Foreword by: Lea J. E. Austin
Publication Date: September 8, 2017
Pages: 144
Series: Early Childhood Education Series
Featuring both research findings and practical recommendations, this book presents an innovative framework for nurturing leadership in the care and education of young children. Early educators are often seen as the objects of change, rather than the architects and co-creators of change. Douglass calls for a paradigm shift in thinking that challenges many long-held stereotypes about the early care and education workforce’s capacity to lead change. Case studies show how educators use their expertise every day to make a difference in the lives of children and families. These accounts demonstrate concrete strategies for expanding current thinking about who can be leaders for change and for developing more inclusive pathways for leadership. This book has the potential to revolutionize the field with a new model for developing and nurturing innovative, entrepreneurial, and skilled early educator leaders capable of driving transformative change—from classrooms and home-based programs to communities and beyond.
Book Features:
Anne L. Douglass is associate professor and founding executive director at the Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation , University of Massachusetts Boston.
"The core arguments and specific suggestions addressed in this book have much to offer anyone who cares about young children and has an interest in the future state of early care and education in our country."
—Teachers College Record
“Anne Douglass has written a book that calls attention to and offers a pathway for perhaps the greatest, yet least visible, challenge facing the early care and education field today: the leadership development gap. This gap interferes with our ability to enact meaningful, systemic change, and Douglass boldly calls for a re-envisioning of access to leadership in early care and education.”
—From the foreword by Lea J. E. Austin, co-director, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California, Berkeley
“Douglass provides a new and motivating lens for improving early childhood education 'on the ground.' By focusing on the potential of ECE's ‘teaching ranks’ to drive programmatic and organizational improvements, new thinking is offered for addressing the field's leadership development gap and improving the caliber and impact of children's, parents', teachers', and administrators' relational experiences. It is a welcome and significant contribution to ECE as a field of practice.”
—Stacie G. Goffin, principal, Goffin Strategy Group
"This book provides early childhood professionals with a new framework for thinking about leadership development, including research findings and practical recommendations to create clear pathways and a supportive ecosystem."
—Marilou Hyson, consultant, Early Childhood Development and Education
Foreword by Lea J. E. Austin
Preface
Chapter 1. Developing Leadership Within: The Next Frontier of Early Care and Education
The Problem
The Transformative Opportunity
What to Expect in This Book
Conclusion
PART I: THEORETICAL AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE
Chapter 2. Rethinking Change in Early Care and Education
Change in Early Care and Education
Challenges of Change
Understanding Barriers to Change
Systems Thinking
The Science of Relational Coordination
The Science of Improvement
Innovation
Conclusion
Chapter 3. Rethinking Leadership in Early Care and Education
The Challenge and the Opportunity: Developing Leadership for Change in ECE
Impact of ECE Leadership Development
Understanding the Leadership Development Gap
The Possibilities of Early Educator Leadership
Conclusion
Chapter 4. Leading Change, Improvement, and Innovation
A Paradigm Shift
Five Reasons to Develop Leadership for Change
Conclusion
PART II: LEADERSHIP PATHWAYS
Chapter 5. The Possibilities of Early Educator Leadership
Believing
Developing as Leaders
Lessons from Leadership Development
Conclusion
Chapter 6. Building Leadership Pathways
Taking Action to Lead Change
Seeking and Co-Creating Leadership Pathways
Conclusion
Chapter 7. Redesigning Quality Improvement and Professional Development
Rethinking Leadership in Quality Improvement and Professional Development
The Breakthrough Series Collaborative Model
What Happens in a BSC?
Three Foundational Ideas
The BSC on Trauma-Informed ECE
Conclusion
PART III: A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ECOSYSTEM: CULTIVATING THE LEADERSHIP WE NEED
Chapter 8. What Is a Leadership Development Ecosystem and Why Do We Need One?
Early Educators Co-Creating a Vision for an Ecosystem
What Is a Leadership Development Ecosystem?
Why Do We Need a Leadership Development Ecosystem?
The Foundations for a Leadership Development Ecosystem
Conclusion
Chapter 9. Building the Leadership Development Ecosystem
Components of the Leadership Development Ecosystem
Conclusion
Chapter 10. A Leadership Ecosystem in Action
Key Strategies
The Leadership Forum
The Innovation Lab and Accelerator
ECE Small Business Innovation Center
Conclusion
Chapter 11. Conclusion: The Leadership of Early Educators
References
Index
About the Author
Professors: Request an Exam Copy
Print copies available for US orders only. For orders outside the US, see our international distributors.