7.1 Staff The Essential IngredientIf you traveled across the Un.docx

7.1 Staff: The Essential Ingredient
If you traveled across the United States and visited every early
childhood program on your path, you would have a hard time
finding any two that are exactly alike. From a preschool in rural
Alaska where children wear snow boots on the playground, to a
child care center in downtown Miami housed in a busy office
tower, programs differ in so many ways—in size, location,
hours of operation, philosophy, and structure. The one
characteristic that all share is the importance of the staff and
the relationships they build with children and families. More
than facility, equipment, and materials, it's the people working
in the program, caring for and teaching the children, who
determine the quality and value of the services provided there.
As described in Chapter 1, research confirms that the staff is the
most important ingredient in program quality. Hiring enough
staff to maintain low teacher-child ratios and attracting staff
with credentials and skills are among the leading indicators of
quality (National Center for Early Development and Learning,
1999).
The responsibility of the early childhood administrator
regarding staff is to serve as a mentor, a supervisor, and
manager, and a coach. As a mentor, the administrator serves as
a role model and provides advice and guidance to support
professional growth. As a supervisor, the administrator sets
clear expectations for staff members, evaluates their job
performance, and provides feedback. As a manager, the
administrator creates schedules and calendars that structure the
staffing patterns in the program and ensure that there will be
enough staff available to meet the children's needs. And as a
coach, the administrator works with groups or teams of teachers
and other staff members, facilitating communication and
planning, as well as resolving conflicts. An effective leader of
an early childhood program balances all these roles and

responsibilities to create an environment where each employee
can do her or his best work.
7.2 The Problem of High Staff Turnover
Early childhood administrators are responsible for attracting,
hiring, training, and supervising quality staff members, from the
office clerk to the food service aid to the classroom teachers. In
the field of early childhood education, staff turnover is a
chronic problem (Hale, Knopf & Kemple, 2006). According to
the National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC), the turnover rate among early childhood educators is
roughly one third a year (2012d). This means that many early
childhood administrators have to hire the equivalent of a
completely new staff every three years.
Compensation Rates
The causes of turnover are complex. One primary reason is low
compensation (NAEYC, 1997b). Despite the important role they
play in the lives of young children, early childhood teachers and
caregivers are among the lowest paid professionals in the
United States. According to 2011 data from the U.S. Department
of Labor, child care workers are paid less than most other
workers, including parking lot attendants, janitors, and
restaurant cooks.
As demonstrated in Table 7.1, preschool teachers also earn
significantly less than kindergarten and elementary school
teachers. At the administrative level as well, preschool and
child care administrators earn less than their counterparts in
elementary and secondary education.
Table 7.1: Average Salaries for Early Childhood Education
Professionals
Table 7.1: Average Salaries for Early Childhood Education Prof
essionals
Position
Average Salary

Child care workers
$21,320
Parking lot attendants
$21,600
Restaurant cooks
$23,410
Janitors
$24,800
Preschool teachers
(except special education)
$30,150
Kindergarten teachers
$52,350
Elementary school teachers
$55,270
Special education teachers
(preschool, kindergarten, and elementary)
$56,460
Education administrators
(preschool and child care center/program)
$51,290
Education administrators
(elementary and secondary)
$90,200
Not surprisingly, programs with the lowest turnover rates tend
to be those with the highest compensation (Whitebrook & Sakai,
2003). Compensation means more than just salary; it also
includes the benefits offered to employees such as paid time off
and health insurance.
Focus On: The Worthy Wage Campaign
In 1991, the Center for the Child Care Workforce, an advocacy
group that has since become part of the American Federation of

Teachers, initiated the Worthy Wage Campaign. The purpose of
the campaign is to draw attention to the importance of child
care work and the urgent need to improve child care jobs.
Initially, the Worthy Wage Campaign was a grassroots effort led
by early childhood professionals to advocate for the
improvement of the compensation and work environments for
the early care and education workforce. In many communities
May 1 is still celebrated as Worthy Wage Day, and advocacy
events such as rallies and visits to legislators are held that call
attention to the importance of early childhood education and the
dedication of its workforce.
In recognition of Worthy Wage Day in 2012, Jerlean E. Daniel,
executive director of NAEYC issued the following statement:
For too long, the woefully low compensation of early childhood
education professionals has been demeaning to those who work
in this field, and has inhibited recruitment, ongoing training and
education, and retention of high quality professionals. Worthy
Wage Day is a time to draw attention to the importance of the
work of early childhood professionals. We cannot expect high-
quality early development and learning experiences for our
young children unless we tackle the issue of fair compensation.
(NAEYC, 2012d)
Job Stress
Working with young children can also be a very stressful job.
The hours are long, and early childhood workers usually do not
receive as many breaks and planning periods as educators who
work with older children. For example, for a kindergarten
teacher in a public school system, the school day usually runs
from around 9:00 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m. During that time the
teacher likely has several periods when he or she is not working
directly with the children, such as gym class, art class, lunch, or
recess. This time is designated as planning time or a break.

In contrast, an early childhood teacher working in a full-day
child care center probably works a full eight-hour day directly
with children, with just one break during nap. Most teachers and
caregivers in early childhood programs do not receive paid
planning time.
At the same time, workers are experiencing higher expectations
as policymakers and legislators advocate for greater
accountability for child outcomes and higher standards for
teacher training and college-level coursework.
Job Satisfaction
Early childhood administrators often struggle to recruit
qualified candidates, and when they are successful in hiring
high-quality teachers, they must also work hard to keep them.
Successfully reducing teacher turnover requires more than just
raising salaries. To keep good employees, there must be a good
fit between employee and program philosophy, mission, and
vision (Sheerer & Bloom, 1990). Staff members are more likely
to stick with their employer when they feel a sense of
satisfaction in their work. This satisfaction comes from a
feeling that the work has meaning, is appreciated, and is leading
to growth and new opportunities (Bloom, 2000). A successful
program administrator works hard to deepen employee
satisfaction and create a culture that values and retains quality
staff.
7.3 Staffing Schedules
Early childhood administrators create and manage staffing
schedules that consider and balance a variety of key
considerations. These considerations include providing adequate
supervision of the children, especially during key transitions
and caregiving tasks such as naptime or diaper-changing, and
making an efficient use of staff by staying within the number of
staff hours allocated in the program budget. The overarching
goal is to staff the program in ways that ensure the safe

supervision of the children during all hours of operation.
The primary measure of the standard of supervision is teacher-
child ratios. As discussed in Chapter 3, state licensing standards
determine the minimum requirements for the staffing of the
program and the supervision of the children. Though the
regulations vary from state to state, most licensing codes
specify the minimum requirements for teacher-child ratios as
well as the maximum number of children who can be enrolled in
each classroom or in the entire facility.
Table 7.2: Teacher-Child Ratios
Age Category
Group Size
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
Infant
Birth to 15 months

1:3
1:4
Toddler/ Two (12–36 months)
12 to 28 months
1:3
1:4
1:4
1:4
21 to 36 months
1:4
1:5

1:6
Preschool
2 1/2-year-olds to 3-year-olds (30–48 months)
1:6
1:7
1:8
1:9
4-year-olds
1:8

1:9
1:10
5-year-olds
1:8
1:9
1:10
Kindergarten
1:10
1:11
1:12
Maintaining teacher-child ratios throughout the day is essential
to the safety of the children. Child care programs are typically
open for 10 or 11 hours while the standard work day for staff is
8 hours. This means that the work schedules for teachers and
caregivers must be staggered to ensure adequate supervision at
both the beginning and the end of the day. For example, the
teachers who open the center may work 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Other teachers may work 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. Some teachers may work a closing shift, such as

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The start and end times will vary according to the hours of the
program and the numbers of children scheduled to attend during
the first two hours and the last two hours the program is open
each day. The early childhood administrator is responsible for
tracking the projected arrival and departure times of children in
each classroom and creating staffing schedules that will provide
for adequate supervision at the beginning and ends of the day.
Administrators use teacher-child ratios as the starting point for
determining the number of staff members needed for safe
supervision, but there are other considerations as well. One
important concept related to staffing is continuity of care. This
is a plan that ensures that children experience as few changes as
possible in the caregiving relationships. Ideally, each infant or
child would have just one or two primary caregivers. Frequent
changes in caregiver assignments throughout the day, the week,
and the year can have a negative impact on children's sense of
security and well-being (Lally & Tsao, 2004).
The continuity of care is especially important for infants and
toddlers. For example, suppose baby Isabella is enrolled in a
full-day child care program, and she arrives at the center at 7:30
a.m. Isabella is initially cared for in the Early Room, which is
supervised by a float teacher, a teacher who is not assigned to
one classroom but used to fill in gaps in coverage as needed. At
8:00 a.m. Isabella is moved to her regular infant classroom,
which is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. by the assistant
teacher with help from the assistant director. Finally, at 9:00
a.m. the lead infant teacher arrives. Isabella has experienced
three transitions and caregivers before her primary caregiver
even arrives at school. It may be hard for Isabella to feel secure
when she is experiencing so many changes. The primary
obstacle to providing continuity of care is that it usually
requires hiring additional staff. It is more efficient and less
costly to combine several classes of children together in one

