My Own Capacity

Which issues impacting young children and their families and/or the field of early childhood fuel your passion?

            I have a personal vision that fuels my passion.  My vision is a nation where all children and families have access to affordable high quality early childhood programs.  Understanding my vision is broad and will take the work of many to accomplish, I have spent much time thinking about my strengths and how they can be used to take a small step forward.  As a leader in my state and on the national level, I believe we, as the field of early childhood, must pick ourselves up and lead the necessary changes that must occur to elevate our status and secure the programs and policies to reach my vision.  As I look forward to the completion of my Master’s degree I believe I am prepared to help early childhood workers to see their leadership potential.  I hope to facilitate the advancement of the early childhood field so one day we can truly call ourselves a profession.

                                                           

   

What resources do you have at your disposal that can benefit your advocacy work?

            As I have progressed through my course work it has become obvious to me the human resources I possess.  Through my volunteer work with NAEYC I have become acquainted and built relationships with some of the most important thinkers in our field.  Being able to use them as resources and to work along side them to advocate for change is truly a gift.

              What knowledge, skills, dispositions, and/or talents do you possess that will contribute to your advocacy work?

            One of my greatest skills is my ability to build relationships.  This ability is especially helpful as I work to build bridges and alliances.  Successful advocacy is dependent on the combine effort of all strands of the field of early childhood.  I am able to build respectful, reciprocal and responsive relationships with other advocates so we can help shape the programs and policies necessary to reach my vision.

        In what ways do you hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate?

            In the end I hope to reach and motivate as many people in the field of early childhood to become the leader I know they can be.  I can picture myself in front of a crowd of early childhood workers sharing my knowledge and passion.  I know that it will take work and small steps and some more confidence, but I can see the growth I have had in my career and know I can keep going so I can actively participate in the elevation of the field of early childhood.

Betsy Carlin's role as an Advocate

•                     What motivated me to start advocating for very young children?

                To be honest I am not sure when I would say I became an advocate for young children, but I know my motivation was knowing that my actions could help an individual child, a program, families, my staff, the early childhood workforce, an early childhood system or all young children and families to be more able to thrive in their pursuits.

•                     Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level?

       

                Advocacy and speaking out for what you believe in is not always easy.  Many people equate it to conflict.  Fostering small, but important acts of advocacy, builds a person’s confidence and supports their effort.  Just like major policy change, becoming an advocate is a process that is developed over time.  Beyond that, macro advocacy or in other words major policy change, happens because of many micro efforts.  Large change can not happen in one step…. It takes many small steps to create major change.

•                     What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues?

                To be a community leader on early childhood issues you must be able to build relationships, relationships with the early childhood workforce, the families of young children, the media, and policy makers.  These relationships allow a leader to communicate across the community to build a common voice and support for policies that positively affect young children, their families and the field of early childhood.              

•                     What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues?

                To be a state leader on early childhood issues an advocate must be organized.  An advocate must have access to research and evidence to support their statements.  An advocate must have a network of like-minded leaders with whom to work.  An advocate must have a solid communication plan. A advocate must have policy makers who champion their issue.  And an advocate must have vision along with stamina.

•                     What tactics or strategies do I use to mobilize others?

                To mobilize others to advocate for young children, I use my passion, enthusiasm and facts.  I share stories of success and inequity.  I paint my picture of the future and the map to get there.  I provide them with small steps to get them started.

•                     What advice would I give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families?

                Get to know the issues.  Find partners.  Take it slow.  Stick with it.  And enjoy the ride!

Personal Advocacy Reflection - Tim Burns

        I attended a small private all girls school from the time I was  age 4 until I graduated and went to college at age 18.  The curriculum was challenging and the teachers had high expectations.  Today it would be considered rigorous.  In this environment I had a difficult time learning to read.  During my first grade year I had a teacher who had no patience for children with diverse learning styles and I have few good memories of that year.  My second grade teacher, who I have written about before, worked with me all year to help me catch up.  Because of her help and support I was able to progress onward in this challenging learning environment.  

       Several years later I was still facing challenges when the new head of the lower school, Tim Burns, who was young and passionate, asked my family if he could run me through a series of assessments.  Through these assessments it was determined I had a learning disability that was causing my struggles.  He then helped my parents to navigate the new Public Law 94-142 which mandated "states to develop and implement policies that assure a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all children with disabilities" (Protigal, 1992).  

       If it had not been for Tim Burns's advocacy and professional knowledge of PL 94-142, I may have never received the specific supports I needed to continue all the way through the Columbus School for Girls.  His advocacy could  be identified in his ability to express his concerns clearly to my family, when he approached intervention in a positive manner, and when he referred my family to the appropriate people to help me (Kieff, 2009).   

       I will be forever grateful to the Advocate - Tim Burns.  His aspiration of creating a space for children with diverse learning styles and advocating for them, provided me with an example of how to work and lead for children and families.  I have never forgotten his actions and that has helped to fuel my early passion to support the well being of all children. 

References:

Kieff, J. (2009). Informed advocacy in early childhood care and education. Upper Saddle  

River, NJ: Pearson.

Protigal, Stan. (1992) Public Law 94-142 - Education of All Handicapped Children Act. Retrieved 

            from: http://www.scn.org/~bk269/94-142.html

Tools for Policy Makers and Advocates

        This week I have entered into a class titled Tools for Policy Makers and Advocates.  I am not new to the arena of public policy and advocacy in the name of the well being of children, families and the professionals that work with them.  Over the years I have advocated when I read about research and new developments in caring for and teaching young children.   I have found myself advocating for best practice by sharing the why behind the activities in which the children in my care are engaged.  I advocated for professional advancement when I wrote grants so my staff could attend conferences and workshops.  I advocated when I became a member of the Wyoming Early Childhood Association (WYECA) our state affiliate of NAEYC and I became part of a huge network of likeminded professionals.  I advocated when I chose to join the WYECA board and help to make decisions involving our statewide early childhood conference, our public policy initiatives and the strategic direction of the organization.  I have advocated when I decided to be Wyoming's representative to the NAEYC Affiliate Council and help to represent the perspective of NAEYC  affiliates and members from across the country.  I have advocated when I have visited and written the members of the Wyoming State legislature.  I have advocated when I have written and visited my members of congress.

        I am passionate about advocating for children, families and early childhood professionals.  I have become increasingly more comfortable in my efforts, but I know I can be better.  More equipped to develop an advocacy plan and carry it out.  More prepared to communicate in a clear concise manner.  Ready to work collaboratively to move early childhood agendas forward.  I am hoping in the next 8 weeks I can develop the tools that will allow me to continue to advocate for programs and practices that support the well being of children and families.  I am excited to begin.