Parents Can Change the World: 6 Reasons Why Parents Make Great Activists

So you want to save the planet, fix your country, or rally support to a cause that really matters to you. What you need to move your cause forward is a group of parents who are just as passionate about the cause as you are. Here are six reasons why parents make great activists.

1. Parents have a vested interested in working for change. They want to make the world a better place for their children -- and their children's children. (Grandparents are parents, too, and they have time as well as passion to invest in their volunteer work.)

2. Parents get the job done. "If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it." That's how the old saying goes. And parents are some of the busiest people on the planet. They are pros at squeezing 25 hours of living into a 24 hour day. So be clear about what you're trying to achieve before you recruit parents to your cause. They don't have time for wasted time.

3. Parents have received fabulous on-the-job training for activism simply by being parents. Parents are their children's strongest advocates; and the skills they have developed in advocating for their children's needs within the school system, the health care system, or in the community allow them to advocate for others who may not be able to advocate as effectively for themselves.

4. Parents have staying power. Parenthood is, after all, a marathon event, not a sprint. Parents are used to sticking things through, even when the going gets tough. Very tough. "Why did I sign up for this thing in the first place?" kind of tough. That's why parents are among the most passionate and committed volunteers.

5. Parents have thick skins and that they aren't easily put off by the hairy-eyeball stare. What parent hasn't been told "You're not my friend" (or worse) by a furious three-year-old; or been on the receiving end of the withering stare of a less-than-impressed 15-year-old? Standing firm as a parent isn't the easy thing, but it's the right thing to do. It's excellent preparation for the tough stands anyone working for change may attract (and the hairy-eyeball stares or nasty comments that be or she may attract).

6. Parents are incredibly connected. This generation of parents is wired. They may not always be able to hit the pavement with signs and strollers, or to attend every fund-raising event, but, if they support what you're marching for, they're only a text message away. What's more, being wired allows them to share their passion for your cause with friends and family members -- yet another benefit of working with parents.

Related:

People for Education: People for Education is a parent-led organization working to support public education in Ontario's English, French, and Catholic schools.

Moms Against Climate Change on Facebook: TakeActionOnClimateChange.com is an initiative that gives a voice to parents: the people who care most about protecting the future of our children.

Junction Parents: Clean Air for Clean Lungs: Information about a rally that was held at Queen's Park last year by this local environmental group.

It's O'Reilly's Decision to Close ARM: York University Spokesperson

This is the third in a series of posts regarding the crisis facing the Association for Research in Mothering.

Part I: Mothers Rally to Save Association for Research on Mothering

Part II: Interview with Andrea O'Reilly: ARM's Mama Speaks Frankly About What's Ailing Her Baby

Part III consists of answers I received in response to a series of questions that I submitted to York University officials yesterday morning. I received written responses to those questions from York University spokesperson Keith Marnoch this evening.

Why hasn't York University agreed to ARM's requests for $20,000 in institutional support (as detailed here). (.pdf)

Marnoch: Over time, ARM has received significant financial support from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and York University. It is Professor O'Reilly who has apparently decided to close the Association.  The Association operates outside of the University - it is not an organized research unit – or research centre.

York’s concerns with the association relate principally to issues of financial management and accountability.  York has made numerous efforts to address these concerns with Professor O'Reilly and we have not been able to come to an agreement that is satisfactory to both parties.

What factors are considered in deciding whether a particular research centre receives funding?

Marnoch: ARM is an Association -- not an organized academic research unit or centre -- as part of  its Association work it has a press, runs conferences and produces a journal - these are all quite different functions and require different resourcing.

How does ARM's record of achievements (on zero funding) compare to the records of achievement of other research centres?

Marnoch: ARM is not a research centre.  They have a wonderful record of achievement largely reflecting the research [of] one scholar at York - its founder.  ARM has made significant research contributions and has put research on mothering into the academy.  At no point has either the Faculty or the University disputed the international research contributions of the ARM.

Does the university have a mandate to fund certain types of research?