room at the beginning and end of the day than to staff each class
with a familiar, consistent caregiver. One strategy for
minimizing these kinds of changes is to have a morning primary
caregiver who opens the program, and an afternoon primary
caregiver who closes it. This reduces the number of caregiver
relationships to two. If providing consistency of care is a
program priority, administrators can build a primary caregiver
structure into the plans for the daily schedule and budget
accordingly.
When creating and managing staff schedules, administrators
must also take into account the availability and preferences of
individual staff members. For example, some teachers or
caregivers may only be available for an early shift while others
may prefer a later shift. Often these decisions are made based
on seniority; the staff members who have worked at the program
for the longest time are given first choice of shifts.
Another factor to consider is coverage for staff breaks and for
staff absences. In full-day programs, breaks are usually
scheduled during nap time. Sometimes additional staff, such as
a float teacher, must be hired to help cover breaks.
Administrators are responsible for setting up and overseeing a
turn-taking plan that allows for staff breaks while still
maintaining safe supervision of the children.
Administrators are also responsible for hiring and scheduling
substitute teachers and caregivers when staff members are
absent. In small programs the administrator might be the one to
serve as a substitute.
7.4 Recruiting and Hiring Quality Staff
Providing enough staff for the safe supervision of the children
and creating staffing patterns that ensure continuity of care are
the essential building blocks of a staffing plan. But staffing an
early childhood program is more than just putting the right
number of people in the right places. Early childhood

administrators are responsible for recruiting and hiring quality
staff. To do so, first the administrator must ensure that the roles
and responsibilities of each staff member are clearly defined.
Job Descriptions
Each position, as defined by a job description, should be
defined in a way that supports the program's goals, mission,
vision, and philosophy. A job description should be specific to
the role but general enough to apply to every person in that role.
Often positions are divided into categories, such as
administrative, instructional, and support. Administrative
positions might include the director and the office receptionist.
Instructional positions might include lead teachers and assistant
teachers. Support positions might include a food service aide, a
janitor, and a bus driver.
Individual job descriptions may be included as part of the
content of the program's personnel policies; or it may exist as
separate, supplemental documents. The primary purpose of a job
description is to define the roles and responsibilities of each
position. The job description plays an important role in the
recruiting and hiring process because it determines the
qualifications and skills of the ideal candidates for the position,
and it explains to the candidates exactly what will be expected
of them.
A well-written job description can also help to define career
paths within the early childhood program. For example,
assistant teachers can view the job description of a lead teacher
and see exactly what it takes to advance to a position with
greater responsibility and a higher salary. Job descriptions can
also play an important role in the evaluation of a staff member's
job performance. The description of responsibilities can form
the foundation for the evaluation process. Performance
evaluations will be discussed in more detail later in this
chapter.

Job descriptions and job postings for similar positions at other
early childhood programs can also be used as benchmarks to
help determine both minimal and optimal requirements, as well
as help determine salary levels. Table 7.3 demonstrates the
elements of a job description.
Table 7.3: Elements of a Job Description
Element
Description
Position title
The title of the position should be consistent among all staffme
mbers serving in the same
position in the same program. Forexample, some programs use t
he title "lead teacher" and
others" head teacher."
Position statement
Most job descriptions include a statement that describes theprim
ary purpose of the position
and its role within the program.
Supervision structure
The job description should state to whom this position reports.A
lso, if this is a supervisory
position, the job description shouldalso name which positions th
is person will supervise.
Minimum qualifications
Minimum qualifications are the lowest level of education and
experience a candidate must
have in order to be considered forthe position. Often the minim
um qualifications for a position
in alicensed early childhood program are the level required to
meetstate licensing
requirements.
Salary range
Some administrators are reluctant to include a salary range on aj
ob description. The benefits

of doing so are that this ensuresconsistency and equity among st
aff members in the same
position, and this transparency generates good will and trustfro
m employees.
Essential duties
Each of the essential duties must be specific enough that it canb
e measured in a job
performance review. For an early childhoodteacher, the essentia
l duties will be related to the
supervision, guidance, and instruction of the children.
Nonessential duties
Every job includes tasks and responsibilities that are not essenti
albut are still considered part
of the job. For an early childhoodteacher, nonessential duties ar
e usually those that are
performedonly occasionally or those that are unrelated to the dir
ectsupervision of the children,
such as writing a monthly article forthe school newsletter or up
dating the classroom bulletin
board.
Minimum performance standards
The minimum performance standards are those job requirements
that employees must
perform but are not part of the formalcredentials required for th
e position. For example,
in most states,licensing codes require that staff members who w
ork directlywith children
must take a tuberculosis test and complete a healthexamination
by a physician, indicating that
they are free ofcontagious illness and well enough to work dire
ctly with children.
Minimum performance standards may also include specific
expectations regarding physical demands of working with young
children: that the employee will be required to lift children, to
sit on the floor, and to have the ability to speak and listen to

children.
Including these job requirements in the job description may help
prevent accusations of discrimination if the program chooses
not to hire an applicant with a disability who is not able to
perform these requirements.
In cases where an employee does not meet the expectations of
the position, the information contained in the job description
may be used later to discipline or terminate the employee. For
this reason, the job description should be considered a legal
document. Job descriptions should be reviewed and updated
annually, ideally by a staff member, board member, or
consultant with legal expertise. Any time there are changes in
licensing standards or changes in program services or structure,
job descriptions should be updated to reflect those changes.
Figure 7.1 gives a description of what a preschool teacher's job
description might look like.
Figure 7.1: Sample Preschool Teacher Job Description
Classroom Staff
In early childhood education, most of the positions
administrators will recruit and hire are the teachers and
caregivers who work directly with children in the classrooms.
These are the people who interact with the children each day,
providing direct services, the heart of the early childhood
program. The titles for classroom staff vary, but most likely
include some variation on "teacher," such as head, lead, float,
or assistant teacher, co-teacher, classroom aid, or infant or lead
caregiver (Figure 7.2).
The minimal qualifications for these positions will usually be
determined by licensing requirements. Additionally, some
qualifications may be related to the program philosophy or
mission. For example, a Montessori program may require that

teachers have received specific levels of Montessori training
through the Association Montessori Inter-nationale (AMI).
Figure 7.2: Sample Assistant Infant Caregiver Job Description
Programs committed to providing a level of quality care and
education that goes beyond minimal licensing requirements can
look to accreditation standards for guidance. Even programs not
seeking accreditation may use these higher standards to
determine or influence the level of qualifications they seek for
classroom staff as well as for administrators.
For example, NAEYC accreditation standards require that
teachers have a minimum of an associate's degree and that at
least 75% of the teachers on staff have at least a four-year
college degree in early childhood, child development, or a
related field. Accreditation standards also state that assistant
teachers (who work under the direct supervision of another staff
member) must have at least a high school diploma and at least
50% of the teaching assistants on staff have at least a child
development credential (CDA). The recommendation for
director is at least a 4-year college degree and at least 9 hours
in college level coursework directly related to administration,
leadership, and management as well as at least 24 credit hours
in college level coursework related to early childhood education
and child development (NAEYC, 2012a).
Support Staff
Hiring quality support staff is also important, as these
employees are responsible for accomplishing specific roles and
responsibilities in the program, such as the cook who prepares
the meals or the janitor who cleans the classrooms. Although
support staff positions, such as a janitor, do not work directly
with children, all employees must be able to interact
professionally and appropriately with families and children.
Support staff may include a wide variety of roles. Some

positions, such as caseworkers and psychologists, may require
academic credentials. Others, such as food service workers or
maintenance staff, may require very little training or
experience. The job descriptions for support staff may also list
skills and experience that are different from the job descriptions
of the administrative and classroom staff, such as the
requirement that a cook have experience with food handling and
sanitation (Figure 7.3).
Figure 7.3: Sample Support Staff Job Description
Hiring Staff
Most early childhood administrators spend a significant amount
of time hiring staff. Administrators of programs with large
staffs or of programs with a high turnover rate may find
themselves working in hiring staff all year round. The hiring
process includes six important steps: (a) recruiting, (b)
screening, (c) interviewing, (d) demonstration of skills, (e)
reference check, and (f) the job offer.
Recruiting
The first step is to announce the open position and spread the
word to potential applicants. Administrators carefully consider
where to post the position in order to attract the strongest pool
of candidates based on the resources available in their
community. Posting options may range from posting on
websites for community groups or local early childhood
organizations or posting paper flyers on the bulletin board of
the local public library. The recruiting process involves making
a plan for the application procedure, posting the position, and
collecting applications from interested candidates.
Screening
Once candidates have applied for a position, the application
materials must be screened to determine which applicants will
be invited to interview. The screening process should be
identical for each candidate, to avoid discrimination. An

example of a screening process would be to start by eliminating
any candidates who do not meet the minimal requirements for
the position in terms of training, academic credentials, and
experience. Additionally, candidates who submitted materials,
such as a cover letter and resume, that were not presented in a
professional manner, such as a cover that contains numerous
spelling errors, may also be eliminated.
If the remaining pool of candidates is still too many to
interview, the administrator could then select the candidates
who have the most training and experience or those whose
training and experience best match the philosophy and structure
of the program. For example, an administrator hiring for a Head
Start teacher might select just those candidates who have
experience in a Head Start classroom.
Interviewing
The interview is the opportunity for both the employer and the
applicant to gain information that will help determine if the
position will be a good fit. Interview questions may be general,
such as, "What interests you about this position?" Some
administrators prefer to use behavioral interview questions,
designed to elicit descriptions of the applicant's current skills
and abilities in specific kinds of real-life situations. Behavioral
interview questions are valuable because they demonstrate what
the applicant is currently able to do, not just what they think
they would do in the future (Carnegie Mellon, n.d.).
The following are examples of behavioral interview questions:
Tell us about a time you worked with an especially challenging
child. How did you handle it?
Describe a time when you worked with a difficult parent. How
did you handle it?
Tell us about a time when you planned an activity for children
and things didn't go as expected. What did you do?

