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Two decades of neuroscience research have irrefutably proven that the most profound period in a child鈥檚 life is the time from zero to 5, when the baby鈥檚 brain is developing the language skills and executive function that will enable that little human to thrive and learn throughout their lifetime. Research shows that 90% of a child鈥檚 brain develops before they start kindergarten, and that positive, stable relationships with caregivers throughout their early years prepare the child to do better in school and in life.

Given the importance of this time in a child鈥檚 life, it stands to reason that the people charged with caring for and educating children in this crucial stage would be revered and rewarded for their essential contribution to the human future.

This is not the case. Despite the science, early childhood educators in the U.S., for the most part, have not seen a corresponding level of acknowledgment. In fact, a recent showed that 43% of the nation鈥檚 pre-K and kindergarten teachers are eligible for public assistance. An uncomfortable percentage of individuals whose lives are devoted to the nurture, education and training of our youngest citizens could make a better livelihood at the nearest burger chain.

has devoted her career to bridging that canyon between value and daily reality. As chief executive officer of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), she steers the nation鈥檚 largest professional organization for early childhood educators. works to improve access to early education for all the nation鈥檚 children from birth through age 8, as well as the professional standing of those who deliver it.

鈥淲hat early childhood educators do matters to every economic engine in our country,鈥� Allvin says. 鈥淧eople who go into early education want to be early childhood educators; they鈥檙e compelled by the mission and by the idea of having a profound impact on a child鈥檚 life, getting them developmentally on the right track before school starts.鈥�

鈥淭hey want to stay in the profession, but our policies, systems and compensation structures would have you believe they鈥檙e babysitters. As a society, we create market conditions that discourage them from staying in the profession.鈥�

Strategic Priorities

To address both sides of the equation, NAEYC has created two forward-facing strategic priorities. First is the that reflects the organization鈥檚 mission to create equitable learning opportunities for young children, which Allvin says is not only a worthy idea, but a professional obligation for all early childhood educators. To be able to act on that obligation, educators must be supported by the settings in which they work, and in their wider communities. NAEYC鈥檚 offers a blueprint for administrators, educators, policymakers and community members in working to eliminate structural inequities that limit access and opportunity for children.

鈥淭his position statement was two years in the making,鈥� Allvin says. 鈥淢ore than 150 organizations have endorsed the statement and we have worked really hard to have it be more than words on paper, to integrate it in all we do. It influences the articles we write in our journal, the books we鈥檝e published and how we design professional development and our training programs. Practitioners say they have begun to think differently about their role as an early childhood educator, and system leaders are now examining what systems we鈥檝e put in place or inherited that advantage for some children and disadvantage others.鈥�

Fundamental to the work of advancing equity, Allvin says, is for every individual to go through the process of examining their own biases, beliefs, values and cultural perspectives. Throughout the creation of the position statement, committee members, researchers and the work group all were participating in the practice of listening to experts and examining their own thinking.

鈥淔or me personally, going through this process has influenced how I think about everything,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ot only professionally or with NAEYC, but it affects how I observe interactions at the grocery store and how I think about experiences my kids have at school. Once you begin seeing the world through the 鈥榚quity lens,鈥� it creates the possibility of profound, personal change.鈥�

A Unifying Framework

The second priority for NAEYC is its 鈥淯nifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession,鈥� released in early March. Again, it is a consensus document reflecting the multi-year work of 15 national organizations, now established as , a national collaboration to advance a unified, diverse, equitable and effective profession for early childhood educators. More than 6,000 surveys were completed through events in 47 states; and 175 focus groups conducted outreach with more than 3,400 people, intentionally engaging educators of color, Spanish speakers and rural educators in 12 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. More than 11,000 educators and others provided feedback on drafts of the Unifying Framework 鈥� a process that practically defines 鈥渋nclusive.鈥� One goal of Power to the Profession is to promote professional standards and competencies in a deeply fragmented field, where standards vary widely and often are not honored state to state.

鈥淔or educators to understand what they need to know and be and do, the credentials they need and what they can expect to be paid varies by state, by the different age you serve, the type of program you鈥檙e in and whether you鈥檙e in a private or public program,鈥� Allvin says. 鈥淯nlike in nursing where, if you see that someone is an RN (Registered Nurse), you know that, whether that person is working at a Trauma One hospital in Nebraska or a community health center in Boston, that nurse was prepared in the same way. Their credential means that they went through a specific training and reached certain profession-wide standards.

鈥淭hat isn鈥檛 true with early childhood educators. Every state makes up its own system, and that鈥檚 not helpful for families or educators. If I鈥檓 a qualified educator in one state and my spouse is transferred for work to another, it very well could be that I have to start from scratch again, because my credentialing won鈥檛 apply.鈥�

The vision of Power to the Profession is to drive the 鈥渟ignificant and sustained public investment鈥� that will allow all children to benefit from high quality early childhood education provided by professionals who are well-prepared, diverse, supported and compensated. Inherent in that aim is the training of an existing workforce and recruitment of new educators into a profession that honors them. The science is also at work here, Allvin says.

In 2015, the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development published , which not only explained brain development in early childhood, but emphasized the importance of having trained educators able to understand and work to foster the complexity of language, math, reasoning and problem-solving. That report laid the foundation for people in the field to ask the important questions of how to create policy and a system that acknowledges and supports the profession.

It might not sound like an easy sell for a public increasingly wary of taxes and expenditures, but Allvin says that one of NAEYC鈥檚 survey findings is that voters revere early childhood educators in the same light as firefighters and nurses. As for how to translate that support into actual physical resources, Allvin is uniquely suited provide that guidance.

Arizona鈥檚 First Things First, where she was CEO prior to NAEYC, took the issue of creating a revenue stream for early childhood education to the state鈥檚 voters. The organization crafted a ballot initiative that voters overwhelmingly voted to support by taxing themselves. Accomplishing that feat took thoughtful strategy, having the right people at the table 鈥� people who were influencers and those who could raise money (not always the same individuals), as well as people who knew early education and could write the language. The Arizona project involved attorneys and political strategists and people with the negotiating skills to guide both groups through sometimes choppy waters.

鈥淎t the end of the day,鈥� she says, 鈥渋f we鈥檙e going to have a system at scale where all parents are afforded the opportunity for their children to be in high-quality early learning, that can鈥檛 happen without enormous systems change.鈥�

Based on experience, she knows it鈥檚 doable.

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.