Professional Identity

This survey is about important decisions for the future of early childhood education. Who are we? What do we do? VTAEYC's Task Force has deliberated over recommendations from the national Power to the Profession initiative. Now we need to hear from you.

Before responding, please take the time to understand some context in any (or all) of the following ways:

1. VTAEYC's Advancing as a Profession Task Force has created a discussion draft for Professional Identity. Click on our full draft here before responding to this survey.

2. You also have the option of reading briefer excerpts of the Task Force's discussion draft, which are inserted into this survey.

3. For greater understanding of NAEYC's national Power to the Profession recommendations on Profession Identity, click on their consensus document.

Reading aside, this survey should take 7-8 minutes. Responses will be anonymous. The Task Force plans to review all feedback, make any revisions, and publish a consensus document on Professional Identity in Spring 2020.

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* 1. What is your primary role? (choose one)

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* 2. What is your primary setting? (choose one)

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* 3. How many years of experience working in early childhood education do you have? (choose one)

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* 4. What is your highest level of education? (choose one)

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* 5. Since this exploration of advancing as a profession began, which of the following have you participated in? (choose ALL that apply)

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* 6. How well-informed do you feel about the work in Vermont regarding ECE advancing as a recognized profession?

Questions 7-10 are specifically about Professional Identity.

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* 7. NAME: Do you agree with these names?

FROM POWER TO THE PROFESSION
Proposed Name of the Professional: Early Childhood Educator
Proposed Name of the Profession: Early Childhood Education Profession

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* 8. ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES: To what extent do you agree with this description, with VTAEYC Task Force additions underlined?

FROM POWER TO THE PROFESSION
The Early Childhood Education Profession cares for and promotes the learning, development and wellbeing of young children to establish a foundation for lifelong learning and development. Members of the Early Childhood Education Profession are prepared to be accountable for the following responsibilities:

1. Planning and implementing intentional, developmentally appropriate learning experiences - including play-based learning experiences - that promote the Social-Emotional Development, Physical Development and Health, Cognitive Development, and General Learning Competencies of each child served
2. Establishing and maintaining a safe, caring, inclusive, and healthy learning environment
3. Observing, documenting, and assessing children’s learning and development using guidelines established by the profession
4. Developing reciprocal, culturally responsive relationships with families and communities
5. Advocating for the needs of children and their families
6. Advancing and advocating for an equitable, diverse and effective early childhood education profession
7. Engaging in reflective practice and continuous learning
8. Modeling an effective and positive disposition, attitudes, affect and personal resiliency
9. Following a Code of Ethics for professional conduct

QUESTION: To what extent do you agree with this description, including the underlined additions?

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* 9. AGE RANGE: To what extent do you agree that the Early Childhood Education profession serves children from birth through age eight?

FROM POWER TO THE PROFESSION
The Early Childhood Education Profession cares for and promotes the learning, development and wellbeing of children birth through age eight to establish a foundation for lifelong learning and development.

The responsibilities, as well as accountability to those responsibilities, are consistent across all early childhood education settings that support young children birth through age eight.

QUESTION: To what extent do you agree with this age boundary?

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* 10. DETANGLING THE PROFESSION AND THE FIELD: Click on this graphic developed by Power to the Profession and read the description below. Then choose the response that best fits for you. 

FROM POWER TO THE PROFESSION
Supporting the learning and development of young children requires complex, demanding, and valuable work that is performed by many individuals in many complementary roles.

The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Profession:
The ECE profession includes individuals who meet the guidelines established for the profession. These individuals are called Early Childhood Educators. They are defined by their mastery of specialized knowledge, skills and competencies and accountability to the standards of the profession. (ex. Code of Ethics). Additional members of the ECE Profession include: (1) those who teach and guide aspiring Early Childhood Educators in professional preparation settings, such as higher education programs, and (2) those who provide supervision and instructional/pedagogical leadership to Early Childhood Educators in early childhood program settings.

The Early Childhood (EC) Field:
The EC field includes various roles and individuals who are not accountable for all of the responsibilities of the ECE profession. It also includes individuals who choose not to or cannot adhere to the guidelines established by the profession. Those in the field can be valuable partners, but they are not considered members of the profession. Related occupations and professions in the early childhood field include mental health consultants, social workers, child psychologists, home visitors and others who may be prepared within an allied profession. These individuals are part of the field but not the profession. While employers or funders may require that individuals serving in roles in the field outside the profession be Early Childhood Educators, that is at their discretion and doesn’t make that role part of the profession.

QUESTION: To what extent do you agree with this distinction between the Early Childhood Education profession and the Early Childhood field?

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* 11. What have we not thought to ask?
Please share anything else that you think is important, including advice for the Task Force or feedback on the design of this survey.
Thank you for ensuring that your voice is heard!

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