Give an example of a time when you had a conflict with a
coworker. How did you handle it?
Describe an experience you've had creating a curriculum plan
that you felt was a success. What did you do? What made it
successful?
Demonstration of Skills
For positions that require teaching and supervising groups of
children, part of the hiring process may include an opportunity
to teach a lesson or interact with children. The director will
observe the candidate and evaluate his or her skills with
children. The structure for the demonstration may vary. The
candidate could be asked to prepare a lesson on a particular
topic or to bring in a favorite storybook to read aloud to the
children. Or the session may remain open-ended, with an
invitation for the candidate to sit with the children at the water
table and make conversations with them as they play.
During the demonstration, the administrator or another person
delegated to the task would observe the candidate and either
take notes or complete a checklist prepared for that purpose,
indicating the demonstrable qualities that would be most desired
for that position. For example, the observer would look for
evidence that the candidate was able to communicate with
children using appropriate vocabulary, develop a friendly
rapport with children, ask questions that promote creative and
critical thinking, and respond to children's emotional and
physical needs. Creating some kind of document describing the
candidates demonstration, whether notes or a checklist, is
important because it may be helpful later when comparing
candidates for the final hiring decision.
Reference Check
When the pool of candidates has been narrowed down to just a
few people, employers usually conduct a reference check that
involves contacting previous employers who can provide
information about the candidates' job performance history.

Many employers have specific policies concerning what
information can be shared about an employee's employment
history and job performance. Former employees may require a
signed release from the applicant before they will share any
information. But many colleagues and mentors, if they have a
positive opinion of the candidate, will readily speak on behalf
of the applicant.
Unlike the reference check, which is optional, a background
check is a required part of the hiring process for positions in
early childhood education. The specific requirements and
procedures for the background check will vary from state to
state, but it usually involves checking to see if the individual
has a criminal record. Some positions may also require a credit
check or a verification of professional credentials and
employment history. Most of these checks must be authorized in
writing by the applicant.
Many organizations wait until the hiring process is finished
before a background check is conducted, usually because of the
cost involved. They don't want the expense of conducting a
background check for a candidate that is not going to be hired.
Other organizations make it a practice to not offer a position to
an applicant until the background checks are fully cleared.
Another similar step in the hiring process is employment
eligibility verification. The federal government requires that all
U.S. employers complete and retain a form called the I-9 for
every individual they hire. The form is required of both citizens
and noncitizens. On the form, the employer must verify that the
employee has presented documentation, such as a U.S. passport,
a social security card, or a driver's license, indicating he or she
is legally eligible to work in the United States. Employment
eligibility verification is usually conducted after an applicant is
hired, as part of the onboarding process, the completion of
paperwork and orientation required at the time of hire.

The Job Offer
Once the employer makes a decision about which candidate to
hire, an offer is made. Sometimes there is a period of
negotiation between the candidate and the employer regarding
salary, benefits, schedule, or level of responsibility. An initial
offer may be made over the phone, but verifying the offer in
writing, either electronically or on paper, through a formal hire
letter, helps to ensure that the details of the position, such as
salary and work schedule, are clearly communicated. Some
administrators will also require that the candidate respond in
writing, usually by signing a copy of the hire letter, to confirm
acceptance of the position.
Case Study: Mountain View Child Development Center
Let's follow one administrator through the hiring process from
beginning to end. Ginny Morris is the director the Mountain
View Child Development Center, a nonprofit program providing
full-day preschool and child care service for children between
the ages of two and five. Recently, Ginny was sad to learn that
Beth, the lead teacher in the fours room, was leaving the
program to take a job teaching kindergarten in the local school
system. Beth was the only teacher on staff at Mountain View
who had a master's degree in early childhood education, and
Beth had served as a mentor teacher for many years. Ginny is
determined to hire a new teacher with similar credentials.
Recruiting
Before beginning the recruitment process, Ginny meets with the
personnel committee of the board of directors. They agree with
Ginny that they want to fill this position with someone who has
exceptional professional experience, someone who can be a real
leader on the teaching staff. The board bylaws specify that the
role of the personnel committee is to consult with Ginny
through the hiring process and serve as a search committee. The
teacher who is leaving, Beth, has given only two week's notice,
the minimum required in the personnel policies, so Ginny would

like to act quickly. Two weeks is probably not enough time to
complete a search process, so Ginny hires a substitute teacher to
fill in after Beth leaves. This will give Ginny about four weeks
to complete the search process and bring on the new teacher.
The recruiting procedure that Ginny has followed in the past
was to require applicants to submit a resume and a cover letter.
One of the board members suggests that in addition to requiring
the resume and cover letter they should also ask applicants to
write a statement of philosophy, describing his or her values
and priorities in working with young children. Ginny likes this
suggestion and agrees to implement it.
Ginny writes the opening of the job posting to include a "pitch"
in the hopes of catching the attention of the best applicants. She
crafts a paragraph that emphasizes opportunities for
professional growth and autonomy.
This position is an opportunity for developing a progressive and
innovative early childhood environment and curriculum to meet
the needs of a diverse and thriving community of young
children and their families. Every teacher at Mountain View has
an active voice in the decision-making process regarding
curriculum, practices, and policies. Our collaborative team
meets regularly for planning, reflection, and professional
development.
Ginny develops a job posting that is similar to a job description
but shorter. The full job description will be distributed later,
when applicants are invited to interview. The posting can be
posted on job boards, both virtual and real, and distributed via
email to colleagues in the field (
Additionally, Ginny wants to focus on recent graduates with
master's degrees in early childhood education. There are three
universities in the area that offer such a program. She considers

hosting a reception for graduate students and alums that
includes a tour of the facility and a presentation of job
opportunities, but since she needs to fill the position quickly,
she feels she doesn't have enough time to plan that kind of
event. She makes a note to revisit the idea at a later date, as a
way to build interest in her program for future hiring
opportunities. Instead, she takes a stack of hard copies of the
job postings and brings them to the advising offices and the
department chairs at each of the local universities.
Screening
After the position has been posted for several weeks, Ginny has
received application materials from 15 candidates. She and the
chair of the personnel committee from the board of directors
meet to review the materials and screen the applicants. They
would like to narrow the list down to three or four top
candidates to invite for an interview.
Out of the 15 applicants, 12 meet the minimum qualification of
a bachelor's degree in early childhood education; however, only
two candidates have an advanced degree. The personnel
committee chair cautions Ginny against narrowing the pool to
only two candidates and encourages her to take a closer look at
the credentials of the other applicants. Ginny finds four
applicants who are currently working on earning a graduate
degree but have not completed the program.
Now Ginny has narrowed the pool to six applicants: two with
graduate degrees and four who are in graduate school now.
Next, she and the chair read each of the six resumes, cover
letters, and statements of philosophy carefully. One of the six
candidates has submitted materials that are poorly written.
There are errors in spelling and grammar in both the cover letter
and the philosophy statement. They decide to eliminate that
candidate.

