Chapter 2 Best Practices of Early Childhood Program Leaders “If you dare to take up vision and not settle for the status quo, you are on the road to nurturing reality.” (Carter & Curtis, 2010) CD 42 Dr. Gallegos

Foundation for Anti-Bias Leadership Anti-bias leadership builds on the core principles and best leadership practices of the early childhood care and education field. Relationships that include respect, sharing knowledge, reflective, intentional teaching; and collaboration among staff and between staff and the program leader. Leadership task involve thoughtfully negotiating the complexity of interactions with families, staff, children, and community members, all of which carry deep personal meaning generated by caring for other people’s children. The leader also plays a vital role in fostering anti-bias education values, relationships, and strategies as an integral part of an ECCE program’s mission and daily practice,. They can initiate organizational policy and structure changes that support ongoing anti-bias education in the classrooms and with families.

Key Aspects of ECCE Program Leadership Promoting Collaboration Collaborative leadership relies on cooperation, consensus building and shared responsibility It also reflects a belief in all members of a staff working as a team, rather than as a hierarchy. They exercise power WITH, rather than power ON, staff and families. They set the direction and provide clear expectations. Facilitating a shared program vision and mission The leader take the lead in establishing and nurturing the program's vision,, core values, and tone. While a vision statement expresses what you hope to accomplish, a mission statement descries the program’s particular purpose and provides a framework for working toward the vision. Creating vision and mission statements that spell out your program’s commitment to anti-bias education is a crucial step in beginning and then cultivating change.

Key Aspects of ECCE Program Leadership Establsihing the Organizational Culture Quality ECCE programs share certain central cultural and organizational characteristics that include: 1. Collegiality 2. Innovativeness 3. Professional Growth Supporting a Community of Learners An active community learners is the heart of building a quality ECCE program and culture of inquiry and adult learning Creating a amiable place to work requires teachers balancing their time between working alone in their classrooms and spending time together reflecting about and improving their practice. Finding time in early childhood programs for staff to be a community of learners is another challlegne, given realities of insufficient staff and funding under which too many programs operate.

Key Aspects of ECCE Program Leadership Building Partnerships with Families Respecting the centrality of the family’s role in a child’s life is an early enduring ECCE principle. Collaboration with families is also essential for meaningful anti-bias education Ongoing collaboration is how the leader and staff ensure that children’s cultures accurately become a central part of the daily life of the program.

Core Attributes of Effective ECCE Program Leaders Having the courage to lead Cultivating imagination Willingness to engage in ongoing self-reflection and growth Practicing what one preaches Accepting and learning form mistakes Seeing “turbulence as an opportunity for positive change”

Professional Development Four essential areas 1. Reflective knowledge of self 2. Knowledge about others including how adults learn 3. Knowledge about how organizations work 4. Knowledge about he external world that surrounds the program