Preparing for the New School Year
SPONSORED BLOG Excitement. Jitters. Uncertainty. The new school year comes with a multitude of emotions and challenges — but thankfully there are things you can do ahead of time to prepare and ensure it’s the...
Joe Biden has been declared the winner of the election; although there are still some challenges to this news, regardless of partisan standing, most independent observers do not expect existing challenges to impact the election result. As we look forward toward the future, as we anticipate Biden taking the oath of office on January 20, we can also anticipate a new era for America and, for our purposes, education and the early childhood education profession in particular. The Council for Professional Recognition congratulates President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris as well as all the candidates who have been elected to office at the federal, state, and local levels.
At a time when our country can seem very divided, it is essential that we highlight something that brings us together — support for early childhood education. Research highlights Americans’ strong bipartisan support for many proposals that will help more families access high-quality early learning and care opportunities.
In fact, the deeply divided 116th Congress acted swiftly during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a bipartisan manner to provide $3.5 billion in emergency funds for childcare centers through the passage of the CARES Act.
Given the outcome of the presidential election, we highlight below some ways the new administration may impact the early childhood education profession:
Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris will be taking an active role in the administration and will surely help shape its early childhood education agenda. Harris has previously called education “a fundamental right” and, like Biden, has proposed increased funding for Head Start and a universal pre-k system.
The change in the administration also brings a new high-ranking advocate for the profession in the form of the future First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. Dr. Biden has been an educator for over thirty years and has first-hand experience as an advocate for all who work in the field. Dr. Biden understands the commitment those in the profession make to the advancement and education of America’s next generation publicly stating, “teaching is not what I do. It is who I am.”
The Council and the entire early childhood education community looks forward to providing insights and perspectives as elected leaders work on these important issues that effect the country’s youngest learners and their families.
SPONSORED BLOG Excitement. Jitters. Uncertainty. The new school year comes with a multitude of emotions and challenges — but thankfully there are things you can do ahead of time to prepare and ensure it’s the...
Language and literacy skills are fundamental building blocks for a child’s development, enabling effective communication, social interaction, and academic success throughout grade school and beyond. For young children with disabilities, however, traditional educational models may...
The Council for Professional Recognition’s Council Alumni Network (CAN) recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. This free community boasts 1200+ members. CAN is a diverse group of stakeholders in early childhood education (ECE) across the U.S....
A couple of years before becoming a mother, I saw the classic movie Terms of Endearment. Before the opening credits, the film portrayed Aurora, played by Shirley MacLaine, as a worried mom who checked on...
“Every child deserves a champion,” said longtime teacher Rita Pierson in a famous TED talk. She was talking about “an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and...
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I wanted to share how it is important for us all to reflect on women’s progress in the business world and the importance of supporting and empowering...
My mom called me up some years ago to praise a movie about a pig. As she began to mimic the pig’s squeaky little voice, I started to wonder what this meant and worried my...
It takes a village to raise a child, the old proverb tells us. But we need to expand our perspective, according to pediatric surgeon, social scientist and mom Dana Suskind. In her heartfelt work, Parent...
Dr. Calvin Moore shared that when he first arrived at the Council and took on the CEO role, he was focused on assessing the early childhood education (ECE) landscape, the reach of the organization and...
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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