Marnoch: There are many internal and external types of research that operate through the VPRI and individual Faculties.  http://www.yorku.ca/research

Do partners (corporations or government) have a voice in establishing research priorities for the university? (In other words, do federal or provincial governments grants require that research dollars be used for business or scientific research as opposed to humanities research?) Must a return-on-investment be demonstrated?

Marnoch: Yes they do - largely in the realm of accounting and in dissemination of research results.

Note: Please read my interview with ARM founder-director Andrea O'Reilly (Part II in this series) for her perspective on the situation.

iPhone Apps for Parents and Kids: Can't We Do Better Than This?

Late last week, I purchased an iPhone: my very first smartphone. And like every other newbie iPhone owner, I immediately started scouting out apps (those tiny applications that allow the iPhone to morph into a flashlight, a construction level, a dictionary, bubblewrap, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. Or so it would seem).

One of the first categories I decided to check out what was on offer for parents and kids.

Parent apps

A lot of the apps that I looked at for parents seem to be out of touch with what parents would love to see in an app, circa 2010. Instead of designing these apps by considering what the technology can contribute to the lives of parents, the designers appear to have taken the opposite approach: a lot of app designers have designed iPhone apps by considering what the technology can do and then looking for a fit with the lives of parents. (It's a subtle but important difference.) That's why there are an abundance of contraction timers, baby activity trackers, and other similar apps: it's easy to program a piece of software to keep track of the metrics of parenting. It takes a lot more upfront thinking and planning to design an app that would function as the iPhone equivalent of a mom or dad brain.

Kid apps

Many apps for preschoolers seem to fall into a similar trap. You'll find flash card apps galore for babies and toddlers – this despite the fact that flash cards have been out of favor with the majority of parents for the past two decades. (Remember all those jokes about 1980s yuppie parents and their flash card obsessions? They eventually learned that a baby can learn the word "ball" even more effectively by drooling over a real ball.)

I talked to Allison McDonald of the popular parenting and early childhood education site No Time for Flash Cards about the iPhone flash cards app phenomenon. As I had anticipated, she wasn't overly impressed either.

"In general my opinion about flash cards are that they are simply not appropriate teaching tools for young children. Memorization is not learning: ...parrots can recite Shakespeare [but that] doesn't mean they understand it. They have merits for things like sight words, and when memorization is needed, but not when learning foundations for further knowledge, or when comprehension is the goal. Young children should be learning through play, being able to manipulate, associate context, and be creative. A static card is incapable of that.

"Flash cards aren't likely an experience a child will remember and cherish. They don't develop a love of learning. That to me as a mom and educator is paramount for this age group. That love will stay with a child throughout their life if the foundations are laid early on."

McDonald is also frustrated with the marketing messages accompanying some of the iPhone flash card apps. For example: "Just choose the set and your child can do the rest." (I was fascinated by the marketing tagline for OccupyBaby: the app designed to "calm, entertain, and educate babies, toddlers, and kids." Translation: "it will do whatever you want it to do for whatever age of kid you have. Just click and buy.")

Screen time, anyone?

And then there are those screen time recommendations for kids to keep in mind (the American Pediatric Society recommends no screen time at all for kids under two; the Canadian Society of Pediatrics suggests a limit of no more than one to two hours per day for any member of the family). An iPhone or an iTouch is, after all, a tiny little screen, adorably packaged as it may be.

"To me these are huge red flags," McDonald explains. "Young children should not be handed an iPhone to learn from alone. A baby should be on the floor exploring the things on the flashcards with their parents. The babies will learn the same things by experiencing them through all their senses: not just watching them on a screen. Sit down and read, point out the pictures, and talk to your baby and they won't need flash cards."

McDonald also worries about the effect on kids if parents develop a bad case of one-app-manship: "My final concern is that these apps add fuel to the fire that parents feel pressure to keep up with their neighbours' child who is reading at age two and speaking three languages. We all need to chill out, let our kids develop their own interests, and use those [interests] as a launching pad for learning."

* * *

So tell me: have I missed your favorite iPhone app for parents or for kids? (There are a lot of apps in that iTunes store, after all!) Have you been dazzled -- or disappointed -- by an iPhone app that you purchased to make your life as a parent easier or better? I'd love to hear what you have to say. Please post your comments below and let other parents who might be interested in having their say know that we're having this conversation here. Thanks!

