Fluent Essays

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, review the NAEYC’s Code of Conduct and Statement of Commitment. (Links to an external site.)You are quickly impressing your lead teacher and director. Your director sees such promise in you that she has asked you to help her prepare for an upcoming staff meeting. Although you are nervous, you are excited for the opportunity and you truly want to impress them!The director has been made aware that a few policies are not being enforced or were not made clear. She wants you to help her tackle this issue in the upcoming faculty meeting. You have heard a few people complaining about these specific policies, so you are excited to tackle the project. You hope that your contribution to the faculty meeting can help get everyone on the same page.As you dig into the policies, you begin to realize that some policies aren’t followed because some staff believe these policies do not benefit the children and do not wish to engage with them. You have an ethical responsibility to your colleagues, children, families, and community to advocate against policies that do not benefit the children, so you must carefully consider these policies before presenting at the staff meeting.Policy #1: Instruction will not change from student to student. All students are to be treated like equals and instructions will not be modified under any circumstances. Often times in life accommodations aren’t made and we want to set our children up for success.Policy #2: On water day, each kid must have a pair of water shoes that are rubber bottoms and purchased by the parents. If the child does not have them, they are not allowed to engage with water play and must remain in the classroom while their peers are outside.Before you write your response, make sure to review Chapter 10 of the Gadzikowski (2013) text, in regards to advocacy and the NAEYC Code of Conduct and Statement of Commitment to be clear on your obligations as an early childhood professional. In your discussion, answer the following questions for both policies individually:Is this policy ethical? Why or why not?If it is ethical, how will you get all staff on the same page and begin to enforce the policy? Be specific and consider revising the policy slightly to get more staff “buy in.”If it is not ethical, how do you plan to be an advocate? Be specific with your step by step approach and address who you will contact and what your plan is to bring awareness. ch_education_gadzikowski.pdf Unformatted Attachment Preview Leadership and Advocacy 10 Pre-Test 1. Like teachers, administrators grow in their roles over time, progressing from beginners to confident role models. T/F 2. Self-evaluation is recommended as an aid for administrators who are struggling to learn how to do their work correctly. T/F 3. Professional development activities for administrators may include attending conferences and workshops outside the field of early childhood education. T/F 4. Changes that are initiated by the administrator, such as choosing a new curriculum, are much easier to implement than changes initiated by an outside source, such as funding cuts. T/F 5. Administrators should get involved in advocacy efforts only if their programs serve low-income children. T/F Answers can be found at the end of the chapter. Hemera/Thinkstock Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Discuss the salient characteristics of professionalism for early childhood administrators. 2. Discuss the value of self-evaluation and reflection in the professional growth and development of an early childhood administrator. 3. List possible sources of professional development opportunities and activities for early childhood administrators. 4. Compare and contrast the challenges of managing change that is externally initiated to change that is initiated by an early childhood administrator. Explain why an administrator might initiate a major change in program structure, operations, staffing, or curriculum. 5. Describe the ways that early childhood administrators can participate in public policy advocacy. Give examples of advocacy activities and strategies, and explain how an early childhood administrator might benefit from participating in these activities. © 2019 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution. Section 10.1 The Meaning of Professionalism in Early Childhood Administration CHAPTER 10 Lindsay Miller has worked in the role of director of the YMCA child care program for almost a year now. She sits at her desk, looking out the window at the children playing on the playground and reflects on all that she’s learned since she first walked through the doors of the center. Most days are so busy she doesn’t have much time to reflect, but recently she joined a group of local early childhood directors who meet once a month to discuss current issues in their work. They take turns leading the meetings and occasionally invite guest speakers to talk with them about a specific topic, like the time they invited the local licensing agent to answer questions about new guidelines regarding background checks for staff members. Today Lindsay is busy preparing a mailing to send to her state senator. She heard from the director’s group that the state senate will soon be voting on a bill that would increase funding for child care subsidies for low-income families. If the bill passes and becomes a law, this could benefit many of the families in her program. Lindsay and the other directors in her group have been gathering letters from