Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The three national /federal organizations or community of practice that stood-out to me were...

1.  IDEA- Department of Education

https://sites.ed.gov/idea

     The reason that I like this agency or organization because they care about children with disabilities and their families.  Also, this is an excellent website to find information and explore resources on infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.

2.  Family and Social Services Administration

https://www.in.gov.fssa/carefinder/

     The reason that I like this agency or organization because they believe in collaboration with children and families. I also like that they sponsor On My Way Pre-K program and Paths to Quality.  Both are excellent programs to use if you are operating a preschool or child care center.  

3.  Zero to Three

https://www.zerotothree.org

     

     The reason that I like this agency or organization because they believe that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.  They envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential.   

     The job that I was interested is Educational Diagnostician.  Essential Duties and responsibilities include the following:  Implements and maintains a comprehensive program of diagnostic services for the district, adequately meets all local, state, and federal requirements.  Education and Experience:  Master's Degree in Special Education/Five years of teaching experience in special Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations Valid Indiana License in special education (Mild intervention).  Even though, I might not be qualified for this job, I will add it to my community of practice.  

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The three local or state organizations that I have chosen are:

1.  Early Learning Indiana

https://www.earlylearnin.org

2.  United Way of Central Indiana

https://www.uwci.org

3.  Head Start and Early Head Start

https://www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder/2679.htm  

The reason that I chose these three specific organizations because they are well-known in the state of Indiana.  They all contribute a lot to the early childhood programs.  The one that appeal to me is United Way of Central Indiana.  Wenger (2006) stated that "communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly" (p. 1).  United Way of Central Indiana is a community impact organization supported by a wide network of people like myself.  Together with local partners, they set and reach community-wide goals that make Central Indiana and the world a better place  They also give early childhood programs grants to help with making their centers high-quality for children.  

I believe that Early Learning had more job opportunities that were interesting to me.  There was one job titled Family Engagement Specialist that caught my attention.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Customer Service/Communication – Provide prompt, attentive, and friendly customer service in-person and by phone; represents the organization well; maintains personal accountability and ownership for providing excellent customer service. Communicates verbal and written ideas and thoughts clearly, accurately, and respectfully; seeks and responds to feedback from customers to improve service; seeks to understand the perspectives of others.
Collaboration – Cooperates and works together with all co-workers; plan and complete job duties with minimal supervisory direction, including appropriate judgment; collaborates with and supports coworkers by helping out where needed; creates and maintains positive relationships with coworkers; asks for and listens to coworker feedback and incorporates feedback into revised processes; completes work on time and with proper quality; supports cross-training and shares learning with others.
Professionalism/Respect – Demonstrates professionalism in appearance and actions; handles difficult or stressful situation in a calm and respectful manner; demonstrates fair treatment of others and supports a positive work environment.
Problem Solving/Decision Making – Logically resolves most problem situations and develops alternative solutions when faced with obstacles; uses innovative ideas to resolve problems and develop effective solutions, takes responsibility for actions.

Reference

Wenger, E. (2006). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved from

     https://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/