Leadership Resources

Title: Leading for Children 

Description: "Leading for Children works in communities across the country to provide the best early learning experiences for young children while creating environments where educators thrive." Leading for Children provides a variety of resources to support early childhood educators. 

https://leadingforchildren.org/resources/

 

Title: The Five Commitments of Optimistic Leadership

Judy Jabalon  

Description: "Optimistic leaders envision excellence for themselves and their programs, and the best outcomes for children and families."

https://leadingforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/244-EXCHANGE-JABLON.pdf

 

Title: The Coherent Path to Quality

Description: "The only way to achieve high-quality education for all children is to make quality user-friendly-concrete specific so that all adults who work with children can grasp what it means, why it matters, and who to implement it."

https://leadingforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/About-the-Coherent-Path.111119_v1.pdf

 

Title: Whole Leadership 

Description: "Whole leadership is an interdependent relationship that exists between the domains of the administrative leadership, pedagogical leadership, and leadership essentials, as identified in the Whole Leadership Framework." 

https://mccormickcenter.nl.edu/library-category/whole-leadership/

 

Title: Leadership Essentials: Taking Steps Toward Positive Impact

Marie Masterson

Description: "Leadership essentials create a positive impact on your program. What qualities motivate and engage staff? How will you respond to a difficult email when someone's feelings are on the line? How can you mediate a disagreement or resolve a conflict?"

mccormickcenter.nl.edu/library/leadership-essentials-taking-steps-toward-positive-impact/

 

Title: Extending the Lens-Leadership as an Organizational Asset 

Paula Jore Bloom, Michael B. Abel

Description: "Focusing on the background, beliefs, dispositions, and actions of early childhood administrators is certainly appropriate, given their extraordinary influence on the factors that impact children's development and learning - such as hiring qualified teachers, setting expectations for adult-child interactions, and shaping a program's educational philosophy and vision. Yet it is also useful to expand the lens to think about leadership as an organizational asset and consider the role administrators play in nurturing leadership capacity at all levels of the organization." 

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2015/expanding-the-lens

 

Title: Reconciling Leadership and Partnership Strategies to Empower Professionals and Families

Keith W. Allred, Christine L. Hancock

Description: Early childhood leaders can create effective partnerships with families but using a servant leadership approach. "When early childhood professionals attempt to carry out traditional leadership roles at the same time they implement family-centered early care and education, they may find themselves in a quandary. A number of the assumptions associated with traditional leadership are not in harmony with family-centered practices, which include engaging families as partners with programs and teachers in their children's development and learning (Douglas  & Gittell 2012). In their work with families, early childhood professionals often find themselves challenged by the need to be both leaders and partners."

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2015/leadership-and-partnership-strategies

 

Title: QRIS: Empowering Family Child Care Providers as Leaders

Jennifer Cortes, Rena A. Hallam

Description: This article outlines a framework used by one state's quality ratings and improvement system to empower family child care providers. Relationship-based technical assistance, communities of practice, and professional development, are strategies used to build the leadership skills of providers. 

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/sep2016/qris-empowering-childcare-providers

 

Title: How a Professional Learning Community Changes a Family Child Care Provider's Beliefs and Practices

Jennifer Gerdes, Terri Jefferson 

Description: This article provides the structure and inspiration for professional learning communities designed to support the unique work of family child care providers.  

https://jeffersonchild.com/uploads/YCPLCArticle112015.pdf

 

Title: Building on Whole Leadership, Energizing and Strengthening Your Early Childhood Program 

Marie Masterson PhD, Michael Abel PhD, Teri Talan EdD, JD, Jill Bella EdD

Description:  "In a complex and changing landscape of scarce funding, high turnover rates, and differing views about priorities, the early childhood profession needs an anchor. The Whole Leadership Framework, developed by the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, helps early childhood professionals inspire their staffs' collaboration, creativity, and ethical commitment." (Redleaf Press)

https://www.redleafpress.org/Building-on-Whole-Leadership-Energizing-and-Strengthening-Your-Early-Childhood-Program-P2517.aspx

