Dear Colleagues,
It’s time to remember the bold words of a civil rights pioneer: “If I can sit down for freedom, you can stand up for children,” a call to action from Rosa Parks, whose birthday we marked this month. Parks caught the nation’s attention in 1955 when she refused to give up her seat to a white man while riding a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Parks’ action caused the Black community to boycott Montgomery buses for a year, and she went on to work with civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the fight for racial equality nationwide. Parks’ sense of commitment earned her fame as the “first lady of civil rights,” and she’s one of many Black women who have made history by standing up for what’s right.
They include the educators who appear on the banner of our newsletter along with Parks. In the 1930s, Fannie C. Williams opened the first nursery and kindergarten for Black children in New Orleans. In the 1940s, psychologist Mamie Phipps Clark conducted research studies showing how segregation and discrimination damaged the self-esteem of Black children. In the ‘60s, Evelyn K. Moore taught in the Perry Preschool Project, which demonstrated that access to high-quality preschool could make a lifelong impact on children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Moore went on to become founder and director of the National Black Child Development Institute, where she advanced early learning for young Black children. And this month we feature two Black early educators who have also embraced this cause.
Teaching Black children to have self-esteem, as Clark did, has long been a goal for Margo Ford Crosby, as you’ll read this month. She has championed equity and inclusion as a preschool teacher, community college instructor and ECE high school teacher. She also shows other early childhood professionals how to embrace equity and inclusion in the training she provides. And she puts a new spin on the phrase “black is beautiful” in her book Mirrors Up, which shows children how to see the best reflection of themselves. “My belief is that children can face challenges later in life if they affirm themselves at an early age,” Margo says. “So, I urge all children to hold their heads high, look people in the eye and smile.”
You may also smile when you see how Carmen Davis works hard to make all children feel good about themselves at her family child care home in Tennessee. And she does it by urging them not to focus on things money can buy. When children show her that they have fancy new hairdos or new shoes, Carmen gives them a gentle lesson on what really counts. She tells them that what she really likes is how they smile, put their toys away or help a classmate. “I work each day to plant the precious seeds of kindness in young children,” Carmen says. And she sets a good example for the young learners. She cared for two children for almost no pay when their family became homeless. And this kind act shows what Rosa Parks meant when she said, “Each person must live their life as a model for others.”
One of the Council’s own models is Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr., our first CEO to hold a CDA. Now, Dr. Moore strives to break down the roadblocks we’ve long faced to building a highly qualified early childhood workforce for our nation, as he tells us in Pioneering for the Early Childhood Profession. He also urges us to honor Black History Month this February 2024 by paying tribute to the many Black CDA holders who’ve made Washington, DC, a national leader in early education.
Families need more Black teachers countrywide, as we point out in our white paper, No Child Care, No Work. And Dr. Moore explains their value in his blog, Black Teachers and the Bottom Line. Research has shown that young Black students are less likely to be suspended and more likely to attend gifted classes if they have Black teachers. Seeing a teacher of their own race helps Black children believe they can succeed, too, whatever roadblocks they may face. “Racism is still with us,” as Rosa Parks pointed out. “But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.”
Happy Black History Month,
The Council for Professional Recognition
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Vice President of Strategic Alliances
Elisa Shepherd is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances at the Council, where she leads initiatives to advance the Council’s mission and strategic plan through designing, managing, and executing a comprehensive stakeholder relationship strategy.
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.
Elisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on child development from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
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.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
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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