TeacherDrivenChange

Early Childhood Education Alliance (ECEA) – Possibilities & Opportunities

The ECEA has received an overwhelming response from teachers, administrators, parents, and community members. A diverse set of school community stakeholders believe that school improvement needs to be internally driven, based on what's working in our schools and classrooms – not on the problems. The ECEA is organized around the idea that early childhood education (ECE) can provide a new direction for improving all of public education.

The CTA IFT is working closely with iCohere, a collaboration platform for online events and professional communities.  Since 2001, iCohere has been an innovator in online learning, knowledge communities, and large-scale online events.  Click here for a preview of what the ECEA online community will look like. Below are a few ECEA objectives:

• Capture the ideas and best thinking of school-community stakeholders.

• Develop new strategies for bringing school-community stakeholders together.

• Publish the school improvement ideas of teachers and other school-community stakeholders.

• Archive conversations, discussions, and meetings.

• Create an available pool of school improvement resources.

• Organize an interactive repository of teacher driven innovative school improvement practices.

• Hold statewide school community conferences on ECE as a catalyst for school improvement.

• Move from passive school-community stakeholder involvement to active engagement.

• Focus on school-community talents and strengths for solving problems.

• Organize and implement action oriented virtual meetings and conferences.

• Hold training and information sessions on Appreciative Inquiry and other strength-based strategies.

• Develop and implement a clear mission for ECE in school improvement.

• Communicate ECE plans, programs, and strategies to key policy makers and elected officials.

• Develop and initiate action plans at the local level.

Preschool is an Investment in Our Nation's Future

Early Childhood Education has taken its rightful place of importance in the education debate that is simmering in our nation. As we contemplate the limited funds available for social programs, preschool is a contender for funding.  President Obama recently confirmed this.

 “This isn't just about keeping an eye on our children, it's about educating them. Studies show that children in early childhood education programs are more likely to score higher in reading and math, more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, more likely to hold a job, and more likely to earn more in that job. For every dollar we invest in these programs, we get nearly $10 back in reduced welfare rolls, fewer health care costs, and less crime.” President Obama, March 2009

 

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Goal of Preschool for All Tests Education System, the author wasn’t debating the validity of preschool but whether middle income children might suffer delays because preschool programs were more available for lower income children.  The author contends that if universal preschool is not afforded to families with moderate incomes, than it is another disinvestment in the middle class. The article goes on to analyze the benefits of investing in quality early childhood education and the effects that it has on preschoolers from families of all economic levels.

 

 

ECEA Centers

A major focus of the Early Childhood Education Alliance (ECEA) is to organize a statewide school-community network that views Early Childhood Education as a catalyst for school improvement. One strategy for doing this is to organize and develop ECEA School-Community Centers. The purpose of ECEA School-Community Centers is to have locations setup around the State where teachers and school-community stakeholders can utilize computers to link up and improve our schools. Teachers with  the support of administrators, parents, and community members will receive (1) Online training from experts on Appreciative Inquiry and other strength-based models, (2) Work with other school-community stakeholders to develop new approaches for school improvement, and (3) Develop action plans that utilize early childhood education as a catalyst for school change. ECEA school-community centers will provide school-community stakeholders with an opportunity to develop local plans and actions to close the achievement gap for all students and to make our schools dropout proof. By meeting in small and large groups, By meeting in small and large groups, ECEA participants will have a great opportunity to change and improve public education from the inside out.

What We Need Now? We need your help and support in establishing ECEA School-Community Centers. Centers can be organized and created at local CTA Chapter Offices, schools and districts, community centers, and local businesses. In addition, individual stakeholders can organize ECEA School-Community Centers in their homes – all that's required is a computer and an Internet connection.