Promising Emerging Leaders 2015

Policies are not just words on paper. Policies are someone's life, someone's child, someone's teacher, someone's mom. My place in the world is to serve the early care and education field in making sure policymakers at all levels remember that. My place in the world is to stomp my feet and raise my voice — and urge others to do the same — until everyone understands that this matters. I am driven forward by people who do the real work of caring for children and families. I want their stories to be told. I am sure that every voice counts.

As a professional in the field and as a mother of two young daughters, I have a vested interest in all aspects of early childhood. I am an advocate who promotes the importance of providing young children, specifically infants and toddlers, with high-quality learning environments that focus on social/emotional development through healthy relationships in culturally diverse and inclusive settings.

I will continue to work collaboratively with other leaders in New Jersey to effect policy change that supports young children and those who care for them. I will carry on the work of current and past influential leaders who advocate for children, keeping in mind social changes. As an emerging leader, I will strive to ensure that all young children have a place to grow, explore, and learn in loving, supportive, and safe environments.

Everything I have accomplished in my career has been driven by my personal mission to do what is best and right for young children and their families. From my own childhood I wanted my existence to matter in a way that made an indelible and positive change in the world, and I considered careers in sociology, law, and medicine. Ultimately, I chose to be an early childhood educator, because I realized that in this field I could positively affect the lives of countless children, and those children would then change the world.

I have based all of my work on several personal principles:

• Curiosity/Sense of Wonder — For myself, for my teaching staff, for my college students and most especially for the children I work with, I strive to help every person see the inherent value of maintaining a sense of wonder about the magical world we live in and the magical people with whom we live. Without a sense of wonder, nothing new will ever be created in our world and no one will ever solve problems in novel ways. A lack of wonder eventually annihilates nature and pollutes our air. A lack of curiosity eventually leads to unquestioning obedience; a sense of wonder gives birth to freedom.
• Personal Growth/Persistence — My own sense of curiosity has lead me to place a great deal of importance on being the best "me" that I can be. It has lead me to study how people think, how people change, and how people grow. I work to inspire that same reflection in my employees and college students, and I work to help children reflect and become thoughtful about their own ability to change, make choices, and not be ruled solely by their own emotions. Often, people feel that they are like rudderless sailboats, at the mercy of where the wind blows them. It's important to understand that we're in the driver's seat.
• Intentionality — Every action we take has a consequence, whether we are conscious of it or not. Every action we don't take has a consequence, whether we are aware of it or not. Being intentional about our actions, whether it's the way we discuss a child's painting with him or her, or the way we talk to a politician about how he or she is going to vote on a certain bill, should be done with intention. I strive to be intentional in the things I do and the things that I say.
• Doing What's Right, Even When It's Hard — This personal principle is the one that's taken me the longest to develop, but which makes the biggest difference. It is easy to complain about what is wrong, but hard to work to change it. It is easy to bow down to a board member with money who does not understand what is best for children, but it is hard to tell him "no." It's easy to hope that a staff member will change the harsh way that she interacts with children, but it is hard to call her into my office and talk about it and help her grow, or maybe even let her go. It's easy to complain about state politics, but hard to seek out my senator's ear and offer my own time and personal efforts to make early childhood education better in our state. It's easy to stay quiet, but it's hard to ask questions. All change for the better costs time and effort, and someone has to do what's right, even when it's hard.

My personal mission is to make the world for children a better place, intentionally, one action at a time, one college student at a time, one teacher at a time, one board member at a time, one senator at a time, one child at a time. In the process, I strive to maintain my sense of wonder, inspire others to do the same, and personally grow so that those changes I can make in the world will grow exponentially.

My professional mission is to intentionally listen to young children, their families, and other professionals in the field of Early Childhood Education. As an advocate for young children, I focus on the importance of everyday moments in a child's life that could leave lasting impressions, and encourage others to appreciate the capabilities of young children. It is my goal to mentor others using a Constructivist approach, guiding them to discover their own gifts and talents. I value the nonverbal and verbal language of children and respect the voice they take in their own learning. My expectation is to be a life-long learner and share this knowledge with others on my journey.

My mission is to positively impact the quality of childcare and education for all children for generations to come. I strive to set the bar for the highest standard of teaching and assessment of children's developmental and academic growth. I aim to exceed all expectations for building trusting and communicative relationships with children and families, not only in my classroom, but throughout our program. As a cooperating practicum teacher I seek to develop a practicum program, which informs future teachers and Early Childhood professionals about developmentally appropriate and research-based practice. I will empower these students to advocate for the needs of children and model the importance of continued learning and professional growth.

My goal is to have the opportunity to embed the science of Infant Mental Health into multidisciplinary practices. For example, I would like to collaborate with doctors, nurses, and public health to explore ways of promoting healthy social/emotional development in the community. With frequent well-child checkups and prenatal care, we have many opportunities to provide information on critical topics impacting an infant's mental health, such as post-partum depression, colic, and sleep/eating challenges. I am interested in partnering with speech, occupational, and physical therapists who provide supports to infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services to identify how their therapeutic supports and infant mental health intervention can work together to positively impact children's treatment.

