​Council For Professional Recognition: Invest In Our Educators

Early childhood education is essential to our economy and our communities. This also makes it essential to support our early childhood teachers, explained Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr., CEO of the Council for Professional Recognition, in a recent chat with Patch.

Patch: Would you please tell us a little about your organization and its mission?

Moore: The Council is a Washington, DC, nonprofit that sets the standard for competence in early childhood education. For nearly five decades, we have administered the Child Development Associate® (CDA) Credential™ to educators worldwide. CDA® holders are well prepared to foster the social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth of children from birth to age five, the most formative time in life. All children deserve quality early learning, so the Council has always been committed to promoting the performance and recognition of professionals in ECE. This lasting mission has led us to pivot in response to changes in best practices for early childhood education, improvements in technology and the growing diversity of those who pursue a career in our field. Earning a CDA doesn’t just help educators bring out the best in children. It also advances their careers and contributes to the status of our profession.

Patch: What attracted you to the early childhood profession?

Moore: I have first-hand scholarly knowledge of how quality early education changes lives. My early experiences in life ignited my interest in early learning. I intended to go to college after serving in the U.S. Air Force for four years. My plans changed when my aunt suggested I work at Head Start to see if I really wanted to teach young children. I took her advice, and Head Start enrolled me in a CDA program at a community college. After earning my CDA, I went on to earn my BA, MA and Ph.D. Meanwhile, I continued to grow as a professional, too. After teaching for five years, I became a Head Start director and eventually a Head Start executive director. Then I became the child care administrator for Alabama and subsequently deputy director for the Office of Child Care in the federal Administration for Children and Families. Two years ago, I became Council CEO, a role I never dreamed I would play when I earned my CDA in 1992. My climb up the career ladder shows what is possible for our early childhood teachers and makes me a poster child for the CDA.

Patch: What do you think makes people want to pursue a career in early childhood education?

Moore: Going into the early childhood field allows you to contribute to our economy and communities, families and children. You allow parents to work knowing that their children are safe and still building the bedrock for future success. When parents have access to quality child care, they are more likely to enter the workforce and stay employed. Higher labor force participation, in turn, benefits business and helps to boost the economy now. The future also looks brighter when children have the skilled educators they need. Young learners who attend quality early childhood programs tend to have more productive, stable lives than children who don’t. So, early childhood teachers help build the workforce of both today and tomorrow, as numerous studies show. And it starts in the classroom as children light up as they learn something new. For an educator, there’s nothing like knowing your work contributes to a better future for us all.

Patch: What challenges does your profession face and how have you responded?

Moore: The Council has always strived to help early childhood teachers get the respect and recognition they deserve. And they especially needed support when COVID hit our profession hard. The child care crisis that COVID left in its wake led the Council to reimagine the way candidates earn the CDA. We knew children needed more qualified teachers who hold a CDA. So, I urged Council staff to design something futuristic, ingenious, cutting edge and new that would bring more equity to the credentialing process. The Council could turn crisis into opportunity by embedding a customer focus in all we do. And we drew on advice from a wide range of stakeholders and subject matter experts as we embarked on key projects to increase access to the CDA: a redesigned website, updated CDA exam, revised edition of the CDA textbook, Essentials for Working with Young Children; and reimagining of the whole process to put our candidates first.

Patch: How can we get more men to enter the early learning field?

Moore: The early childhood field tends to be no man’s land since a meager 3.2 percent of preschool teachers are men and 44 percent leave the field within five years. Roadblocks to men teaching children include rigid ideas about gender roles, perceptions of ECE as a low-prestige job, lack of benefits and a living wage and the suspicions of families and colleagues who question why men would want to teach young children. Still, we should welcome men into the ECE field because interacting with a gender-balanced workforce lets children have a wider range of experiences that leads to better outcomes. Some of the ways to recruit and retain more male teachers include mentoring, setting up support groups and choosing curricula that are inclusive of men. We should also enlist young men in high school CDA programs while they’re still searching for a fulfilling career. When we champion men, we help our children move ahead.

Patch: What is the best advice you can give to people who want to enter the early childhood education field?

Moore: I would encourage aspiring teachers to start by earning a CDA. Then continue your education. If you don’t have the means to take that first step, explore the many scholarships that will help with the cost of CDA courses, credentialing fees and books. Financial aid is available in states nationwide, including Maryland, where the state education department has partnered with the Council to help fund thousands of Maryland educators in earning their CDA. The partnership plays a key role in the state’s blueprint to provide preschool for every Maryland child, a plan that requires teachers with all the skills to help young children advance. And supporting the CDA is a cost-effective way to fill the need for skilled teachers as more states pursue programs to provide child care for all. CDA holders have the confidence and competence to find success in the classroom and beyond, as I’ve shown in my career. You just never know where earning a CDA can take you.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your organization and its work?

Moore: Check out our website, follow us on social media and subscribe to our monthly newsletter CounciLINK. It reaches over 300,000 subscribers, and keeps them in the know about the people, places and programs that are shaping the early childhood field.

Patch: How can our readers learn more about the new Maryland grant opportunity?

Moore: Educators who want to take advantage of this chance to earn a CDA can learn more by visiting the Maryland Family Network. It provides the information that rising teachers need to complete the required training for a CDA, compile the CDA portfolio and apply for funding that can jumpstart their careers. Current CDA holders can also renew their credentials as part of this limited-time chance—which shouldn’t be missed. Maryland wants to invest now in helping more people earn a CDA, so they have the right skills to invest in the future of young learners.