Swan Song

Last week my eyes were caught by an email with the subject, "Swan Song."  In the email, Fred Citron informed me that he was retiring after 33 years as Chief Executive Officer of Montgomery Early Learning Centers in Narbeth, Pennsylvania.  Throughout these decades, Fred has been a dear friend of Exchange and a great advocate for children in Pennsylvania.  Exchange salutes his contributions to the early childhood profession.

And, Fred's message was a reminder to me of all the early childhood baby boomers who have retired in recent years and will be retiring in growing numbers in coming years.  This is a generation of advocates who were shaped by the Vietnam War, Woodstock, the King and Kennedy assassinations, the Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, Eugene McCarthy, and Laugh-In.  They gravitated into child care as a cause, not a profession.  They wanted to change the world by providing a head start for the next generation.  In many ways, this generation of champions for children has shaped the early childhood field, as we know it today.  And, with this we salute their great contributions as well.

But this is not a lament.  What we see happening is that as the baby boomers move on, they are being succeeded by a new generation of leaders who bring new perspectives, new skills, and new energy.  They will build on the accomplishments of the baby boomers and take us to new places in this fast changing world.  So we salute the determination, savvy, and creativity of the next generation as well.

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