In an era of early learning standards, packaged curriculums, and state quality rating systems, many directors lament that the accountability movement has sapped the creativity out of their programs. They say their teachers feel constricted, as though their own good ideas just don't matter anymore. Not true. In fact, it's more vital than ever to…

The need for effective early childhood leadership has never been greater than in this time of global economic crisis, demand for standards-based practice, and increased accountability for program outcomes. Distributed leadership is a hot topic in the educational leadership world, and much has been written about taking a distributed approach to…

Difficult personalities come in a variety of roles in just about every setting. While types have been identified in the typical corporate and business culture, difficult work personalities also inhabit the world of early childhood education (ECE) workplaces. Because difficult people have an impact on workplace morale and productivity, the topic…

By following the emerging early education policies in state governments across the United States, as well as tracking the direction of ECE professional organizations, one gets the impression that quality improvement is assured by an ever-expanding set of requirements and expectations placed on teachers. However, most of the folks who are…

Providing benefits to the employees are well-proven motivators. Many child care center owners and directors have discovered that employee benefits can eliminate the need for incentive compensation. This article discusses the importance of fringe benefits to find, attract, and retain workers in a company. It also discusses benefits that employees…

Time management is a skill. Like any new skill, it takes time and commitment to develop. A frequent complaint of center directors is not having enough time. Most work extremely long hours and still feel they are not getting enough done. This article presents ideas on how to manage time and work smarter, not harder. These ideas are the following:…

From snow removal to dishwasher repair, from pest control to playground renovations, there are countless demands on a child care director's time and attention. A child care director is required to juggle a wide variety of roles and expectations related to facility management, often with very little training or expertise in this area. Some child…