Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/dreams-of-more-intentional-leadership-development/5026869/
*Figures can be found in the pdf version of this article.
In the future, the early childhood field must address its need for leadership. Where will we find future leaders? How will we offer them support and encourage their development? Anecdotal evidence suggests that in the past, many in early childhood leadership positions were promoted because they were good teachers or practitioners. Promotions were made with little or no training, aptitude assessment, or inventory of their leadership skills. Simply put, many were good at their jobs and promoted without anyone questioning whether they had a desire or the skills to take on a leadership role.
Leadership development has not always been well thought-out, but it does not have to remain that way! One big unfulfilled dream for our field’s future is for states and programs to take a more intentional approach to design systems that attract, develop, and retain emerging and new early childhood leaders.
Since “very few leaders arrive in their roles with all of the experience, education, or specialized
training they need,” states should examine an early childhood professional development continuum model that explores a wide range of options as we seek to identify and support emerging early childhood leaders. As we ...