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Pre-K Now
National Conference Calls
Advances in Professional Development

In July 2007, Pre-K Now hosted Advances in Professional Development to discuss how to support and develop a high-quality workforce of pre-k teachers and early childhood professionals. Marcy Whitebook of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment facilitated the conversation and provided context from her years of research into this area. The National Council of La Raza's Miriam Calderón spoke of strategies to develop a diverse workforce capable of teaching young English Language Learners. Sue Russell of the Child Care Services Association, described T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood and other initiatives to improve the qualifications of early educators. Marilou Hyson of the National Association for the Education of Young Children concluded with a presentation on NAEYC's accreditation system for early childhood degree programs, in particular those offered through community colleges.

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Facilitator:

Marcy Whitebook
Director and Senior Researcher
Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Agenda:
1.  

Welcome by Kathy Patterson, Federal Policy Director at Pre-K Now
2.  

Introduction of topic and speakers by Marcy Whitebook
3.  

Presentations by:

Miriam Calderón (slide presentation)
Senior Policy Analyst, Early Childhood Education
National Council of La Raza

Sue Russell (slide presentation)
President
Child Care Services Association

Marilou Hyson (slide presentation)
Senior Consultant
National Association for the Education of Young Children

4.  

Question and answer session
Resources related to this call:
 
Resource Center
Pre-K Advocates
Policymakers
Media
Business and Community Leaders
Educators
Families
Tips & Tasks for State Advisory Councils
While reauthorizing Head Start in 2007, Congress added a new provision requiring every state to create or designate a State Advisory Council to better coordinate early education and care services. Pre-K Now has two new resources designed to help policymakers and advocates navigate the process of setting up Councils and seize the opportunities offered by them.
State Advisory Councils brief (PDF)
Council planning template (PDF)
Meeting the Challenge of Rural Pre-K
Families everywhere struggle to find high-quality pre-k programs for their children, but the problem is even more acute in rural areas. Pre-K Now has come out with recommendations for federal policymakers to help states meet the unique challenges of rural pre-k.
download the white paper (PDF)
see our other federal policy work
Events Calendar
Find events sponsored by Pre-K Now and others working to improve early childhood education.
see the calendar
Learn About Family Involvement Practices That Work
Family involvement is a key ingredient in high-quality pre-k, but it can be a challenge. On a recent Pre-K Now national conference call, we spoke with experts about proven, research-based methods for getting – and keeping – family members involved.
find out what works
We've underestimated young children for too long. If we want better students, we must begin by strengthening pre-k.