Trouble in Toyland, Short Kids, A School that Could Rock the 21st Century

Newswire

Trouble in Toyland

Innocent companies can get hurt by the backlash that happens following a recall. That's one of the key findings to emerge from a study of the highly publicized 2007 toy recalls. Toy companies who were not affected by the recalls had their sales drop by 25 percent as consumers' confidence in toy products overall spiraled downward. "In this industry, one firm's offence seems to penalize other players," said Mara Lederman, a professor at the Rotman School of Management and one of the study's three co-authors.

Parenting Lab

Short Kids

Parents may worry about kids who are shorter than average, but the experts say the kids are doing just fine. A University of Michigan Health System study found that shorter kids do just as well in terms of popularity, social support, and optimism as their taller peers. It just goes to prove that Randy Newman had it all wrong. 

The Big Idea

School That Could Rock the 21st Century

Students need to master the art of compassion if they're going to be ready to take up the challenges of 21st century citizenship. That means that they should be spending more time acquiring such skills as mindfulness and contemplation (so that they can tune out distractions and focus on what really matters, like meeting the needs of those around them). The current system, which promotes competition rather than cooperation in the classroom, tends to foster inequality and unhappiness. According to Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th dalai lama, who was one of 20 panelists at a recent conference, "Educating World Citizens for the 21st Century," co-sponsored by the American Psychological Association, most people are willing to settle for a definition of education that involves memorizing facts and passing tests, as opposed to contributing to life-long happiness and well-being. "We are social animals," Gyatso told the APA Monitor. "Individuals' happiness depends on the community's happiness."

Parents as Trainers, Kids as Creative Capital? UK Report Worth A Read if You Can Get Beyond the Weird Stuff

Parenting Lab

A new report published by the UK think tank Demos zeroes in on the important role that parents play in teaching kids about culture and creativity. We're the trainers of the next generation of cultural workers.

Perhaps I should mention that Demos is a Progressive Conservative think tank. While a lot of the points they make have a lot of validity, the way they phrase things can get a little creepy. Sometimes they seem to forget that most of us became parents for reasons other than to meet the future staffing needs of employers.

Parents as trainers, kids as cultural capital...and the family as a development site

"Educational and cultural institutions will play their part in aiding the transition to ‘thinking jobs’, but the development of the new skills required for future jobs is also dependent on the home environment," Making of Me study co-authors Jen Lexmond and Shelagh Wright write. "Evidence from developmental psychology tells us that soft skills – creativity, application and social skills – are developed in the earliest years. The family is therefore a key site for creative and cultural development."

But wait! - there are dividends, too!

Initiating the creative and cultural education of their kids also reaps major dividends for the family, the authors note: "Families that engage in creative and cultural learning activities together become more resilient. As an institution, the family becomes more meaningful and adolescents acquire better coping strategies for problems in later life."

The good stuff

When the report gets down to the real nitty-gritty, valuable points are made.

Here's Paul Collard, Chief Executive at Creative and Cultural Education, UK, for example, being quoted on the invisible barriers that keep families away from participating in creative and cultural learning opportunities (and, I would argue, from participating in other types of "free" community programs as well):

"Cost remains the most fundamental barrier to families engaging in creative and cultural learning. Even when opportunities are free of charge, there remains a stubborn suspicion among some families (especially low-income families) that such opportunities will not remain free. Then, added to this suspicion, are a multitude of anticipated risks: the risk not being able to afford it; the risk of added costs (for example, entry to a museum might be free but then what about food, the gift-shop etc?); the risk of being made to feel dependent on someone else; the risk of embarrassment etc. Therefore, there remains a real need for ‘low-risk’ invitations. Ultimately, creative and cultural learning opportunities need to be designed from a family perspective." (p. 18)

You can download a copy of the full report from the Demos website. Bizarre "parents-as-trainers-of-future-workforce" overtones aside, it really is worth checking out.

Extra Votes for Parents, Healthy Body Image, and Fish Art

Newswire

Extra Votes for Parents?