Another applicant has written a statement that is clearly in
conflict with the philosophy of Mountain View Child
Development Center. The applicant values a more academic and
structured curriculum than the play-based curriculum offered at
Mountain View. That candidate is also eliminated from the
pool. This leaves four candidates. All four have submitted well-
written philosophy statements that are consistent with the
Mountain View values and philosophy.
Interviewing
Ginny will not be interviewing the applicants alone. The chair
of the personnel committee will join her, as well as one of the
current teachers on the preschool team. Ginny knows from
previous experience that including the other teachers provides
valuable insights on how the applicants will fit in with the other
members of the teaching team. Including teachers in the hiring
process also increases their own sense of commitment and
investment in the program and contributes to their own
professional development.
The members of the interview team will take turns asking the
questions, and all three will take notes about the applicant's
answers. Asking each applicant the same set of questions will
make it easier to compare one candidate to the others and
determine the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant.
Demonstration of Skills
The interview team invited the four final candidates for
interviews. One of the four had already accepted another
position and declined the interview. The other three were each
interviewed for more than an hour. Afterward, the interview
team discussed each candidate and decided to invite all three to
continue to the next step in the process: the classroom visit.
At Mountain View, teaching candidates are asked to visit a
classroom and accomplish two tasks: The first is to read a story

aloud to the children during group time, and the second is to sit
in the block area during free time to interact with the children
and facilitate their play. This provides an opportunity for
applicants to demonstrate their skills working with children.
Such an exercise can be valuable because an applicant may
interview very well but not have a good rapport with children.
By the same token, an applicant may have exceptional
classroom skills that are not evident in an interview.
The applicants visited Mountain View on separate days, and
Ginny observed all three. She wrote careful notes about what
she observed regarding each candidate's rapport with the
children, their ability to lead a story time and to ask the
children open-ended questions, as well as their classroom
management skills.
One applicant seemed especially reserved and hesitant with the
children and did not demonstrate strong classroom management
skills. The other two, however, were both very strong. Ginny
and all the teachers who participated in the classroom visits felt
that either of these candidates would be excellent choices for
the position.
Reference Checks
Before she makes a final decision about which of the two
candidates to hire, Ginny must check the references of both
candidates. She chooses to contact the references by phone, so
she can have a chance for a conversation with each individual.
She uses a list of standard questions that she has prepared for
this purpose (Figure 7.4).
Figure 7.4: Questions for Professional References
The Job Offer
Ginny conducts a background check for the two final candidates
for the lead teacher position. All the references for both

candidates are positive, but one of the candidates seems to rise
above the other in terms of her leadership skills. Ginny calls a
meeting with the personnel committee as well as the teachers
who have been involved in the search for the new hire. Ginny
presents information about both the final candidates and then
makes her recommendation to hire the one with the strongest
leadership skills.
The group supports Ginny's decision and agrees that if the top
candidate does not accept the position, Ginny should offer the
position to the second choice. They are all pleased that the
process has yielded two excellent candidates and commend
Ginny for conducting a thorough and thoughtful search.
Ginny calls the top candidate and offers her the position. They
discuss specifics of the offer in detail: the salary, the benefits,
the hours, and the school calendar. The candidate asks for 24
hours to consider the offer. The next day the candidate calls
Ginny and accepts the position.
Focus On: ADA in the Workplace
Early childhood administrators are responsible for following
ADA guidelines regarding hiring and employment. The ADA
(Americans with Disabilities Act) is a federal law guaranteeing
people with disabilities the same opportunities and access
available to others. The law applies to transportation and
facilities; requiring, for example, that public buildings are
accessible to wheelchairs. The law also applies to the
workplace. Employers can't disqualify someone for a position
based on a physical or mental disability if the disability does
not interfere with performance of the job as described in the job
description (Guerin, 2012).
Employers must make "reasonable accommodations" for
disabled workers. Accommodations may include adaptive
equipment or modification of duties (U.S. EEOC, 2002). For

example, if a teacher in a child care center experienced a
disabling injury or illness that resulted in her being unable to
lift a heavy toddler to a changing table, she could be reassigned
to an infant room where she only had to lift small babies. Or the
delegation of responsibilities in the classroom could be
reassigned so that others on the team did the lifting and
changing.
Paperwork: The Employee File
Once an employee is hired, an administrator will begin
assembling an employee file, which includes a significant
amount of paperwork. The contents of an employee's file are
determined by many factors, including legal requirements and
licensing regulations. Employee files are confidential and
should be safely and securely stored.
The contents of employee files may include the following:
documentation from the application process such as the
employee's resume, references, and background check; copies of
diplomas and college transcripts; training records such as
certification of CPR and first aid training; a contract or hire
agreement; job description and personnel polices with employee
signature to verify that employee has received and read the
documents; health records required by state and local agencies,
such as verification of TB test and general health screening;
emergency contact information; job performance history such as
annual evaluations and performance reviews; professional
development records; and acknowledgement of mandated
reporter status (see Chapter 6 for more information about
mandated reporters).
The employee file may also include records and forms related to
employee benefits. If the employer offers a health insurance or
a retirement plan, careful records of enrollment in these benefit
programs must be maintained and updated.
Employee attendance must also be carefully documented; and

days off are usually categorized as sick days, vacation days, or
personal days. Many early childhood programs use software
packages such child care manager or subscribe to online
systems for keeping track of benefits and attendance.
7.5 Orientation
Once an employee is hired, he or she should go through a
thorough orientation, which includes everything from a tour of
the facility to introductions with the children, families, and
teachers and demonstrations of important procedures. The main
goal of the process is to pass along important information; but
orientation also sets the tone for the future. In a positive and
productive workplace, employees are oriented in a way that
makes them feel welcome and reassures them that they have the
information they need to do their job well, and they have been
able to make positive connections with the people, including
children, families, and other staff, with whom they will be
working.
The orientation may be led by the director or delegated to staff
members who will be responsible for training or mentoring the
new employee. In some programs, each new staff member is
assigned a buddy or partner who is designated as the contact
person for answering questions and providing advice and
guidance. If the program has a formal mentoring program, the
new staff member may be assigned a mentor at that time.
Mentoring will be discussed in greater detail later in this
chapter.
Often a full orientation process will take several days or even
several weeks. An orientation checklist is a helpful tool for
ensuring that all important issues have been discussed (Figure
7.5).
Figure 7.5: Orientation Checklist
A Tour of the Physical Space

A tour of the building is often one of the first things to happen
in the orientation process. The new employee needs to know
where to park and where coats are hung and lunches are stored.
A teacher needs to know in which classroom she or he will be
working, where the materials are stored, and how to get to the
playground. In large programs new employees may be provided
with a map of the building and a written guide to the classroom
assignments.
Introductions
The sooner the new employee is introduced to staff, families,
and children, the sooner he or she can begin building positive
relationships and becoming a productive member of the staff.
The new employee may have met some of the other staff
members during the interview and hiring process, but if the
program has a large staff, it can be important to allow time for
introductions during the building tour. The priority is
introducing the new employee to the staff members with whom
he or she will be working most closely. Some programs ask all
employees to wear name tags during the orientation of a new
staff member to ease the learning of names.
When a new employee will be working directly with children, it
is important to give families advance notice of the change,
either through a direct conversation, or via phone calls, emails,
or newsletters or flyers. When families are well informed or
even included in staffing decisions, they are more likely to feel
comfortable and trusting of new relationships.
Young children adjust better to teacher changes when they are
given a chance to meet the new teacher ahead of time and get to
know him or her before the first day. A special classroom visit
by the new teacher is one option. Another option is to invite
families to an informal reception at the beginning or end of the
class day. Refreshments could be served and families would
have a chance to meet and talk with the new teacher in a relaxed
setting.

Review of Expectations and Responsibilities
While a new employee may have read the personnel policies and
staff handbook before the first day of work, the orientation
process should still include a review of expectations and
responsibilities with an opportunity to discuss details and ask
questions about information not included in the written
documents. This review should also orient the employee to the
methods that will be used to evaluate job performance, such as a
formal observation at the end of a probationary period. Ample
time and opportunity should be given for new employees to ask
questions to ensure that they fully understand their roles and
responsibilities.
Demonstration of Important Procedures and Routines
Most jobs in an early childhood program are too complex to
learn in one day. It may be helpful for the new employee to
shadow an experienced employee for a few days so that the
schedules, procedures, and routines can be demonstrated and
observed. Then gradually parts of each process can be delegated
to the new person, and he or she can be given an opportunity to
perform the job responsibilities with direct supervision and
support. As described in Chapter 3, instructions for important
procedures and routines should also be documented in the staff
handbook.
Follow-Up
No matter how carefully the orientation process is planned, it
can be very difficult for new employees to remember and
understand all the new information that is presented in such a
short time. The director or another supervisor should check in
with the new employee at regular intervals to see how things are
going and give the new employee an opportunity to ask
questions.

Many early childhood programs build in a probationary period
as part of the personnel policies. During this period, the job
performance of the new employee can be evaluated, and a
decision can be made about extending employment. In some
personnel policies, benefits such as paid time off are not
available to new employees until they have served their
probationary period.
7.6 Supervising Staff
The supervision process in an early childhood program means
someone in a position of authority has the responsibility of
observing, guiding, and directing other employees. This should
be more than a passive process. In quality early childhood
programs, supervisors actively support, guide, mentor, and
evaluate employees. Teachers and caregivers work directly with
children and are responsible for forming positive relationships
with those children and their families—a demanding and
sometimes stressful role that requires the active support of their
supervisors.
Three of the most important ingredients in a successful
supervisory relationship are evaluation, reflection, and
conversation. The primary responsibility of the supervisor is to
evaluate the job performance of the supervisee. This assessment
is a combination of both formal and informal evaluation and for
teachers usually covers all aspects of job performance,
including the development and implementation of the
curriculum.
Ideally, the supervisory relationship also nurtures reflection.
Professional growth is best supported when teachers take an
active role in setting their own goals for improvement.
Reflection is necessary for self-assessment. A supervisory
relationship that promotes reflection usually involves
conversation—opportunities to discuss what is happening in the
classroom and to consider areas of growth and improvement.

