Exploring National Possibilities in Early Childhood

Commonsense Media is a national non-profit organization based in San Francisco. The organization defines itself by the motto "We rate, educate, and advocate for kids, families, and schools".  I view them as a trusted source of reliable information about media and technology in the lives of young children and their families.

They are hiring! On their website, they have a lovely promotional video describing the work they do and the folks they like to recruit to join them in their mission. They boast that every day is different and passionate people looking to have a positive impact on the world are welcome to join their community. They are looking for a person to fill the position of development internship. The job requires event planning and production skills, ability to create power points and marketing materials, and research a donor base. They are seeking an individual who is multi capable (aren't we all?) and energetic. The job promises a flexible work schedule.

Although it sounds like they are looking for me, I would miss working directly with families. I love teaching.

The United States Department of Education needs all of us to elevate the voice of the early childhood teaching force in America. As it turns out, they too are hiring! They have several jobs listed on their website. The Education Program Specialist in the Office of Innovation and Improvement is one that caught my eye. The position is housed in the Parental Options and Information Office.

I am not cut out to be a federal employee. My heart aches for my colleagues who work at Head Start. They are buried under paperwork, regulations, and mandates to the point of madness. I would find myself extremely frustrated at the daily frantic pace of government work that seems to go nowhere at times. Nope, not for me.

I have been a member of the National Education Association (NEA) for as long as I have had my teaching license. I am proud to be one of the three million members of this teacher's union. The organization identifies their mission as "Great Public Schools for Every Child" and I applaud them. Great public schools are the foundation of our democracy.

I have been the Government Relations Chairwoman in my local Winona Education Association for years. My work takes me to the Capitol in Minnesota several times a year. I am comfortable in that arena and although I do not consider myself a lobbyist, I do lobby. The NEA has an opening for a lobbyist. The job is described as promoting public schools and public education through lobby efforts. It requires five years of experience, which I guess I have and asks applicants to be skillful in navigating public policy, writing, and a willingness to work evenings and weekends. Hmmm, maybe?

Exploring Local and State Roles in the ECE Community

My first pick is MinneMinds, a coalition of seventy plus organizations in Minnesota campaigning to increase public funding to provide access to quality Early Childhood care and education for three and four year olds who live in financially challenged homes. The organization has impressed me in it's ability to harness resources and lobby with laser like focus. Although I am not interested in working for them, in a way, I lobby on behalf of their efforts. To be a competent lobbyist, one needs an extensive knowledge of public policy and how it gets crafted and know how to build relationships with policy makers, legislators, and other stakeholders. I have good people skills.

www.minneminds.org

My second pick is Minnesota's network of Early Childhood Initiatives or ECI's. ECI serves greater Minnesota's efforts to provide quality early childhood experiences to children and support for providers who care for them. I chose this organization because I am familiar with the work they do. I am often invited to a community by an ECI to speak to business and community leaders in support of investing in Minnesota's youngest learners. ECI's are lead by regional directors. To be an effective regional director, one needs to understand the communities represented in the region, have the ability to collaborate with other professionals, and organize activities. I would need to be a much more organized person to competently fill the role of an ECI director.

www.smifoundation.org

My third pick is the Minnesota Association for Family and Early Education (MNAFEE). MNAFEE is a professional organization representing teachers, administrators, and providers in the field of early education and parent education. The organization supports high quality family and early childhood education for children and their parents in the state. The organization is run by one person who supports the work of several boards within the organization. The position is largely clerical. Computer skills, scheduling skills, and office management skills are all necessary to the position. Although I would be able to do the job, it does not make use of what I do best, work with people face to face.

www.mnafee.org

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