"If [governments] are not ready to stand up proudly and give voice to the rights of children, then they should put into place reforms that magnify the voices that already exist. The most important would be reforming an electoral system that disenfranchises all those younger than 18 by allowing their parents to cast additional votes for each of their children. Maybe only then when they have to actually look their electorate in the eyes will there be sufficient resolve to make child rights the priority that a commitment [the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child] made 20 years ago stated it should be."
- Miles Corak, former research coordinator and lead researcher of the 2005 UNICEF Report Child Poverty in Rich Countries, writing in yesterday's Toronto Star

A Powerful New Anti-Bullying Tool:
Positive Body Image

Reflections of Me: Body Image and Self-Esteem (a preventative educational program designed for use from kindergarten through Grade 8) is one of the tools Ontario teachers are using to combat bullying in the classroom. It is designed to teach children to accept differences in others and to resist harassment and bullying based on body image.

The curriculum – which was developed by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (EFTO) – recently won the Canadian Medical Association's Award for Excellence in Health Promotion. It consists of a video, curriculum materials designed for each grade level, and a brochure for parents.

According to the EFTO, parents play a key role in determining how children feel about their bodies and in promoting healthy body image in general. Parents can remind kids that genetics have a lot to do with a person's weight, size, and body type; reinforce the idea that all bodies are acceptable; challenge put-downs related to physical appearance and be a positive role model with regard to body image; encourage kids to tune into their own internal hunger and fullness cues; promote exercise and healthy eating as ways to nurture your body; and celebrate the uniqueness of all people.

Related:

Body Talk: The Straight Facts About Fitness, Nutrition, and Feeling Great About Yourself by Ann Douglas and Julie Douglas

One Fish, Two Fish, Rainbow Fish, Whitefish....

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources' Kids' Fish Art Contest is back for its 7th year. Kids in grades 4 through 12 have until December 18th to submit a drawings of one of this year's official fish -- the rainbow fish or the whitefish -- in its natural habitat, along with an essay about habitat protection (see official contest rules for details). The winning design will be used on the 2010 Young Angler's License.

What Early Childhood Educators Have to Say About the Move to Full-Day Kindergarten: A Three-Part Series

After reading Kristen Rushowy's article last week and discovering how close the Ontario government is to making its final decisions about full-day kindergarten, I felt that we needed to hear more from early childhood educators. (We've heard a lot from the teachers and the politicians and policy-makers, but I don't think we've head as much from the early childhood educators about the role they hope to play in the early learning classroom of the future, circa September 2010.)

The result is this three-part series of blog posts:

• Part I: An interview with Julia Lipman of the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO) about what early childhood educators bring to the table - and why they deserve to be treated as full partners in our kids’ education.
• Part II: An interview with early childhood education professor Pat Dickinson about the traditional power imbalance between certified teachers and early childhood educators, and how the McGuinty government has the opportunity to right this wrong.
• Part III: The correspondence file: What others who are passionate about early learning are saying about the role that early childhood educators should play.

First up: Part I.

The Correspondence File: Letters About Early Childhood Educators, Teachers, and Early Learning in Ontario (Part III)

Part III in a three-part series about the move to full-time kindergarten in Ontario. Part I featured an interview with Julia Lipman of the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario. Part II featured my interview with Pat Dickinson, program director for the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, Charles Sturt University (Ontario).

The following letters highlight the strengths of early childhood educators and/or urge the government to proceed with full-day kindergarten programs with early childhood educators and teachers working as equal partners.

ECEs HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT IN COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS AND CHILDREN

My experience with ECE’s is through the Best Start Hubs. I have been able to recognize that ECEs have a special talent of communicating with parents and children. If an ECE has a concern about a child and they bring it up to a parent,  a parent is more apt to act. A parent feels less threatened by an ECE than a teacher.  ECE’s have more experience with children having behavioural or health issues. I believe that the ECE’s would be a definite asset in bridging the gap between parents and the health of children. ECE’s seem to be better trained in dealing with and understanding children. They also have more time to focus on the children and their difficulties than on the work that must be accomplished by the teachers’ mandate.
 
