Published by CounciLINK on April 23, 2020
“Michigan struggles to get qualified early educators in the door,” says Kelsey Laird, director of T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Michigan at the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children. It’s a national problem, and her group is taking steps to remove roadblocks that deter people from entering the early childhood field. For the last five years, T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Michigan has helped providers to succeed in earning the Child Development Associate® (CDA), a credential that trains teachers to give children high-quality care and education.
T.E.A.C.H. knows the value of earning a CDA, especially when the training provides nine college credits toward an early childhood associate degree. “College credits inspire providers to continue their education,” Laird says, “so we have partnered with community colleges—including Bay, Mott, Northwestern Michigan College and more—to train cohorts of family and home-based providers in a comfortable, casual setting. Most of these providers have been in the field for a while and are now looking to advance their careers. They’re nontraditional students who work full-time, aren’t always comfortable with computers and have children of their own.”
Many of these providers are intimidated by the prospect of entering a college campus, she says. “They’re also uncomfortable being in classrooms with younger, more traditional students. So, we set up classes in relaxed settings like coffee shops and restaurants.” Being with their peers encourages them to participate more in the CDA classes, as Laird has seen.
T.E.A.C.H. also smooths the way for these CDA students by providing them with laptops while they’re taking classes and granting scholarships that cover the costs of the credits and books, along with CDA application and assessment fees. Educators have to work at least 20 hours in a licensed setting to get a scholarship, so T.E.A.C.H. offers Saturday and evening classes that fit into their schedules.
Applicants can also turn to a number of online resources that explain the program and the benefits it provides, Laird adds. “We have a website that provides all kinds of information about the credential. There’s a video that explains the importance of attaining a CDA and another video that walks applicants through the online application, including how to apply for scholarship assistance with our program.” There’s also information on the T.E.A.C.H. website about a free, all-day community event that helps providers get more comfortable with the application and assessment process.
For the last few years, T.E.A.C.H. has offered several CDA Resource Days, Laird says. “These events are located around the state and are free for providers to attend. Our staff, in partnership with volunteer Professional Development Specialists, run five sessions on topics that include Developing Competency Statements and Lesson Plans, Preparing for the PD Specialist Verification Visit, Taking a Mock CDA Exam, Putting Together Your Professional Portfolio and How to Apply for the Credential with a T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship. We also provide them with Competency Standards books and a professional portfolio binder to help them get more organized.”
They also benefit from the inspiration of hearing from role models like Najwa Dahdah of Empowered Child Care Consulting, a PD Specialist who mainly works with the Arab community in Dearborn. “She started with the T.E.A.C.H. program,” Laird says. “We helped her earn her CDA, and she’s gone on to guide other educators in serving children, families and the communities where they live. She recently finished her master’s degree and now she travels around the state to train candidates for the CDA and share our message about the importance of the credential.”
It’s an important career step, according to Elizabeth Hall, one of the first candidates in the T.E.A.C.H. cohort program. After earning her CDA, she went on to get her associate degree. And she’s now a family child care provider who advocates for her field. “I consider myself immensely blessed to have been given the opportunity to participate in the cohort program,” Hall says. “It didn’t just help me receive my CDA, it helped me become a better teacher, a more effective day care provider, and it gave me the tools I needed to develop a 5-star program.”
The program helps educators succeed, agrees a Danielle Keeter, a home child care provider. “The CDA cohort was extremely beneficial to my professional journey in so many ways,” she says. “It helped nurture the passion I already had for the field by giving me a better understanding of early childhood education and why it is so important. It also connected me with like-minded professionals who have continued to be a support and resource now that we have completed the program.”
And the program has very high completion rates, as Laird explains, because it’s so committed to breaking down the barriers that hold candidates back. “We give them a lot of training and peer support, and we coach them at the end on how to apply for the credential. We track them from the time they apply for the CDA to the time they earn it, and they get a bonus if they provide us with a copy of the credential. In short, we’re with them through the entire process.”
Many of them, like Dahdah and Hall, keep enrolling in classes and go on to earn degrees that help them open their own programs or qualify as lead teachers in the state. “We make them comfortable with the idea of college, provide them with foundational knowledge, and make it as easy as possible for them to get through credentialing” Laird says. “Then we provide them with additional scholarships that cover the cost of getting an associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree.”
It all starts with the CDA, Laird explains, since “it helps them get their foot in the door” and then move ahead in the ECE field. “The CDA is an entry way onto a career pathway.” And over the past five years T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Michigan has helped over 2,600 providers earn their CDA and embark on the path to success. In addition, the cohort program has inspired a lot of colleges to offer nontraditional models for earning a CDA. That’s “good news” for Michigan, she says. And it’s good news for young learners in the state. The CDA gives educators the skills they need to help children succeed, too.
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With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education (ECE), Elisa has dedicated her career to developing impactful programs, professional development opportunities, and public policies that support working families, young children, and ECE staff. Before joining the Council, Elisa held numerous roles within the childcare industry. Most recently, she served as Associate Vice President at The Learning Experience and as Senior Manager at KinderCare Education, where she influenced government affairs and public policies across 40 states.
Elisa’s commitment to leadership is reflected in her external roles on the Early Care and Education Consortium Board of Directors, the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, and as the DEI Caucus Leader for KinderCare Education. She has been recognized as an Emerging Leader in Early Childhood by Childcare Exchange’s Leadership Initiative.
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In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
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Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
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