Advocacy Messages

As I perused campaign slogans, I found quite a few that were inspiring and many I have heard of before and brought back memories of the commercials I used to see.

One in particular has transformed a bit over the past thirty years and has morphed from“A mind is a terrible thing to waste to “A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in.”I think this slogan makes its point and is self explanatory. They not urge to invest money to help students who would not normally get the opportunity to attend college but goes further to say that we as a community need to make a personal investment that requires commitment to help our communities support and encourage students to go to college.  

“Maybe is all you need to find out more” is an ad campaign about autism awareness and encourages parents to seek help and describes behaviors such as playing repetitively with an object, not talking, and avoiding eye contact as signs of autism that should not be ignored because early intervention is critical for improving developmental outcomes in children.

The last two ads I chose to include because they impact my community and our future generations.

This ad encourages young men to pull up their pants because quite frankly, I think it’s idiotic and makes no sense. The ad says that they are negatively impacting their futures, portrays an image of crime and poor education and no one will be willing to hire them with that type of image.

The last one I feel is so profound because although we passionately protest about how black lives matter when it comes to others killing black people, very little is said or done to prevent black on black crime which is an epidemic in this country and unfortunately, more blacks are killed by their race than by other ethnicities, but the same can be said about whites as well which is that they are also killed more often by their own race. I truly believe that black lives matter but all the way across the board and if we are going to advocate saving lives, let’s use our advocacy efforts to save them all.

References

http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Health/Autism-Awareness

http://www.politifact.com/florida/article/2015/may/21/updated-look-statistics-black-black-murders/

http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Campaigns/Health/Autism-Awareness

http://www.snopes.com/photos/politics/blacklivesmatter.asp

http://www.mindnotbehind.com/

"My Own Capacity"

Children with or at risk for special needs fuels my passion and specifically early detection and early intervention, shocker there!! I feel it is vital for parents, pediatricians, caregivers, and educators to be aware of the warning signs and be expeditious with seeking screenings and evaluations so that the child can benefit from intervention as soon as possible so that they will have the opportunity to develop to the fullest potential. The skills I possess that contribute and that I can incorporate into my advocacy efforts include first and foremost my passion, vision, empathy and compassion for children and their families. I also have effective communication skills; not being afraid to speak up; knowledge of the issue and/or the ability to utilize resources to gain it; problem solving; negotiation; decision making; endurance and consistency. I hope to grow in knowledge by staying abreast of current issues, identifying the stakeholders and developing skills to be a leader.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

I chose NAEYC, ZERO TO THREE and HEAD START because they are all national organizations that focus on the development of children and making sure they receive the best start in life they can. My desire is to work with children and their families from zero to five who are or at risk for special needs services.
Though there were not any jobs available, the ones that were of interest to me are:

NAEYC

Job Title: Early Learning Coach

Job Description:

·        Working with diverse communities

·        Sharing proven instructional approaches to teachers and directors

·        Planning and developing professional development for the early childhood community

·        Reviewing, analyzing and interpreting assessment data for many customized reports

·        Observing early learning programs

·        Utilizing and interpreting assessment tools (such as CLASS, ECERS-R, Teaching Strategies (Gold)

In addition to the qualities mentioned above, you will need to possess the below required qualifications (or a combination of education, training or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class):

·        Master of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Human Development, or Teaching Credential with emphasis on Preschool through 3rd grade education

·        Four years professional experience working in Early Childhood Education

·        A valid driver's license

·        Ability to pass a criminal background and education check

ZERO TO THREE

Job Title: Community Coordinator Compensation

Job Description:  The Community Coordinator facilitates coordination and collaboration among community stakeholders on the SBCT, organizes and provides training to professionals and families, schedules SBCT meetings, keeps and disseminates minutes, and conducts follow-up activities related to SBCT goals. Essential Duties and Responsibilities

 · Works with Lonoke County judge to implement recommendations of the SBCT.

       · Assesses community’s needs for training/technical assistance to meet goals of Court                       Team.

       · Provides training related to trauma, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, learning disabilities,               relating to intellectually disabled parents, and other topics pertinent to the needs of the                      families served by the two SBCTs.

· Handles logistical arrangements for local training and work collaboratively with other Arkansas    organizations to provide training regionally or statewide.

· Mentors professionals trained in Step By Step Parenting.

· Coordinates with the Pulaski County Court Team and Lonoke County community agencies      to arrange local training and technical assistance activities and resources.

· Builds a strong collaborative relationship with the Pulaski County SBCT Community                Coordinator to ensure consistency in implementing the SBCT approach.

· Develops policies and procedures with Court Team to increase coordination and                          collaboration among participating agencies and between the Lonoke County and Pulaski            County Court Teams.

· Distributes/disseminates materials developed by project.

· Works with the judge and SBCT to implement the SBCT Core Components.

· Implements Arkansas evaluation plan – collects data on SBCT cases in Lonoke and Pulaski   Counties and enters it into SBCT database.

· Coordinates and communicates with Community Coordinators in other Court Team                    communities.

· Prepares quarterly progress reports required by funder. Contributes to other reports as              requested.

· Participates in regular project conference calls.

· Attends and presents at statewide, regional, and national meetings requiring in-state and out-    of-state overnight travel.

· Provides assistance to other nearby counties interested in implementing a Safe Babies Court   Team.

Qualifications:

Minimum undergraduate degree in child development, social work, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.