Sheri Johnson Purdon
Community Mental Health Worker - Postpartum Depression
Canadian Mental Health Association - Sudbury/Manitoulin Branch


WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT BENDING TO PRESSURE FROM TEACHERS?

As an early childhood educator and Professor of Early Childhood Education at our college, I feel that the qualifications and general opinion of ECE teachers are not taken seriously and are still considered "babysitters".

As a Professor of Early Childhood Education, I can tell you that the ECE teachers have a 2 year concentration in child development and are very capable of teaching in a Kindergarten setting. Do the primary teachers have the same education necessary for this age group? ECE teachers also belong to the College of ECEs.

Why is the government bending to pressure from the teachers when the study clearly states that the children/program would benefit from a blend of primary teachers and early childhood educators? Would you not want to put the best combination of teachers together for the benefits of the children/program? A good boss/team leader puts the best people in the positions for maximum benefit. Do you want teachers who are not educated in child development to plan a program for the children? ECE teachers know how to do this and are taught by very qualified professors.

It is time to listen to the ECE teachers and to give them the recognition they deserve.

Judy Rose, R.E.C.E.
Director
A Child's Secret Garden Daycare Inc.and
Professor of Early Childhood Education
St. Lawrence College
Cornwall, Ontario


ABOUT TURF PROTECTION

To me this issue is about protectionism/turf protection, and the union exerting pressure to protect what they believe is an opportunity for new jobs. Meanwhile, I believe that relationships could be damaged and there needs to be a big push on the ECE side. (College/university ECE teachers need to advocate for the way the system can work.)

Beth Anne Currie
works with many early childhood educators and has provided workshops, training, and support to early childhood educators over the past 5 years

RESENT INCREASED COST TO TAXPAYERS WHEN ECES HAVE EXPERTISE

Hello Ann,
I am the Nipissing Best Start coordinator.
Here is a copy of the letter I sent to [my] MPP when I saw this article.
Karen Cobb
 

Monique Smith,
Member of Provincial Parliament

Dear Monique:
Today’s article in the Toronto Star regarding the favouring of implementation of full-day learning for four year olds by certified elementary teachers deeply concerns me and I wanted to take a minute to express my views from the perspective of a parent, a teacher and now the Nipissing Best Start Coordinator.
 
It has been my very great pleasure to work with many community partners including teachers and early educators in the child care system during my time as Nipissing Best Start Coordinator. From that perspective and from the perspective of a working parent whose children did not have the advantage of an early learning system and who entered school at the SK level for half days, I am disheartened that the expertise of early educators who have been entrusted with the early learning and care of our children for many many years is now being diminished under pressure from teachers who feel that their expertise should supersede that of early educators. Each educator brings to the child very specialized skills that together enrich the early learning environment for the child who may be as young as three years eight months.
 
There are many examples of early learning environments in schools now where the responsibility for the child and his or her early learning is shared extremely effectively by JK teachers and Early Childhood Educators including one in our own area at EW Norman Public School which I invite you to visit at your earliest convenience. During the past year responsibilities for curriculum, care, parent contact, referrals and many other classroom teaching strategies are planned and handled cooperatively and effectively. Together with the parent, the children’s optimal development is supported holistically and together with our specialized community partners extra help is provided as required.
 
As a taxpayer I resent the anticipated increased cost to taxpayers. These dollars would be better used to support children with identified needs where early educators and teachers are being highly challenged to provide the extra contact, intervention and reporting that may be required. Yes, many schools have been providing full day early learning for some time but this was a decision made by school boards at a time when other more cost effective options were not available.
 
Dr. Pascal’s report is well researched and suggests a model that will meet the needs of all families and children effectively and this should be implemented using the cost effective strategies described in the plan and that certainly do not compromise the education of our children.
 
I would welcome the opportunity to arrange a visit for you to EW Norman Public School where you can witness for yourself how well the model proposed by Dr. Pascal can work and at which time we can discuss this in more depth with the educators at that school location. You will then be able to provide extensive and accurate feedback to Premier McGuinty about a very successful shared teaching arrangement right here in North Bay.
 
