Motivations, Strategies, Resources, Leadership, and Advice

What motivated you to start advocating for very young children? Teaching is in my blood but I have always wanted to be lawyer and I am always looking out for the interests of others. After leaving college in 1995 my first two teaching jobs landed me with children who had either failed out of high school miserably or were placed in remedial classes because they could not read. I always wondered why these children can’t read is or even do simply arithmetic. Many of these children were from very poor backgrounds and were never given the opportunity to attend an early childhood institution and their primary and secondary educational experiences were also not good. Advocacy was born in be when I had to defend and justify why a prevocational student should also receive the opportunity to learn certain skill areas. Unfortunately many of the vocational instructors did not want students from the prevocational class because they were considered as a failure. This advocacy intensified when I started working as a Community Development Officer. I had the privilege to discuss issues with the community and early childhood always seem to top the list. I realized that many of these children were exposed to very substandard conditions and this motivated me to start advocating for early childhood. ◦Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level? It so important to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro and macro levels. The micro often leads to greater things. Many times things are also done at the micro level that has a greater impact than at the macro level. The macro level however allows you ◦What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues? Your job could almost be described to that of a politician. It takes guts, perseverance, determination, optimism, knowledgeable, a great motivator. It takes passion. With passion you are not easily deterred. For the early childhood leader challenges are the fuel for motivation and disappointments are turned into opportunities. ◦What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues? A leader should possess the skill to identify resources that are needed. Networking is a very essential resource. Networking transcends beyond what you can actually see with the physical eyes. It can lead to financial resources and other sources that are needed. ◦What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others? Every early childhood leader must be knowledgeable about early childhood and the issues that affect the field. The next step would be to speak out about these issues in different forums, whether on a one on one basis or at large forums. What advice would you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families? Be yourself and remember why you are doing this. It is easy to become side tracked and discouraged but always remain focused