Week 1 discussion 1

Philosophy, Mission, and Vision    

According to Gadikowski (2013), “The vision and mission statements of an early childhood program often reflect the organization’s philosophy, that is, its beliefs about how children best learn and develop” (Section 1.4).  Imagine you have just been hired as the director of a new child care center.  Your first task is to develop the philosophy, vision, and mission for the new center.  To assist you with this task, first evaluate the philosophy, vision, and mission statements of the following preschools:

1. Asbury Day Care Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
2. Queen Emma Preschool (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Using Table 1.1 “Philosophy, Vision, and Mission as Administrative Tools,” and information from Chapter 1 of the textbook, evaluate the schools’ philosophy, vision, and mission statements.  Use the terms distinguished, proficient, or approaching to evaluate the statements, and explain why you chose those terms.

Next, develop the philosophy, vision, and mission for your new childcare center.  Be sure to include what you have learned from the text and from your evaluations to help shape your ideas. 

Your discussion post should be at least 250 words in length and main post must be supported by two references. Source(s) listed must be integrated into main post content in an APA compliant manner.  

Week 1 discussion 2

Accreditation    

Many early childhood education centers are accredited by organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  Being accredited by such an organization shows that the center provides a high-quality learning experience that exceeds minimal standard licensing requirements.  For this discussion, imagine that you are the director of a childcare center and you would like to pursue NAEYC accreditation.  You discuss this idea with the owner of the center, who says that accreditation will cost too much money and does not agree to pursue it.  Carefully review the article, Overview of the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards, and write a persuasive letter to the owner in the hopes of changing her mind.  Be sure to use appropriate early childhood terminology as you discuss the benefits of accreditation. 

Your discussion post should be at least 250 words in length and main post must be supported by two references. Source(s) listed must be integrated into main post content in an APA compliant manner.