether they continue in early childhood education or not, there are professional traits learned as they work to complete a portfolio and track their training and work hours. While many high school students graduate with improved study habits, CDA students also graduate with professional skills, such as working alongside educators in a child care setting, prioritizing children’s well-being and receiving professional development feedback from child care program staff members.
If your school is seeking ways to prepare students for careers in early education, the CDA is the most effective program to launch within your school. Not sure where to start? The Council for Professional Recognition’s soon to be published Child Development Associate® (CDA) Handbook for High School: A Guide to Advocacy and Implementation is designed to equip faculty with needs assessments, financing recommendations, and guidance on garnering support on a school and district-wide level. Baylie D. Collins, a Texas-based Child Guidance instructor and Family & Consumer Science educator, shared her appreciation for the new guidebook, which she deemed “incredibly helpful.” Collins’ school has a CDA program, and she is certain that educators and administrators who are interested in establishing the program in their schools will benefit from the book’s guidance. In particular, Collins appreciated the book’s sections on accommodations for students with special needs and advice on forming local partnerships in early childhood education.
The Council for Professional Recognition is delighted to provide resources for high school faculty and administrators who are invested in their students’ career success, and who are interested in laying the foundation for a CDA-certification program within their high school. Together, we can create academic pathways that provide students with higher education credit, globally recognized vocational experience and greater security and sense of achievement on graduation day.
Sign up here to be among the first to receive updates about Child Development Associate® (CDA) Handbook for High School: A Guide to Advocacy and Implementation and to pre-order a free PDF sample chapter.
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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.
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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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Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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