I look forward to sharing a few moments with you about this topic at this year’s Let the Learning Begin Family Conference.
 
Sincerely,
Karen E. Cobb
 
P.S. The content of this email is the opinion of the writer only.
 


SUCCESS REPORT FROM ONTARIO'S LARGEST FRANCOPHONE DAYCARE PROVIDER

Hello,

The Centre de ressources familiales de l'Estrie is proud to inform you that
we are the largest francophone daycare provider in Ontario.

We would like to share with the public the we have established and
maintained successful partnerships with the two school boards in our region.
We are proud to collaborate with them in offering the full day learning
program.

Our qualified early childhood educators and the teaching staff have worked
in collaboration since 2000, to offer the best possible program for the
children and their families. We continue to build ont that success. Parents
are elated with this approach.

On day one the child attends class with the teacher and on day two he
attends class with the educator. Both staff complement each other in the
common goal to help the child attain his or hers developmental milestones.

Each professional has their own defined role: the teacher works with the
ministry's curriculum and the educator teaches through play-based activities.

The model that we have implemented in the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
region is proof that a partnership between the two professionals can be
successful and rewarding for all involved.

Thank you,

Manon Tailleur
Directrice générale- Executive director
Centre de ressources familiales de l'Estrie
1500 boulevard Holy Cross
Cornwall, Ontario
K6H 2X1

Le CRFE est fier d'être le plus gros pourvoyeur des services de garde
francophones en Ontario.

Finally, this blog post contains another correspondent's views:

Ontario's McGuinty Urged to 'Do The Right Thing' for Ontario's Children

ECEs Eager to Work in True Collaboration with Teachers: Early Childhood Educator (Part II)

Part II in a series examining the changes to early learning in Ontario from the perspective of early childhood educators (ECEs). Part I featured an interview with Julia Lipman of the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario. Part III will allow others who are passionate about early learning to have their say as well.

In part II in this series, Pat Dickinson, program director for the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, Charles Sturt University (Ontario), shares her views on the future of early learning in Ontario. Her responses focus on the power imbalance between certified teachers and early childhood educators and the fact that the McGuinty government has an opportunity to resolve this long-standing power imbalance.

What would ECEs consider to be the ideal staffing arrangement for full-day kindergarten?
 
PAT DICKINSON: I think ECEs would accept any staffing arrangement that reflects a true partnership between themselves and the kindergarten teachers.  The recommendations in the Pascal report [a.k.a. Early Learning Advisor's report] were a big step in helping to resolve the power imbalance between certified teachers and early childhood educators which is a pervasive international issue in this field.
 
What do ECEs want parents to know about the strengths/capabilities of early childhood educators?
 
PAT DICKINSON: Early Childhood Educators have had two years or more of intensive education and practice working with children in this age group and have earned a diploma or a degree that is an indication they have demonstrated competence in this regard. They have entered this profession because of the satisfaction they receive from interacting with children and parents on a daily basis, as opposed to other rewards such as financial remuneration or status.

"In order for the profession to continue to attract Early Childhood Educators
and to help them better meet your needs and those of your children,
they need to be given professional recognition and status for the specialized education
they have received and the competence that they demonstrate on a regular basis."

What do ECEs want to say to parents as the Ontario government is set to make really key decisions about the future of education in this province?

PAT DICKINSON: In order for the profession to continue to attract Early Childhood Educators and to help them better meet your needs and those of your children, they need to be given professional recognition and status for the specialized education they have receive and the competence that they demonstrate on a regular basis.
 
Have ECEs and teachers traditionally functioned as allies/partners? Do you think a misstep by the Ontario government has the potential to damage relations between members of the two professions? What would be your advice to the people who making these decisions?
 
PAT DICKINSON: There has always been tension between these two groups because they both feel that they have rights and responsibilities in relationship to this age group of children. It is hard to enter into true partnerships unless there is a recognition of equal status, or at the very least, the respective strengths of both groups.

It is critical that the issue of staffing of full day early learning programs take these tensions and imbalances into account when making decisions for the future.  Early Childhood Educators are eager to create partnerships that will better meet the needs of children and families, and would welcome working in a true collaboration with Kindergarten teachers.
 
