W E D N E S DAY S E S S I O N S Program Administration, Evaluation & Financial Management #55 | Do your personnel policies and procedures measure up? Identifying essential personnel policies and procedures that are legally sound and reflect current law 8:15–11:15 a.m. Marriott Marquis, Shaw/LeDroit Park All employers, whether they operate a small child care center or are part of a child care conglomerate, face the risk of being involved in an employee lawsuit. This is especially true today, as it is estimated that employee lawsuits have risen some 400% percent in the past 20 years. These lawsuits cost employers a great deal of time and money, but many of these legal actions can be avoided by simply having effective and well-written policies and procedures in place. Participants will be provided with a sample table of contents that outlines important personnel policies particular to the needs of child care agencies. We will discuss each topic, why the particular policy is important to the agency, and the legally correct language related to each policy. Areas such as at-will employment, hiring, termination, and disciplinary policies will be discussed. We will also look at the recent updates in the Americans with Disabilities Act and Family Medical Leave and how to write policies that adequately address the updates. Discussion will also focus on new trends in policies, particularly social networking and cell phone policies. Ronald McGuckin, Ronald V. McGuckin and Associates Adults
#56 | Making the most of meetings: The director’s role as facilitator 12:00 noon–3:00 p.m. Washington Convention Center, West Salon H Meetings are the glue that holds early childhood organizations together. Whether it’s a weekly staff meeting, a monthly parent meeting, or an annual board meeting, directors rely on meetings as the primary vehicle for communicating information, identifying and solving problems, and making new decisions and modifying old ones. There is no avoiding it: skill in facilitating meetings is essential for effective program management. This interactive session is filled with practical tips and technologies to help you lead more engaging and productive meetings. You’ll learn how to accomplish more work in less time and have more fun in the process. Jill Bella, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership; Lindsey Engelhardt, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Adults
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Research #57 | Exploring the preschool expulsion phenomenon through the lenses of research, practice, and policy 12:00 noon–3:00 p.m. Washington Convention Center, Room 208AB This presentation provides a rich account of preschool expulsion and exclusionary discipline in New York City preschools and its impact on children and their families. Preschool expulsions have become a growing national problem. Although several states have begun restricting or banning the use of expulsions in preschool, this has not deterred preschools from resorting to expulsions. Participants will learn how to (a) articulate how exclusionary discipline practices negatively impact both children and their families, (b) reflect on how implicit biases and job stress impact the decisions they make in their classrooms, and (c) develop a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, their role as change-makers in the field. Attendees will leave with an understanding of how teacher professional development in the areas of social-emotional learning, cultural and emotional responsiveness to children’s needs, and stress management are important strategies to mitigate the practice of exclusionary discipline practices. Chin Reyes, Yale University; Kelvin Chan, Robin Hood Foundation; Lisa Gordon, Bank Street College of Education Preschoolers
Science #58 | To pin or not to pin: Choosing, using, and sharing science resources online 8:15–11:15 a.m. Washington Convention Center, Room 150A Early childhood educators often use social media to look for or disseminate STEM resources; however, the educational quality of these STEM activities varies widely. Poor-quality STEM resources can reduce children’s learning of science and STEM concepts to rote learning, minimizing opportunities for critical thinking and problem solving. The presenters of this session created a tool to help teachers evaluate the quality of online STEM activities. This presentation will provide and describe a set of guiding questions that teachers can use to reflect on STEM resources and ensure they are choosing high-quality activities that reflect research and best practices in science education. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about the tool, use it to evaluate an online activity of their choice, and revise and expand on the activity to enrich its STEM quality. Sherri Peterson, University of Northern Iowa; Peggy Ashbrook, The Early Years columnist, NSTA; Cindy Hoisington, Education Development Center (EDC); Beth Van Meeteren, University of Northern Iowa; Sonia Yoshizawa, East Tennessee State University; Sandy Chilton, Austin ISD; Joseph Robinson, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School Preschoolers
2018 NAEYC Annual Conference