Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/engaging-with-school-districts/5022980/
For many years, high-quality early childhood providers have quietly done some of the world’s most important work. We know that children’s earliest teachers have significant impact on their development. But as the eyes of the world have begun to look at and elevate the value of our work, some of us can feel undervalued for the work we’ve been doing for many decades. As additional public resources are directed towards early education, child care is sometimes disregarded as a quality educational option. There is a perception that the only environments suited to prepare children for school are school districts themselves. Such a lack of respect and misunderstanding frustrates us as professionals, setting up barriers between child care and public schools rather than promoting the program alignment and smooth transitions we know are good for young children.
Our role is to help change that. At
New Horizon Academy, we can’t expect respect and collaboration to magically appear; we must go out and cultivate it. Relationships with school officials are imperative; what we can learn from each other can result in improved experiences for young children on both sides of the equation. Here we share with you some ...