Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Education Community

Mississippi Child Care Resource and Referral (MCCR&R) is an organization with Mississippi State University that appealed to me because they offer services to parents by referring them to local high quality childcare providers and help them select the provider that best meets the needs of the family. They also assist early childcare professionals with continuing education units, training opportunities, licensing requirements, information on obtaining Child Development Associate certificate, etc.  The job opportunity that interests me is the Regional Technical Assistant Supervisor. The necessary skills are as follows:

1. Knowledge of federal and state financial regulations, and university financial policies and procedures.
2. Ability to use technology and experience with Microsoft Office software suite. Interview candidates will have to demonstrate their ability to use a computer to create a PowerPoint presentation and share that presentation with the hiring committee.
3. Ability to work with and adapt research materials for educational use which can be effectively communicated orally and/or in writing.
4. Good verbal and written communication skills
5. Demonstrated ability to work as a team player

Ability to travel out of the local area; Overnight travel will be
required; Use of personal car required; A travel allowance will be provided.
Frequent - Externally imposed deadlines set and revised beyond one's control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; irregular hours may be anticipated; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position.
Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands.
Job requires standing, stooping/kneeling/crouching/crawling, and lifting up to 30 pounds.
Vision requirements: Ability to see information in print and/or
electronically.

 Pinebelt Association for Community Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) appealed to me because they, like me, believe the parents are the child’s first and most important teacher. The job opportunity that interests me would be an Early Headstart Home Visitor. The requirements for the position are to be able to provide in-home education, support and monitor for Early Head Start participants and group socialization experiences, conduct weekly home visits of at least 90 minute duration to Early Head Start children and their families, encourage parental involvement in curriculum planning, program governance and other aspects of the Early Head Start Programs.

The Barksdale Reading Institute appealed to me because along with their attempts to improve literacy skills in Mississippi, deepening teacher’s knowledge of reading instruction and enhancing the quality of Mississippi’s early childhood education programs they stress the importance of parental involvement in the schools in which they work. No job opportunities are currently available or interest me. Employees with this organization focus on several other areas that are of importance, but not the one in which I am most interested.