Dr. Maria Mavrides Calderon’s policy brief discusses the implications of compensation and work conditions policies affecting New York City Early Education Centers (NYCEECs). Throughout this brief, Dr. Mavrides Calderon (Early Scholar Cohort 2021) amplifies the voices of directors, teachers and parents working or attending NYCEECs. The brief uses information from a qualitative study conducted by…
Writing the History of Your Early Childhood Program
For the last several years, I have been researching and writing the history of the 93-year-old Amalgamated Nursery School for my doctoral dissertation at the CUNY Graduate Center, Urban Education, Policy and Leadership. This story, which started in 1929 with the founding of what was originally a kindergarten in the Amalgamated Houses, has taken me…
Diversifying Gender and Sexuality in Children’s Books:
About two decades ago, while I was a preschool teacher in Argentina, I gave little to no thought to the gendered dynamics of my classroom. I identify as a cisgender (i.e., my sex assigned at birth matches my gender identity), straight, gender-conforming woman. To a great extent, this positionality allowed me to be “genderblind” about…
The Many Joys of Early Childhood Mathematics
“Miss Ashley, Miss Ashley, give me numbers!” This is the request that started my path of awareness and curiosity about the possibilities of the mathematical minds of preschool aged children. Through sitting and talking with my students in the morning during breakfast, during center time, and during morning meeting, I discovered quite by accident, that…
Accessing and Integrating Professional Development Supports: Carol Berry’s Story
As an Early Childhood Coach, one of my objectives is to help my coachees connect with services or initiatives that will support their professional growth and improve quality. These services are key because they offer support, connection and professional development after the coaching services end. Working with Carol, she was able to utilize many of…
Reflections by Research Network Scholars: Jillian Crosby
The New York City Early Childhood Research Network is a project of the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. The Network brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to collaborate, share knowledge, and generate actionable research. Researchers in the Network represent public and private universities in the metropolitan area as well as individuals from a…
Inclusive and Family-Centered Infant-Toddler Care: Research on Educator’s Experiences
“By we assessing the children within 45 days…we may see wherethat child might need some help and where can we help them (so that) by the timethey get to kindergarten the child is …ready for kindergarten and not repeating kindergarten! If we can actually get the service now, it’s better for the child’s developmental stage.”…
Reflections on the Abolition of Mandatory Reporting
The events of the past 18 months have given rise to a massive global civil rights movement that has invited deep reflection and calls to action for all of us. As part of this movement, the field of Early Care and Education has begun to question its foundational structures, and there are a range of…
Getting Ready for Back to School Transitions! Ideas for Teachers to Connect with Families
As families prepare to support their children as they enter school after an incredibly tumultuous year, it is important for educators to engage with families in new and innovative ways. In a typical year, educators know that the transition into school can be a stressful time and that supports are needed. This year calls for…
Simone Biles and the Importance of Teaching Children Consent
When I first started working with the Gender, Sexuality and the Family team at the Institute, I was troubled by the use of the word ‘consent’ in relation to interactions between children and their caregivers. For me, the word consent belonged within the field of law, in relation to sexual assault. In their patient and…