parents, along with some artwork made by the children, and sending them to their senator, asking her to vote yes on the bill. Lindsay was also asked to lead a group traveling to the state capitol for the weekend, but she had to decline because she has something even more important to do on Saturday—attend the first class in her graduate program. One of her goals when she took the job was to pursue a master’s degree, and she is now enrolled in a program designed for working professionals that meets on Saturdays. Between work and school, Lindsay has a lot on her plate, but she enjoys being busy and is excited to continue to learn and grow in her position as an early childhood administrator. As she seals the envelope addressed to her state senator, she wonders if she might someday run for public office and advocate for children and families at the legislative level. Anything is possible. For now, she is happy where she is, leading her program and ensuring the children receive quality care and education services each day. Introduction H ow do administrators ensure their credentials and knowledge base remain current? How do they manage change and encourage collaboration? What can administrators do to advocate for young children? And what can they do to stay engaged and challenged in their work over a long period of time? These are the essential questions to be examined in this chapter. 10.1 The Meaning of Professionalism in Early Childhood Administration A s Lindsay demonstrates, mastering the role of early childhood administrator means looking beyond the immediate needs of the program and thinking about the future. Taking an active role in shaping the future of the field and developing a professional identity will vary for each individual, but it will likely include self-evaluation, goal setting, and professional development activities. It may also include serving as an advocate of children or mentoring those entering the discipline. © 2019 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution. Section 10.1 The Meaning of Professionalism in Early Childhood Administration CHAPTER 10 Early childhood administrators are ethically bound to stay abreast of key developments in the field. Moreover, administrators are likely to gain deeper satisfaction in their work if they continue to learn and develop new skills (Carter & Curtis, 2009). Defining Professionalism To grow in the role of an early childhood administrator requires an understanding of what it means to act with professionalism. However, this can be a challenge for many, as there is a general lack of agreement in the field regarding how to define professionalism (Bredekamp & Willer, 1993). As a starting point, some of the following characteristics are most often discussed in the field of early childhood education: specialized knowledge, adherence to standards of ethical conduct, and ongoing opportunities for learning and growth. Specialized Knowledge Cultura Limited/SuperStock Early childhood administrators participate in professional development activities in order to update their skills and knowledge regarding both administration and classroom practices. As discussed in Chapter 1, there is a growing trend toward defining the specific skills and knowledge required to serve as an early childhood administrator, as evidenced by the numerous director-credentialing programs available in many states. An overview of the various credentialing processes reveals a consensus that administrators should have a combination of academic coursework, training, and practical experience. Topics of specialized knowledge include child development, curriculum design, legal and fiscal management, human resources development, program operations and facilities management, marketing and public relations, oral and written communication, and technology. Adherence to Standards of Ethical Conduct As discussed in Chapter 8, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has published a Code of Ethical Conduct that offers guidelines for responsible behavior and sets forth a common basis for resolving the principal ethical dilemmas encountered in early childhood care and education. The code is based on a set of shared values, such as respect for diversity in children, families, and colleagues (NAEYC, 2011), and is organized into four sections, each section describing responsibilities related to a category of professional relationships such as relationships with children, with families, among colleagues, and with the community and society. Opportunities for Learning and Growth A commitment to ongoing professional growth in an early childhood administrator is an example of parallel process, a concept discussed in Chapter 7 as a method for administrators to deepen the impact of their work by demonstrating the practices and ideals they hope others will also adopt. © 2019 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution. Section 10.1 The Meaning of Professionalism in Early Childhood Administration CHAPTER 10 When administrators see themselves as lifelong learners, always seeking to improve their knowledge and practices, they become powerful role models for their staff as well as for children and families. Administrators do not master their jobs overnight. It takes years of experience and practice to hone their skills and understanding. Professional growth and learning can be described as a continuum that will vary at any point in time in relation to the administrator’s professional knowledge, understanding, and skills (Miller & Cable, 2011). The