The following three national/federal
organizations or communities of practice appealed to me as I researched for
this week's blog post:
1) The
Division of Early Childhood (www.dec-sped.org). "The
Division for Early Childhood (DEC) promotes policies and advances
evidence-based practices that support families and enhance the optimal
development of young children (0-8) who have or are at risk for developmental
delays and disabilities" (DEC, n.d.). I chose this organization because its
mission statement reflects the passion I have for helping children with
disabilities and their families find ways to access services which will help
their children grow, learn and develop to their fullest potential. A second
reason I chose this organization is because of the networking opportunities it
establishes between Early Childhood Educators and Early Childhood Special
Educators around the world. One employment opportunity which I found on their
website is for an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University
of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. This position requires applicants to have a
doctorate in special education (or Master's level applicants who will commit to
pursuing their doctorate within 7 years of employment). A minimum of 3 years
teaching experience (PK-12). Experience in inclusive and collaborative settings
is preferred along with experience in Early Childhood Special Education.
2) The Council for Exceptional Children (www.cec.sped.org).
"The Council for Exceptional Children is a professional association of
educators dedicated to advancing the success of children with
exceptionalities" (CEC, n.d.). I chose this organization because of its
focus on professional development. On their website there are links to
information regarding policy and advocacy which I found to be especially
helpful. There are also connections to international issues related to special
education and resources for families which will help them navigate the special
education field. One employment opportunity which I found on their website is
for a Director of the Montana Center for Inclusive Education. This Center
provides professional development opportunities, direct services to children
with hearing impairments, and services for students with disabilities in regard
to pre-employment transition services. Experience needed for this position
includes a Master's degree in special education (or a related field) however a
Doctorate is preferred, administrative experience, grant preparation
experience, knowledge of state and federal laws governing services to persons
with disabilities, and strong oral and written communication skills.
3) The Children's Fund (CDF) (http://www.childrensdefense.org/).
"The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No
Child Behind mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head
Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in
life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and
communities" (CDF, n.d.). I chose this organization because of their focus
on children with disabilities. They are a national agency which has an impact
at the state as well as the community level. One of their projects which spoke
to me is their Early Childhood Developing and Learning Project. The focus of
CDF's work here is to help all children gain access to quality early childhood
programs through quality home visiting, Early Head Start, Head Start, quality
child care, preschool and full-day kindergarten. One employment
opportunity which I found through their organization is for the Executive
Director-Children's Defense Fund-California. Although this role interests me, I
know it will be a long time until I have the experience that it would require
to be successful at it. I'm just trying to dream big! The Executive Director would be in charge or
instituting policies, promoting advocacy, and programs for California’s
children. "Candidates should have an aptitude for leading multiple streams
of complex work, extensive direct management, fundraising, policy and advocacy
experience, and a passion for leveling the playing field for California’s
children" (CDF, n.d.). Some of the Executive Director's job
responsibilities would include: guiding the development and implementation of
programs; supervising employees; leading fundraising efforts; building and
maintaining cooperative working relationships with a broad and diverse array of
key stakeholders including child advocacy groups, community-based
organizations, legislators and policy makers, the faith community; and serving
as the primary spokesperson for CDF-CA (CDF, n.d.). Skills and experience
needed for this position include (but are not limited to): commitment to issues impacting
children and families, evidence of significant leadership capacity to manage a
large team of 15, experience in non-profit fundraising, strong organization and
interpersonal skills, experience working on and with a team, experience with
city and state-level legislative and budget advocacy.
Children's Defense Fund. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26,
2017 from http://www.childrensdefense.org
The
Division for Early Childhood. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2017 from http://www.dec-sped.org/
