Susan Eliason
Welcome to our text for Comparing Early Education and Care Programs and Policies Globally
SCWK 399 increases your awareness that Early Childhood Education and Care is critical for the health and well-being of children and society and yet locally and globally is in crisis. The course provides you with opportunities to learn from international researchers, scholars, and practitioners for the purpose of comparing practices observed in MA. Topics include but are not limited to:
- Methods for effective advocacy;
- Critical examination of local policies and practices that may negatively affecting children and the early childhood workforce;
- Participation in data collection from the ECEC workforce in MA; and
- Analysis of data to advocate for changes.
Who are your guides?
Dr. Susan Eliason is an associate professor in the Elementary and Early Childhood Department and an early childhood educator with over 30 years experience in the positions of preschool teacher, program administrator, and professional development. Her research interests include educator preparation, curriculum development, early literacy, and family engagement. Dr. Eliason provides expertise in Early Childhood Education, Childhood Studies, and curriculum design. She looks forward to sharing her experiences and stories with you as we learn together.
Dr. Margaret Boyd is an assistant professor in the Social Work Department. In addition to teaching, she is involved with six researchers from; Australia, England, Ireland, USA and Canada. The research team developed due to shared interests and the desire to use an activist agenda. The team is engaged in a a research project to explore the worth and value of the early childhood education and care workforce. The goal of the research is to have an impact on improving the health and well-being of this predominately female and often minority workforce. Margaret will share how the team came together across national borders, academic disciplines, theoretical frameworks and methodological practices to find common ground to work collectively and cooperatively to tell a powerful story of the global exploitation of the early childhood education and care workforce and the on-going inequities of a gendered system.
What might you learn?
It is our hope that after completing the course you will be able to:
- List the cultural values that determine early childhood education and care practices in MA. (As assessed by discussion)
- Identify ways that children’s development is impacted by the early childhood workforce. (As assessed by discussion)
- Describe the diversity of the early childhood education and care workforce. (As assessed by discussion)
- Collect data about the MA ECEC workforce. (As assessed by Advocacy Material Project)
- Critically examine how social and economic factors influence family decision making and workforce policies. (Presentation – written and oral components – in groups each group has a different country)
- Analyze data and select effective methods for advocacy. (As assessed by advocacy material project in the policy brief letter to editor)
- Compare local and national programs within an international context. (As assessed by cross national group presentation – written and oral components where each group has a different country)
- Engage in effective advocacy for change at the local level to improve child and workforce outcomes