progress along a continuum of professional growth for early childhood teachers has been well documented by former NAEYC president Lilian Katz as a process through four stages, from “survival” to “maturity” (Katz, 1995b), and that same arc could be applied to administrators. Stage I describes the first year in a new position when the primary concern is surviving the daily challenges of the job. Stage II is the consolidation stage, when the professional can begin to see beyond the immediate daily needs and to plan and prepare for each task with more intention and expertise. Stage III is a renewal stage, usually after several years in the position, in which the teacher begins to explore new approaches to her work. Stage IV is the stage of maturity, in which the professional reaches a level of confidence in her abilities and begins to ask deeper and more abstract questions about her work. The pace of learning and growth can vary quite a bit from one individual to another, depending on the professional’s experience and training, but the general progress, from survival to maturity, is a framework that can be useful for any administrator in terms of professional growth and learning. Self-Evaluation and Reflection The capacity to self-evaluate and reflect for the sake of encouraging creativity, innovation, and change is essential to the process of professional growth. Self-evaluation includes both informal and formal strategies for examining and understanding our own strengths and weaknesses. Reflection involves reviewing our own work and thinking about ways we might improve in the future. The goal of engaging in self-evaluation and reflection is to improve job performance and increase job satisfaction. As described in the story of Lindsay, many early childhood professionals take on the role as an administrator with a good understanding of best practice, yet it takes experience and training specific to administrative functions to reach the level of mastery that will allow them to make that best practice a reality. Hemera/Thinkstock Keeping current with new publications in the field is one way to promote selfevaluation and reflection. Self-evaluation and reflection help move administrators from the gap between what they want to do and what they are actually able to accomplish. © 2019 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution. CHAPTER 10 Section 10.1 The Meaning of Professionalism in Early Childhood Administration This movement to progressively higher stages of learning and competence can be described as moving from unconscious incompetence (“I don’t even know what I don’t know”), to conscious incompetence (“I have so much to learn”), to conscious competence (“I am aware of what I know and how it impacts my performance”), to unconscious competence (“I am on automatic pilot”) (p. 55, Bloom, 2007). Activities that promote self-evaluation and reflection include participation in one-on-one supervision and mentoring meetings, joining or starting a professional group, taking formal classes, and individual reading and journaling. Teaming up with a mentor, coach, or colleague to discuss professional development topics may be very helpful, since reflection often takes place in dialogue within the context of a supportive relationship. Reflection, feedback, and evaluation that take place during conversation have been shown to successfully change a practitioner’s behavior, understanding, or disposition (Sheridan, Edwards, Marvin, & Knoche, 2009). Attending professional conferences as well as visiting and observing at other early childhood programs also inspire reflection and may spark creative ideas for innovation, improvement, and change. Focus On: Director Evaluations by Staff For early childhood administrator, feedback regarding job performance usually comes from “above,” in the form of an evaluation by a supervisor or a board of directors. Early childhood administrators may also benefit from receiving feedback from “below,” in the form of a director evaluation completed by the staff the director supervises. This type of feedback can give a director an overall sense of how the staff perceives the functioning of the program’s administration, and can sometimes reveal specific information that alerts the director to potential issues, problems, or misunderstandings. Both general and specific feedback can inform the director in identifying areas for improvement in the administration of the program. Tetra Images/SuperStock Staff members may offer more honest and authentic feedback when they have the opportunity to respond anonymously. There are a number of different tools, such as surveys, published for this purpose. For example, Margie Carter of Harvest Resources has developed a rating scale that allows staff members to evaluate their director using the following types of criteria: • • • • offers clarity on expectations and professional ethics, actively involves staff in decision making, is available for help with curriculum ideas, encourages respect for differences and negotiating conflicts. (Carter, 1998) More informal methods of soliciting staff feedback might involve having open-ended conversations with staff members, as a group or one-on-one, about how well they feel their work is supported by administration. In order to participate in this kind of feedback, staff members must feel a sense of trust in their supervisor. The administrator must have already established relationships and an organizational culture that makes these kinds of questions and conversations possible. To ensure