 

Title:  From Survive to Thrive Leadership Initiative

New York Early Childhood Professional Learning Institute

Description: The Leadership Initiative hosted a series of activites, events, and discussions around the National Association for the Education of Young Children's new publication for leaders: From Survive to Thrive: A Director's Guide for Leading an Early Childhood Program. View the sessions at this link.

https://earlychildhoodny.org/leadershipinitiative/survivetothrive.php?team=LEADERSHIP-INITIATIVE

 

Title: Coaching with Powerful Interactions, A Guide for Partnering with Early Childhood Teachers 

Judy Jablon, Amy Dombro. and Shaun Johnsen 

Description: "This book-available in print and as an interactive, enhances ebook-is an essential guide for all coaches and professionals who support the work of teachers. Read and hear from the authors and other coaches as they share information, guidance, reflections, and insights about Coaching with Powerful Interactions. Whether you are a new or experienced coach, you can use this guide to build on your current strengths to make your coaching practices even more effective." (NAEYC) 

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/books/coaching-powerful-interactions

 

Title: From Teaching to Thinking A Pedagogical for Reimagining Our Work 

Ann Pelo and Marie Carter 

Description: "From Teaching to Thinking offers a passionate and thought-provoking alternative to standardized, scripted curriculum, giving educators support and encouragement to reimagine the beauty and wonder of what education could be." 

" Naturally, children are eager for connective relationships, they are curious, they are thinkers. This foundation text is a pedagogical companion for educators that strengthens their own development as thinkers, researchers, innovators, and constructors of knowledge so that they can pass on this way of being to the children in their care." (Redleaf Press) 

https://www.redleafpress.org/From-Teaching-to-Thinking-P2334.aspx

 

Title: Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs

Louise Derman-Sparks, and Debbie Leekeenan

Description: "With a focus on the leader's role in initiating and sustaining anti-bias education in programs for young children and their families, this book is both a stand-alone text and a perfect companion for Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. It emphasizes that this work is not only about changing curriculum but requires thoughtful, strategic, long-term planning that addresses all components of an early childhood program."

https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Anti-Bias-Early-Childhood-Programs/dp/0807755982

 

Title: Reflecting in Communities of Practice A Workbook for Early Childhood Educators

Deb Curtis, Debbie Lebo, Wendy C.M. Cividanes, and Margie Carter 

Description: "This Workbook is designed to be used with a group-a community of practice-but it can also be a self-study tool. The exercises help you to understand and practice the key elements of reflective teaching. Ten study sessions provide opportunities to engage with peers as you collaborate and connect theory and best practices in your classrooms." (Redleaf Press)

https://www.redleafpress.org/Reflecting-in-Communities-of-Practice-A-Workbook-for-Early-Childhood-Educators-P2353.aspx

 

Title: The Essentials Providing High-Quality Family Child Care 

Marie L. Masterson and Lisa M. Ginet  

Description: "Family child care homes are a vital part of child care, serving nearly 3 million children in the United States. This book lays the groundwork family child care providers need to run a successful program in a warm, welcoming setting for children and their families." (NAEYC) 

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/books/essentials-family-child-care

 

Title: The Visionary Director Third Edition, A Handbook for Dreaming, Organizing and Improvising in Your Center 

Margie Carter, Luz Maria Casio, and Deb Curtis

Description: "Create a larger vision in your child care program and perform your job as a center director with motivation and creativity. Early childhood leaders Deb Curtis, Margie Carter, and Luz Casio provide inspiration and support in this newly updated edition of the Visionary Director." (Redleaf Press)

https://www.redleafpress.org/Visionary-Director-Third-Edition-P2552.aspx

 

Video: Focus on Directors

Iris Chin Ponte and Debbie Leekeenan

Focus on Directors

 

Blog: Leading with Equity, Early Childhood Educators Make it Personal

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/leading-equity-early-childhood-educators-make-it-personal