Staff Evaluation
In many workplaces a common practice for evaluating an
employee's job performance is an annual review. Once a year a
supervisor fills out a form and records the employee's strengths
and weaknesses. The results are shared with the employee in a
meeting, and the form is filed away in the staff files.
Among human resources professionals, as well as most early
childhood professionals, there is a consensus that most workers
benefit from more regular feedback about their job performance
and that, ideally, employees should have an opportunity to self-
assess and to create their own goals for professional growth and
improvement (Figure 7.6).
Figure 7.6: Examples of Self-Assessment Questions for
Teachers
Assessment
One key responsibility of the early childhood administrator is to
evaluate the job performance of the teachers and other staff
members under his or her supervision. The purpose of the
evaluation process is to assess the employee's job performance
and provide feedback and suggestions that will improve the
quality of the employee's work and, in turn, improve the quality
of the program.
Assessment can be both informal and formal. Informal
assessment consists of the day-to-day observations and
conversations that take place between supervisors and staff
members. When a director visits a classroom and spontaneously
compliments the teachers on the detailed documentation of
children's learning that are on display in the room, that is an
example of informal assessment. Formal assessment, in contrast,
includes an organized and documented process that employs
specific assessment tools and procedures.
Assessment may also be summative or formative. Summative
assessment reflects the abilities or accomplishments of an

employee's job performance in regard to a set of specific
criteria. It is the "summing up" of the employee's work at that
point in time. An annual performance review is an example of a
summative evaluation. In contrast, formative assessment is an
ongoing evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses; the results
are used to promote growth. Formative assessment "forms" and
shapes the employee's plans and goals for the future. A teacher
or staff member's self-evaluation and reflections, as discussed
in regular supervisory meetings, are formative in that they are
an effective way to promote growth.
Some of the methods for assessing job performance include
checklists, rating scales, and narratives. These are all used in
conjunction with direct observation, which is necessary to
accurately evaluate an employee's job performance. Observation
is one of the best ways to gather information about a teacher or
caregiver's job performance since so many of the
responsibilities, such as leading story time or serving snack, can
only be demonstrated in the classroom through actions and
conversations. Frequent and lengthy observations yield the best
results.
Portfolios are a valuable complement to observations. A
teaching portfolio is a collection of materials such as
photographs, student work samples, lesson plans, and notes
from parents that demonstrate an employee's strengths and
accomplishments. Any teacher may choose to create a
professional portfolio, but in some programs portfolio
assessment is part of the program's formal practice, and
portfolios are used in supervisory meetings to review and
discuss job performance.
Goal Setting
Just as travelers need maps to know where they are going,
employees in early childhood programs need goals to direct
their professional growth. Supervisors work with staff members

to create and review goals on a regular basis, usually as part of
an annual or semi-annual evaluation of job performance.
Ideally, goal setting is a collaborative process; both the
supervisor and the employee have input into the content of the
goals.
Goals should be specific and measurable. A teacher may state
that she wishes to improve her classroom management skills,
but a wise supervisor will help the teacher shape her goal in
order to make it specific enough that she will be able to
measure her success after a few weeks or months. For example,
rather than setting a goal to "direct the children's attention to
cleanup tasks," a director might recommend a goal to "introduce
a cleanup song to transition between free play and lunch." After
a few weeks, the teacher and her supervisor will be able to
determine if the teacher has consistently met her goal and then
discuss whether adding a song to the transition has indeed
improved classroom management during cleanup time.
Goals also provide a focus for planning professional
development activities. For example, if a teacher's goal is to
improve her ability to create challenging curriculum activities
in the area of math, the administrator could arrange for the
teacher to attend a course or workshop on the topic of early
math curriculum.
Reflection and Conversation
Conversations between a supervisor and an employee about the
employee's job performance are confidential and should take
place during one-on-one meetings. Most early childhood
professionals benefit from informal supervisory meetings on a
regular basis, ideally each week, not just when there's a problem
to discuss. One successful model for these meetings is a method
called reflective supervision or relationship-based supervision.
In reflective supervision, the supervisor and supervisee meet
regularly and have conversations about the supervisee's work,

developing a collaborative, reciprocal, reflective, and trusting
relationship (Pflieger, 2002).
In early childhood education, best practice follows the social
learning theories of Lev Vygotsky; learning takes place in the
context of relationships. In relationship-based supervision there
is a parallel process between the way supervisors work with
teachers and the way teachers work with children. It follows
that when supervisors support and challenge teachers in ways
that support learning and growth, those same teachers will
support and challenge children in ways that also support the
children's learning and growth.
Some of the characteristics that define relationship-based
supervision include trust; shared goals; commitment to growth,
change, and reflection; respect for staff; open communication;
and standards and a vision for staff to strive toward (Heller &
Gilkerson, 2011).
During reflective supervision, teachers and supervisors
collaborate in conversations about improving practice, focusing
on meeting the needs of the children and families. Having an
open dialogue depends upon the supervisor's ability to facilitate
a discussion, communicate openly, and listen well. When the
supervisor is able to ask open-ended questions, listen carefully
to the responses, and offer affirming and supportive feedback,
not only is the supervisor able to encourage reflection and
growth, she is also modeling techniques for solving problems
and building trusting relationships in the classroom.
Reflective supervision works best in organizations where
reflection and conversation are valued. Meeting one-on-one
takes time, and it takes a commitment for administrators to
build this time into a busy schedule. Reflective supervision also
works best when the supervisor has classroom teaching
experience and is able to spend time in the classrooms
observing teachers and becoming familiar with their challenges

and their strengths.
Professional Development
The term professional development refers to structured learning
experiences, such as workshops and classes, attended by early
childhood professionals. Ideally, this is a career-long process
planned to support specific goals and produce optimal and
measurable learning outcomes.
How an early childhood program supports and organizes the
professional development of the staff contributes to the culture
of the workplace. Early childhood administrators should be
intentional and strategic in planning and implementation of
professional development activities to ensure that they help to
meet the goals of each staff member.
Professional development can include on-site activities such as
mentoring, consultation, and staff meetings. Off-site activities
include professional conferences and seminars and enrollment
in continuing education courses or degree programs. For
example, many local affiliates of NAEYC offer professional
development conferences, such as the Arizona AEYC annual
conference that includes a day of workshops for early childhood
practitioners.
While the cost of college courses can be prohibitive, many
programs will subsidize tuition if they are not able to fully fund
the courses. Grants and scholarships are often available through
state quality enhancement initiatives. An example of this is
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Minnesota scholarship program
(Child Care Aware of Minnesota, 2012).
An Infrastructure to Support Professional Development
Professional development activities require resources, such as
funding and staff time. Early childhood administrators should
take advantage of every opportunity to collaborate with other

programs and agencies to access professional development
resources. In recent years, an administrator's work to access
resources has become a bit easier, as many states have started
initiatives to create infrastructures to support the professional
development of early childhood professionals. The NAEYC has
developed a task force to support the work of these efforts, a
group called the Early Childhood Workforce Systems
Initiatives.
This initiative assists states in developing policies that will
create and maintain an integrated early childhood professional
development system for early childhood professionals at all
levels, from classroom aides to master teachers and even
administrators. An integrated system is more efficient because it
decreases duplication of efforts. An integrated system also
increases opportunities to develop a competent early childhood
workforce and sustain it over time.
Advocates for an integrated professional development system
are focused on developing professional standards that define
what it means to be prepared to work with children. The system
should include career pathways, a plan for creating
opportunities for increasing qualifications and advancing into
new roles in the field. Another important focus is funding. The
agencies that oversee the system need financing, from both
public and private sources, in order to operate the system and
provide professional development opportunities for the
professionals in the system (NAEYC, 2012c).
Staff Meetings
Staff meetings are one way to increase opportunities for
professional development. Weekly or monthly staff meetings
can be used for collaboration, team building, and learning.
Often the greatest challenge to early childhood administrators is
scheduling the meetings. A staff meeting held during the 10 to
12 hours of operation of a typical daycare requires substitutes to

staff the classrooms. Some programs overcome these obstacles
by scheduling separate team meetings during nap time and
having the teams take turns supervising each other's nap rooms.
Finding an opportunity when every staff member can attend a
meeting often means scheduling meetings for evenings or
weekends. Another option is to regularly close the school for
teacher in-service, on-site staff training sessions, though this
option can be very inconvenient to working families.
Administrators can use staff meetings as time for active
learning and collaboration, often using dialogue and interactive
workshops that provide opportunities for problem solving, role
playing, and applying theory to practice. The time shouldn't be
wasted on announcements or logistics that can be accomplished
through other methods.
Many resources are available to support efforts to train and
coach staff toward continual reflection and improvement. One
example is Training Teachers: A Harvest of Theory and Practice
by Margie Carter and Deb Curtis (2002). Carter and Curtis
write,
Teachers need to understand the complexities and forces that
impact their roles, getting past the urge for quick fixes and
recipes. We want to help them find joy in the challenge of this
work and develop a desire to continue growing and learning
themselves. (Carter & Curtis, 2002)
Off-Site Conferences and Workshops
The annual budget for an early childhood program should
include funds devoted to sending staff to conferences and
workshops. Regional, state, and local chapters of the NAEYC
frequently sponsor early childhood conferences throughout the
United States. Colleges and universities may also host
conferences and workshops. Early childhood administrators are

