Early Childhood Education for a New Era

In her provocative new book, Stacie Goffin presents a leadership manifesto to the field of early childhood education: It should step forward as an agent for change by assuming responsibility for the competent practice of its practitioners and for facilitating positive results for children and their learning. As a field of practice, ECE should formally organize as a profession to realize consistency in practice across sites and program types. Goffin challenges the field to develop fieldwide leadership and diminish its reliance on public policy for defining its purpose and structure. Offering a fresh viewpoint on national efforts to improve program quality and children’s learning and development, the book concludes with “Next Steps Commentaries” written by education luminaries Rolf Grafwallner, Jacqueline Jones, and Pamela J. Winton outlining concrete action steps to jump-start the essential discussion about moving forward.

Stacie G. Goffin is the principal of the Goffin Strategy Group and the author of the critically acclaimed book Ready or Not: Leadership Choices in Early Care and Education, written with Valora Washington. She previously led the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Accreditation Reinvention Project and is a former senior program officer at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, professor in higher education, and preschool educator.

“A must-read for people who care about the future of our young children.”
—Aletha Huston, The University of Texas at Austin

“Once again, Goffin is serving as a much-needed provocateur, protagonist, and catalytic agent.”
—Maurice Sykes, Early Childhood Leadership Institute, University of the District of Columbia

“Stacie is right; change starts with us—with me!”
—Margot Chappel,Nevada Head Start Collaboration

“With her usual clarity, Stacie Goffin drives her stake in the ground and then gathers us around it, urging us along an intellectual journey, not so much toward the answers for our profession but toward exacting questions needed to get us to the place that will define us as one.”
—Jana Martella, co-director, Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes, Washington, DC

“Stacie presents a powerful challenge: all of us must step up to organize early childhood education as a professional field of practice. While parts of her analysis are sure to be debated, I hope her message gains traction among us. This issue matters enormously for children and for ourselves.”
—Valora Washington, president and CEO, Council for Professional Recognition, Washington, DC