Finally, I have worked with many traumatized children involved in the child protective services system, as well as those who have witnessed domestic violence between their caregivers. The ongoing research on brain development continues to highlight the importance of addressing early on the risk factors that contribute to emotional and behavioral problems in the first three years of life; left untreated, these behavioral challenges will continue to have negative effects on a child's later health, academic success, and social-emotional functioning.

To support and empower families and the community so that children have optimal opportunities for development, education, and over-all well being through advocacy and a strength-based approach of the protective factors.

My personal mission is to make the world a better place, one child at a time.

I have always been an advocate — speaking up about unfairness I observed in the world — before I even knew what advocacy was. At the age of fifteen, I sat down, trembling and nervous, with the director of my soccer camp to discuss both the overt and institutionalized sexism I had experienced all summer. I wasn't intentionally branding myself an advocate; I simply seem to have a talent for sharing my opinion when I notice unfairness or room for improvement. I stumbled into the field of early childhood education (ECE) and made my way to Hilltop Children's Center somewhat accidentally — through the suggestion of a friend when my life was at a crossroads — and have found my home in both places.

My work with young children fuels my strong beliefs that children have a right to be at the center of their learning, that children are capable human beings, and that children deserve to have their experiences in early childhood education inspire them. As the Executive Director of Hilltop, I feel a strong responsibility to further the field of ECE by facilitating Hilltop's continued growth as a school of inquiry, by expanding Hilltop's professional development institute to reach, serve, and impact the field, and by advocating for young children and their educational experience in as many forums as I can.

The professionalization of the field is a priority for me, one which we are working on internally at Hilltop through the language we use to describe ourselves and our work, through values-driven systems and structures that support faculty's long-term commitment to ECE, and through programs we've developed that support and encourage leadership, innovation, and empowerment of educators and administrators. We hope to make a change in ourselves that will create positive ripples (or waves) in the field and society. Hilltop is, in many ways, positioned as a leader in the field, thanks to the work of countless outstanding, brilliant, innovative educators, administrators, and advocates who have come before me and who work alongside me now.

As the current leader (in the hierarchical sense, we are an organization of leaders) of the organization, that positioning feels like a precious gift and a profound responsibility: to the children and families in the Hilltop community to continually reflect on and improve our work with them; to the faculty to offer an exceptional work environment, career-long professional growth opportunities, and a healthy living wage; to the field not only to share what we have learned, but also to partner with organizations to continue our own learning; and to the larger society to continue to advocate for the rights of children.

My vision is to shift how society views children (from cute to capable) and what they deserve in their education (from vessels to be filled to partners). The pieces of advocacy I have lived throughout my life through work with underserved populations, by exposing unfairness or offering opportunities for growth in my workplaces, and in my volunteering outside of work, are now primarily focused on the field of early childhood education. I advocate for children, families, educators, and administrators, both at Hilltop and beyond. Little did I realize, as I sat before the director of my soccer camp all those years ago, that I would end up in a position to not only advocate, but also to build and influence systems of fairness and justice.

I want to change the world by elevating adults who care for children to become leaders, advocates, and visionaries.

As I prepared to submit and develop this personal mission statement to share with Exchange, I initially approached it from technical and academic standpoint thinking of the readers and well known experts charged with reviewing my submission and nomination. The approach felt inauthentic and unlike my natural disposition of who I am as leader in this field and as a person. With great reflection, transparency, and insight, I share my core beliefs of what leadership means to me and the mission I am on to making a difference in the lives of children and families through program leadership. This personal mission statement is deeply rooted in my childhood and guides my labor of love as an early childhood professional. This is my journey and hope.

Since entering the early childhood education field in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in child development, I have steadily progressed as an early childhood professional. I transitioned from classroom teacher, head teacher, assistant administrator, to program administrator with the sole responsibility of leading and managing early childhood programs. I achieved this endeavor without any formal experience or understanding of what it required to be an effective early childhood administrator. Senior leaders from various agencies believed my skills and competencies as a successful classroom teacher would transfer to meet the demands of an effective early childhood administrator. I quickly found myself standing on "quicksand," and slowly sinking, all while feeling a sense of inadequacy. I gathered my thoughts about what I desired and needed as an up-and-coming leader and evolved my approaches to help others aspire to their personal best.

To do this well, my role as an early childhood administrator required I coach, mentor, and train teachers in best practices related to program and classroom leadership. In addition, my administrator role required I become familiar with human resource practices, form reciprocal relationships with parents and community partners, develop fundraising campaigns, create strategic approaches to marketing and outreach, and oversee monthly and annual budgets to ensure programs remained fiscally solvent and viable.

As an early childhood administrator of color, I found there were very few like me from diverse backgrounds that I could relate to in my field; when I joined the California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC) and reported to Patricia Phipps (African American early childhood leader) as the CEO and President, I was in "awe" and shocked to be quite honest. She was a rare individual who looked like me and all I could wonder and ask myself "day after day" is, "How did she become a leader in this field that I love so dearly? How can I be an agent of change on a micro and macro level?" What is her story?"

