Who is Leading and Guiding Power to the Profession?

This is an all-in initiative. We need everyone’s perspective and voice to be heard in this conversation - and we need the voices of the profession itself to be front and center. 

The Early Childhood Field

Thousands of early childhood educators, researchers, experts, and other invested individuals are contributing to this process by participating in a wide variety of events, including:

•  Community events
•  Focus groups
•  Information sessions
•  Key informant interviews
•  Conference sessions
•  Webinars
•  Learning communities

To date, the Task Force has engaged more than 10,000 early childhood educators. Forty-six states and territories have hosted events, including information sessions, conference keynotes, focus groups, and webinars. Our work has been especially informed by nearly 6,000 individuals who have completed surveys, 32 written comments from partner organizations, and 145 focus groups reaching more than 3,000 individuals. Intentional outreach and engagement with educators from communities of color, educators who speak Spanish, and educators living in rural communities has resulted in 21 focus and discussion groups reaching more than 440 individuals across 12 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.

Learn more about how you can be part of the movement and involve others to help shape the profession. 

National Task Force 

A National Task Force of 15 organizations who represent and engage with large groups of early childhood professionals meet regularly to deliberate and come to consensus on shared recommendations for advancing the early childhood education profession.

1. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
   Breanne Skultety, Labor Economist
2. American Federation of Teachers
   Megan Stockhausen, Assistant Director, Educational Issues
3. Associate Degree Early Childhood Teacher Educators
   Debra Murphy, President
4. Child Care Aware of America
   Lynette Fraga, Executive Director
5. Council for Professional Recognition
   Valora Washington, Chief Executive Officer
6. Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children
   Peggy Kemp, Executive Director
7. Early Care and Education Consortium
   Celia Sims, President 
8. National Association for Family Child Care
   Louis A. Finney, President
9. National Association for the Education of Young Children
   Rhian Evans Allvin, Chief Executive Officer
10. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators
    Kelly Baker, President
11. National Association of Elementary School Principals
    Earl Franks, Executive Director
12. National Education Association
    Shyrelle Eubanks, Senior Policy Analyst
13. National Head Start Association
    Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director
14. Service Employees International Union
    Kursten Holabird, Campaign Support Coordinator
15. ZERO TO THREE 
    Matthew Melmed, Executive Director

The national task force is made up of national organizations who represent and engage with large numbers of early childhood educators. They are the group responsible for coming to consensus on the unified framework for the profession through the Decision Cycle process.

The national task force is chaired by Karen Ponder.

National Stakeholders

Over 35 national organizations with systems-level influence on the early childhood profession help inform and guide the work of the Task Force as Power to the Profession Stakeholders. 

1. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
2. American Indian College Fund
3. BUILD Initiative
4. Center for American Progress
5. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
6. Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes
7. CLASP
8. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
9. Council of Chief State School Officers
10. Data Quality Campaign
11. Early Childhood Personnel Center
12. Education Development Center
13. First Five Years Fund
14. Jumpstart
15. McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership
16. Military Child Education Coalition
17. Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education
18. National Academy of Sciences
19. National Association of Counties
20. National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education
21. National Association for Regulatory Administration
22. National Association of State Boards of Education
23. National Black Child Development Institute
24. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
25. National Governors Association
26. National Institute for Early Education Research
27. National League of Cities
28. National Women’s Law Center
29. National Workforce Registry Alliance
30. New America
31. Ounce of Prevention Fund
32. Save the Children
33. TEACH Early Childhood National Center
34. Teach for America
35. TESOL International Association
36. Trust for Learning
37. UnidosUS

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's report, Transforming the Financing of Early Childhood Education. Read a statement from the Task Force.