Our Commitment to Promoting Racial Equity and Social Justice through Continuous Quality Improvement in Early Childhood Education Programs

This time last year, my heart was broken. 

I'd spent so much time documenting my experiences that I could barely focus on doing my job. Though time consuming, bringing my concerns to my supervisor and having difficult conversations brought clarity on where I stood within the organization, whether our values aligned, and what I needed to do. 

Though I am always prepared to handle myself, It wasn't me I was concerned about. I was taken aback when I approached the Vice President of Early Care and Learning about the existing training not meeting the needs of teachers in predominately black communities, requesting to write training that better fit the challenges we faced, and being told to pull from our existing repertoire. I was shocked, and maybe a tad bit naive, that an education administration organization followed a one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning.

Although I submitted my resignation, I am not afraid to admit that I struggled. 

As a technical assistant, I struggled with how a Community Resource and Referral Agency contracted by the Department of Early Care and Learning could deny teachers and children access to quality trainings that were culturally relevant when teachers truly didn't understand the concept behind the content.

Research suggests that teachers and early childhood practitioners should engage in professional development designed to build their knowledge and application skills before engaging in coaching and other on-site job improvement efforts. Research also suggests that the quality and focus of professional development and coaching is more important and more effective than the number of contact hours a program or teacher receives.

I struggled with how I could sit across from people that had the power to make a difference, yet had no sense of urgency about the status quo and who didn't seem concerned about real-world consequences these children would eventually face.

I was disappointed to hear them relegate our work to being a "job", despite knowing that part of my job included developing training. The fact that I followed protocol by asking, reminded me that at times, "it be your own people." 

As a former public school teacher, I struggled with going into childcare programs day in and day out, watching teachers rehearse the same four standards with children, despite the GELDS encompassing 70+ indicators.

I struggled, knowing that third grade students struggle with math, reading, and science concepts and that the foundation for these standards can be traced back to the early childhood classroom.

I struggled with listening to school systems gaslight parents by discouraging us from communicating the reality of their child's progress, or lack thereof.

As a black woman, I struggled with the racial inequities that were prevalent in our education system and questioned whether we were better off remaining separate, but equal.

I questioned whether integration at the earliest level was necessary and thought that we would be much better off educating our own and preparing them for the world.

As a creator, I fully understood Daymond John's acronym "For Us, By Us" and why it wasn't just a clothing line. It was a movement to incorporate our culture into mainstream fashion.

I was concerned that too many black people had given up hope for our children in exchange for houses and cars, or what we have come to know as the American Dream. Didn't they know that we could have both?

As a believer, and a follower of Jesus Christ, I was reminded that "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us."

In this scene, the camera pans across the countryside and enters a portal invisible to the naked eye. It reminds me of the importance of knowing who we are, what we are capable of, and building on that.

Wakanda is a symbol of black excellence, culture, and empowerment, but most importantly, it represents a place that was never colonized. It represents a place that could've been, could be, and should be the norm for us all, but most importantly, for our children.

Wakanda represents a place where we don't have to ask to exude our greatness or wait for someone else to figure out what we already know. We just are and we just do.

We are the masters of our own destiny and through motivation, innovation, creativity, technology, and unity, we can bring the world back to life, as God originally intended.

Today, my heart is still broken and I hope it stays that way because my heart isn't broken for me. It's broken for the children who don't realize that the system wasn't created for them, but are trusting it anyway.

It's broken for the children who don't know they are being deprived of reaching their full potential because they aren't getting what they don't know they need.

It's broken for the teachers who genuinely care, but don't have access to quality professional development opportunities that bridge the gap between where they are and where the children need them to be.

It's broken for the parents and families who want what's best for their children, but don't know what it looks like and/or can't afford to provide it for them. 

As we embark upon another year, we are presented with another opportunity to help children learn and grow by educating, empowering, and encouraging the teachers we serve.