CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNING BOARD AFFILIATE LIASON
One member to be elected to a four-year term.
2012 NAEYC Governing Board Election—Candidate Statements
Gege Kreischer
Early Childhood Consultant
Child Care Concepts
Lutz, Florida
Please describe your efforts on behalf of young children and families.
My work as a teacher, director, trainer, accreditation specialist, and program consultant has given me a deep respect for the challenges facing our workforce and the programs that serve children and their families. My commitment to high-quality, affordable child care has helped me represent the NAEYC perspective while serving on state committees and task forces addressing program quality issues. My experience as project manager for Caring for Children, a research project that studied the impact of poverty on the lives of young children, affirmed my belief that all children need access to high-quality child care programs and services.
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Please describe the specific strengths and skills you would bring as a member of the NAEYC Governing
B
A governing board member is an innovator, a collaborator, a critical thinker, and a visionary. My work with my local and state Affiliates, the NAEYC Academy, and Affiliate Relations for the past 20 years has helped me expand my understanding of the importance of these skills. My involvement with children, families, teachers, and administrators has kept me connected to the issues challenging our profession. My service on local and state Affiliate boards has shown me the impact a high-functioning and inclusive board has on the health and productivity of an association. My participation in the Compensated Validator Field Trial gave me a deep respect for the reliability and integrity of our accreditation system and the significant difference it makes for children in an NAEYC-accredited program. My work with the Affiliate Council, the Innovation Grant Task Force, and the Nominating Panel has given me a unique understanding of the design and function of our Association. To serve as a member of the Governing Board at this time in NAEYC’s history requires that individuals commit to being fully prepared to address each issue and remain open to broadening their perspective by carefully reflecting on additional insights and information. The challenges and the educational and economic issues confronting NAEYC’s membership require us to expand our perspectives if solutions are to be sustainable and effective. As a Governing Board member, I would be dedicated to helping NAEYC reach its potential as the premier association for early childhood professionals.
What do you see as the single greatest issue facing the early childhood field today, and what role do you see for NAEYC in addressing this issue?
The unstable economy has already threatened many of the early childhood funding sources and will continue to affect funding and program quality as we move through this decade. In the current economic environment of high unemployment and low program enrollment, programs in both the public and the private sector struggle to stabilize budgets. The accessibility of affordable, high-quality programs must not be compromised. The adverse conditions confronting our field and our membership call for a renewed dedication to creating a network of advocates to maintain fully funded programs and services for children and their families and to promote the highest standard of program quality in our communities. We need to coordinate efforts to focus on key issues and speak with one voice for children in order to move these issues forward. Advocacy requires passion, energy, commitment, and tenacious determination. NAEYC is a critical resource for its members and for all early childhood professionals. It is uniquely poised to bring together national resources that create a network to support and inform our work in communities and states both in public policy and program quality. Vision 2015 has clearly defined these goals and the National Dialogue has placed an important emphasis on NAEYC’s relationship with members and Affiliates. We must stay committed to this work and make a clear vision shared through strong relationships an integral part of our Association’s culture.
oard, emphasizing leadership roles you have had at local community, state, and/or national levels and prior contributions and service to NAEYC.
