Setting Early Childhood Education Career Goals
SPONSORED BLOG The task of sitting down and writing out all of your early childhood education career goals can feel daunting. Where should you start? How far in the future should you plan? And, once...
Ken Murphy
news@cdacouncil.org
The Council for Professional recognition (the Council), which administers the Child Development Associate (CDA®) Credential is collaborating with Quality Assist, Inc.and Kaplan Early Learning to provide professional development opportunities for CDA students. These will be provided in the form of early childhood education courses through Quorum®, an e-learning program run through Quality Assist.
“We are learning more about the ways CDA candidates choose to pursue professional development opportunities to complete the 120 of educational training required for the CDA, and we’re pleased that our partnership with Quality Assist and Kaplan provide access to quality content through online early childhood courses,” said Valora Washington, chief executive officer, Council for Professional Recognition.
This partnership will allow Quality Assist and Kaplan staff to work closely with the Council to support CDA students and help them qualify to apply for their initial CDA.
“We are pleased to work with the Council and to provide an engaging professional development solution for CDA candidates that is high quality and cost-effective,” said Dr. Annette Sibley, president, Quality Assist.
“Kaplan Early Learning Company welcomes the opportunity to support CDA candidates in their classrooms, programs, and with their professional development,” added Matthew Marceron, president, Kaplan Early Learning Company.
The online course platform will provide 24/7 access to more than 140 hours of quality and interactive training for CDA candidates to complete as part of CDA requirements to support the CDA Competency Standards that support the corresponding early childhood setting (family child care, center-based infant toddler, center-based preschool, and home visitor) in which educators work.
ABOUT THE COUNCIL FOR PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
The Council for Professional Recognition promotes improved performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children ages zero to 5 years old. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education settings –Head Start, pre-k, infant-toddler, family child care, and home visitor programs. As a non-profit agency, the Council sets policies and procedures for assessment and credentialing, publishes the industry leading training books and workbooks, including its CDA Competency Standards and Essentials textbook and workbook (2ndedition). www.cdacouncil.org
ABOUT QUALITY ASSIST, INC.
Quality Assist developed, administers and owns the Quorum e-Learning courses and professional development system, as well as face-to-face training, for early childhood educators across the country. Quality Assist also offers Parentivity, a unique web-based system that supports parents and caregivers of children from conception to age five with personalized content when they need it most. Quality Assist is known for producing results with early education systems, including federal and state agencies, state QRIS systems, and private and for-profit organizations.
ABOUT KAPLAN EARLY LEARNING COMPANY
Kaplan Early Learning Company is a leading international provider of products and services that enhance children’s learning. Kaplan is the distributor of the Quorum e-Learning courses and professional development system. As a leader in the field of early care and education, Kaplan brings to market innovative curricula, cutting edge assessments, teacher resource materials, and valuable professional development opportunities to early childhood and elementary school educators, caregivers, and parents around the world. With average employee tenure exceeding ten years, you will always find warm and knowledgeable individuals ready to serve you from our corporate headquarters in Lewisville, North Carolina. Our campus includes a 350,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art distribution center, a 160,000 square-foot warehouse, and two office buildings. Declared one of the best kept secrets in the Triad, our education mega store, which is open to the public, is great for teachers, home schoolers, and parents looking for materials that entertain and educate children.
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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.
Chief Operations Officer
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
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.
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