NAEYC is one of the websites which adds to my understanding of equity and excellence in early child care and education.   I was led to a link which talks about advancing equity in early childhood education and it had several links such as NAEYC’s purpose, recommendation for public policymakers, recommendation for everyone, early childhood educators and so on. I was interested in many of the topics but the one which drew my attention first was the recommendation for administrators of schools, center, family, childcare homes and other childhood care settings. I chose this because I would like to learn more on how administrators can implement equity in childcare settings and schools. Some of the points that added more to what I have learned so far were as follows: –

Provide regular time and space to foster a learning community among administrators and staff regarding equity issues. Include opportunities for all individuals to reflect about their own cultural attitudes and behaviors as well as to uncover and change actions that reflect implicit bias and microaggressions toward children, families, school staff, and administrators (NAEYC, n.d).

Establish collaborative relationships with other social service agencies and providers within the community. Support and give voice to diverse perspectives to strengthen the network of resources available to all children and families.

Establish clear protocols for dealing with children’s challenging behaviors and provide teaching staff with consultation and support to address them effectively and equitably. To consider potential effects of implicit bias, regularly collect and assess data regarding whether certain policies and procedures, including curriculum and instructional practices, have differential impacts on different groups of children. Set a goal of immediately limiting and ultimately eliminating suspensions and expulsions by ensuring appropriate supports for teachers, children, and families (NAEYC, n.d).

Create meaningful, ongoing opportunities for multiple voices with diverse perspectives to engage in leadership and decision making. Recognize that implicit biases have often resulted in limited opportunities for members of marginalized groups. Consider and address factors that create barriers to diversified participation (e.g., time of meetings, location of meetings, languages in which meetings are conducted) (NAEYC, n.d).

NAEYC’s mission statement for equality is as follows: –  All children have the right to equitable learning opportunities that help them achieve their full potential as engaged learners and valued members of society. Thus, all early childhood educators have a professional obligation to advance equity. They can do this best when they are effectively supported by the early learning settings in which they work and when they and their wider communities embrace diversity and full inclusion as strengths, uphold fundamental principles of fairness and justice, and work to eliminate structural inequities that limit equitable learning opportunities (NAEYC, n.d).

References

NAEYC. (n.d).  Advancing Equity and Early Childhood Education Position Statement.  Retrieved from

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/equity.