the most authentic and honest responses from staff, an anonymous survey may be most effective. © 2019 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution. Section 10.2 Managing Change CHAPTER 10 Professional Development for Administrators As described in Chapter 7, ongoing professional development plays an important role in supporting teachers and continual program improvement. The same is true for early childhood administrators. Finding professional development opportunities, such as classes and workshops, that meet the specific needs of administrators can be a challenge. Sometimes administrators can look outside the field of early childhood education for information and support in areas such as technology, grant writing, legal issues, facility management, and human resources. Professional associations and nonprofit organizations, such as Board Source, the Foundation Center, the International Facility Management Association, and the McKnight Foundation are often good sources for professional development resources. Participation in Professional Organizations and Conferences Joining an organization such as the NAEYC or the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP) is an important step in the professional development of anyone who works in early childhood education, but even more significant for early childhood administrators who serve as leaders and role models in the field. Participation in professional conferences, as both attendees and presenters, can help practitioners at all levels increase their knowledge and skills and connect with other professionals in the field. Many early childhood conferences, both local and national, create a workshop track especially for administrators. Some conferences are created with a focus on leadership and administration, such as the NAEYC’s National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development or the annual Leadership Connections conference sponsored by the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. Questions to Think About 1. Why do you think it has been difficult to define “professionalism” in early childhood education? In what ways is professionalism in this field similar to and different from professionalism in other fields, such as law or medicine? 2. Do you believe it is possible to grow professionally without practicing reflection and self-evaluation? Why or why not? 10.2 Managing Change M anaging an early childhood program means responding to constant change. Some changes are predictable and part of the expected cycle of an early childhood program, such as transitioning children from an infant classroom to a toddler classroom. Other changes can be quite surprising, such as a sudden shift in agency funding priorities that will require significant changes in staffing. Even on a daily basis, small factors such as severe weather or traffic jams can result in situations that require flexibility and responsiveness. Leading Through Collaboration For changes imposed upon a program from an external source, such as funding cuts, the role of the administrator is to respond by gathering information, making decisions, developing plans for the program’s response, and communicating the change process to staff and families. © 2019 Bridgepoint Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Not for resale or redistribution. CHAPTER 10 Section 10.2 Managing Change In some cases, however, the administrator is the one who initiates the change. For example, a director may identify a problem, such as low enrollment, and develop a solution, such as creating a new toddler program, to address it. Whether initiated externally or internally, managing change can be a very challenging process. One of the most successful strategies for managing change is to seek collaboration with all the individuals and groups who will be affected (Bloom, 2005). Administrators can encourage collaboration and active participation in the change process by sharing information that makes the reasons for the change transparent and by making the path through the change very clear. Collaboration also means providing opportunities for staff and families to contribute ideas and be involved in decision making. In the case of developing a new toddler classroom, the director would collaborate with staff and families by informing them of the reasons for the change, as well as the timeline and steps involved in making the change, and by inviting their input in decisions about how the new classroom will be developed. Setting Goals for Change When considering significant program changes, administrators benefit from a careful assessment of the program’s strengths and weaknesses. In addition to general program evaluation tools, one assessment tool designed especially for the purpose of planning for change is the Program Administration Scale (PAS) (Talan & Bloom, 2004). Designed to complement environment rating scales that measure the quality of learning environments, the PAS measures the quality of leadership and management practices of early care and education programs on a 7-point scale. The tool assesses administrative strands such as human resources development, personnel cost and allocation, center operations, child assessment, fiscal management, program planning and evaluation, family partnerships, marketing and public relations, technology, and staff qualifications. F1online/Thinkstock The PAS is administered by a certified assessor, an early childhood professional trained to use the tool. A ... Purchase answer to see full attachment