My Communities of Practice

I live in a rural area where our early childhood population is underserved.  We have no association, no MiAEYC chapter, no local resource and referral office.  Many of the organizations who do support young children and their families are regional entities that "cover" our counties from distant urban offices.

However, I am pleased to say that I am very active in the organizations and communities of practice that do exist.  And when I say active, I mean active!

One organization that has appealed to me and has also welcomed me in to join their work is our local Education Services District (ESD, ISD in many communities).  Michigan's tuition-free preschool, Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) is coordinated in our three counties by the ESD.  There is one full time supervisor, and two part time Early Childhood Specialists.  I am one of those specialists, and on a contract basis. 

Note- this is very little staff to support three counties worth of preschool classrooms!

I have chosen the ESD as an organization that I am interested in working with because they are our only somewhat central source of resources and support, professional development, and leadership.  Their services often only extend to the classrooms they oversee, but it is better than nothing.  The contract work I am doing is the only work I am interested in at the ESD, but it helps connect me to what teaching teams are doing and what they need.

The other Community of Practice in our community is our Great Start Collaborative, a systems-building entity that helps set common goals across organizations who serve families with young children.  I have been a member since its inception around 2008.  This COP appeals to me because it is the one place that brings us all together under one umbrella and allows for incredibly effective personal connections to be made.  Amazing work has happened at the collaborative level and I am pleased to serve a key role.

I have to stretch to include a third CoP in order to meet the requirements of this blog assignment.  The sad fact is- that's about all we've got in the early childhood field in my area.  The third I might mentions is the Great Start to Quality Western Resource Center, serving our counties as part of a nine-county region.  Unfortunately, however, the Resource Center is one of those entities that fails to reach rural communities in authentic ways.  The main office is 90 miles away in a much more urban area where those resources are concentrated and more applicable to their own demographics.  While I would say I technically do participate in the CoP at the Resource Center, it is not an effective CoP for making things happen here at home.  I am involved in an exciting (brand new!) project that will replace the Resource Center as our *only* hope for resources and quality consultation.

I am interested in contract coaching and consultation at this time.  I am only looking for those types of opportunities because (sadly) of the lack of child care options for my very own children!  We do not have available quality child care and transportation that would meet our needs as a family if I were to work full time.

However, if I were to, say, direct a child care center- that wouldn't be an issue anymore, would it?

The only career opportunities that exist at this time for early childhood professionals in my area are home child care, center child care (one lead teacher opening at each of two centers), preschool teachers or aids (no openings at this time), early childhood special education services, contractual coaching and consultation (doing it!), and the Early Childhood Supervisor position at the ESD.  As opportunity arises to open a new child care center in town, I LEAP at the opportunity to build the project and direct the center.

Skills in program management, business administration, grant writing and administration, child caregiving, leadership, instruction and interactions, coaching, curriculum development, facilities maintenance, staff coordination, etc. would apply to all of these jobs in differing amounts.  I have filled most of these roles before and am truly gaining some key skills in the next couple of weeks in order to be best qualified to lead a new center.