Key Points from the Video
The video is a rallying call by a member of NAEYS asking professionals to join the organization since it plays an important role in advocating for children’s rights. An important point raised in the video is the vital role of childhood professionals; the NAEYC recognizes the need to properly compensate early childhood professionals in accordance with the work they accomplish. Another important point raised in the video is the importance of bridging the gap between knowledge and practice as advocates liaise with policymakers to ensure equitability in access to early childhood education. A constant emphasis throughout the video is that the NAEYC is a large network of professionals involved in childhood advocacy.
Background: NAEYC
The national association for the education of young children (NAEYC) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1926 in Washington DC, the US. Its original name was National Association for Nursery Education (NANE). The organization’s founder developed the idea out of the need to ensure the existence of quality education. The first order of business was to develop a manual they called the Minimum Essentials for Nursery Education. The manual was to set the standards for nursery schools. The organization represents teachers, center directors, paraeducators, trainers, policymakers, and advocates. One of the organization’s focuses is the improvement of the well-being of children. The organization also accredits programs in accordance with safety, health, and education standards it set out in 1985. These standards underwent reinvention and were released in 2006.
National Issues Affecting Children’s Education
There is constant strife to make changes to the American education system. For this reason, it is important to highlight some of the issues with the potential to transform the industry. Firstly, there is a deficit in funding for education programs at both state and federal levels, causing children schooled in public schools to receive a substandard education. Another relevant issue today is the decline in safety, especially with regard to gun violence and school shootings (Barrington, 2019).
As professionals in child education advocacy, it is vital to take a stand on such matters and to be on the side with the most benefit for society. There is also the issue of technology and how to limit access to the internet that exposes children to all manner of evils, such as bullying and child trafficking. Another issue affecting children today is the controversy on charter schools and voucher programs (Barrington, 2019). One of the most vicious debates surrounding child education is common core; while the importance of standards is well documented, it will always elicit debate from people who want more autonomy over what their children learn.
Importance of Standards in Child Education
Standards are important in informing an educator about what the course’s outcomes are. Standards for education prepare the students for the knowledge and skills they need for later education, work, and life. This foundation is laid out at a young age. Standards are also critical in setting uniform instruction; professional development, curriculum, and assessments are geared to achieve and support specific standards (3 Reasons Standards Are Essential to Educational Success, 2017). Curriculums are designed in a reverse engineering way where it is first determined what essential knowledge and skills certain groups need at certain stages and then developing the education that would provide them with such knowledge. Finally, standards are important because achievement can be measured.
Why Child Advocacy Professionals Should Be Compensated Fairly
In the video, the speaker talked about the role NAEYC plays in ensuring that professionals working in advocacy are compensated properly. There is a common misconception that because child advocacy has an element of service that the employees should not prioritize pay. It is somehow true that the industry for the betterment of children’s well-being has an element of charity. But on the other hand, job satisfaction is highly dependent on fair compensation. It is in the best interest of children to compensate those working in the industry fairly. In the end, it becomes a win-win scenario. Moreover, social welfare services are mostly dependent on charity and are nonprofits; it is inherently nonmonetizable.
Policymakers in Child Advocacy
Children are a vulnerable group that cannot fight for themselves. It is, therefore, paramount that children’s issues be bolstered beyond culture and into law where the government is involved. It is in the interest of any nation to protect its future by having the best-possible policies for its children. Policymakers must be pushed sometimes through advocacy and activism. An act as simple as calling the member of the House of Representatives could go a long way in ensuring that bills already on the floor have been passed. During stakeholder meetings, it is vital that issues are raised that can be transformed into bills that policymakers can sponsor at the state and federal levels. All the stakeholders can be involved in this, from professionals to parents.
The Future of Child Advocacy
The future of child advocacy is heavily intertwined with emerging issues. One of the most important issues affecting children today is the internet. As the internet becomes more immersive, the future of child advocacy will involve developing technological solutions to address problems. Another issue affecting child advocacy professionals is the LGBTQ+ and other minorities; with most trans children being the most affected by issues such as depression and suicide, this is bound to be a critical topic that is heavily entangled with education. Climate issues are becoming an issue that children are aware of, and that is affecting their mental health. For this reason, it is vital that child education advocates give priority to the matter. Finally, while institutions such as the NAEYC are important for national issues, the future lies in forming more global networks.
Conclusion
The video presented was a rallying call by NAEYC to urge professionals to join the organization. The NAEYC was established in 1926 when the founders saw the need for standards in child education. The organization now boasts an excess of sixty thousand members nationally. The need for child advocacy is necessitated by issues such as insufficient funding, deteriorating safety, charter schools and voucher programs, and common core. For this reason, it is important for child advocacy professionals to push policymakers in an effort to get as many legislative solutions as possible. Finally, there is a need to compensate professionals working in the child welfare industry properly since their job satisfaction directly affects outcomes.
References
3 reasons standards are essential to educational success. (2017). Web.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2016). Advocating for the early childhood profession. [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Barrington, K. (2019). The 15 biggest failures of the American public education system. Public School Review. Web.