Do you think ECEs’ knowledge of the very early years and the holistic approach they take to understanding the needs of the entire family would serve them well in the kindergarten setting?
 
PAT DICKINSON: I have taught four and five year olds in both kindergarten and preschool settings and I have worked with early childhood educators and kindergarten teachers throughout my professional career. I have met exceptional early childhood educators and exceptional kindergarten teachers, but I have long advocated for the need for more specialized education for kindergarten teachers that is consistent with the type of education provided to early childhood educators. I know from working in both faculties of education and colleges of early childhood education that teachers receive very little specialized education in how to best support the growth and learning of four and five year olds.   

We've Heard from Teachers, Politicians: Now Let's Hear from Early Childhood Educators (Part I)

We’ve heard from the teachers. And we’ve heard from the policy-makers and the politicians. But how early childhood educators (ECEs) feel about the changes that are being made to early learning isn't being heard quite as often or as loudly.

After reading Kristen Rushowy's article last week and discovering how close the Ontario government is to making its final decisions about full-day kindergarten, I felt that parents really needed to hear what early childhood educators have to say about the role they hope to play as the province acts on the recommendations of the Early Learning Advisor (the so-called Pascal Report). This three-part series is the result.

PART I: INTERVIEW with JULIA LIPMAN, AECEO

Julia Lipman, Communications and Marketing Manager for the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario (AECEO), responded to a series of questions I posed about the future of early learning in Ontario. Her answers focus on the professionalism of early childhood educators; the specialized training they have received in dealing with young children; and the long-established tradition ECEs have in working in partnership with teachers.

What do ECEs want parents to know about the strengths and capabilities of early childhood educators?

JULIA LIPMAN: In addition to their commitment to parental engagement and play-based learning, registered early childhood educators work in a regulated profession. Early Childhood Educators, under the newly legislated Early Childhood Educators Act (2007), must be registered members of the College of Early Childhood Educators to use the professional title of Early Childhood Educator or Registered Early Childhood Educator. Members of the College are held accountable to a complaints and disciplinary process and standards of practice. Under the Act, registered early childhood educators have a mandated scope of practice to plan and deliver “inclusive play-based learning and care programs for children in order to promote the well-being and holistic development of children.”

Have ECEs and teachers traditionally functioned as allies/partners? Do you think a misstep by the Ontario government has the potential to damage relations between members of the two professions? What would be your advice to the people who making these decisions?

"The two professionals ultimately have a shared interest in
what is best for children, and registered early childhood educators
embrace the potential to serve children and families through
an equal partnership with certified teachers in a
full-day early learning environment."

JULIA LIPMAN: There are many examples across the province of learning environments in which registered early childhood educators and certified teachers work together in equal partnerships for the benefit of children and families. These programs result in happy learners and families, but have also produced very positive and professionally fulfilling relationships between registered early childhood educators and teachers. The two professionals ultimately have a shared interest in what is best for children, and registered early childhood educators embrace the potential to serve children and families through an equal partnership with certified teachers in a full-day early learning environment. The AECEO strongly urges the Ontario government to respect the research and expertise of the Early Learning Advisor’s report by implementing the vision of a blended team approach.

What do ECEs want to say to parents as the Ontario government is set to make really key decisions about the future of education in this province?

JULIA LIPMAN: Ontario’s families are diverse in many ways, and their needs are individual. The new early learning and care system outlined in the Early Learning Advisor’s report would support children and families with a continuum of learning and one-stop resources including health and nutritional guidance, developmental assessment and support resources, community connections and parental engagement strategies. These services would be widely available and open to all those involved in the care of young children, not just to families who utilize full-day learning programs for four and five-year-olds.

The time has come to take a fragmented system of valuable programs and resources and turn it into a cohesive system that works for Ontario’s families. In order to do that, the Early Learning Advisor’s Report must be implemented in its entirety. This is an interdependent systems approach. If the Ontario government follows through on this plan, our province will become an example of innovations in early learning and care on the world stage.