By the way, I am simply a native Oakland, California, girl who was raised in a community surrounded by a cycle of poverty, where government aid was the primary source of income for many residents — including myself. My neighborhood was filled with both drug dealers and users alike. Daily crimes of violence served as a reminder that one's personal safety was always at risk. Children born in my neighborhood also faced these lived realities as a part of their daily existence. I knew I wanted her to serve as my mentor and provide guidance; I just did not know what that would look like. Her schedule was packed with daily meetings and organizational commitments.

Dr. Phipps' availability to me as a mentor came in doses and I grabbed hold of it with dear life. She impacted me more than she can know to this very day. Hope — Today, I draw on my professional journey, personal childhood adversity, and my concern for young children growing up in environments similar to my own to "hope" and dream a different life because of the positive influence of authentic and caring early childhood professionals. Ideally, these individuals are inspired and encouraged to put forth their best effort to mitigate some of the ills children face from such background,s while holding the needs of all children in mind. My expressed sentiments of these concerns with peers in the field are usually met with mixed emotions of sympathy and apathy. The idea of improving community conditions perpetuated by endemic and systemic poverty, crime, teenage pregnancy, staggering high school dropout rates, and prolific drug use appears idealistic; and quite simply an unrealistic task, surely not to be cured by providing quality early learning experiences for society's youngest citizens.

Throughout my journey as an early childhood administrator, access to educational and professional development opportunities to improve professional competencies were sparse and costly. My non-profit employers generally did not cover expenses for me to attend external trainings due to fiscal challenges. I realized it was up to me to create my own pathway as an early childhood administrator if I was to develop the necessary competencies to be effective in my role. This has been a very personal journey that continues to guide my approach to thinking about how professional development opportunities are made available to teachers and administrators.

I believe much of the focus in this new era of educational reform places great attention on teachers and definitely has its importance and intended outcomes. However, fragmented efforts to support program administrators continue to exist and the connection between leadership and desired outcomes for children and families are not consistently reflected in local, state, and federal public policy initiatives. The focus on segments of the early childhood workforce should not be "either/or" but rather "and/both." Teachers and program administrators are equally needed and complimentary to one another when they share a common vision, mission, goals, and standards of practice when striving to meet the needs of children and families.

I have decided in my current workplace, Child Development, Inc., a statewide agency in California where I serve as the northern Program Resource Manager, it is vital to build program capacity and improve quality through consistent and intentional mentoring and coaching. I have developed an informal and formal training-of-trainers model for workshop facilitators that include a collective group of teachers, site administrators, and regional program directors. There is not one individual who holds a lesser or stronger role in this body of cross-section of leaders. I foster a culture of working — complimentary with one another. I finally understood in the last three years through active listening, keen observation, and reflection that "teachers respect and value teachers" as current and relevant practitioners. Yet, the role, buy-in, and support from site administrators and regional program directors as "pedagogical leaders" is critical to creating agency policies and provision for classroom practices that allow to teachers to do their best work effectively and efficiently. This unique approach has brought about program alignment, reflective dialogue between teachers and agency leaders, gradual program improvement, and increased staff morale. It provides all committed to the group a space to think critically and introspectively about meeting the needs of children and families. This laser approach on seeing teachers, site administrators, and regional program directors as equal partners and complimentary leaders (e.g. co-trainers, co-learners, co-researchers, innovators, and trendsetters) has resulted in desired learning outcomes for children and families.

True leadership to me is one who empowers and grows others to see themselves as a part of a collective professional learning community that puts aside all titles, positions of power, and organizational dynamics in order to achieve a common purpose. This requires culture setting, building a climate of trust, reflecting on agency values, and holding one another accountable to action and greatness.

Lida's Small Wonders exists to provide a developmentally appropriate environment for toddlers and preschoolers. My focus is to provide a stimulating early care and educational experience, which promotes each child's social/emotional, physical, and cognitive development. I provide a home-like environment where children are encouraged to develop at their own pace. My goal is to support children's desire to want to be life-long learners.

I believe that a child's experience in the early years should be an enriching one. My aim is to always provide an environment in which each child will be fulfilled with activities to strengthen his or her skills and to build new ones, at a pace that satisfies their need. I strive to prepare respectful, responsible, caring, and knowledgeable life-long learners in a safe, as well as loving, environment. To also inspire others around me by taking initiatives and leading by example.

I strive to live by the Mercedes motto: "The Best or Nothing" in my professional and personal life. Being a trusted, resourceful, supportive person in my professional and personal life is important to me and to the goal of helping myself and others grow toward being the best that they can be. Our world needs leaders, followers, supporters, and way-makers in order to have a healthy society. I am passionate about making innovative and positive contributions to the healthy well-being of people of all ages and for myself.

Equipping and empowering those working with and for young children.