National Association of State Boards of Education Collaborates to Advance the Early Childhood Education Workforce

The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) issued a policy update about the Early Childhood Education Workforce and its ongoing collaboration with the National League of Cities (NLC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The policy brief details successful statewide collaborations with state school boards in Michigan and New York, which are working to build their Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce. It shares valuable lessons learned from these collaboratives just as Power to the Profession (P2P) – the nationwide push to professionalize the Early Childhood Education field – begins to expand across the U.S.

All stakeholders that have a role in a young child’s life– from local child care centers to state organizations – plays a role in advancing the ECE workforce.

• State Policymakers: State boards of education and other policymakers can get input, allocate funding, set workforce standards and provide technical assistance and best practices for the Early Childhood profession.
• Local Policymakers: local leaders can allocate funding for professional development or tuition, in addition to convening and advocating for statewide ECE funding.
• Professional Associations: professional associations in the ECE workforce can advocate for policies, standards and practices which can be imbedded in local, state and federal policy. This facilitates a shared understanding and helps to ensure that knowledge and skills are both evidence-based and appropriately used.

Advocacy & Communication Solutions (ACS) is proud to work with NASBE and NAEYC, in addition to their state affiliates, to provide technical and communication assistance to engage early childhood educators, higher education, community leaders, and local and state government agencies to bring about meaningful changes in the ECE profession.