My experience in early education has convinced me that the greatest gifts we as educators give young children are opportunities and tools to be curious, thinking, competent people who can take charge of their own lives. If we are to create the next generation of critical thinkers and leaders, education must give children a sense of their own agency. A child with sense of agency knows they can make choices and decisions and have an impact on the world around them, essential to developing a strong identity.
To accomplish this educators must model curiosity, critical thinking and a sense of their own agency. This means that each educator, regardless of her role in the early learning system, acts a leader for children.
I started Leading for Children, a new national non-profit organization, as a movement to infuse the field of early learning with optimism, leadership, and coherence, three attributes vital to ensuring success for all children and their families.
Optimism is a state of mind that leads to a sense of purpose and a path to positive outcomes. As early learning educators, we embody optimism for ourselves and the children and families we serve.
Leadership requires clarity of purpose and the ability to communicate what we are doing and why. Children deserve leaders who are intentional decision-makers. Every educator who works with young children recognizes that she or he is a leader with the power and purpose to shape children’s futures.
Coherence in early learning results from consistent and transparent decision making across all levels of a system. Coherence demands a holistic approach to collaboration that engages all players including caregivers, teachers, coaches, administrators, children and families.
Over the coming months, subscribe to read more about optimism, leadership, and coherence and join the conversation. I hope you will join the Leading for Children movement to strengthen and transform early learning systems so that every child can succeed in school and life.
Congratulations. What an undertaking and, no surprise, a job well done.
Looking forward to being part of the conversations and learning from others!
Congratulations Judy, a true inspiration in our field.
Congratulations on your formal launch, Judy! SB6 is looking forward to working with you and Leading for Children!
Congratulations, Judy! What a noble undertaking and so necessary for our future educators and students.
Congratulations on your launch! I am so proud to be apart of this movement.
What an incredible mission for an industry so misunderstood and undervalued. Congratulations and wishes for much success!
Congratulations. I am looking forward to what your organization can acheive.