responsible for gathering information about these opportunities,
communicating them to staff, and encouraging them to attend.
The benefits of attending off-site conferences and workshops
extend beyond the learning that takes place during each session.
The events are also opportunities for staff members to
experience what it is like to be part of a larger professional
community. It's easy to feel isolated working in the same
classroom every day, year after year. When teachers and
caregivers participate in professional development activities
outside their programs, they gain a sense of collegiality and
experience the affirmation of knowing they are part of
something much larger than themselves. Staff members can also
be encouraged to take on leadership roles in professional
associations and to develop their own leadership skills through
presenting workshops and leading conference sessions.
Continuing Education
Nothing has a more lasting impact on advancing the career of an
early childhood professional and improving the quality of
services than continuing education. Research demonstrates that
when early childhood professionals have specialized education
and credentials, children benefit (NAEYC, 2009b).
Unfortunately, cost is one of the biggest obstacles to seeking
degrees and taking courses. Many states offer scholarships, such
as the T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps)
for currently employed early childhood workers. Such programs
can help provide access to educational opportunities for
preschool teachers, child care center directors, teachers and
aides, and child development home providers working in
regulated programs (T.E.A.C.H. Iowa, n.d.).
Disciplining Employees
One of the most difficult challenges faced by early childhood
administrators is supervising an employee who is not meeting

expectations. Usually orientation, coaching, mentoring,
training, and reflective supervision provide enough supports for
teachers and caregivers to thrive and do their best work.
Occasionally, however, a staff member struggles. When this
happens, the early childhood administrators need clear
expectations in the program's personnel policies to guide their
work.
A well-written staff handbook should clearly state the
consequences, including disciplinary actions and potential
grounds for termination, for an employee who does not meet
expectations. A staff discipline policy may be progressive,
which means that it explains the process supervisors will follow
if the problems persist. The process may include a verbal
warning, a written warning, a written improvement plan, a
probationary period or administrative leave with or without pay,
and, finally, termination.
What Would You Do?
Maya Garcia is the director of a full-day preschool program.
One of the assistant teachers, Denise, is very well liked by
children and families. Denise has an outgoing personality and a
fun sense of humor. In fact, several families have hired Denise
to work as an occasional babysitter for their children. Maya
appreciates the great rapport Denise has with the families but
knows from observing Denise that she has a lot to learn about
best practice and professionalism. On several occasions Maya
has had to ask Denise to put away her cell phone because she
was texting on the playground.
Over the past few weeks there has been some tension growing
between Denise and Roxanne, the lead teacher. Denise has been
questioning Roxanne's decisions regarding the curriculum plans,
and at a staff meeting Maya heard Denise tell Roxanne that she
"always makes a big deal out of everything. You should just
relax once in a while." The next day, Roxanne comes rushing

into Maya's office. She reports that when she asked Denise to
stack the cots after naps, Denise became angry and refused to
do it. Maya has never seen Roxanne, a seasoned professional, so
agitated and upset. Roxanne then explains that Denise insulted
her in front of the children.
If you were in Maya's position, what would you do?
Disregard what Roxanne has reported. You can't discipline a
teacher based on word of mouth.
Reassign Denise to another classroom so Roxanne doesn't have
to work with her anymore.
Investigate the report by interviewing Denise and Roxanne
individually and documenting their responses. If the interviews
show that Denise was at fault, give Denise a written warning
stating that if there are any additional problems with her work,
she will be let go.
Terminate Denise's employment immediately. This kind of
disrespectful behavior in front of the children is absolutely
unacceptable.
Click here for explanation.
Employment law varies from state to state. Many states
subscribe to at-will employment, which means that either party,
the employer or the employee, may terminate the relationship at
any time with no liability or legal consequence. The exceptions
to this rule include cases when the action can be proven to be
discriminatory or when the employee is a member of a union.
Early childhood administrators may need to consult with an
attorney who specializes in employment law to determine
appropriate policies and actions.
In the event of having to terminate an employee, an early
childhood administrator must help staff and families recover
from the change. The administrator should let staff and families
know that the staff member is no longer employed with the

program and let them know what plans are in place to replace
the staff member in the short and long term. Administrators
should also be open to listening to concerns and questions from
staff and families during the transition.
All information about a staff member's job performance and job
status is confidential, and administrators must strike a balance
between keeping everyone informed about the staff member's
departure and avoiding discussing inappropriate information.
During these difficult times the administrator must model
professionalism, provide reassurances and support to staff and
families, and keep the program's priorities, values, and vision at
the forefront.
Gadzikowski, A. (2013). Administration of early childhood
education programs (Links to an external site.)Links to an
external site.. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
8.1 Why Working With Families Is So Important
Building supportive and collaborative relationships with
families is one of the most important priorities in early
childhood education. Trust between home and school is built
over time, starting with the very first phone call or visit to the
program. Positive relationships between program staff and
family members are supported in small ways, such as the
friendly tone of voice a teacher uses at pickup time, or in big
ways, such as the welcoming policies described in the family
handbook.
Benefits to Children
Just as infants and young children must learn how to trust others
in order to learn and grow, an early childhood program must
earn a family's trust before the child can fully participate in
what the program has to offer. Children benefit when families

and teachers communicate and work closely together, forming
trusting relationships and sharing expectations and ideas
(Barbour, 2007).
Strong parent-school relationships create positive outcomes for
children both cognitively and emotionally (Callender & Hansen,
n.d.). For example, studies of Head Start children reveal a
positive correlation between parent involvement and children's
academic growth in the areas of vocabulary, literacy, and
mathematics (Wen, Bulotsky-Shearer, Hahs-Vaughn, &
Korfmacher, 2012). Other studies indicate that parental
involvement in school improves children's behavior and self-
esteem, and it also decreases the chances children will be
referred for special education services (Callender & Hansen,
n.d.; Henrich & Blackman-Jones, 2006; Pena, 2000).
Benefits to Families
Parents and other family members, such as grandparents, also
benefit from family involvement in early childhood programs.
The staff members of the early childhood programs, including
administrators, teachers, and caregivers, serve as role models
for parents, demonstrating nurturing and learning relationships
and interactions. Parents who spend time in their children's
early childhood classrooms learn strategies for supporting
children's learning that they can use in their own interactions
with their children (Keyser, 2006).
Benefits to the Program
For the early childhood administrator, building a strong
collaborative partnership with families is good for business.
Whether your organization is nonprofit or for-profit, your
program's success and reputation are built on the positive word
of mouth generated by happy families. From marketing to fee
collection, strong collaborative relationships with families will
help make every part of the administrator's job easier and more
productive.

Parent involvement also helps inform and enhance the work of
teachers and administrators. When parents and teachers
communicate frequently, teachers learn more about the
traditions, values, and culture of the families, and can use this
information to shape the curriculum and activities (Gonzales-
Mena, 2008).
For administrators, parent involvement can sometimes help the
program comply with regulations and requirements. For
example, every Head Start program is required to have parent
representatives serve on an advisory board (Family
Development Services, 2012).
Challenges
Working with parents can be challenging. Parents of young
children are busy and often stressed. Any time there are
differences between a family's beliefs and values and the beliefs
and values of program staff members, there is the potential for
conflict and misunderstanding. Linguistic and cultural diversity
can create obstacles to good communication.
There is an intensity to the relationships teachers and caregivers
form with children, and this intensity sometimes results in a
tendency to judge parents and the decisions that they make.
Early childhood professionals at all levels need training and
guidance to form successful partnerships with parents. Teachers
and caregivers also need the support of their supervisors,
mentors, and role models to learn to be open and sensitive to
parents and families, to be supportive and empathetic without
judgment (Carter, 1992).
8.2 Strategies for Successful Partnerships
A program's commitment to families begins with the
organization's mission. As described in Chapter 1, a good
mission statement explains the purpose of the organization and
what it hopes to achieve. For most early childhood programs,

that mission will include specific references to working with
and supporting families. All of the program's materials, in both
the text and the images, from the organization's logo to the
philosophy statement that's printed in the brochure, should
consistently communicate that working with and respecting
families is a top priority.
Helping families feel welcome and respected in an early
childhood program may begin with the warm smile and greeting
they receive as they enter the doors, but there are several key
practices that are essential for supporting these connections
between the early childhood program and the families it serves.
These practices include effective communication, establishing
policies that are welcoming to families, and incorporating
adequate staff training.
Effective Communication
The administrator establishes, supports, and maintains systems
for ongoing communication with families, both formally and
informally. Regular and ongoing communication between staff
and families is the primary method for building the relationship
between home and school (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009).
Communications begin with the family handbook and the
conversations that take place during the enrollment and
orientation process. Administrators ensure that communication
systems are also in place for ongoing daily communication
between classroom staff and families, both verbally at drop-off
and pickup times, as well as in writing, such as daily logs in
which caregivers note when infants were fed and diapered.
During the day, systems must be in place to receive and respond
to phone calls and email messages. Other systems of
communication involve newsletters and websites used to convey
announcements, reminders, and classroom news to families.
Communication systems should include opportunities for

