Dear Colleagues,

We stand with the early childhood workforce in their determination to undo institutional and structural racism. Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” As a mother, a teacher, and a leader I have learned that actions speak louder than words and we must heed the call to action – and create the future we dare to dream about.

Every day the Institute staff comes together to lift up the early childhood workforce – a workforce that is predominantly women, many of whom are women of color, many still who worry about the futures of their own children and the children of others who they so deftly educate and nurture.

As we work to rebuild the systems that serve young children and their families let’s commit to racial equity.  Let’s commit to radical responsibility to make the changes we dream about.  As the leader of a statewide organization that serves the early childhood workforce, I pledge our continued and amplified efforts – our actions –  to be part of the solution, to work every day to raise issues of social justice, to propose policies that lead to racial equity, and to work towards a day when every early childhood educator – leaders and teachers alike – is able to work with dignity, respect, and the compensation they deserve.

In peace and solidarity,

Sherry M. Cleary

University Dean – Early Childhood Initiatives                                                                                                                              Executive Director – New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute