For more information, contact:
Kristina Gawrgy
202-350-8857
For Immediate Release:
May 20, 2009
NAEYC and other professional organizations form a coalition to highlight professional integrity
(Washington, D.C.) – The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has joined a coalition of 18 other national and global organizations to form the Professionals for the Public Interest (PftPI).The coalition organizations include associations and unions representing professionals in science, education, engineering, health, the arts, and human services.
Professionals across a range of government and private enterprise positions are experiencing pressures and challenges to the integrity of their work. PftPI will engage those professionals, the public, and policymakers in discussing ways to defend against those external pressures, said Paul E. Almeida, President of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO. He called the coalition a "national invitation to professionals to tell their stories and share their ideas about integrity at work."
NAEYC is pleased to be working with other organizations in promoting the needs of professionals serving the public interest to do their work well and to promote professional integrity against external challenges.
“It is important for early childhood educators and administrators to understand that they have an opportunity to voice their stories and challenges with defending their professional integrity and interests,” said Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. “We are excited to usher in this new theme of change and welcoming the collective voice of professionals from all sectors.”
PftPI is also launching its Web site (www.PftPI.org) to allow professionals to share ideas and experiences related to professional integrity and its connection to the public interest. The stories will be entered into a contest and several will be highlighted on Labor Day 2009 on the website. The site also highlights the members of the coalition and their statements on professional integrity.
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide. The association is the largest and most influential voice for early childhood education professionals and the field of early childhood education in the United States
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Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States.