extended dialogue between staff and families, such as parent-
teacher conferences, and also communication between families,
such as parent meetings or family events, where parents can get
to know each other, socialize, and share parenting information.
Administrators ensure that all these systems are in place and
running well, and that the communication is expressed to
families in culturally and linguistically relevant ways, such as
having the monthly newsletter translated into Spanish.
Policies and Documentation
Program policies should be clearly communicated to families.
Written policies, such as one for posting menus and lesson plans
on a parent-directed bulletin board, describe what families can
expect of the program. They also communicate the expectations
families must meet, such as paying tuition on time every month,
to participate in the program.
The policies that describe parent expectations should not all be
restrictive or demanding, and they should demonstrate respect
and a spirit of collaboration in both tone and content. For
example, many programs explicitly welcome families with an
"open door" policy that allows them to visit their child's
classroom at any time. Another way to demonstrate openness to
collaboration is to invite parents to serve in an advisory role
when policies are created or updated.
Staff Training
Staff members at every level, from teachers to custodians,
should be trained to communicate respectfully with families and
respond appropriately to their questions and concerns. The
administrator leads this training process by making sure the
expectations for working are clearly stated in program policies
and materials. The administrator also serves as a role model,
demonstrating warm, welcoming, and respectful interactions
with families.
Training staff is an ongoing process, as new challenges may

develop each time a new family enrolls, or a new issue develops
in the classroom or at home. Training teachers takes time,
commitment, and reflection. Administrators may lead some of
this training themselves, devoting time at staff meetings or in
one-on-one supervision meetings to practice communication
skills or to discuss specific family situations and brainstorm the
best ways to respond.
Teachers need training and guidance in order to learn more
about the families they serve, the general characteristics of the
population and community, as well as the details specific to
each family. They also need to be able to anticipate the
obstacles that might prevent them from forming positive
partnerships with families, such as socioeconomic factors that
might affect a family's ability to participate in school events,
and identify possible strategies to overcome the obstacles, such
as conducting a parent-teacher conference at the child's home
instead of at school. The administrator's role is to develop and
implement training plans that give teachers both the information
and the skills to respond to these situations.
Some training may take place off-site, at conferences or classes.
For example, over the course of a year, training in parent
communication at one early childhood program might include a
combination of monthly staff meeting discussions to address
specific issues with current families, as well as two
opportunities for staff members to attend a workshop on
effective communication. In this case, staff members might
learn techniques for asking questions and listening at the
workshops, and then have a chance to practice those skills in
the context of the family issues currently at play in their
program, such as a family going through a difficult divorce. In
this example the administrator has provided training in general
communication techniques as well as opportunities to apply
those concepts to specific situations.
8.3 Communicating With Families as Part of the Enrollment

Process
Communication between an early childhood program and a
family begins before enrollment. Typically, the first contact is
likely to be a visit to the program's web site. The words and
images families view on a web page is just one of the many
opportunities administrators have to communicate about the
quality of their program as well as to inform families of the
program's philosophy, mission, vision, policies, and procedures.
Websites
Most parents do not make decisions about where to enroll their
children based on a website. Nevertheless, the website plays a
very important role in communicating a first impression
(Stephens, 2004). Many prospective parents use the Internet to
help them identify possible early childhood programs in their
geographic area, and then choose which programs they would
like to visit or learn more about, based on the information they
find online.
An attractive and well-designed website should be easy to read.
Visitors to the site should be able to find the information they
need quickly, with just a few clicks of a mouse.
Most prospective parents want to find the following types of
information online:
Location. Is the program near their home or workplace? Is it
easy to get to from a major road or highway? Is it located in a
safe area? Including a map on the website can help a
prospective parent determine this.
Scope of services. What are the ages of children served? What
are the hours the program is open? When is drop off and
pickup? Are meals provided? Do the children take naps?
Tuition or fees. How much is tuition? How often are parents
charged—weekly? monthly? Are there any discounts for
siblings?

Enrollment procedures. How do families sign up? Is there a
waiting list? Can families visit the classroom before the first
day? What paperwork must be filled out before the first day?
Philosophy or focus. Is the program play-based? What
curriculum do they use? How strict are the teachers? How
important is socialization and friendship? How important is
creative expression? How important is outdoor play?
Prospective parents also may enjoy viewing other information:
Testimonials from satisfied parents, such as a photo of a current
parent with a quote saying, "My son looks forward to going to
preschool each day. He loves his teacher and can't wait to play
with his friends. I'm so glad we enrolled at ABC Preschool."
Sample curriculum plans, such as a lesson plan describing the
learning objectives for the week and what activities will be
available in each interest area.
Photos of classrooms and playgrounds that demonstrate to
families the condition of the facility, the kinds of materials and
equipment available to children, and that give a sense of how
well the children are engaged in program activities.
Lunch and snack menus, such as a daily plan for what might be
served in a classroom at each age level, demonstrating the
variety and types of foods.
History of the program, such as a brief summary of how the
program began and any key developments that demonstrate
growth and success, such as an expansion to a new building.
Credentials or biographies of the staff.
Many websites feature a virtual tour of the facility in the form
of a video clip or slide show. This demonstrates what a parent
might see if he or she walked through the center or school. The
images might be accompanied by text or an audio narration to
point out the key features of the program and facility
Early childhood administrators must commit time and resources
to creating and updating a website. The work may require
volunteer or contracted services from a web designer or other

technology specialists. Images of children and families included
online must be authorized by parents in writing, and the
administrator is responsible for collecting these releases.
The First Visit
The first opportunity to build rapport between staff and families
is the first time a parent calls or visits the program. From the
very first contact, staff members should take care to respond to
families warmly and openly.
The first visit is often the parent attending an open house or
individual tour. Who will lead the tour depends on the size of
the program and the number of different administrative roles.
Usually one of the administrators, such as the director, is in
charge of welcoming and enrolling new families. Parents and
children tend to feel more secure and gain a better impression of
the program when the leader of this entire process is consistent,
from the first tour or visit to the first day of school, and they
see the same face each time they have contact with the program.
The written materials families receive during these initial visits
are also important. Whether they speak up with their questions
or not, most parents making a decision about whether to enroll
their child will likely want to know the following:
When do I drop off my child? When do I pick up my child?
Parents need to know if the hours of the program are compatible
with their work schedule or other family commitments.
Which classroom would my child be in? Parents usually want to
be able to see the actual space where their child will be, so they
can get a sense of how comfortable and inviting it will be.
What is the age range of the other children in the group?
Parents may want to verify that their child is the right age to
enroll, and they may also be concerned that the other children
will be considerably younger or older than their child.
What will my child learn? Parents will have different
preferences and priorities around issues of learning and
curriculum. Some may be looking for a very structured, rigorous

curriculum, while others will want to make sure their children
have plenty of time for child-directed, open-ended play.
Regardless of where they fall on this continuum, parents will
likely ask questions about what and how children will learn in
order to determine if the program is a good fit for their child
and their family.
What happens if my child breaks a rule? Parents generally want
assurance that the teachers will not be overly harsh or strict. At
the same time, most parents also want to be sure that order is
maintained in the classroom.
How much do I have to pay? When do I have to pay it? Parents
want to know if they can afford to enroll their child and if the
payment schedule will be manageable and convenient.
What is a typical day like? Parents want to get a sense of the
flow of the day so they can determine how well the daily
schedule, activities, and routines will meet their child's needs,
interests, and preferences.
What are the backgrounds of the teachers? How do I know if
they will take good care of my child? Most parents have a
difficult time turning the care of their child over to someone
who is initially a stranger. They want to make sure they are
making a good choice for their child. Parents want to know if
the teachers have experience and credentials that demonstrate
they are capable and competent.
Much of this information must be conveyed in individual
conversations. Other information can be in print and given to
parents to take home. General information that is fixed and does
not change, such as the program hours or program philosophy,
can be included in a brochure. Some other information, such as
an annual calendar, will be regularly updated and can be
provided as a separate handout. An information packet for
prospective families would include all of this documentation, as
well as an enrollment application and instructions for
submitting it.
For many parents, the decision to enroll their child in an early