HEAD START

Job Title:

Education Specialist

Job Description

   FT Education Specialist (12 months)
Under supervision of Education Manager, coordinates educational activities designed to achieve compliance with Head Start Standards. Must have knowledge of Head Start standards and experience with HighScope, COR, ESI-R, CLASS, IEPs, SGOs, and other program initiatives. Act as a mentor and coach to all teachers and teacher assistants. Review weekly lessons plans to ensure compliance with program and curriculum standards. Assist teaching staff in developing and measuring learning outcomes and individualizing curriculum to meet children’s needs. Ensure all developmental screenings and assessments are completed in a timely manner. Ensure that curriculum, lesson plans, and daily schedule is implemented on a daily basis.  Responsible for ongoing monitoring of education component.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree in ECE and hold or be eligible for P-3 certification. Bilingual (Spanish/English) a plus. Must take initiative be detail-oriented, reliable, & responsible. Must have excellent written and verbal skills. Must be organized and able to multitask. Competitive Salary + Health, Dental, Vision, Life Ins, 403(b)   

References

http://careerforum.naeyc.org/jobs/

http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/careers/Region2/NewJersey/Education-Specialist.html

http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/careers/jobs/community-coordinator-ar.pdf

My Role as an Advocate

What motivated you to start advocating for very young children? The needs of my own child motivated me to start advocating for children because I figured there were other parents who had the same struggles as I did and I wanted to help them get through some of the hurdles I had to face.

Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level? I believe many times it starts small such as a teacher changing the structure of her classroom to help students and realizes that her efforts are making a difference for other children as well.

What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues? To become a community leader, I believe one has to possess passion for what you want improve; not afraid to speak out on those issues, have effective communication and collaboration skills (zero)

What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues? I believe state leaders need to know the laws and legislative process of their state; be up to date with the current issues; have a community of practice that includes influential people; make children’s learning, development and well being the core focus; address children’s rights and honor diversity of all kinds in positive, constructive and courageous ways; build respectful, trusting, nurturing and equitable relationships; build respectful and genuine connections with families and communities; collaboratively develop a culture of ethical inquiry; and collaboratively create a community of learners.

What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others? Strategies to use to mobilize others include partnering with other groups doing similar work; conduct media events; form advocacy groups; network with others

What advice would you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families? We need more leaders to advocate for what we want and be the voice of many so remember you can’t do it alone, educate yourself and don’t be afraid to be the squeaky wheel!

Note: I had to use resources other than those selected such as Zero to Three because I could not access them.

References

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-publications/every-child-magazine/every-child-index/every-child-vol-18-4-2012/leadership-look-like-early-childhood-settings/

Reutzel, D. R. (2013). Handbook of research-based practice in early education (p. 75). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community:

Local and State Levels

The following are organizations in my state, Georgia that focus on early intervention for special needs children. They provide evaluations and therapy services to help improve developmental outcomes for children. I chose them because these are places to which I would seek employment. They have been in establishment for many years and have made a significant positive impact on the lives of children and their families.

 

·       Marcus Autism Center (marcus, n.d.)

With a wide spectrum of services and evidence-based treatments, families can receive diagnosis, treatment and support in a single location. Treating patients across Georgia and the Southeast, Marcus Autism Center is the comprehensive resource for children with autism and related disorders.

·       Babies Can’t Wait (Department of Health Georgia, n.d)

a.    Provide a coordinated, comprehensive and integrated system of services for infants and toddlers with special needs, birth to 3 and their families.

b.   Provide early identification and screening of children with developmental delays and chronic health conditions.

c.   Improve the developmental potential of infants and toddlers birth to age 3, with developmental or chronic health conditions.

• Georgia Head Start (georgiaheadstart, n.d.)  

Provides education, leadership and advocacy that support Head Start programs’ efforts in delivering high quality comprehensive services to Georgia’s children, families and communities.

Unfortunately none offer any jobs I am interested which is:

Early Intervention Specialist
The skills and experience I need include considerable knowledge, competence, teaching skill and intervention planning ability in the area of child development. EIS should be skilled in trans-disciplinary team approaches and methods of best practice in early intervention. Applicant must have a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Social Work, Sociology, Psychology or related field from an accredited college or university. One year of experience in the field of early childhood education, OR one-year experience working with infant and toddlers, OR one-year experience with children age birth to 5 years with disabilities. Transportation and the ability to travel between clinics and to clients' homes is required. Part-time (7 case load) and Full-time (20 case load) positions available (www.indeed.com) 

References

http://www.marcus.org/

http://dph.georgia.gov/Babies-Cant-Wait

http://www.georgiaheadstart.org/

www.indeed.com

Personal Advocacy Reflection

                             

A small sacrifice for the school but huge strides for our children!! 
That is what we all said when the principal agreed to let us parents drop our special needs children at the back of the school, where their classrooms were located. The elementary school my son

attended, like most schools, had drop off and pick up in the front of the school.

The problem for me was that my son is orthopedically impaired, wore leg braces and his classroom was in the furthest back corner of the school so at pick up his trek to the front was filled with meltdowns and drops because his braces were full of sand from the playground and irritating him (another story for another time), not to mention he is very sensory which added to his meltdowns and drops because his braces were full of sand from the playground and irritating him (another story for another time), not to mention he is very sensory which added to his discomfort.

I began to observe the other specials needs children and saw their parents having difficulty with them as well for different reasons, so I reached out to them to inquire about it. They told me their stories and I suggested we all get together, go to the principal and see if he would allow us to drop off and pick up our children at the back of the school. We, as a group gave him our reasons, and he agreed. This made such a big impact on not only the parents but the kids as well. Parents could walk their own child to class, helping them to feel more comfortable, and it empowered me to not be afraid to speak up to get the things our children deserve. I also feel it showed the other parents that when we come together as a whole, positive changes can happen.

From Passion to Action