SCROLL DOWN FOR THIS WEEK'S HELP WANTED IN EARLY EDUCATION

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PRE-K UPDATE
JANUARY 8, 2020
Here's the latest news from The Long Island Pre-K Initiative, your source for  expert training and useful resources:  www.nassauboces.org/pre-k

The Regional Technical Assistance Center--what you need to know

As you'll remember, our state legislators succeeded in getting $475,000 of funding to launch a Regional Technical Assistance Center on Long Island, which will support
Pre-K and early childhood education. The Center will offer expert guidance in areas such  as program improvement, strategies for grant eligibility and management, implementing developmentally appropriate practice and maximizing family engagement. And it will continue work with regional leaders and policy makers to ensure support for our youngest learners and their families.

The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is excited to be a collaborating partner in this new venture, and we'll be offering professional development as part of the Regional Technical Assistance Center's team.

YOUR CLASSROOM
Long Island is changing; 6 tips for engaging parents who are still learning English

The number of foreign-born residents on Long Island is continuing to grow, says Newsday. In a  the daily newspaper ran down new census figures placing the percentage of Nassau's population in this category at 22.2% and Suffolk's
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as 15.5%. And the proportions are over 40% in some communities such as Elmont (45%) and Garden City Park (42%), which border Queens, and Brentwood (41.9%), which has a large Latino population.

What this means for teachers: making sure the families of Dual Language Learners aren't left out. Writing for edutopia, newcomer educator Louise El Yaafouri offers six ways to strengthen the school-family relationship with parents who are new to the U.S.

For starters, she says, make sure you are clear about what parents are expected to do. "We cannot assume that the American idea of doing school is shared by all families." This can be as simple as asking parents to set aside a quiet place for their child to read at home. It's also important to make sure they're aware of resources offered by your school district or program, such as translation services.

Another idea: offer parents "low-risk" opportunities to be involved with the school, such as volunteer opportunties and welcoming parent-school partnership events. (Hint: be mindful of culturally relevant dates and holidays when scheduling!)

BOOKSHELF
Would "diverse" describe your classroom library? Here's a list of resources on how to build or expand one

"Many educators are eager to infuse more culturally responsive, multicultural and inclusive stories into the classroom," writes Jill Eisenberg. "But it can be overwhelming to figure out where to begin." That's why she's pulled together helpful articles and
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websites for teachers.  

The Director of Curriculum and Literacy Strategy for Lee & Low Books, Eisenberg starts with guides to selecting high-quality diverse texts, such as A Guide to Selecting Multicultural Literature from Boston University and A Checklist for Evaluating Diverse Children's Media from the Sesame Workshop. 

But she doesn't stop there. Eisenberg adds links to research and other resources about the benefits of diverse texts for students--for example, a study that shows how exposure to culturally relevant books boosted comprehension for struggling African American readers.

And she provides tools to help you decide what might make the most immediate impact for your students, such as a one-page questionnaire from Lee & Low and helpful websites, such as   Latinx in Kid Lit.

Click here for the complete article with more than 30 links to helpful. curated resources. "Just as we really shouldn't rely on search engines for medical advice, be wary of search results and picture boards to help you find the high-quality, diverse, rigorous books you need," says Eisenberg.

YOU TELL US: Do you have multicultural read-alouds that really resonate with students? A favorite book or resource? Or difficulty finding materials? Please email us at prek@nasboces.org  We'll share what you have to say.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Why "gender" matters--and how you can explore this timely topic for early educators

Research shows that children show a marked change in beliefs about the intelligence of boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 6--and that teachers still tend to compliment girls on their clothes and boys on their talents. Plus, there's that persistent bias when it comes to crying girls vs. crying boys. ( Read more on increasing gender equity in elementary schools.) 

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What's more, teachers and administrators are being challenged by expectations around gender fluidity. For example, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recently posted an ethics case. In this instance, a 4-year-old boy enjoyed dressing up at school in skirts and sparkly shoes and told the class he's really a girl. But his parents instructed the teacher not to let him play with any "girl stuff." What's the school's responsibility? (Read the NAEYC guidance here.)

Gender, Sexuality and the Family--a three-part series
Session 1: Gender Development, Expression and Play
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Place: Western Suffolk BOCES Conference Center, Wyandanch

In this workshop, you'll learn about and discuss gender development in young children and how gender stereotypes can limit children's growth. Also included: how to work with family members who may be struggling with a child's non-conforming dress or behaviors.
Presenter: Helen Frazier, Director of Early Childhood at the City University of New York's Early Childhood Professional Development Institute (PDI).

Click here  to REGISTER NOW and to learn about the other workshops in this series.

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Be part of the New Leadership Initiative on Long Island--membership is free

Click here to register and become a part of this new professional development opportunity for early childhood leaders and aspiring leaders. There's no cost--and you'll immediately be eligible to receive information about the upcoming book study group, "dine and discuss" events, a speaker series and free individualized career advisement and support.
HELP WANTED
This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island

Full-Time Supervisory Teacher
Full-Time Certified Teacher Assistant
Full-Time Day Care Infant/Toddler Teacher
Full-Time Teacher Aide
Full-Time Behavior Support Aide
Part-Time Special Education 1:1 Aides
Alternatives for Children, Dix Hills
Email cover letter and resume  to jobs@alternativesforchildren.org
See open positions at other locations: www.alternativesforchildren.org

Full-Time Assistant Teachers
Part-Time Assistant Teachers
Harbor Child Care, New Hyde Park, Glen Cove, Uniondale, Manhasset & Mineola
Email resumes to careers@harborchildcare.org


For the Long Island Head Start positions listed below
Email resumes to humanresources@liheadstart.org or fax to 631-758-2953

Full-Time Teacher
Full-Time Teacher I (Infant/Toddler)
Full-Time Teacher II (Infant/Toddler)
Full-Time Teacher Assistant
Full-Time Teacher Aide
Full-Time Family Educator/Home Visitor--Bilingual
Full-Time Family Advocate
Substitute Teacher Aide
Long Island Head Start, Various locations

Speech Consultant
Mental Health Consultant
EHS-CCP Mental Health Consultant
Family Community Partnership Specialist
EHS-CCP Assistant
EHS-CCP Disabilities Services Consultant
Long Island Head Start, Central Administration, Patchogue




Here's how to add your school's staffing needs to this list:
 
Send an e-mail to prek@nasboces.org with the subject line "List our position."
 
In the body of the e-mail, include the following information:
 
For our records:  
  • Your name
  • Your position
  • Your e-mail and phone number
For the listing in our e-newsletter  
  • The name of your school and the town it's located in. You can include your web address, if you have one.
  • A very brief description of the position or positions you want to fill. (For example: "Part-time Teacher Assistant" or "Full-time Pre-K Teacher."
  • Information about how potential applicants should contact your for details or to apply. (For example: "Call Jane Smith at 631-xxx-xxxx" or "Send e-mail to jane.smith@schoolname.org") 
It's important to understand that:
 
We will not include information about salary. We will not include any descriptions of your school or program, although we can include a link to your school's web site.
 
We will publish your information a single time. If you still have openings, you can e-mail us again with the details and we will run the information again.
 
Our e-newsletter is typically sent out on Wednesday mornings. However, it may be mailed on a different day, depending on content or technical considerations. 
 
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative reserves the right to edit information; space in the e-newsletter is very limited.
 

About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a collaborating partner in the state-funded Regional Technical Assistance Center, which supports Pre-K and early childhood education on Long Island. The other collaborating partners are the three Long Island BOCES, the Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc., the Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc. and the Family Leadership Network. 




NASSAU BOCES 
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220  Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org