childhood program is one of the first important decisions they
will make as parents. As part of establishing a positive
relationship with families, administrators need to take care not
to rush or pressure families as they make these decisions.
Preenrollment Visits
When the decision has been made, the enrollment paperwork has
been completed, and a start date has been set, the next step is
often a preenrollment or intake visit. This visit is an
opportunity to ask one or both parents questions about their
child's health history, personality and temperament, food
preferences and sleep schedule, favorite activities, and any
other important information, including any special needs the
child may have.
The administrator may conduct the intake interview or it may be
conducted by a social worker or family caseworker, depending
on the structure of the program. For infant child care programs,
at least part of the interview should be conducted by the teacher
or caregiver who will be providing direct care to the baby, so
that the caregiver and the parent can build rapport and have a
chance to ask questions of each other. Usually the baby is
present during the interview, and the parent has an opportunity
to demonstrate how the baby likes to be held or fed.
With older children who are able to understand the adult
conversation, parents may be more open and candid about
sensitive family issues, such as a recent death or illness, if the
child is not present during the interview.
In some early childhood programs, the intake interview with the
parents and the director in the office takes place at the same
time that the child has his or her first visit to the classroom
under the supervision of the teachers. In this case, two goals are
met at the same time: The intake information is collected from
the parent, and the child has an opportunity to begin to get to

know the teacher and become accustomed to the classroom
environment.
A Smooth Transition
Separation anxiety is a normal part of child development, and
one of the roles of early childhood administrators is to create
and implement enrollment practices that are sensitive to
children's feelings during the first few weeks in a new program.
Parents, too, can feel a variety of complex emotions, from
anxiety to excitement, about saying good-bye to children as
they drop them off at a new preschool or daycare.
Generally, children benefit from a gradual transition that
includes an opportunity for the child to spend some time with
the parent in the classroom. In many early childhood programs,
parents are required to stay with their child in the classroom for
at least part of the day. Busy parents with demanding work
schedules may be reluctant to devote so much time to the
transition. Providing a little information about separation and
child development can be helpful.
If having parents spend time with children is part of the
program's written policies and these policies have been fully
communicated to families prior and during enrollment, parents
will be much more willing to follow the policies.
Administrators set the stage for a successful transition by
creating an enrollment process that includes a gradual
transition, documenting that process in the family handbook and
enrollment materials, and training staff to welcome families and
work with both parents and children during the transition.
8.4 Ongoing Communication With Families
Once a child has settled in, communication between staff and
families may be less frequent and detailed, but regular contact
is still very important. Parent communication is not one-size-
fits-all; to meet the needs of a variety of families in a variety of
situations, multiple methods of communication must be
employed. Through ongoing communication, administrators are

responsible for ensuring that the connections between families,
like invisible threads, are maintained each day.
Direct (Face-to-Face) Conversation
Each time parents drop off or pick up their children is an
opportunity for building rapport through informal, friendly
conversation. Warmly greeting each family member by name
goes a long way in establishing trusting relationships between
staff and families. Administrators communicate expectations to
staff regarding how to greet and talk with parents both in
writing, through staff handbooks and training materials, and
verbally, through supervision, training and modeling. Some
programs make it a standard practice that every parent is
greeted by name each time he or she enters the classroom.
For parents whom English is not the home language, staff
members can demonstrate their commitment to making
connections with families by learning how to greet parents in
their home language. Again, the administrator sets the tone and
expectations for staff interactions with parents.
Notes and Reports
Many early childhood programs have teachers provide daily
notes or reports to families that include information about the
child's mood, what he or she ate, how he or she slept, and what
activities the child enjoyed that day. These kinds of notes are
especially important for infants and young toddlers who are still
on an individualized eating and sleeping schedule. The notes
help the parents plan the evening and understand what their
child needs during the transition from program to home.
Other forms of written communication are more general, such as
newsletters and bulletin boards (Figure 8.2). Posting online
newsletters and maintaining virtual bulletin boards are another
option, though most parents also appreciate having hard copies
available onsite. The administrator develops the plans and

expectations for the program's written communications and
either implements the plan or delegates the tasks to other staff
members. For example, the administrator may set up a rotation
by which each lead teacher takes a turn updating the parent
bulletin boards once a month. For online postings, the
administrator may need to seek a volunteer, such as a parent or
board member, or a paid contractor with specific expertise in
setting up and editing web pages. The administrator must ensure
that whatever content is posted, the text of the web page or the
notices on the bulletin board are well written and accurate.
Often the role of the administrator is to solicit input from
teachers for newsletters or web pages, and then the
administrator writes and edits the final document.
Respecting confidentiality is always a consideration when
materials are distributed widely. Children's photos, full names,
and other identifying information should not be used in
newsletters or web pages unless the access to the materials is
restricted to currently enrolled families and the parents have
given written permission.
Phone Calls
Phone calls to and from parents take place for many reasons.
Parents may call just to check on how their children are doing,
especially if they have a concern that the child might not be
feeling well. Administrators may screen these calls through a
central, general line or, depending on the phone system in the
facility and the staff member's availability to answer the phone,
the calls may be received directly in the classroom.
As email communication becomes more widely used, phone
calls to and from parents are becoming more rare. However, if a
child is not feeling well or is upset and the staff members
(usually in consultation with the administrator) decide that the
parent should be contacted, a phone call is still the most direct
way to reach them. Many early childhood programs make it a
policy to call a parent any time a child is hurt, even with a very

minor injury, or any time a child shows any symptom of illness.
In some programs the teacher or caregiver makes the call. In
other programs the administrator or director makes the call. In
either case, the administrator is responsible for making sure that
accurate contact information is on file for parents and family
members.
Email and Text Messages
Many parents and family members prefer communication by
email or text because they are not able to take phone calls at
work. Early childhood administrators are responsible for
supervising and screening the email and text correspondences
between staff and families to ensure that the content and style
of these messages are professional, accurate, and appropriate.
Emailing and texting are quick and convenient ways to
communicate but are not the best ways to convey sensitive
information. Many administrators reserve email for general
announcements, such as news about field trips schedules or
menu changes. Texting is used rarely by early childhood
professionals and usually only when a parent has requested it,
such as for a quick reminder about an upcoming parent meeting.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
In an ordinary day there is just not enough time for teachers and
caregivers to talk with parents at length about their children. A
parent-teacher conference is an opportunity for staff and parents
to meet and talk together, to review the child's progress, to
listen and respond to parents' questions and concerns, and to
plan together for how to continue to support the child's growth
and development.
Administrators are responsible for creating a structure for
parent conferences and ensuring that the conference schedule
works for everyone involved—parents, children, and staff.
Ideally, the conferences are scheduled on a regular basis, not
just when issues arise. Early childhood administrators are

responsible for regularly scheduling these meetings and for
developing a plan to make teachers or caregivers available for
conferences. Sometimes this may mean the administrator must
schedule substitutes to cover classrooms while staff members
conduct the conferences.
In some early childhood programs, the administrator attends the
conferences. In others the teachers lead them independently.
Whether the administrator attends the conference is usually
determined by the teacher's level of skill in communicating with
parents about curriculum and assessment, and in the complexity
and sensitivity of the issues to be discussed. For example, an
administrator may lead a conference when a teacher is new,
modeling for the teacher how to structure the conference and
build rapport. Or an administrator may sit in on a conference to
support a more skilled and experienced teacher because the
teacher has concerns about a child, and wants to refer the family
for additional screening and assessment.
Many parents are nervous about attending a formal conference.
They may associate these kinds of meetings with negative
childhood experiences and worry that their child or their
parenting is going to be held up to judgment. Administrators
should train the staff to develop strategies for setting the
parents at ease. Sharing photos or work samples that
demonstrate the child's positive experiences in the program is
often an effective technique for opening a conference. Parents
should be invited to share their impressions and questions.
Ideally, conferences are a two-way conversation. When a
specific concern must be communicated, it should be done with
sensitivity and clarity. For example, if the program staff have a
concern that a child's speech and language is delayed, the
teacher might begin the conference by describing the child's
strengths, demonstrating that the program staff know and
respect the child and family before sharing their concern. When

the teacher (or administrator, depending on who attends and
leads the conference) states his or her concern about the child's
speech and language, the teacher should be direct and specific,
using details and examples to demonstrate the reasons for the
concern. The parents should leave the conference with a sense
that their child is valued and understood by the program staff.
8.5 Parent Participation
Although parents and families are important in every early
childhood program, the opportunities for parents to participate
will vary depending on the mission, philosophy, and structure of
the program. For example, a nursery school that was founded by
parent volunteers, sometimes known as a parent co-op, would
likely have a very strong tradition of hands-on parent
involvement in classroom activities. Programs with mandates
that require participation, such as Head Start, would have very
structured systems for parent participation. Some early
childhood programs, however, such as a child care center in a
hospital that serves the children of hospital employees, may not
require any structured parent participation, because the mission
of the program is to provide child care in order to free the
parents to focus on their work.
The early childhood administrator is responsible for creating
and maintaining parent participation options and structures that
best serve the philosophy, mission, and structure of the
program. These options and structures will fall in one or more
of the three overlapping categories of parent participation:
parent education, parent support, and parent involvement.
Parent Education and Family Support
The parent education component in an early childhood program
often involves formal meetings and classes. Administrators plan
and implement these services according to various needs and
preferences of the families, the resources available, and the
structure or mission of the program. Activities might teach
specific skills, such as cooking as demonstrated in a special

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